Buying a used car- What does the mileage matter?

Question

Buying a used car- What does the mileage matter?

Answer 1

If you have $2000 to spend on a vehicle, you can't afford to be picky. Of course mileage is important, as it is the main indication of wear and tear on a vehicle. In your situation, you need to be concerned less about mileage and look for a mechanically sound vehicle.

Answer 2

If all else was equal, yes, mileage would matter but that is very rarely the case.



Cars are the most efficient when highway driven, as compared to stop n' go/urban driving. But highway driving also racks up the mileage much faster. Just because a car has high mileage doesn't mean it's anywhere near the end of its life-cycle.

Another thing to keep in mind is the vehicle's service and maintenance history. A used car that has a complete and documented service history that is current is more likely to be less-troublesome compared to a car that was neglected and/or abused.



Also keep in mind that for the price range you're looking in, older and high mileage vehicles will likely be all that you will find. Just take your time and be thorough when searching for that diamond-in-the-rough used car and you will find it sooner or later.

Answer 3

I can understand your concern. yes mileage is important. But not as important as a well looked after vehicle. I own a 95 van with almost 400,000km (220,000 miles) It might seem like a lot but if you look at it you would say that its in really good shape Nearly mint for that age. Yes there are a few dings and dents to be expected but its the original engine, and i have kept up the regular maintenance on it. That's the most important thing. When buying used vehicles always ask if they have service records that you can review.

Answer 4

Cars typically die around 200,000 miles. And the average driver drives 12k a year. Miles are important because they reflect how much life is left in the car. So if you buy a car with 100,000 miles and you drive it as much as the average driver then that car should last you another 6-8 years. Also, it's amazing how long cars will last if you get them inspected as often as you are supposed to. I bought a car with 112,000 miles on it 6 years ago and didn't miss a single inspection. It is now at 190,000 and there is not a single problem with it

Answer 5

Mileage is more on newer, more expensive cars.



On $2000 cars, condition is more important but mileage still matters.



You simply cant be very picky when you've only got $2000. You might find a lower mileage car but it might take a month or so of searching.



But, you shouldn't ignore a higher mileage car in great condition.



100 highway miles are easier on a car than 50 stop & go short trip city miles.



But, with $2000, you cant expect new, You wont get it.



About 6 years ago, I was getting out of the car business and wanted a cheap car for myself since I wouldn't have a for sale car to drive like I always used to. I was still a dealer and went to a local dealer only auction that a mega dealer has to dispose of his trade ins.



There were 2 cars I was interested in that night. a really nice 94 Honda Accord in great shape with 150k miles. I loved that car but I knew it was going to be expensive. You cant steal a nice import.



I had convinced myself to pay about $2800 plus the buyers fee for the Honda which was a lot but I figured it might take that much to buy it. As it turns out, it sold for $3500 plus the buyers fee which was probably $160 at the time. That's $3660 total.



The other car I was interested in was a 94 Buick Century. It was not as nice & clean as the honda but it was very low mileage and was obviously owned by an old lady. It had 59,000 miles, a crack in the windshield and the AC, while working, needed a freon charge. And the drivers side rear window wouldn't roll up. You could pull it up & it would stay up but you'd have to do it every time you roll it down. It also had a scratch in the middle of the hood, but I knew that most of that would buff out with some wax & elbow grease. Oh and it had a cracked headlight but the light still worked, it had dampness and I sort of figured that the water inside would cause the headlight to go out.



Since I was interested in that car, I also looked at another 94 Buick Century with 200k miles but it was real nice and it was hard to believe it had 200k miles. I wasn't willing to buy it because of the mileage though, It sold for $1000+ buyers fee.



My car went later and I was determined to buy it even though it wasn't as nice as the honda, I knew it would cost far less. I ended up paying $1725 plus the buyers fee of $90=$1815 total.



Now, 6 years later, I still have it. The crack in the windshield got worse. it was over about 15% of the windshield, now its over about 75% but its below my field of vision and I cant justify replacing it on such a cheap car. I charged the AC and had some stop leak put in it and its been fine. The headlight hasn't went out. The broken window is still broken, I just don't use it.And the automatic door lock on the rear passenger side door still doesn't work, I have to manually reach in there to lock & unlock it which is a pain.



Now, that was at a dealer only auction, retail prices would have been much higher.



I drive very little so my Buick only has 80,000 miles now. Ive had to do some things to it, like an alternator, a water pump, brakes, twice and tires. Oh and I flushed & refilled the radiator twice, It was nasty when I bought it and it was nasty 5 years later when the water pump went out.



I feel fortunate to have gotten 6 years out of the car without a motor or transmission going out but part of that is because Ive only put 21,000 miles on the car.



You might be thinking why do I drive such a cheap car when I can probably afford something much nicer.



Im thrifty and 15+ years in the car business taught me how much money people waste on expensive, depreciating cars.



I keep my money working FOR me rather than buying expensive cars that quickly depreciate.



Plus, I save a lot on insurance by having liability only.



I figure my cheap car has cost me maybe $1200 over the last 6 years counting the repairs that a newer car wouldn't have needed and depreciation. Compare that to someone who leases at $300 a month and gets a new car every 3 years with $700 down. They spent $23,000 plus insurance which was likely 4-5 times higher than mine.



Driving a newer, nicer car isn't worth that much to me.



I let my money work for me. Many people work their butts off so they can have a new car.



The above example is only 6 years but over 30-40 years it could easily be the difference between retiring rich and being flat broke. Especially when you add investment returns.

Answer 6

Mileage is extremely important. It tells you how much use the vehicle has had. The more miles on the car the more the car has been driven. The more it's been driven the more the parts wear out. Age and miles are very important.



BUT, you are on a very tight budget. Cars drop in price dramatically once they are more than ten years old and once they go over 100,000 miles. So in your price range you probably won't find anything that is newer than 10 years old or lower than 100k miles.



So what you need to do is concentrate on overall condition of the car. Even if it has 100k miles, if the car is still in good condition and drives like new then you should consider buying it. Your price range has you at a disadvantage. You can only buy what you can afford and you can't afford a car with low miles.



Before you do ANYTHING, have the car you picked out professionally inspected by a certified mechanic that you trust. Do it before you make any final offer to purchase. It's money well spent.

Answer 7

Quality made cars such as a good older Mercedes-Benz built in Germany, up to around 1994, are capable of easily putting 350,000 miles away, I see them on eBay every week, still working, still being sold. By contrast, some Fords and other cheap brands are disposable, lasting about as long as a pint of milk in comparison!

What matters is SERVICE HISTORY for the use the car has had. Does it have a stamped-up service book, WITH the invoices of the same date, with the details of EXACTLY what was done? Some dealers will happily lie and stamp up a Service Record, to raise the value of a car!

Answer 8

Millage shows the amount of use on a car- and therefore the more miles- the more use. Replacement parts show that a car is starting to have stuff go wrong and wear out- so there would be a chance more stuff would go wrong in the near future that would cost you money. For example if the transmission goes out it could easily cost $1,200 - more or less depending on the vehicle. Now I can't speak of how many miles a car could have, certain cars I would not buy brand new, others I would buy, if the price was right with 150,000 + miles however, I would take in to account the risk and have moneys set aside to fix them if something went wrong. If it is an older vehicle with high millage - I would recommend toyota or honda. Or to research on each brands specific model year, see what people post for how many miles they have on them. Most importantly any car look into the safety, don't buy something that is tiny- it is not the risk, you may be the best driver on the road, but the person in the car over may not be. Safety first. I would recommend a mid-size or small suv. If you can't afford one yet, try and save a little longer, or see if you parents will spot you a little extra cash... if you have a job pay then back a little each month. i know not all situations will allow for that however. So in short depends on that car. Do your research. Looks at safety as well. There is nothing wrong with waiting until you have more funds. Be safe out there.

Answer 9

Mileage is rather important because, if the car has 100,000 miles or more it obviously wont last as long as a car that has 20,000 miles. If you drive your car around quite a but then i personally recommend you get one with around 50-80,000! Dont get a car that is that old with that many miles, if in budget get a newer car.

Answer 10

Mileage is a measure of how much wear and tear the car has sustained. In general, the higher the mileage the more wear and tear the car has sustained. That is why lower mileage is generally preferred and why lower mileage vehicles cost more to buy used.



On a $2K budget, you're not going to find a very good selection (or maybe any selection) of lower mileage vehicles because lower mileage vehicles almost always cost more than $2K. As such, you might want to make your goal to find the best maintained example of a $2K car so that you pay less for repairs later. Maintenance records are a big plus. A mechanic checking over a higher mileage vehicle is also a good idea before you decide to buy if you're not skilled at that sort of thing and want to avoid unexpected costly repairs after you buy.