I don't think there's much doubt that 50,000 miles covered mainly on motorways will leave a car in better nick than would 50,000 miles of town driving. The best thing you can do with an engine is get it quickly up to optimum operating temperature and never slow it down or switch it off. If you drive properly on a motorway, the use of clutch and brakes should be minimal. Interesting things, brakes: getting through pads quickly must reflect a relatively fierce driving style.
Advertised claims in respect of motorway miles are another matter, of course.
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As Roger says, clutch etc should have less wear but this will probably need to be offset to a degree by the increased amount of bodywork "damage" caused by stonechips etc.
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Its a stupid statement. In todays traffic the only way you can clock up high mileages in short time IS on motorways. I dont need to be told that!
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I'm currently trying to sell a car which has done 96k in 7 years, which isn't particularly excessive. But I've had a lot of people interested in the car until I tell them the mileage, then they are not interested. The car gets oil/filter changes every 5000 miles, and runs very well; which is surely better than a car which has done only 40k miles but has only had oil changes every 15k miles. It still seems very strange in this day and age how much people worry about the actual milegae of the car, without looking at it condition.
I wouldn't have minded so much if the callers had inspected the car and decided that it looks like its worn out, but they don't even get that far. My car does mainly motorway trips, so a typical 40 mile drive will involve about 4 brake presses, and about a dozen gear changes. But there's no way I'm going to convince a seller that information is relevant.
As others have said, the statement "mainly motorway miles" is rather vague and open to interpretation. But would you rather buy a car that's done a 30 mile clear motorway trip every other day, or one that does a 5 mile urban journey with lots of start-stop speed bump riddled trips every day?
How do we remove the myth of high mileage is always bad and low mileage is always good?
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Its only done 1600 miles p.a. more than the average. Are you sure that's the reason ?
What's the car ?
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Unless it's been used as a taxi or for some other commercial use; driving instruction, courier etc.
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The last caller asked how many miles had it done, I told him the answer and he said he wasn't interested as 95k was too many - and that was that! No other questions were asked above what was stated in the advert. He had even seen the car in the flesh as he saw my advert in the car's window, so it's not like he was put off from the external appearance.
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Forget to mention the car is a Megane.
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Daft. I wouldn't call that sort of mileage on a car of that age anything special.
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All the more reason to list the mileage in the ad, you will filter out all those calls from people looking for a 7 year old car with 17,000 miles. Still baffles me why people would state "higer than average mileage" or "motorway miles" when at some point they will have to tell a prospective buyer how many miles are actually on the car.
Considering that most classified ads have a limit on word count or charge per, I would imagine that giving more detail on the condition or spec of the car would be a better use of words than "none nicer in the trader", "one careful lady owner", "higher than average motorway miles" or my favourite "First to see will buy".
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Agree with what most of you have said. Motorway miles does make a difference to the condition of a high-mileage car, but you ain't gonna convince the majority of uninformed buyers of that so there isn't much point mentioning it.
I also can't understand the 'low mileage for age' comments. If it was impressively low, you'd just state it, right? Just tell 'em, you'll have to eventually and it filters out the timewasters.
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It's the 100k miles barrier. People just have a massive mental block about it.
I think it's because it's such a round figure. Even if you logically know a car is capable of twice that, 100,000 just looks like such a big number.
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I take it its the same with HGV's HJ? The average tractor unit for a supermarket fleet does about 750k in 5 years ive been told!!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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I have recently completed a search for a good MB W126 (the 1980s S-class). Having driven examples with between 54k and 204k on the clock, the one I have chosen has 130k. It feels like the one that had 75k and I suspect that its having done 80k in its first two years might have something to do with that. I was pleased -- pleased -- to see that in the service book.
This morning I am going to see another one, which I did say no to because it has 370k on the clock. I'm going to see it because I may be able to do the vendor a favour by publicizing it within the MB Club. He is elderly and has to let the car go because of changed circumstances arising from his wife's serious illness. He simply wants to find a good home for the car, which he regards as "a good friend". No engine rebuild, no autobox rebuild, no change of timing chain -- 370k and running perfectly. Just goes to show what you can get out of a car if it is properly looked after.
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i like the autotrader ads that start
if your looking for a good one, then this is it.
i was looking for a good couple of girlfriends to keep for around a year, but got this one "up-the-duff" and now have to keep swmbo in the custom she is acustomed to !
after 14 years, i would like to trade in, for a younger model, but like they say the cheapest one is the one your "driving" now !!!
if only she would let me "drive" a little more than 3 times a month ;-) TIC.
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Today I've had the great privilege and pleasure of driving a black Mercedes-Benz W126 300SE that has done 370,000 miles. Wow!
Acquired by the current owner in 1995 at six years old and 40,000 miles, he used it for his professional chauffeur business at about 50,000 miles a year until 2000, when he went into semi-retirement, since when he continued chauffeuring only for private clients on a diminishing part-time basis. The car never let him down and the failure record is merely a replaced alternator and the demise of the retro-fitted security system. He recalls a 750-mile day trip, after which he got out of the car feeling fresh as a daisy.
I've driven seven W126 300SEs during the past several weeks, ranging in mileage from 54,000 to 204,000. Had I not known the mileage on this one, I would have put it at about 120,000, perhaps lower. The engine is as sweet as a nut (no trace of mayo), the autobox faultless. There has been no engine rebuild, no autobox rebuild, and not even a change of timing chain. The bonnet insulation is almost as new; believe it or not, the car still has the original back box of the exhaust system. The tyres are nearly new. The owner has had a steady 25 mpg out of the car throughout the whole period of his ownership.
So how can this be? Well, surprise surprise, the car has been properly serviced on a rigorous schedule of 6,000-mile intervals come hell or high water. At 50,000 miles a year, it was serviced every other month. There is a complete set of supporting documentation.
The owner is sad that changed family circumstances force him to sell the car. He is as concerned to hand his "old friend" on to a good home as he is about the price. The bodywork is not as good as the engine and transmission, although some panels are free of corrosion, the radiator-grill chrome looks like new and, significantly, there is no corrosion whatsoever under the rear window and within the boot. The interior (grey velour) is in good condition. The car has always been garaged. So, this little story is turning into an advertisement.
The car has been in Autotrader for some weeks, but there has been little response. When I saw the ad, I contacted him, but decided that the mileage was too high for me. However, as an afterthought, I told him that I could perhaps do him a favour by publicizing the car among genuine enthusiasts, and he is very happy about that. Should anyone be interested, e-mail me via one of the mods (who always seem happy to do this on a very occasional basis).
P.S. The owner also has complete sets of Autocar and Motor from the late 1950s through to the end of the 1960s, plus every Classic Car from the first issue through to 2003 in absolutely mint condition.
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Just like the National Lottery and smoking, I see the purchase of "low mileage" vehicles as a tax on the stupid.
The above should be encouraged BTW in order for our National Heritage and NHS to be subsidised by idiots and the weak.
I would expect the Mondeo I currently run to go to 200K if I need it to, running on Mobil 1 changed every 5K (don't tell me about the cost, £600+ on fuel, £35 on oil over 5K).
When I go to change it I will get a high mileage Merc S Class or whatever or Beemer, get the local dealer / ind. specialist to give it a good service and do any work that it needs and then run it for as long as I require.
By the time that vehicle reaches me it will have lost most of its value and probably cost about the same as a NEW Fiat / Ford or whatever.
Oh and as you can't see the odometer from outside I'll also spend a lot of time "looking down" upon drivers of inferior cars.
I buy a car for myself not to deal with the fear of a breakdown or MOT failure..."Oh well we had to change the Vectra as the MOT was coming up"...
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"Oh and as you can't see the odometer from outside I'll also spend a lot of time "looking down" upon drivers of inferior cars."
And I will flick my fag through your stuck electric window.
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I think Motorway cars do suffer less wear and tear - a car that has spent 80k of its 100k in 3 years sat on the Motorway is going to have less clutch/brake/etc etc use than one thats done 60k around town in the same period, surely?
I often cover over 100 miles on the Motorway without touching the clutch, getting in the car, out the car, etc etc etc yet throughout 40 miles around town I met get in and out multiple times, many many gear changes, etc.
My car has 100k of 'motorway mileage' on it. Inside and out it is indisguinguishable in appearance and wear (ie interior) to the many 60k examples I looked at.
Except it was £1000 cheaper.
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I am about to sell a 4 year old Seat Toledo - it has 131000 miles on the clock, and as you can probably guess, I've done the vast majority of them on the motorway.
I've had the car serviced every 10,000 miles, regular as clockwork, the last but one (120000) being a big one that included another cam belt change - it's now on its third belt.
It still drives as well as the day I bought it, it has never so much as dropped a speck of oil, I still get 50mpg+ out of it every single tank, The only money spent, other than the regular service bills, has been wear and tear (eg tyres and a change of brake pads) - I could go on.
Yes - it has some stone damage, more then you might expect for a 4 year old, but certainly not excessive.
I am strongly of the the opinion that, when I sell it for the book value for its mileage, around 2 - 2.5k less than "Average" miles for the age, someone is going to be a very good car at an absolute bargain price.
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A friend of mine got 200K out of his Vauxhall Carlton 1.8i when the engine died. Like everyone else here he had it serviced on a regular basis etc and spent thr right money doing so. AFAIR he never had to change the clutch!
He liked it so much he then went and spent a small fortune on getting a new (not recon or SH) engine fitted.
IMO that was a mistake - he should have gone for a good SH engine from a reputable source - 76,000 miles later the bodywork failed the MOT and it was scrapped. That was a great shame.
H
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