As cars build quality is getting better these days, what is considered to be High mileage for cars? Is it different for
Japanese cars compared to say Vauxhall/Ford?
Also which is better to buy....High Mileage cars that
have been run fully warmed up mainly on the motorway or Low Mileage ones used on the shopping run?????
I think that Low Mileage cars are better cos they have a proportionally less wear on the running gear of the car therefore
delaying bills such as Cambelt,Bearings,Gaitors,CV joints,Shocks not to mention starter motors/alternators.
Most people complain about the carbon buildup but surely thats negligible these days and what problems would result from carbon buildup? You would get rotting exhausts though.
Clouddz
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It's a swings and roundabouts arguement of which you will hear both side presented in here.
Your arguement does have flaws in it - a low mileage car may well have more starter motor wear than a high miler - once started the high miler will just drive for hours whereas the low mileage one will have been started, driven to nursery to drop one kid off, then to school to drop another off then to the supermarket then back home. In the afternoon the process is repeated in reverse. Also with a lot of miles being town work things like clutch, brakes and steering components get more stick than a car cruising on motorway at 70-80mph.
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My only experience are my parents. Both run Fiestas - mum does less than 5,000 miles a year, dad does 30,000 a year as a driving instructor. Dad spends more on servicing, but less on other items. Mum has one service a year, but on her Fiesta which has done less than 20,000 miles she has already had replacement exhaust, battery, starter motor and alternator.
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I'd definately go for a high mileage car. On an m/way there's very little wear on the clutch, brakes, or even suspension etc. In the city you have a lot more bends, brake for almost every junction, change gear a lot more, and use the clutch a lot more. With city driving people generally do a lot of short trips too which messes stuff up. Once a car is warm there is hardly any engine wear.
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And dont forget the price advantages.
When I bought my Mondeo it was 4 years old. I could either spend £4-5k on a low mileage one, or under £3k on a high mileage one.
Guess which I chose ;)
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Just don't always assume that high mileage cars have done all their mileage on motorways. Plenty of examples of taxis, private cabs, driving instructors etc out there
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Very true Bobby. You wouldnt want to end up with an ex-AA driving school Ford Focus!
I thought that buying the high mileage cars cheaper is a false economy...cos you'll have a raft of items that need replacement pretty soon and Ford/VX cars arent built like Toyota/Honda.
Also High Mileage cars would have a large number of chips on the bonnet/bumper, especially with new car designs having ski-slope bonnets.
Can anyone in the trade give a rule of thumb to high mileage 10/15/20K annually???
Would that figure change for Honda/Toyota to a Vauxhall/Ford?
Clouddz
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Depends how the car is used. When I bought my s/hand QX it had a relatively low mileage - but that was down to the previous owner making infrequent trips Nottingham to Norfolk. Most of the rest of the time it was parked in his garage.
Also cars that are used for local running around tend to be smaller than those chosen for long-distance work, so I guess they tend to wear out quicker anyway.
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High mileage depends on the car and the situation - a 3 year old 1.0 micra or yaris can be classed as high mileage whereas on a vectra, mondeo etc 60k over three years isn't too bad.
Also remember that whilst a toyota or honda may be more reliable if they do break down the parts are much more expensive.
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You can usually tell if a vehicle has been used as a mini-cab by finding holes in the roof where the taxi sign was fitted & a big whiff of cheap aftershave, not to mention the badly worn drivers seat!
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
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High mileage buys make real sense if:
The cars are still relatively young and a desirable model. You get a more modern spec or facelifted model for your money.
You do less than "average miles" per year and can bring the miles nearer to what is expected by the trade when you sell it.
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Well, with cars older than 3 years or 60,000 it depends whether it's fleet high miler or private high miler. With fleet the chances are they kept servicing up to schedule. In private hands it can be tricky. Let's imagine you do 100 miles daily commuting plus annual holiday somewhere relatively far from where you live. You can easily clock up 30,000 miles every year. With typical modern car service schedule of 9,000 miles every single year you should let your car go through three typical services, where every third service should be major (or 3rd level) and include change of all possile liquids, cartridges, filters, pads and other consumables. How many people do you think will take their out of warranty car through 3 services a year, considering 3rd level service can cost anything between 300 and 700 pounds?
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