I'm considering an 03 Octavia TDi with 127,500 miles on the clock.
Am I being silly? It does seem a lot of miles for a 3 year old car, but if its been well maintained and looked after then why shouldn't it be OK?
Any ideas/comments?
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If it's got a full service history I'd buy it in a shot. Those miles must have been done on the motorway, effortless cruising so minimal wear and up to temperature.
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That's surely a car capable of half a million miles. With a convincing service record it will be a screaming bargain, because Jo Public will be frightened by the miles and eager to spend twice as much on one that's done 12,750 miles and is therefore full of short-trip problems.
I drove a MB W126 with 370k on the clock last year. For six of its years it did 50k a year. Rigorously serviced, with oil changed at 6k on the dot, it was as sweet as a nut and had experienced no problems (no gaskets changed, no rebuilds).
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As I've mentioned a few times I did 100,000 miles in 2 years in an 03 Octavia estate Tdi and towards the end it seemed to be getting really into it's stride and I was sorry to see it go
It was serviced every 10,000 miles pretty much on the button and did the majority of it's miles on clear A roads (Scotland and NE England)
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As I've mentioned a few times I did 100,000 miles in 2 years in an 03 Octavia estate Tdi and towards the end it seemed to be getting really into it's stride and I was sorry to see it go
--- I can believe that -- provided correct services are carried out and the car is driven 'sensibly' the mileage need not be an issue. Higher mileage cars tend to be bargains. I think too much emphasis is placed on 'Low Miles' --- That car could have been driven 1 mile to work, left all day, then 1 mile home and so on. Low miles but what's the motor like?
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I like low years/high miles too. But what if those 127,500 miles had been run up as a mini cab?
Chris M
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I like low years/high miles too. But what if those 127,500 miles had been run up as a mini cab?
Round my way, the minicabbers wouldn't buy a car much younger than that.
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As long as it hasn't been used as a mini-cab I would think it will be a good buy.
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Every taxi and private hire round my way is an Octavia. Would be very easy to run up that mileage!
I would tread very carefully...
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My experience of buying cars is that you approach every one on its merits. I have seen 'prestige' cars (e.g. BMW) with 100k on the clock that were basically clapped out - other examples would be like new. To say that a car which has covered a high mileage in a short time must have spent its like cruising motorways is very niave.
Best thing is to approach the car and forget the mileage. Does it look 'right'? (i.e. paint, panels) then look at overall condition of trim, peer at discs (are they shot?), does engine look clean and tidy etc etc. Logos on front and back plates? Then look at miles and make a judgement on value (if you think its genuine).
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Every taxi and private hire round my way is an Octavia. Would be very easy to run up that mileage! I would tread very carefully...
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Same round my way ( Bournemouth); but just about all the taxi drivers use SDi models rather than TDi.
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I bought a (at the time) less than two year old Octavia with 68000 miles. It had been a private hire but it didn't show, couple of holes in the dash from a phone kit.
Did me very well, main reason for getting rid after 4 years and 50,000 miles was a bad experience getting the cambelt changed after the tensioner broke and then sorted out (garage went bust) plus i was bored of it, so it was PXed. None of it was the car's fault, it was me trying to save a few quid and failing.
I bought the car in Feb 2002 for £6700, it being an April 2000 car. SLX TDi. The same model elsewhere with "sensible" mileages were 10k plus.
If you like it, go for it. The only things that i can think of to check is that the cambelt and tensioner was replaced at 120,000 and check the front suspension. Mine crashed and banged, but noone could find anything wrong. Very low ground clearance at the front, so watch out at speed humps.
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Well, I went and had a look last night and decided its not for me.
The car is immaculate on the outside but very scruffy inside. The salesman told me that it was a rep-mobile and therefore all motorway miles, but I'm not convinced. There wasn't a stonechip to be seen.
Inside looked very rough and the spec was pretty poor for an 03 car. It had aircon and a trip computer but not much else.
When I asked to see the log book I was told it was "in the bosses house", so I walked away.
It didn't help that the door open light was on all the time whether doors were open or shut. Trivial I know, but if its that easy to fix, then why hadn't the garage done it?
It was up for £4995, which may be a fair price, but I just wasn't impressed enough to entertain it.
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I should have mentioned...
It was a 1.9TDi (90 bhp) Ambiente hatchback
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A bit expensive IMO even if it had been a rep's car but no stone chips and a tired interior are the exact opposite of what you'd expect if it had been - but sound like par for the course for a minicab, which means more wear on suspension, gears, steering, etc. I'd say that the majority of the taxis round here are SDis (at that age anyway) but there are more than a few TDis so it's entirely plausible that it's an ex (and maybe future) cab.
I think you did the right thing by walking away.
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sound like par for the course for a minicab, which means more wear on gears
No, minicab drivers only use 4th and 5th
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Taxi - No rep would drive a 90Bhp.
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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AFAIK, Skoda discontinued the SDI engines around the time the Octavia range was facelifted in 2001. So, as was said above, any 90bhp TDI revised-model Octavia has to be suspected of being a taxi.
Still, Dave Taxi Driver reported on three Octavias here, the first breakdown he mentioned was a clutch replaced at 205,000 miles. So I guess an ex-taxi needn't be a worry provided the price and condition are right.
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Whenever this subject comes up I make the same point so I won't disappoint.
The point with high miles is that the WHOLE CAR has done high miles.
Yes a high mileage engine may not be a problem these days particularly if its motorway miles.
However on modern cars usually the easiest thing to change is the engine. Lots of places will pop you in a recon block cheap and easy. Its the suspension body work endless electric motors for everything expensive and hard to obtain trims etc etc etc that will cause you the most headaches.
There is a reason why high mileage cars need to be cheap and it is not just punter stupidity.
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Once cruising on the motorway though, the car is in balance.
Suspension is hardly working, compared to pulling off from traffic lights every 5 minutes.
Same with the gearbox/clutch,
Even switches don't get used as much - you set the temperature etc then generally leave it there. (See homeostatis) The windows won't be up and down every 10 seconds either as they could be in town.
The bodywork...OK maybe stone chips but less prone to dings etc.
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Hmmm I'm not sure I agree.
A car sat on the motorway for 40,000 miles pa is suffereing les stress throughout than a equivalent car doing the same mileage on urban or suburban roads.
Specifically, the gears, clutch and brakes are used less. The suspension will not encounter as many potholes or speed humps. There will be fewer cold starts and starts of any kind, so the oil will be in better condition.
The electric bits are less likely to be used, as motorway driving requires less use of electric windows, central locking, heater windows, mirrors etc, even the air con will be less stressed as a fast car automatically changes the internal air faster than a slow car.
I have bought two high mileage cars over the years. A three year old Honda Accord with 72,000 miles (serviced reguarly) and served until 109,000 with no repairs other than a holed radiator. At the end it was sold to a minicab driver and the only issue was slightly loose steering. We also bought a 93,000 mile BMW 730i with FSH and was four years old. Again, no mechanical failures at all and was sold for not much less than we paid for it 16,000 miles and two years later.
My partner has bought three hile mileage Lexus's and had no problems with any of them. The oldest was sold to a friend who loves it. Itis ten years old, has 160,000 miles and goes really well.
--
Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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