Low mileage older car v higher mileage newer car?
I'm after a secondhand mondeo for £3-£5000
I require an automatic and the choice isn't anywhere near as wide as for a manual where I live.
I'm thinking of driving out to see a 2.0 lx on "56 plate" (which I was told is 2006/7) it has done 52.000
I am assured that it is in very good condition but isn't that mileage a bit high for the age? Asking price is £5295
Whereas I could also look at another that has only done 41.000 miles for £3695 but is 2002
Assuming both are in good condition for the year, which represents the best overall deal and what are the main negatives to take into account with mondeos of different ages or mileages
Edited by Will Marshall on 22/08/2009 at 01:36
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The big question is how many miles a year will you do in it? I bought my car at 80k (its on 82k now) but I knew I would only be doing 4k max a year in it so by the time the milleage gets close to 100k it the bodywork would be rotten anyway.
If you do high milleage then I would go for a slightly lower milleage older car, if you do less milleage go for the newer higher milleage car.
Either way all Mondeos can handle their milleage so newer is probably better unless you do mega miles or it already has stupid miles on the clock.
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I normally do around 4k, but in the coming year I will have to travel a lot more, I would guess 15k.
After that it should be around 8k per year.
I suppose the type of driving is important, a lot of stopping and starting around town keeps the mileage down but wears other things.
Are the automatic Mondeo boxes durable and reliable?
Edited by Will Marshall on 22/08/2009 at 02:16
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I can't answer the question on autoboxes but at 52,000 miles I think you will be fine. Its 3 years old, it can probably do another 200,000 easily so you have nothing at all to worry about. If you do another 60k in it in four years you then have a 8 year old Mondeo coming up to 100,000 miles so its still got a lot of life left in it.
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Thanks Rattle, having spoken it out loud, I'm tending that way.
Have you or anyone reading this driven a Toyota Avensis, I was wondering how it compares in the real world ? (I've read reviews)
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Hi there,
We have a 2006 130tdci LX mondeo estate (bought it about a month ago), and my boss has a 2007 Avensis d4d (180bhp). The avensis is not the brand new shape, it's the one before that.
His avensis is a super car, it's top of the range and so has everything - and is a good drive and powerful. I'd have no hesitation about buying one, at the right price/age. However, Avensis' hold their price more than Mondeos, so pound for pound the mondy is far better value used.
My opinion is that the mondeo is bigger (but I haven't checked dimensions). Before we bought the mondeo, I considered an avensis. But there aren't as many around, so choice is limited - and they're a lot more expensive at the same age/mileage. We bought the mondeo and are well pleased. The Avensis is a very capable car tho'.
Harry.
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Thanks very much for your Avensis feedback.
You are right harry there aren't many around so I might have to stick to a Mondeo.
I'm still juggling the age/price/mieage equation lol
A four year old for example might be coming up to needing things done whereas a 6 year old might already have had them done.
I'm beginning to see it is impossible to generalise however, I'll have to be thorough and judge each one it's individual merits
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Having run quite a few cars fron new up to six-figure mileages, I would be fairly confident that age has a more destructive effect than mileage on most of a car's components. None of them ever gave any trouble, and all were big Renaults.
The worst used buy would be something that has been driven two miles to the railway station each day, and in a hurry on the morning run. Temptingly low-mil;eage, but quite possibly, as the Germans ought to say, ausgeklappt.
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Hi Will,
I can only speak from personal experience, obviously. I bought a '03 Mondeo MK3 2.0 auto Ghia last Nov after my previous MK2 was written off. It's upto 71,000 miles now and everything works perfectly, bar a small niggle that was easily fixed.
The auto gearbox works fine, no annoying squeaks from the cabin and still a sharp, great drive. I have a feeling, fingers crossed, it'll go on for a few more years yet with regular servicing and some T.L.C whilst driving!
There seem to be plenty around and in my opinion the best looking car of it's class/type/budget from the years in which it was manufactured.
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The 2.0 petrol engine in the Mondeo Mk3 is a unit developed with Mazda, and has a timing chain, so no belt to change, that keeps costs down also.
You'd hope the Japanese influence would help reliability also...
The Mondeo mk3 drives well, is fairly cheap and easy to repair like most Fords, and cheap to buy and insure. They do have some problems, but nothing devastating, I have read the earlier petrols did have manifold flap issues and rust on the door bottoms, so go for a facelift model if you can, 2005 onwards I believe.
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Thank you very much
Things have moved quite quickly and I decided on a 2004 Avensis with 38k on the clock, from a franchised Toyota dealer.
It was the space in the front of the Avensis that was the clincher, it is far roomier up front than the Mondeo I also found the seats suited me and my wife much better. (I can appreciate that the Mondeo's attempt at a more sporty cockpit for driver and front passenger might appeal to others)
Edited by Will Marshall on 31/08/2009 at 21:54
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