Is a low mileage car any better....
 

than a high mileage car?


I started to think about this whilst reading an old classic car magazine from 2001 when sales adverts mention low miles etc.


I remember my Dad who at one time was a long distance lorry driver (1950's style with Foden eight wheeler and trailer) telling me that some of the best second hand cars to buy were ex fleet cars that had pounded the motorways but had wanted for nothing maintenance wise.



In my own case i have just placed my 2002 ZT190 back on the road following two or three years sitting in the drive. It has averaged about 5,500 miles a year and to recommsssion required new rear brake calipers / pads and will require when the weather gets better eradication of underside surface ruist etc. Neither my 2004 ZT with 260000 miles or my current 2005 ZT with 135000 miles has ever had either problem. My mate who has a garage says that they rarely go wrong as they are in constant use.


Any thoughts by anyone?

Depends. A low mileage car can be a sound buy, but if it's been left standing for long periods of time between usage it could develop all sorts of problems, in which case a higher mileage but well maintained car would be a better bet.

I guess the thinking is :-
Low mileage car is generally used in town, lots of braking, gear changing and pulling away from stationary or slow moving. Lore strain

High mileage, motorway use, little braking, few gear changes, steady speed. Less strain

Busses and taxis probably don't match with the above but do high mileage.

Engines are far better now then they used to be and so can do the + 100,000

I still prefer low mileage but then I'm old and remember when engines gave out sooner then they do now.

High miles on a small engine does turn me off

macafee2

One of those---How long is a piece of string---questions.----;)

I guess you have to consider how many miles have been done in the wet/winter. The year of manufacture is probably a wiser consideration. Mechanical condition can be good on a high miler but bodywork has to be considered.

Theough experience the higher milers I've had have cost me more- even those with FSH. My first 75 was a fleet car with very good history. The engine was sound I'd trust it anywhere. But the rest of the car felt very used even if it didnt look it. Things rattled lol! It had a lot of ABS and suspension issues and so on. My brother's car now at 67k is way lower miles than any 75 I have owned and I can tell the difference by miles.

For me provenance is the key.

I'd take a 150K car with a shed load of receipts and an owner who obviously knows and cares about every nut and bolt on the car over a 30K car with a "full dealer service history" - aka it's had a few oil changes, lots of "inspections" and diddly squat actually being done.

Conversely a high mileage without that sort of caring, loving history could easily be a money pit. And with newer car if you haven't go access to the diagnostics there's loads of stuff you can't check or do.

It's a bit of a minefield :D ;).

Andy.

I had an 8000 mile Mitsubishi Colt as a courtesy car a few years ago, and could not believe how worn it felt. Obviously had been abused by its many short term users!

So knowing where a car has come from is important to me, more so than mileage, along with a good maintenance history

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Regular low miles to average ( 5 to 7k a year) would be my choice especially if it is kept in a garage when not used and serviced annually or even every 6 months.

High milers as have been said can be a money pit especially if the previous owners have used several garages to carry out maintenance and repairs.

On the other hand a low miler that has its service when the mileage is due can be a nightmare, I have a customer who brings her car to me every 3 or 4 years for it service. I try and talk her into an oil change at MOT time but she just says ''its not due'' even though I point to the service book of annually or mileage. The oil is usually full of moisture and there is mayonnaise under the oil cap. She uses it to drive to work about 2miles from her house and occasional visit to her sister 10 miles away.

I bought a 214SEI from an elderly neighbour. It had sat in a heated garage and done around 500 miles a year on average. He had it main dealer serviced every year at first and then every two years. I kept it around five years and it cost me nothing more than oil and filters. Family problems meant that I had to get a wheelchair access vehicle or I would still have it.


Another low miler was a 25. It had been kept outside and within 12 months had ALL the known 25 faults and started rotting from the inside out!


Look at each vehicle on its merits and take your choice. Look at what are in the scrapyards and ask why they are there!


MOT history is handy when you see the same "advisories" coming up year on year! Tells you a lot about the mindset of the previous owners!



:shrug: