High mileage cars

[Devils Advocate]

Was just wondering something:

If a car you wanted had been well looked after by only 1 owner,no expense spared,but it was approaching,or had gone over 100k miles......how much longer do you think the engine/mechanics would last and would you buy it?


also if the price was the same,and you had the choice between:
a) a high mileage,slightly older, "high end" car in v.good condition
OR
b) a low mileage,almost new "more basic" car in v.condition

which would you choose?

[Charlie]

Our land rover discovery had over a 100,000 miles.... and thats only problem was the chassis, which is why it failed its MOT and my dad ended up managing to sell it for like £500. Everything else on it wasn't in that good condition, the engine ran fine and started all the time. Depending on the car/engine I'd it is more likely that everything else falls apart around it before the engine.
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[MarJay]

If I was doing it for an easy life then it would be

Almost new basic car with low miles.

However, I don't do things for an easy life. I have a 130k mile BMW 3 series.

It also depends on the car. I wouldn't for example reccomend a nearly new low mileage FIAT, whereas a high mileage BMW might be pretty good.

I'd avoid anything japanese and high mileage though as they only test them to 100k so after 100k niggly and expensive things start to go wrong.
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[MaybeGuy]

mileage is pretty irrelavent in cars. it wouldnt affect my choice if i was buying one.

our VW sharan has almost done quarter of a million miles (about 230k) and all thats needed replacing was the turbo at about 180k.

thats from loads of trips upcountry, and driving around europe to go on snowboarding holidays etc.
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Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[Kickstart]

Hi

Don't worry too much about mileage. Our Alfa 155 has 130k on it, the 156 has 120k on it.

All the best

Keith
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[fra-zzr]

my saabs t16s is just about run in at 170K
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[Steve-D]

My dads Audi 80 1.9 diseasel has 220k on the clock. Runs perfectly hasnt had any problems in the year he's owned it.
But before him only 2 owners, and has a full Audi service history.
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Tristan The said 'Dunno what my pace will be like, fastish slow puncture on the rear and if I go too fast I risk my 'keys' falling out'

[Devils Advocate]

so are most of you saying that 100k is nothing in terms of car miles?and if the car had been well looked after i`d easily get another 100k out of it trouble free?

Cars from the top of my list would be things like:
focus st
bmw m3 csl
bmw z4
bmw x5
audi tt quattro
mini cooper s
seat leon cupra r
nissan 350 z

looking to spend about 10k but i`d go for something cheaper if i wasnt going to get my moneys worth from the above.

[njd27]

The main problem with that kind of mileage is the suspension will start to wear out.

I've gone through a succession of old Audis with mileages of 150k or so and you start having to replace suspension bushes, CV boots, CV joints, steering racks, control arms, roll bar bushes, shock absorbers and the like, which can get quite expensive. If you don't bother you get either excessive tyre wear, or vibration which turns into problems with alloys and brake discs etc.

Of course, it depends on the car - heavier cars or ones that have been driven on bumpy roads or over speed bumps will suffer more from this problem.

[yen_powell]

My 94 diesel VW Golf had about 170,000 miles up when I got rid of it and still managed 50mpg and used no oil between services. The drivers door lock broke though, bloody unreliable cars!!
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[Kickstart]

Hi

100k isn't much at all, certainly not for the engine.

Agree that some suspension bushes will wear out, but some of these aren't that expensive.

Charlottes mother has an Alfa 156 with about 110k on the clocks (again a petrol one like ours). Set of front suspension arms were about £200. Upper arms are not that bad to replace (last one I did cost me £30 for the part and took me an hour). Lowers are a bit of a pain (although having done the job once I suspect I could do it far more easily now).

These are basically £1k cars though. Problem with an older higher mileage car is how much jobs cost in relation to the car. For example replacing the cam belts on the 156 (every 36k, and best to do the balance belt, alternator belt, water pump and variator for the variable valve timing) will be over 1/3 the value of the car if you pay someone to do it.

With the list of cars up there I suspect the costs would vary greatly between the warmed up econoboxes and something more carefully breathed on like the M3.

All the best

Keith
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[willis1337]

I am about to sell my Audi A4 2.4 (V6) Sport with 91k miles. I've had it from new (Oct 2003) and it has a full audi service history. It's in top condition and MOT'd and Taxed to Oct 2010. Metallic black with black (heated) leather seats, an ipod connection and a THBury itegrated phone cradle/system. Most (90%) of the miles have been done on the motorway. Next service is due in 1500 miles.

What do you reckon price wise?

[Devils Advocate]

[willis1337]

[Dom_]

100k is nothing for a car.

Also the amount of high-end cars going round that have been clocked is also unbelievable.

[NSR Mick]

A well maintained car is ok.

My BMW had 164000 on it when it got written off and I'm glad it did as it needed a head gasket doing again, all the shocks replacing and the auto box replacing, all which would have cost more than the car was worth.

Wouldnt stop me buying another high mileage car though, infact my new A6 has 115000 on it although it has been maintained better than the BMW which had a worrying 40000 mile gap in the service history.
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[Devils Advocate]

[aaronb74]

[Dom_]

[Devils Advocate]

^^^^^^Interesting....thanks for that.

I hate shady fuckers!!!

[bacon]

cars with high milage will usually be mile munchers on motorways and as such you will find many componants of the car will be in better condition than say if a little old lady has been driving in town for 50k miles

id happily buy a car at 100k miles, as long as it wasnt friench/italian

and i would buy on condition and servicing as it may give an indication of the car being looked after as opposed to milage. I prefer to go slightly older/more miles and get a superior car than to buy something basic that will bore the crap out of me for the sake of milage.

[Kickstart]