[Closed] High mileage cars

About 8 or so yrs ago I bought an 18 yr old Porsche 944 turbo with 100k on the clock. I ran it for a few years and about 40k miles. It was tight as a drum, drove really well, and just about everyone commented on how well it looked and felt for a car of its age. I personally wouldn't see mileage as an issue. You're much better off with a well looked after high miler than a poorly looked after low miler. In reality mileage is a poor indicator of engine condition. The thing that wears engines is the first 10 or so minutes as the engine is getting unto temperature, so if you've got a high miler thats spent its life munching miles on the motorway with relatively few starts, its gong to have less wear and tear than a low milage car that's only ever been driven a few miles down the road had has had a higher number of start ups.

a) depends on the car but 150k as a guess
b) 100k
c) I'd budget money for inevitable repairs.

In the last year i've bought a '02 bmw 5 series, on 90k, seems fairly tight for a 12 yr old car - and a 130k audi tt, needed a full set of shocks but I'm still up on what i reckon it was worth and it drives like new.

I've also driven a w reg audi a4 1.8t which had 220k on - engine was fantastic; but it was tired, so tired - could have been rescued - if you want to spend money on a 220k turbo car?

7k is a difficult budget - it's not quite high enough to get 'nearly new' and not low enough for bangernomics.

What you looking at?

If I was spending say £6k I'd want under 40k miles, maybe thats just a personal thing but there is no way I'd consider any car with 200k on it unless it was almost free.
Modern engines will go on almost forever but the rest of the car will be as tired as a very tired thing regardless of where those miles were driven.

a) 160k I'd say.
b) Depends on what sort of car - give us a clue, are you after a workhorse or something with badge status?
c) As above, budget for some repairs, but that must have done lots of long trips so in general should be fine and the amount you save over something lower mileage should give you plenty of budget.

My current car I bought at 4.5 years and 120k miles. Have spent £1k on DMF/clutch, but my understanding is I could easily have had to replace that on a similar age car with 80k on the clock, which would have cost several thousand more to buy. Feels full of life still (far more so than what it replaced which was 13yo and not that many more miles)

Hmmm. 200k would probably be a stretch too far for me! My car's got 240k miles on it and while it is reliable, runs fine, is economical etc. it does feel quite tired. If I spent a wad of cash on shocks and bushes it would probably feel a lot better. But, I'm not likely to do that.

I'd probably have 100k or so as a limit for mileage, but that's because I do quite a few miles myself and like to keep my cars for quite a while. First car I had for 6 years and this one I've had almost 8 years. Current aim for my car is 300k miles and then I'll get rid. Got about 2.5 more years until then.

Looking at this

[url= http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201406245275728/sort/default/usedcars/onesearchad/used%2Cnearlynew%2Cnew/page/2/make/mercedes-benz/postcode/ng93fw/radius/1500/model/c_class/fuel-type/diesel/maximum-age/up_to_6_years_old?logcode=p ]High mileage merc[/url]

[quote=Rockhopper ]If I was spending say £6k I'd want under 40k miles

You'll be buying old cars which have done lots of short trips and far more worn out then. Looking at 3-4yo Mondeos nothing within that sort of budget with less than 80k on the clock I found. Would personally far rather have a 4yo with 80k than a 6yo with 40k (I once bought a 5yo with 30k and it wasn't that great).

Not sure why you think everything would be worn out by mega miles in a short space of time. Not too much steering, gear changing etc. going on cruising on the motorway.

Depends on your expected usage and the quality of the car. I've bought cars with 90k done 30k more and sold them on for pretty much what I paid with no major repairs. I'd be wary of the big services around 120k but if a car had a FSH cams changed, good clutch and a tight gearbox etc and was running right I'd expect to see it do 150k without any major issues.

It might seem counter intuitive but you are better off looking at eclass estates at that age eg. 8yr old eclass e220 estates on autorader for around the £7K mark with 70-80k.

I've been in a 10yr old 500k e220

This is what I'm thinking... I'm aware I'll not be able to sell it on but intend on running it for a few years until it drops.

I was thinking 200k at 6 years old with one owner means it's sat on a motorway for long periods of time regularly.. which is basically no wear at all?

But I'm also aware it might be a potential money pit?

Thanks Tony but I really like the c class estates with the big merc symbol in the grill, REALLY like them. Just don't have 10k to play with 🙁

That E class is butt ugly.

Most modern cars engines will reach 200k easy.

a) About 150k
b) About 80-90k, depends on the car obviously.
c) Yep, I reckon that'd be a reasonable car. Just motorway drives. It'd probably pristine inside, maybe.

I'm looking to spend about 8-9k on a 5 series or an A6 (I keep changing my mind), they seem to range from from about 50k to 100k. I'd be happy with a 60k one if it looked in good nick.

As aracer aludes, not a simple answer, it's a balance between many things age/make/model/year/fuel type/confirmed use/mileage etc etc etc. tow bar? little old lady/young rep? service history? gut feeling about the seller?

c) If a car is 6 years old, with 200k on the clock is it likely to fall to bits or would you consider it to have ran on a motorway for long extended periods so could actually be fine?

[i]Most modern cars engines will reach 200k easy.[/i]

If maintained...

For £2k or less I'd happily have +100k (although in practice my £2k cars have usually had 80-90k), but for £7k I'd buy something newer/lower-mileage.

Depends what tyres are on it. If its got nice matching premium branded rubber, its probably been properly looked after. Mid matched no-name ditchfinders? Its been run on a shoestring.
Not unusual for a typical rep car to do 100k within 3 years.

I do like that series of C-class (the update is much better thought but more £) and it has to be the sportier grill with the big badge. But it is bottom of the group (BMW, Audi etc) in terms of handling and space and merc servicing is very expensive so make sure you have a local indi you can trust.

For me 200k is too high. You will just be adding to that and it will be always be worth a big chunk less than a car with 100k less miles.

For me I would aim at no more than 120k on a second hand car. Unless it was really cheap and I was confident it would be okay. Injectors and turbos don't last forever. True that motorway miles are better but it's still a lot of driving.