Low miles Banger vs High miles newer car
Discussion
Hi just wondering what the general consensus was on investing in a an old car, say 5 to 10 years old with average or much less mileage on them, compared to a car that's less than 5 years old but covered huge mileage.
Reason for me asking is I need a new car and I keep being told I should get a low mileage one. But with what I want I can only find 3-4 year old cars with around 100K + on them. There are a some bangers around too though but with very low mileage, which makes me think what has it been through (or not been through). However I look at my dad's Nissan which is nearly 10 years and only covered 35k and he looks after it but only drives it locally.
Also adding to my conumdrum, on average the old car with very low miles can cost nearly just as much as the newer car with huge miles.
What are your thoughts?
Reason for me asking is I need a new car and I keep being told I should get a low mileage one. But with what I want I can only find 3-4 year old cars with around 100K + on them. There are a some bangers around too though but with very low mileage, which makes me think what has it been through (or not been through). However I look at my dad's Nissan which is nearly 10 years and only covered 35k and he looks after it but only drives it locally.
Also adding to my conumdrum, on average the old car with very low miles can cost nearly just as much as the newer car with huge miles.
What are your thoughts?
Age and/or mileage isn't necessarily indicative that something could break or cause problems with a car.
Low mileage, to me at least has some appeal as there is less wear on the interior, paint work etc. but with age things perish over time so it's all down to preference.
How much care and attention has been spent on a car is more indicative. My daily car has over 100k on the clock and is 13 years old but you can tell it's been looked after in it's life and I suspect garaged for a part of it so it's been a great buy.
My cherished car is a CLS63 which only has 17,500 miles on it ('07). So that's a ten year old car with low mileage, I'm sure I could have bought something newer with far more miles for the same kind of money I paid. So I think that answers the original post.
Low mileage, to me at least has some appeal as there is less wear on the interior, paint work etc. but with age things perish over time so it's all down to preference.
How much care and attention has been spent on a car is more indicative. My daily car has over 100k on the clock and is 13 years old but you can tell it's been looked after in it's life and I suspect garaged for a part of it so it's been a great buy.
My cherished car is a CLS63 which only has 17,500 miles on it ('07). So that's a ten year old car with low mileage, I'm sure I could have bought something newer with far more miles for the same kind of money I paid. So I think that answers the original post.
Edited by Alex_225 on Friday 31st March 17:19
A mechanic once put it to me - Would you prefer a young slapper or an old virgin?
Most modern cars are capable of doing well over £100k without issue, I would be more interested in how it has been looked after and condition than getting hung up on miles. Sitting at 80mph on the motorway for 2h a day is going to rack up a decent mileage pretty quickly without putting much stress on the car. Ragging it 2 miles 4 times a day would arguably put more stress and wear on various components.
I would go for the high milker on the proviso that it has been serviced regularly and looks and drives like it has been looked after, buying a single owner car is also often a good bet as to that one owner it was always a new car and likely looked after...
Most modern cars are capable of doing well over £100k without issue, I would be more interested in how it has been looked after and condition than getting hung up on miles. Sitting at 80mph on the motorway for 2h a day is going to rack up a decent mileage pretty quickly without putting much stress on the car. Ragging it 2 miles 4 times a day would arguably put more stress and wear on various components.
I would go for the high milker on the proviso that it has been serviced regularly and looks and drives like it has been looked after, buying a single owner car is also often a good bet as to that one owner it was always a new car and likely looked after...
As said, look at conditon and history, not mileage and age. BUT other factor is what kind of car are you looking for, cheap subcompact? exotic sporty? executive saloon? family estate? heavy duty pickup? limo-like-barge? Because in my humble opinion, there are different aproaches, as average quality and reliability, and their detoriation, are much different in different segments.
Sweet! Thanks folks! So the general idea seems to be condition and how well it's been looked after, which makes sense.
Lol, I may be a bit harsh in calling anything younger than 10 years a banger. Shows how vain I am. I guess bangers would be classed 20+ years.
I'm looking at an all rounder really, I commute so need it to be economical and comfortable, but I also want to be able to enjoy the ride. Got to be a hatch for those weekend breaks aways. The Golf and and focus seem to tick all the boxes for me.
It's funny though how I'm willing to pay a higher price for the VW but can't come round justifying paying the same for a Ford.
Lol, I may be a bit harsh in calling anything younger than 10 years a banger. Shows how vain I am. I guess bangers would be classed 20+ years.
I'm looking at an all rounder really, I commute so need it to be economical and comfortable, but I also want to be able to enjoy the ride. Got to be a hatch for those weekend breaks aways. The Golf and and focus seem to tick all the boxes for me.
It's funny though how I'm willing to pay a higher price for the VW but can't come round justifying paying the same for a Ford.
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