Is it bad to buy a car with low mileage?
Is it bad to buy a car with low mileage?
Unusually low mileage. Very, unusually, low mileage. Here’s where that can go wrong. People who have bought a lot of cars will often nod sagely, and tell you that it’s not good to buy a car with too few miles. This isn’t just some moral outrage, a precursor to a “cars are meant to be driven” rant. There’s some practical knowledge at work here.
What does more miles really mean for vehicle life?
Theoretically, a vehicle that has covered more miles has more wear and tear, but a car with 60,000 miles on the odometer can easily be in worse shape than one with 120,000 miles. Cars and trucks like to be driven.
How many miles can a car last in good condition?
Another consideration when looking at a high-mileage vehicle is to figure out how many miles are left. For example, if you’re looking at a car with 100,000 miles that’s in good condition and from a brand whose vehicles are known to pass the 200,000-mile mark, then you could have as many as 100,000 miles left on that vehicle.
What happens when a car has less than 100, 000 miles?
But when a car sits for a while, as a car tends to do when a 15-year-old car has less than 100,000 miles on it, that rubber just sits, too. And sits. And sits. It dries out, and becomes brittle. Over time, the rubber does the opposite of what it’s meant to do, and it’s all got to be replaced.
Another consideration when looking at a high-mileage vehicle is to figure out how many miles are left. For example, if you’re looking at a car with 100,000 miles that’s in good condition and from a brand whose vehicles are known to pass the 200,000-mile mark, then you could have as many as 100,000 miles left on that vehicle.
Theoretically, a vehicle that has covered more miles has more wear and tear, but a car with 60,000 miles on the odometer can easily be in worse shape than one with 120,000 miles. Cars and trucks like to be driven.
What should you look for in a high mileage car?
Mileage equates to wear and tear but it can also show that a car is durable. Instead of looking at mileage it is advisable to check the car’s maintenance history to see what large repairs have been made as well as if the previous owners have taken the steps to ensure the car was well cared for when it comes to routine maintenance.
How many miles are too many when buying an used car?
If the car has 100,000 miles on it, that’s still nearly four years of driving to get to the average. In some cases, you can be fine buying a used car with 150,000 or even 200,000 miles on it, because maintenance helps them last far beyond what many people have come to expect. When considering mileage on a used car, don’t take it at face value.
