# Older, low mileage vs Newer high mileage



## aod (Apr 7, 2009)

I’m looking for a new (used) car, but can’t decide whether to go for either

- Older, but lower mileage or
- Younger, but higher mileage

Most of what I’m seeing in my budget are either around 2011-2012 with 20-50k or 2014-2016 with 90-120+k. 

The sweet spot I guess for me would be around 2013 with around 50k, but there’s not many about, at least with the spec I want.

What would be the best approach in your opinion?

For reference the car I’m looking at is a VW CC, in GT spec, preferably with DSG and the 177 TDI.


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## Compo (Jul 22, 2010)

Its a VW TDI and properly maintained should hit 250-300000 miles.

The rest of the car sadly wont without expense along the way so id go with older lower miles personally.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Cars need to be used, lower mileage can cause all sorts of issues with rubber suspension parts, brakes seizing etc.

Always buy on condition regardless of age/mileage and treat ‘main dealer’ stamp with the contempt they deserve..

:thumb:


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## Lexus-is250 (Feb 4, 2017)

Not sure where you live but I'd be careful, as the car maybe a euro 5 diesel but I'm not sure it is as many other cities / towns are going to be taking over the london low emissions zone so it may not be compliant. 



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## aod (Apr 7, 2009)

Compo said:


> Its a VW TDI and properly maintained should hit 250-300000 miles.
> 
> The rest of the car sadly wont without expense along the way so id go with older lower miles personally.


Thanks, I was fairly sure of VW reliability and quality so thought high mileage wouldn't be so much of an issue. Thing is my current car is at 139k, so I didn't really want to pay out for a car with high mileage to replace mine, or one that is not much younger! Guess I need to compromise somewhere.



The Cueball said:


> Cars need to be used, lower mileage can cause all sorts of issues with rubber suspension parts, brakes seizing etc.
> 
> Always buy on condition regardless of age/mileage and treat 'main dealer' stamp with the contempt they deserve..
> 
> :thumb:


I did wonder how some of the 2011/2012 cars i'd seen had really low mileage, e.g 15-25k, but they also had about 2-3k more on thier price vs higher mileage cars of a similar age.
Not sure what the correlation is between cost, mileage and age.



Lexus-is250 said:


> Not sure where you live but I'd be careful, as the car maybe a euro 5 diesel but I'm not sure it is as many other cities / towns are going to be taking over the london low emissions zone so it may not be compliant.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk


I'm in Norfolk and rarely drive into or near cities, but this will be my first diesel car. I did want a petrol but they're so rare in these models, even more so with the spec i want. I was more concerned about tax as i heard something about diesels getting penalised for this in the future - although that might only be new cars.


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## RaceGlazer (Jan 10, 2007)

How many miles a year will you do and how long will you keep the car ?

You may have an average miles car for sale when youre looking to sell, so can buy the higher miles car now.

It also depends how the miles were done - motorway or taxi ?


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## aod (Apr 7, 2009)

RaceGlazer said:


> How many miles a year will you do and how long will you keep the car ?
> 
> You may have an average miles car for sale when youre looking to sell, so can buy the higher miles car now.
> 
> It also depends how the miles were done - motorway or taxi ?


I currently do about 10-12k a year, and hopefully that won't change much.

I was hoping to keep the car longer term -e.g i got my current car in 2009, 2 1/2 years old, with 34k on it. 
I won't find a VW CC with that mileage and age for my budget, but would probably want to keep it for at least 3-5 years


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## NorthantsPete (May 18, 2016)

Depends.

Most cars have loads of issues aroud 90k... then you replace suspension bushes etc.

then again, age makes things deterrorate so i would say a new car with high miles is just gonna hit mechanicl wear quicker ie. cambelts, tensioners, turbos etc.

Depends on the make too. Anythig french, french owned japanese, or italian needs more things, compared to volvos which are over engineered so last longer. An alfa 156 will need a new cambelt and water pump at 48k and suspension arms every 2 years, whereas toyota wont need a cambelt until 90k and the wate rpump will last 150k

If youre going german, it needs to be maintained and not ragged, so little A3s with fast diesel engines love to blow up or have dpf issues.

The best cars Ive ever had have been a) private owned b) full history c)Rich owners

If they have money they dont tend to skimp on anything, the lfa i had off this one guy rebuilt the rear wiper arm for £200 the previous month... the rest you can imagine was on point, high grade oils the lot.

Personally I ask for the main biggies like cambelts, autobox fluid changes, clutches - if those are covered, you are good to go if the mot report online looks good. Around 110k is a sweet spot


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## aod (Apr 7, 2009)

NorthantsPete said:


> Depends.
> 
> Most cars have loads of issues aroud 90k... then you replace suspension bushes etc.
> 
> ...


Yeah that makes sense, being the person with the old, high mileage car now. I've spent over 9k in 10 years keeping my car mechanically (and to a point cosmetically) mint, so I know that even though it's at 140k, most things have been replaced and sorted and the car is sweet - just worth nothing. I've had the clutch done, new radiator, lots of suspension parts, washer motors, wheel bearings etc, basically most things underneath bar the timing chain. Plus annual servicing and any issues fixed within a week.

If I'm spending thousands on a 'new' (used) car, I don't want to end up having the spend all that money again (at least for 3-4 years) like I have keeping my current car sweet.


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## Lexus-is250 (Feb 4, 2017)

aod said:


> Yeah that makes sense, being the person with the old, high mileage car now. I've spent over 9k in 10 years keeping my car mechanically (and to a point cosmetically) mint, so I know that even though it's at 140k, most things have been replaced and sorted and the car is sweet - just worth nothing. I've had the clutch done, new radiator, lots of suspension parts, washer motors, wheel bearings etc, basically most things underneath bar the timing chain. Plus annual servicing and any issues fixed within a week.
> 
> If I'm spending thousands on a 'new' (used) car, I don't want to end up having the spend all that money again (at least for 3-4 years) like I have keeping my current car sweet.


Does that kind of spend on maintenance ect not blow your mind? I had an civic type r ep3 for 13 years and only changed brakes and a battery as major parts. Servicing done by myself. Followed that with a 10 year old ( when I brought it ) lexus and had that for 3 years and again nothing apart from service items.

When I was looking to replace the lexus I looked at BMW and Audi estates but even at 5 or 6 years old they had failed mots for broken springs and suspension issues.

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## aod (Apr 7, 2009)

Lexus-is250 said:


> Does that kind of spend on maintenance ect not blow your mind? I had an civic type r ep3 for 13 years and only changed brakes and a battery as major parts. Servicing done by myself. Followed that with a 10 year old ( when I brought it ) lexus and had that for 3 years and again nothing apart from service items.
> 
> When I was looking to replace the lexus I looked at BMW and Audi estates but even at 5 or 6 years old they had failed mots for broken springs and suspension issues.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk


Yes to some extent, but it's mostly been my choice!

Alot of the that cost was labour, as my local garage (who is a neighbour) is pricey, but I trust him and he does a very quality job. I won't deny there have been quite a few wear and tear parts that I've replaced over the years that I might have been able to get cheaper or possibly ignore, but I value reliability over economy. To that extent my car has only ever let me down once (battery) in 10 years (touch wood), so it's been worth it in my opinion.

Also just under 1k of that was body related (self inflicted) with some scrapes that required repair and re-spray of side skirts, and a new front bumper (for the splitter). So it's not all servicing, but I'd say on average it was around £400 /year for a service.

Anyway, the point being I don't plan to go through all of that again - it was a case of 'pride and joy - at any expense'. I don't feel like I'll go down that route again, as I always planned to keep my current car as long as possible, and i think now is about the right time to change.


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## packard (Jun 8, 2009)

Be warned, Norfolk here also. The greens at Norwich CITY Council have been considering charging for areas of the city... 

They ant charge much as they have removed all the roads and caused chaos in the city now.

I like yo have the petrol diesel debate and similar logic to yourself


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## NorthantsPete (May 18, 2016)

Lexus-is250 said:


> Does that kind of spend on maintenance ect not blow your mind? I had an civic type r ep3 for 13 years and only changed brakes and a battery as major parts. Servicing done by myself. Followed that with a 10 year old ( when I brought it ) lexus and had that for 3 years and again nothing apart from service items.
> 
> When I was looking to replace the lexus I looked at BMW and Audi estates but even at 5 or 6 years old they had failed mots for broken springs and suspension issues.
> 
> Sent from my SM-A505FN using Tapatalk


The key here is japanese. Rarely need much.

They, unlike most euro boxes are over engineered to last and give quality.. and future sales.

I see countless people buying audis as a one up on vw they owned only to go back to something cheaper as they cost too much to keep on the road

That and touring car teams have given up on them as they couldnt keep them on the track long enough due to basic failures and complications.


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## AndyN01 (Feb 16, 2016)

I'm all for buying a car that the owner can give me chapter & verse on what's been done and a shedload of receipts to boot.

But that's not really all that practical these days with computer controlled everything.

Do your homework. The 2.0 TDi VAG engine isn't necessarily bullet proof and the DSG boxes must have their oil changes done on time with the correct oil. 

A well maintained higher mileage car would always be my choice. The only way to rack up miles is on motorways and major routes and that doesn't inflict anything like the sort of wear & tear as popping to the shops half a dozen miles away 3 times a week.

Good luck with your search.

Andy.


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## galamaa (Aug 3, 2014)

I bought 3 years back to my wife lexus rx350 2008.21000 kilometres. Today is 34000 and official lexus said today, that we must change generator belt, everything other is top notch and car is like new. Ichange belt and nothing more. This is my second lexus and I dont plan to change model. Bulletproof machines. Past I have lot of germany cars (really expensive to hold them to move) and I really clad I found lexus. So much more money and time... To waste detailing products Yes, they are little bit boring, but mechnical side - very good. Next is LX or LS.


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## Lexus-is250 (Feb 4, 2017)

NorthantsPete said:


> The key here is japanese. Rarely need much.
> 
> They, unlike most euro boxes are over engineered to last and give quality.. and future sales.
> 
> ...


Yeah Japanese for me have been my main stay for 20 years now as even before the type r I had a civic for 4 years.

In regards to the op you need to keep a look at the dsg, as they are effectively a manual so with diesels they have the same issue with flywheels. I would go lower mileage myself especially with diesel with that gearbox.

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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Ignoring all valid points by other responses...

Personally, I would always go on the individual car in the individual circumstances.

It's true that higher mileage in a newer car is almost more than likely to have been done on Motorway/Dual Carriages or Major Routes.

Realistically, all cars have their foibles. This particular one you're looking at. Just see if the DSG has had any work etc as they would really be the weak spot in the equation.

You may find that a high mileage one may have the same wear as a low mileage one so it balances out.

I'd be finding a car that just adds up, they just feels right. Good condition, passionate owner, proof of all work done to the vehicle etc. I'd make my mind up that way.


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

Age and mileage is not really a clue to overall reliability. It once was but the complexity of these cars is such that you can get an expensive failure at any age.

That said, the majority of my family have kept cars well past 100K and not had anything too untoward go wrong besides a heavily knackered Ford Focus that needed a new fuel pump. Even so the saving vs the depreciation on a new car would have been very substantial.


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## jdquinn (May 19, 2010)

Condition condition condition! 

Most of my cars have been higher miles but apart from servicing not much of an issue. My last car was a Mercedes E350 cdi. I bought at 45k mikes and 8 years old but without history. That car caused me nothing but problems. I have since changed to a low miles 3 year old bmw. Hopefully that won’t need much. As others have said typically all German cars need maintaining to a high standard and expense. They sit somewhere in the middle between Italian and Japanese. Fit and finish tends to be high quality but mechanicals can let them down a bit.


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## Harry_p (Mar 18, 2015)

Agree with the last couple of posts, I'd look at examples at either end. I wouldn't particularly be put off by age or mileage, I'd just look for the best looked after and best driving car I could get for my budget.

I've owned a 25 year old 250,000+ mile car that's been used daily and never let me down, yet currently own a 7 year old 40k mile car that was owned by my mum for the previous 5 years since 12k miles.


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## Pauly.22 (Nov 15, 2009)

We just got the mrs a new car last year, was just over three years, ex lease car with 98000 on the clock, now at 110k, no issues, 

These cars are service regularly and most probably do just run up and down the motorway. 

In a couple of years, the mileage will have averaged out a bit, I’d go for newer with higher mileage.


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## AndyA4TDI (May 7, 2012)

Got a 3 year MK7 Golf, 3 years 72k, now 106k 2 and a half years later, been absolutely fine


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## Alex_225 (Feb 7, 2008)

I think as long as a car is well looked after regardless of mileage it can be a good bet. 

My CLS63 hasn't yet hit 18,000 miles and it's a 12 year old car. It's been serviced regularly, is now stored in a heated lock up and is well looked after. 

On the flip side my E320 has almost 140k on the clock, it's in great condition, has a full service history and apart from minor wear and tear items gets through it's MOTs easily enough. Also with the age/mileage it was cheap to buy and offers 90% of what my CLS does so it's a bargain. 

One thing my E Class has taught me is that you can pick up a car with 100k on the clock and just use it daily without concerns. I would gladly look at replacements for it which had similar mileage on without flinching.


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## aod (Apr 7, 2009)

Thanks for everyone’s replies!

I suppose it is all about condition, and I’ve decided to go for something in the middle, but very much condition based.

There are a couple of cars I like both around 50k, and about 6 years old, but more importantly they’ve had regular servicing and recent cambelt and waterpump replacements. Apparently that’s common on VW’s. 

I note some opinions on going for a Japanese marque, and that was the direction I was thinking about taking, but I couldn’t find anything that particularly attracted me. I also wasn’t really set on going German – but a few things swayed me towards VW.

Also as much as I’d like DSG, I’ve also decided to go for manual as I don’t want to the risk of shelling out a fortune on fixing it if it goes wrong, however low the risk.

Regarding higher mileage cars – I can certainly see the sense in taking a risk on these if it’s been well maintained. 

I know for example that my current car, at nearly 140k has been very well looked after, serviced every 12 months/10k it’s whole life and any wear and tear parts (inc clutch) replaced – and as a result I have a lot of trust and confidence in it. But a prospective buyer wouldn’t necessarily feel that way, even with the evidence of bills etc.


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## Starbuck88 (Nov 12, 2013)

Have you looked at the couple you like yet? Make sure to let us know what you buy and show us some piccies!


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## aod (Apr 7, 2009)

Starbuck88 said:


> Have you looked at the couple you like yet? Make sure to let us know what you buy and show us some piccies!


Just spotted this, so thought I'd mention that I put a deposit down on one yesterday, and pick up next weekend. I'll defo post some pics up. It's a pretty stunning colour so very much looking forward to getting my DA out in it!

I was bored of my current fairly unrewarding silver so made sure a darker colour was right at the top of my list!

The garage also px'd my Saab which is great but will really miss it and hope it ends up with a good owner.


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## PugIain (Jun 28, 2006)

Mine was 5 years old with 16k on it, if that's of any interest..


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