Buying high mileage vehicles. Why?

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: pandus13
depends....
high-mileage in short time... Maybe.
Example: About a year ago , in my quest for wagons, i found 2 VW Jetta Wagons Diesels with 200k and 189k miles, highway only, former sales people cars, all maintenance done on the clock...

Heck, for some vehicles, when buying used and more than one or two years old, you're going to get insanely high mileage. Try to find a used VW diesel, or even a used diesel truck (more than a couple years old) that hasn't got 200,000 miles plus on the odometer. Any used VW or Mercedes diesel, up here, will be even higher than that yet.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Originally Posted By: rooflessvw

My Phaeton stickered for $88k, I got it for $8k.

What about the other $12K to get it running?

Get it running? Mine was immaculate! The P.O. spent a ton keeping it up, a bunch on unnecessary stuff. I spent under $500 in two years on maintenance.

I actually made money when I sold that car, even after you factor in the $2.5k I spent on new wheels and tires. Bought it for $8k, spent about $3k in two years. Sold it for $11k, sold the original wheels for $1k.

If you're smart there is a right way to buy nearly any used car and make money.

 

[krismoriah72]

2003 Suburban Z71 cost $50K new..

Paid $2000 for it with 190K miles. Put $500 in shocks/brakes/fluids/tuneup.. Another $500 in tires.

Runs as it did new and probably half of its life left.

 

[THORROMIG]

ALOT of it pertains where you live. The salt/brime they put on the roads around my parts is very hazardous to body and frames.

Dale

 

[fdcg27]

I bought my old BMW with 104K.
It came with FSH and a newish top.
Years later, I'm happy with this purchase.
This has been a very reliable and trouble free car.
We've had some cars out past 200K and they've been pretty good.
With any used car, condition and lifetime maintenance mean much more than age or miles driven.
Any used car at any age or mileage is a roll of the dice as compared to any car bought new.
An older and higher mileage car represents less of a financial risk as compared to a newer and lower mileage used car.

 

[The Critic]

Usually it is a budget related reason.

I think 75k-175k is the "sweet spot" for owning a modern vehicle. You will have some minor to moderate repairs, but the operating costs should be manageable as long as you choose a reasonably reliable model to start with. Someone else would have eaten most of the depreciation as well.

175k+ is sketchy territory for any brand; I have yet to see any 175k vehicle (regardless of brand) that did not require a significant amount of work to bring it back to good condition. Most of the examples that I have seen have a lot of deferred maintenance (e.g. oil seeps/leaks, suspension wear, etc.).

 

[Snagglefoot]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Usually it is a budget related reason.

I think 75k-175k is the "sweet spot" for owning a modern vehicle. You will have some minor to moderate repairs, but the operating costs should be manageable as long as you choose a reasonably reliable model to start with. Someone else would have eaten most of the depreciation as well.

175k+ is sketchy territory for any brand; I have yet to see any 175k vehicle (regardless of brand) that did not require a significant amount of work to bring it back to good condition. Most of the examples that I have seen have a lot of deferred maintenance (e.g. oil seeps/leaks, suspension wear, etc.).


It’s the theory I use. Buy someone’s Grandparent’s car with 50,000 to 75,000 miles on it and drive it for another 100,000 miles with very few required repairs. Example: 2005 Ford Taurus for $2000. The more unloved, the better. Next up: Ford Fusions.

 

[AZjeff]

Do you high mileage guys put your wife in one too? Just curious.

As I get more miles on ME I'm less interested in dealing with valve cover gaskets and RMS leaks and shocks and headliners drooping and tears in seat cushions and switches not working etc etc. I've bought cars with over 100K and haven't been burned but couldn't get comfortable with them. The RAV was new and the Chevy had 2K on it and the intent is to run them both 10 years and see where we're at. We've mostly been 5 year owners, after that just ready to drive something else.

 

[MCompact]

It all depends on what I want as well as the price; the Mini had over 100k miles on it, but all but one of the issues that crop up at around 100k had been already addressed. Lots of fun for cheap. My 2002 had over 200k on it but the engine and transmission had been rebuilt.
No regrets in either case.

 

[Nick1994]

Miles don't really concern me. I bought my Camry in August 2015 with 195k miles. I stopped driving it February of 2017 at 227k miles. It's been a great car, only things that have really gonna bad is a leaking fuel pump and a small oil leak from a cam plug seal. Both were pretty cheap to fix. Other work I had done were front wheel bearings due to some noise. I'd hop in it right now and drive to New York without popping the hood to check anything. I paid $2,100 for the car and it was totaled in March of 2016 and I got $2,800 after the insurance buyback for it. Only had to put a taillight in it.

The Sonata I bought last year in February with 52k miles. At 75k now, some might think that's high for a 2015 but I don't think so. I have no idea how long I'll keep it, until I find another really good deal or until I get sick of it. Could be in 2 months or 5 years, don't know.

The Jeep only has 145k miles. My grandpa bought it in April of 2007 with 100k miles and I've had it for over a year. So it's averaged 4,100 miles a year since then. I'd drive it across country too. It's a keeper though, I will never ever sell it.

 

[BJD78]

100K and even 200K is nothing on most vehicles today. The plastic body parts and components will wear out long before the engines and transmissions.100K and they are just getting broken in. I have bough several vehicles that were over 100K, years ago I bought a 99 Camry that had 170K on it and I put another 200K on it before selling it to a neighbor as a HS car for his son for $400.00 last I knew it was pushing 550K and was still going strong and on cheap conventional oil. Vehicles are expected to go well beyond 100K and they should considering what they cost new. Our Sonata had 75k and the Tucson had considerably less (35 K) but it had pretty severe hail damage and glass damage, repaired the glass but the hail dents can stay. Tucson at 35K is the closest to a new vehicle I have ever purchased. Our Forester had 110K when we bought it.

 

[Ducked]

High mileage is quite likely to be genuine mileage.

Low mileage is quite likely to be high mileage.

 

[Ducked]

High mileage is quite likely to be genuine mileage.

And old.

Which is good.

Low mileage is quite likely to be high mileage.

And young.

Which is bad.

 

[69GTX]

Originally Posted By: Ducked
High mileage is quite likely to be genuine mileage.

Low mileage is quite likely to be high mileage.



Not from what I've seen. Most of the dozen or so cars I've bought over the past 30 yrs have been 20K-55K miles and 5-7 yrs old. My last 2 daily drivers were 29K/5 yrs old and 22K miles/7 yrs old. There's no mistaking date coded original tires, factory stickers and paint daubs all over the car, interior new car smell, uncreased/barely worn upholstery, minimal surface rust any where, etc, etc. 22K mile cars generally drive much better than 82K or 182K mile cars that were rolled back. When you've seen enough of them, you aren't likely to get fooled. It helps to buy from original owners with all the paperwork including mileage history recorded on maintenance records like oil changes and on DMV registration forms.

That said, I like to buy cars depreciated by 65-80% yet with 10-25% of their mileage used up. And the maintenance required during the 25K-100K mile period is pretty minimal.

I've only run into 1 rolled back car. A 26 yr old, original paint, 1969 Plymouth GTX with 22K miles that I bought in 1995 from a dealer. Figured that out via DMV records search in Missouri/Illinois. Can't do that anymore. Tracked down the original owner via DMV title search and he said it had 75K-80K when he sold it in the mid-1980's. Next owner was a salvage auto yard who rolled it back and had the new title notarized by a family member. It clean and proper....lol. In hindsight, there were some signs on that car didn't quite fit 22K miles...such as the wear on the front seats and the engine not retaining enough factory engine paint. Lesson learned. It was also true that the car was clean and original enough that the roll back only dropped its value by 5-10% at that time. But, I don't buy 26 yr old daily driver's with 22K miles either.

 

[Hammehead]

You never know exactly how it was maintained, so people like it low.

 

[FlyNavyP3]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: FlyNavyP3
For me I stick to high mileage vehicles I know and trust. Ones that have good maintenance records are a huge plus. For example my daily driver 4Runner was purchased from the original owner at 255,150 miles with a STACK of repair invoices from the dealership since new. Every wiper blade, oil change, tire rotation, brake job, battery replacement literally everything was done by the dealership. It helps that I'm exceptionally familiar with the 1984-1989 4Runners (mine is an 87) and 1984-1995 Pickups also I have a ton of spare parts for them. I paid $3800 for my 4Runner 7 years ago and have put 80,000 miles on it. It's been on multiple 3,000+ mile road trips, been exploring deep into the woods a few days walk from help without issue. If I could buy a dozen as nice as this truck for the same money in the same condition with even 300,000 miles I'd buy every one.

The best part is I don't need a $5,000 computer and tons of specialized tools to work on it.


$3800 for that thing seems exceptionally cheap. I imagine you could get at least that back out of it now.


I couldn't replace it with a similar condition one for $10,000 it was a steal even when I bought it 7 years ago. I think most buyers were scared off by the (at the time) 255,000+ miles on a non-rebuilt engine which is still running well 7 years later which is a win for me. I had a new engine when I bought the truck so if it needed an engine I was covered either way. I've moved that engine to three different duty stations now, still waiting to need it.

 

[Leo99]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Usually it is a budget related reason.

I think 75k-175k is the "sweet spot" for owning a modern vehicle. You will have some minor to moderate repairs, but the operating costs should be manageable as long as you choose a reasonably reliable model to start with. Someone else would have eaten most of the depreciation as well.

175k+ is sketchy territory for any brand; I have yet to see any 175k vehicle (regardless of brand) that did not require a significant amount of work to bring it back to good condition. Most of the examples that I have seen have a lot of deferred maintenance (e.g. oil seeps/leaks, suspension wear, etc.).


Depends on how you define good condition. I've been topping off the transfer case and oil in my Rav4 for the past 100k miles. The oil seeps from about 5 places now but it made it about 220k in great condition with no seeps or anything. It still runs great.

 

[RooflessVW]

Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Do you high mileage guys put your wife in one too? Just curious.

Low mileage cars for her, because that's what she likes and wants.

 

[andyd]

I'd rather buy a car with 125-150 K miles on it than one of the same age with 60-75K miles. The garage queen has yet to need the big stuff fixed on it. Front end, steering suspension, pumps, and exhaust are gonna be due for work. A 150 Kmile car has had that stuff fixed already.

 

[SeaJay]

Up north, a 200K vehicle is going to be at least ten years old except for the drivers who really put on the miles over 20K a year or more. Rust will be an issue even on the best maintained ten year old cars.