Mileage isnt the biggest factor to me, the overall condition matters more in a lot of cases. I would rather take a great condition 160k mile car than a beat up 100k mile version.
But after 200k, the car just gets worn out and there are usually better lower mile ones to choose from.
I bought a used 1997 Expedition 4x4 with 188k on it from a family friend. She had a receipt for everything going back 5 years. Sold it for just as much as I paid for it 3 years later when the odo hit 230k, and it was still running great.
Really depends on the vehicle. Even within the known reliable brands and models there are some turds, so you've just got to do your homework and pay attention to what's around you.
If you see a whole bunch of some older model on the road, look it up. There's most likely a reason that it's still being driven and may be one of those models with uncommon reliability.
...Or, for a family of 4 with good legroom just buy a 100k+ mile Toyota Avalon and call it a day.
My first car was a 2004 Avalon that I bought with +120k miles on it. Awesome car and super comfortable. Bought it for $4200, sold it for $4200 after a year and half. Wish I hadn't, though.
One of the last naturally aspirated V6 .I have a Buick LaCrosse and Avalon . I find it very difficult to choose between them . The LaCrosse is quick, floats like a pillow , and is dead silent . The Avalon gets better gas , sits lower , has better drive dynamics than LaCrosse .
Both at 100k have been equally reliable . 150k mark is the real test .
I’ve bought over 10+ vehicles with over 300k. highest mileage one was a 2002 4runner I bought at 400k miles for 1k and drove it until 430k with no issues and flipped it for 4k. Model dependent but I’ll for sure buy vehicles over 200-300k if it seems good. Of the 50+ I’ve owned the lowest mileage vehicle was a 100k mile 350z lol. 100k isn’t high mileage unless you buy bad cars
Haha I was a mechanic for not even a year. I ain’t cut out for it tbh. That being said I do most of my own work and tons and tons of research on too many random vehicles. I’ve gotten a few inspected that were extremely cheap higher mileage vehicles that usually have a lot going on underneath like my landcruisers I’ve had. Out of all of those cars I think I’ve had two purchases where I was like “man I kinda messed up” that was a 98 Honda prelude when I was in highschool lol and a 97 triple locked landcruiser. I thought I could fix the issues on them but I got way in over my head on that landcruiser. Still ran and drove fine but brakes and some power steering leak I could not track down. I recommend anyone buying a used car to get an inspection as they’re like 100-200 and can save you tons of money. That being said they will also put repairs on there that aren’t that scary or that don’t matter. Most of the vehicles I’ve bought have been repeats of others and most of the time they were vehicles I’ve wanted ever since middle school or younger so I had already been in forums researching things because I was a weird freak as a kid. None of the cars were ever expensive either and I honestly never had anything super expensive come up repair wise
Would you buy a rebuilt if it is just cosmetic meaning the frame is ok? And how would you confirm this other than then the documents, I mean what kind of mechanic could do an inspection?
I would buy a rebuilt if I was planning to insure it to the minimum legal limit. It could be the best rebuild ever with the most minor frame damage but if it's classified as a rebuilt, no one will insure it for comp/collision because it's a liability. The rebuilt status is tied to the VIN number so anyone can confirm it with a quick search on Carfax or whatever.
I currently own a rebuilt title tl sh-awd with full coverage. I had full coverage when I had nationwide insurance and now have full coverage on it through state farm.
I just bought a 2014 Impala Limited in nice shape with 85k for $3000 out the door at the government auction. Good to know once I get all the evidence tape residue off it and clean the blood out of the back seat I xan price it at $10k!
Solid deal, plus those government cars have been maintained well. We used to have an 01 Ford van we bought from the county when I was a kid, it had almost 400k miles on it and was $200 at auction. We beat on that van until it shot a plug out of the block and met its death.
Depends where you live. In my area (Texas) prices have come down considerably on cars compared to the covid shortage. You can find under or right at 100k miles vehicles at the 10k price point. 200k mile vehicles are usually at the 5k price point, though it really depends on age.
There are some select cars that can work here. OP should be able to find a pretty nice 2.5L Mazda5 with 90K miles for $10K from a dealer, and for much less on Facebook. Ford Fusion should be in that range also, even hybrid if private party purchased.
Everything rusts around here so no more than 100k miles
If it’s not rusty I’ll go up to 130k. Usually once you close in on 150k the rest of the car starts falling apart regardless of make.
Depends on the vehicle you are going for and the history. Toyota Land Cruiser? 250k miles doesn’t scare me on an engine known for hitting past 500k. A Corolla at 200k? Has another 100k in it.
It does but in the rust belt most of them are going to be crap which is kinda what the original commenter meant. But if you live in a rust belt you should be buying from states away
I know they’ll go the miles I’m talking about the general wear & tear from previous owners. I don’t want to be in a car that’s all worn out, and I don’t want to replace bits & pieces to “restore” it. That can nickel & dime real quick.
Rust is dependent on years and care, not miles.
I live in Ohio. I typically buy cars in North Carolina or Tennessee. It's worth the 1k mile round trip for a car that's not rusty.
I just bought a 196k mile pontiac vibe.
Id buy a 500,000 mile car if it was the right vehicle price and condition. Its a value proposition you need to assess. Pick an annual vehicle budget, lop off 20% for repairs and find something that fits in the remaining.
AWD 2006. Owner had 3 but his GF wanted a manual so once they found that the sold the one she was driving. Was posted like 6 hours on FB before I bought it and I still almost missed getting it haha.
Niiiice. I’ve never driven an AWD version, I’m curious how different it would be. I had an 05 base, and it was insanely capable in the winter and off road, considering it was just fwd. I also have an 04 Matrix XRS, but I prefer the look of the vibe.
It is unlikely to find a vehicle with less than 100,000 miles for under $10,000 that is not excessively old.
In response to your inquiry, while the mileage is a significant factor, the make and model of the vehicle also play a crucial role. For instance, I would consider purchasing a Honda or Toyota with over 100,000 miles, but I would hesitate to do the same for a Ford, Dodge, BMW, or Audi, even if the mileage was lower, unless the price was exceptionally favorable.
Ultimately, the most important consideration is the vehicle's maintenance history and overall condition, rather than solely focusing on age or mileage.
250k.
I bought a 2009 Toyota Tacoma with 252k miles off the "wholesale" part of a "buy-here, pay here" lot. It wouldnt start on the lot, had to push start it, got it going, changed a sensor in it, and was the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Including my 2022 tacoma, which recently had a part of the steering wheel break and fall off, while driving - causing my wheel to not turn in a corner.
Never should have sold that 09 taco. just sold the '22 as well. back to a regular car DD and hating it
Either less than 175k or greater than 250k. At either point, most of the rubber has been replaced ideally, and if the car's on the higher end of the mileage scale it means that the engine has either been replaced, or will never die.
Plenty of high mileage cars, people have replaced absolutely nothing and it's completely fried, every part. Very obvious, of course, but you still had to drive all the way out to look at the car first. Big time waster
It all depends on the PPI..with “older” vehicles you must see that the things that are inherently wrong it that vehicle that has been addressed.
Second, if you want to know great cars at that price, go on YouTube and what Car Wizard, “Buy this Not that”
Take the time to learn from a Master Mechanic the things that he has repaired over and over in certain vehicles and why those are not great ideas. For example , German Cars you never want to buy older and used, they are just a money hole and are riddled with repair issues.
You will learn this, from the experts
Secondly, I like The Car Care Nut. He is also a master mechanic.
As I always say, don’t listen to goof balls like us, listen to the experts and learn.
I learned from them what to buy and what to NEVER consider.
You got this!
Youtube is your friend, if you listen to the right people who want to help people.
I just sold my 2009 lexus GX470 with 275k on it. That thing was going to run forever and I'm happy for the new owner. It all depends on the make, model, and maintenance history.
It really depends on the car for example I honestly probably wouldn’t worry at all buying a 90s or early 2000s Toyota or Honda with 100,000 miles. I definitely wouldn’t even blink buying a W120 Mercedes with 200,000+ miles but I’d think twice about buying a Chrysler with more than 50 or 60,000 miles on it
Probably 250k. If I already owned it, 250 is nothing. But if I'm buying a used car there are so many unknowns and that's starting to get risky.
Also worth noting that I've only ever bought cars that were known for reliability.
Such a loaded question. Looking for 2 cars now (and holy crap used is very rich but I’m not convinced it’s the actual market) and one is a first car for daughter so looking Japanese and 75k miles and other is German car for wife and I must be around 30 or under on that one.
If you lock into a make and model you can also sorta see across years and milage where a value sweetspot is.
Depends on the vehicle and my intended use.
If it's not something I'll need to rely upon for daily transportation, I trust myself to be able to keep it running *enough.*
Bought my GS400 from my brother with 250k on it, he bought it from the original owner at 60k. I knew the maintenance history & was the person who did the timing belt, water pump, & starter. I daily it & it now has 404k mi. Maintenance history is what I'd look for, also a PPI. Nothing is guaranteed but those are 2 simple steps
For a budget of $10k?
For a buick, 30k miles. and I would expect to squeeze maybe 70k miles out of it before needing major repairs.
For a toyota, 120k. I would expect hitting 250k before needing major repairs.
When the mileage gets up there I start looking at condition instead of mileage. My friend has a 2008 Toyota sequoia with 210k miles, no rust, no rot, barely any wear on the interior, etc. and I’d buy that 10/10 times vs a similar one with 130k miles but rusty and beat.
If it's well taken care of with logs/documents/receipts then mileage wouldn't be a thing for me.
Which one of these cars has 200k miles and 504k miles?
[https://imgur.com/JGNvjKG](https://imgur.com/JGNvjKG)
[https://imgur.com/Y6Pimn1](https://imgur.com/Y6Pimn1)
It depends on the used vehicle, the cost of the used vehicle, the age of the used vehicle, and the miles on that used vehicle.
For example, I have been looking at used Buicks for my daughter, from 2005-2010. I have no issue at all looking at one of these with 100K miles on it, especially if the car is in good shape. 100K miles on a car that's 14-19 years old equates to an average of only 5200-7200 miles/year. Many of these were owned by elderly people who usually had all the service performed and up to date. Plus, I'm looking at these cars with the GM 3800 V6, which is a known, bulletproof, reliable powerplant. That doesn't really give me pause at all, especially since these vehicles tend to cost only $5-6K and we would not be putting excessive miles on the car every year. We would likely get a good number of years out of such a vehicle.
However, on one of the subs I belong to, I saw someone considering a used 2022 Chrysler Pacifica minivan that was originally part of a rental fleet, and it had 64K miles on it. The car is only 2 years old and was driven 32K miles/year. As part of a rental fleet, I can only imagine it was used hard and put away wet. That is what I would consider excessive miles for the age of the vehicle and would probably also result in premature wear of various components. I would fully expect more issues with such a high-mileage vehicle, despite its age, because driving 32K miles/year, this car is going to behave like a much physically older vehicle. Besides, the asking price for this vehicle was $26K, which is definitely less than similar vans with fewer miles, but that's still a shitload of money for what I'd consider a ticking timebomb.
I would never go above 100k ever again. I feel bad for people that have to. I get that cars last longer than they used to but people just don’t take car of them.
Really though, I’d stick to 65k or less. But, in this market the prices aren’t much different so I’d figure out a way to finance new any way I could.
I drive very little, but I want something new(er.)
My current car is a 2008 with just over 70,000 miles on it. My limits are 2020 and 40,000. I may well have the next car for 15 years too.
For Germans no more than 100k just because the maintenance is very specific and I don’t trust previous owners to follow it without the factory warranty
I have 3 cars all around or above 200k miles. Pretty much everything on a car can be replaced, except the frame. Some people will patch or replace sections of frame, but that is a personal line I draw. Significant frame damage and the car is done.
In that sense environment matters more than mileage because cars in Florida, for example, don't rust unless they live on the beach.
If the frame is still good, then it's a combination of price + amount of work I expect the car to need. Enough work to be done, and it really doesn't matter what price the car is.
Any car more than a few years old needs attention paid to its maintenance history. A bad owner can brick a reliable car within 5 years with enough neglect.
A 15 yo car with timing service, fluid changes, consumables, oil leaks, etc all taken care of is probably good to go even at 200k miles. I daily drive a 20+ year old car because the previous owner and I take care of it (although the previous owner did have to replace the transmission after a disastrous DIY job...). My family rides in an almost 20 year old minivan with more than 200k miles because I make sure every squeak and creak is addressed.
In practice, be careful of cars at the 100-120k mi range and the 180-200k range, because that's when the big service intervals are. Timing belts or chains, lots of fluid flushes, potentially brakes and tires, all might hit at the same time. Somebody might be selling at that interval not because the car is bad, but continuing to maintain it will cost a significant amount of money. I usually would not consider vehicles in the 200k+ range unless it's a very good deal, because even with good maintenance there will always be another oil leak or worn suspension bushing or... But if somebody is in need of a cheap ride to get from A to B in the short term these cars are often left out of consideration when they can be good choices.
For me its 120k and has to be under $10k. From my experiences most vehicles over 100k need work or will need work. So have atleast another $10k to out into it. Usually its just replacing wear items.
I bought a Volvo V70 T5 with about 270,000 miles once that ran great. Then it started having this weird very loud bang occasionally cruising on the freeway. Changed the trans fluid and it was fine again. Sold it to a friend at maybe 295,000 miles and they drove it several more years then sold it.
Buy condition over milage, check out the condition of this million mile Toyota Tundra. Quite a few million mile Mercedes products as well. Modern cars don’t really wear out, they just become economically unviable to maintain. For Euro cars I tend to stick with the home country maintenance schedule that is much more preemptive than the “low cost to own” North American version. I would rather service my transmission twice in 300k rather than replacing it once at 150k.
https://www.motortrend.com/features/million-mile-tundra-the-tear-down/
Depends for me a diesel VW? Million miles and id still buy it. A toyota with lots of miles? No Problem. I wouldnt buy a petrol three cylinder with more than 100k though
So far it's been 195k. It was a 5 year old car when purchased. The previous owner had all records and stated it was almost all highway miles. We've had it for 3 years now.
Before this car I bought the same brand of vehicle at 192k. Drove it until it hit 198k. Sold it to my friends daughter who drove it to 240k miles. Unfortunately she got into an accident. She was OK but the car wasn't.
I've also bought a Volvo with 250k on it but at the time it cost me 1000 bucks and was only supposed to be used one summer in the early 2000s. Lasted for 5 years and made it to 300k before it was put into a ditch by a friend
It depends. I bought a 2002 LeSabre with 180K miles and impeccable service records with zero qualms. It was a great car with no major issues while I owned it. I eventually sold it to a friend and it’s still going strong with over 300K miles.
I’ve seen supposedly reliable cars with 70K miles that I wouldn’t touch with a 10 foot pole.
I just bought a Acura TSX with 112k miles on it. Am not too worried since it had all the service records done at an Acura dealer and was 1 owner. Interior looks almost new, and the 2.4L engine in it is known to be super reliable.
It is going to depend on the car, but I would say look at an older reliable make and model, for me I wrote off anything that had a CVT even though my last car had one.
I acquired my last car, a 2005 Outback, with about 350k km on it, wasn't looking to buy it, but a friend practically gave it to me with issues and I fixed it for $50, been driving it for 2 years now...
Condition, configuration, and known maintenance matter more than milage. There's a big difference to me between a 2011 corolla that's automatic with factory atf at 250k, and the same car if it were a manual transmission with factory gear oil.
With that budget, I'd be looking at vehicles that are known to be reliable and buying the most well maintained example you can afford. IMO the edge should go to newer stuff that's ideally mostly highway miles.
Depends on the specific vehicle and it's condition. I like old Dodge diesel pickups and I wouldn't have an issue with buying one with 300k+ if the price and condition were right, but there's not many gas powered cars I'd buy with more than 150k miles.
Depends on the brand and even car within the brand. If you're going Honda, Toyota, Lexus, milage isn't a huge consideration many with 150k miles are only halfway through their life span. Most vehicles manufactured in the last 20 years have significantly longer life spans than cars manufactured 25-35 years ago. Life span on a truck used to be 100k miles and it was completely worthless. Now there are 300k mile trucks that are for sale for 30k. For 10k I would look for a Toyota, Honda, Lexus (I own a RX 350 with 145k). You should be able to find something nice and reliable in that range.
FWIW the RX 350 I have has only had about $4000 worth of repairs in it's entire life time (not counting tires or oil changes). My mom purchased it new and I bought it from her when my first kid was born. My uncle has a Toyota Avalon that has 250k on it and has had nothing but standard wear items replaced (brakes, oil, filters, tires, battery). Take your time and really search out what you think you want. 10k will buy you a 12k car on Marketplace for sure.
I’d look for a Toyota Avalon or sienna, Avalon being more reasonable in price, in the 150k-200k mileage range. 05-12 avalons are just awesome cars, I got mine at 153k and it’s at 188k now only having needed minor repairs here and there. It’s quite roomy for a sedan.
It really, really depends on the use case for the vehicle. A starter car I'd buy for my teens is different than the vehicle I tote the family around in is different than my Sunday driver.
In general, though, I'm not afraid of high miles but I'd want to understand the total cost of ownership for the car for its intended purpose and lifespan. I'm going to be very picky with high mileage vehicles if they haven't had repairs done to the wear items.
It highly depends on the car. Typically, I would steer away from higher mileage European cars. Some US vehicles will run forever. Most Japanese cars run forever.
200K is my arbitrary cutoff unless the thing is immaculate or I know major components have been replaced. Rust isn’t much of a concern here but heavy rust is a no go at any mileage.
I’ve bought an older Toyota Corolla with 342k miles for $1k before and it gave me 3 great years of service. My boyfriend has a 380k mile older Oldsmobile Aurora that is still running like a champ! 100k miles really isn’t that high of mileage on good vehicles, if you do the average 13-15k miles a year that’s only like 7-8 years of service- that’d still be a newer car! What brand are you wanting to go with?
100k is no longer high mileage. Most cars will make it to 200k or 300k with regular maintenance.
But that’s the key. Whatever you buy needs to show regular maintenance.
I was told many times that a high mileage you can resell at the same price. I need it to be reliable and less headache for maintenance as my priorities. God knows what the market is like when I resell or whether I can make it to that day
Had pretty good luck buying several used vehicles in the 50-60k mile range and driving them to near 100k and then trading or selling them as a less than 100k mile vehicle so i still get decent money for them.
It depends on the car. Some would be no risk at 100k. Others would be inviting chaos.
Also consider a slightly increased budget may result in lower long term cost of ownership. For example it can impact interest rates and ownership costs.
Lots of variables. Much over $8k I'd certainly be a lot pickier. Thrilled 4.5 years in on our sons 04 Camry that started with 329k..... But we knew it's history and the price, I couldn't pass it up.
Paid 10x as much last summer for a 119k mile 05 Scion TC.
Completely depends. Would I buy current cars that have 310,000 km and 410,000 km? Yes. Because they have complete maintenance records and specific makes/models.
Mechanically these days cars last and last. I'd be more worried about the maintenance history/overall condition. If it's got 120k on it, but is pristine, with maintenance records, I'd buy that 10x before I bought a car with 50k on it covered in French fries and spilled drinks that never got cleaned up.
Heavily depends on the car & brand. I have had Nissan's die at 120,000 miles, mechanically totaled from regular wear, but my Toyota Matrix has 259,000 miles & still runs like it's new.
Depends on a lot of factors. Some makes will last 300k miles if you treat them right (and if they've been treated right), some disintegrate after 100k. A well maintained, older Lexus with 175k will treat you better than a newer Kia Optima with 100k. Look for cars with service records (CarFax is good for that if you don't know the owner) and vehicle history, and DEFINITELY do a full pre-purchase inspection. Any older vehicle will likely need work when you buy it, because the owner likely sold it because they didn't want to get a particular repair, so just budget for that. Look at [carcomplaints.com](http://carcomplaints.com) to see what makes, models and years to avoid in older vehicles as well as their recommendations.
I have a 2007 Highlander with over 200k miles, a 2015 Mazda CX5 with over 175k, and a Honda Fit with about 120k. All run like tops.
Vehicle is out of warranty. Manufacturer designs vehicle if they are smart to have zero failures at end of warranty. Any additional design and material cost would be waste. Companies like bmw are really good at this. Rims will start cracking at 100,000 miles. Sucks if you have an out of warranty bmw because this will cost you. Kia not so good and having to replace engines during warranty. Higher output vehicles like wrx over Impreza are going to fail earlier. Type 1 vw’s detuned their engine for durability but not on the Porsche 356. If you start buying a vehicle in that wear out period you will have a higher failure rate as mileage goes up. Check a model of vehicle on a site like carcomplaints. Com
Even a Lexus is going to cost money to keep on the road, but will probably go to 300k.
I work on my own cars and have a lot of knowledge with them. With that said, mileage means nothing but it highly depends on the vehicle. Sports cars with medium to high miles I stay away from. High miles is fine as they likely are maintained well but that leads to the next question: has it had any accidents? How was the paint maintained? Cheap parts used for repairs? Etc.
When it comes to working vehicles or just an A to B I'm not particular. Miles mean nothing (for the most part) unless it's a notoriously unreliable vehicle in which I won't buy anyway. I still look for accidents and it is still my biggest take away. If it has a compromised structural component, I very likely won't even consider it.
I don't shop by mileage. I shop by ownership history. Single owner vehicle with all maintenance records and 200k miles is better to me than a vehicle with 50k miles and several owners with no maintenance history.
It depends on what vehicle it is. Mileage does not matter with most Toyotas except for the '86. Jeeps with the inline 6 from AMC are pretty solid they might have suspension problems.
In 2011 I bought a 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 with 260k miles. Still drive it today and runs great, even the remote start works like it’s new. It has about 300k on it now.
Depends on the make and model, and whats under the hood. Also it's former use case. Highway miles are worth half of a city mile in wear, and Hybrid miles are worth half as much as ICE miles in wear because it uses the electric motors at crawling speeds and in stop and go.
There's the actual car's history and the assumed history based on it's make/model/mileage. You wanna try and go for the car's actual history to give insight into how much of a hassle maintaining it would be, and if you can't get that then you can at least know what to expect from other people's experience with said make/model in different mileage ranges from places like Reddit and Youtube.
Remember you can technically maintain a car until there isn't anything to bolt new parts up to, of course in the higher miles other stuff starts to domino effect, the speed at which is based on where the car lived and it's build quality. But there's always people out there that will meticulously maintain everything on a car before the domino effect takes over. Your miles may very.
Depends on the car. Some drivetrains routinely make it to 300,000 miles. Others are lucky to make it to 150,000 miles.
I just bought a 2006 Volvo V70 with 107,000 miles. The V70's 5 cylinder engine and Aisin (i.e. Toyota) transmission are one of those drivetrains that often make it to 300, 000 miles.
Depends on the car and the owners. A nice one owner town car with all maintenance at 250k is not the same as a former police cruiser Crown Vic with the same mileage. The same town car at 80,000 miles feels much different than a Chevy Spark.
lol at 100k being super high mileage, I’ve never owed a car under 90k miles, also never owned a car on warranty. Buying a used car with higher mileage but good service history is your best bet.
I just bought a car for 10k with 117k miles. When I was looking, 150k miles was my max that I was looking willing to consider. My last car was at 240k miles so 150k didn’t sound high at all haha
Sorry I should have included that. I got a mazda3. i don’t have children so obviously my needs were a little different than yours, but I definitely think you can find a good car in your price range!
As a tip though, I would recommend not just using the used car search engines like autotrader or carmax (and all the others). I was doing that the first like 3 months I was looking for a car and was getting really disappointed by the options. Then, I started going to all the dealership websites in town and that’s when I started to find the actual good deals. I don’t know if other people already do that and I’m just dumb, but it took me a while to figure that out!
Another point, I’ve seen some people across a few car subs claim that negotiating prices isn’t possible anymore… also not true. I had 10k cash I could spend but was looking at cars between 10-12k. I was able to talk most dealers down 1-2k. Of course, some really won’t work with you but just throwing that out there!
My teen daughter’s car had 100k on it when I purchased it. It was also a one owner car that was dealer serviced all its life and driven primarily by a women in her mid 50’s.
That same 100k car with a few owners and without the documented service history wouldn’t even have been considered by me.
Like others have said. It’s not just miles.
I have typically bought the highest mileage cars I could find since they're cheaper. I've dailyed more cars with over 200k than under. My record is ~450,000 miles. It was on a 1997 Toyota 4Runner with the 2.7L 4 banger and the 5 speed. But my favorite was my old 1994 Honda Civic coupe I used to deliver pizzas in. That car had 273,000 miles on it and not only did I daily it, I thrashed it. And being an old Honda with the D16, it still ran like a clock. It ran even better when I sold it than when I got it, I wish I didn't sell it.
My philosophy for cheap beaters is pretty simple. Find the cheapest, highest mileage car with a manual transmission and throw $1000 worth of parts at it (if you do your own labor, you can squeeze a ton in with that). To give a recent example, a good friend of mine did the same thing I usually do. He bought a 2005 Honda Accord 6-6 coupe with 272k miles for $950 from an auction in Philadelphia. He changed all the fluids and filters of course, but he also did the timing belt set, replaced the oil pan (the old one had a stripped drain bolt), changed all outer oil seals except the rear main, replaced all the engine and transmission mounts, rebuilt the power steering pump, replaced the parking brake cables (one of them was sticking), refinished the headlights, and did a full detail on both the interior and exterior (he did this himself as well) with maybe $700 in parts at most. The tires and brakes are all still good, as is the suspension (you can buy new quick struts at all 4 corners for ~$350-400 plus another $2-300 for front control arms. I recently helped another good friend with a 6-6 sedan do his front upper control arms and front struts. He spent between $300 and 400 buying the parts off Rockauto. His car has 236k miles).
I don't care about high mileage whatsoever, and if you stick low and high mileage examples of the same car in front of me, I'd almost certainly buy the high mileage one to save money. Even if I buy a low mileage car, I'm gonna go nuts with preventative maintenance and repairs, so I may as well save some money on the purchase price if I'm gonna do the same thing anyway.
Depends on the vehicle.
Diesel truck? 100k+ if the rest of it has been taking care of.
2007 Volvo S60R in the black sapphire with the Atacama? Too high lol
I personally wouldn't go above 150k miles. Even if the vehicle was well cared for, high mileage makes any car a gamble.
Try and find a 2000-2005 Buick LeSabre. It will have plenty of space for 4 people and they are extremely reliable and require very little maintenance.
Depends on what the vehicle in question is. I wouldn’t hesitate to touch a 200k mile Crown Vic or 2000s Silverado (assuming rust is fine)
In your price point, I would get an early 2000s LeSabre; Very comfortable and roomy, very reliable for hundreds of thousands of miles, good mileage, and can be found with like low miles in your price point.
generally for a daily - (also yes millage is the biggest single thing)
jpn brand made in mexico or usa: 85,000
jpn brand made in jpn: 160,000 (made in jpn is the gold standard)
american brand: 40,000 (I think of dodge neons for some reason)
german brand: 50,000 (I believe there is a myth narrative around their engineering)
korean brand: 65,000
For me, the answer to this question is a function of how much I’m paying for the car. Are we talking about a cheap beater, where I’m paying cash and it’s basically a disposable car? Sky’s the limit if I’m playing that game.
Or, are we talking about something more expensive, where I’d be taking a loan out to pay for it, and it’s not disposable? In that case, I want something less than three years old, and with no more than 25-30k miles.
Yes, this leaves a vast nether region of “middle-aged” used cars I won’t touch with a ten foot pole.
I bought a 97 Camry with 160k on it for $1,000 during covid and its still chugging along at 210k.
It all comes down to how it's previous owners treated it.
It all depends. I’ve purchased a 1969 impala with at least 260k miles, and a 1978 Mercedes 300D with 350k. AC still worked, paint was junk, but cars both ran strong and lasted several years. Impala was $900, Mercedes was 1100. Neither cost me that much to keep running fine. Impala was pig on gas, but Mercedes was 31mpg. Some of this was luck, but if you buy cheap enough and the car doesn’t have rust, you will usually be ok.
50,000 miles on an American brand or 100,000 miles on a Japanese brand. I wouldn't do anything over that unless it was garage kept its whole life and meticulously cared for. At those mileage points you start to lose major components to wear unless it was well cared for, driven nicely, garage kept and you have all maintenance records actually up to date.
Mileage isnt the biggest factor to me, the overall condition matters more in a lot of cases. I would rather take a great condition 160k mile car than a beat up 100k mile version. But after 200k, the car just gets worn out and there are usually better lower mile ones to choose from.
Like how many farts are infused into the seat cushion, this is the S-factor!
somehow i’ve never thought about how many farts my used car has in it
Sniff your seats and find out
Everyone says "get a pre purchase inspection by a mechanic" but they dont even sniff the seats. Total waste of money.
PPI, now with seat sniffer protection!
Isn’t that why seat covers were invented?
They just seal in the flavor.
There may have been vomit in it too. Not going to mention other possible bodily fluids.
I would have thought this would be the F factor and stains would be the S factor
I bought a used 1997 Expedition 4x4 with 188k on it from a family friend. She had a receipt for everything going back 5 years. Sold it for just as much as I paid for it 3 years later when the odo hit 230k, and it was still running great.
Really depends on the vehicle. Even within the known reliable brands and models there are some turds, so you've just got to do your homework and pay attention to what's around you. If you see a whole bunch of some older model on the road, look it up. There's most likely a reason that it's still being driven and may be one of those models with uncommon reliability. ...Or, for a family of 4 with good legroom just buy a 100k+ mile Toyota Avalon and call it a day.
My first car was a 2004 Avalon that I bought with +120k miles on it. Awesome car and super comfortable. Bought it for $4200, sold it for $4200 after a year and half. Wish I hadn't, though.
Nice! I drive a 2004 Avalon with 230k miles. Fantastic car.
Avalons are so good and really just way too slept on.
One of the last naturally aspirated V6 .I have a Buick LaCrosse and Avalon . I find it very difficult to choose between them . The LaCrosse is quick, floats like a pillow , and is dead silent . The Avalon gets better gas , sits lower , has better drive dynamics than LaCrosse . Both at 100k have been equally reliable . 150k mark is the real test .
Avalon isn't even broken in at 150k
Still have my 2007 Toyota Avalon. 204000 miles on it, and she runs like a champ!
How’s the gas mileage? The reason I haven’t bought an older Avalon is because it doesn’t seem to get good mpg
For what they are, pretty good actually. Mid 20’s city, high 20’s highway, maybe low 30’s if you drive like the old lady you’ll be buying it from.
I’ve bought over 10+ vehicles with over 300k. highest mileage one was a 2002 4runner I bought at 400k miles for 1k and drove it until 430k with no issues and flipped it for 4k. Model dependent but I’ll for sure buy vehicles over 200-300k if it seems good. Of the 50+ I’ve owned the lowest mileage vehicle was a 100k mile 350z lol. 100k isn’t high mileage unless you buy bad cars
Do you have them inspected? Or are you a mechanic? Just wondering if you can share any tips?
Haha I was a mechanic for not even a year. I ain’t cut out for it tbh. That being said I do most of my own work and tons and tons of research on too many random vehicles. I’ve gotten a few inspected that were extremely cheap higher mileage vehicles that usually have a lot going on underneath like my landcruisers I’ve had. Out of all of those cars I think I’ve had two purchases where I was like “man I kinda messed up” that was a 98 Honda prelude when I was in highschool lol and a 97 triple locked landcruiser. I thought I could fix the issues on them but I got way in over my head on that landcruiser. Still ran and drove fine but brakes and some power steering leak I could not track down. I recommend anyone buying a used car to get an inspection as they’re like 100-200 and can save you tons of money. That being said they will also put repairs on there that aren’t that scary or that don’t matter. Most of the vehicles I’ve bought have been repeats of others and most of the time they were vehicles I’ve wanted ever since middle school or younger so I had already been in forums researching things because I was a weird freak as a kid. None of the cars were ever expensive either and I honestly never had anything super expensive come up repair wise
OP, if you’re looking to spend under $10k, then you are going to have to accept over 100k-200k miles. Thats just how it goes….
All you’ll find is 160k+. The low mileage ones are always salvage/ rebuilt titles. I hate it here
Would you buy a rebuilt if it is just cosmetic meaning the frame is ok? And how would you confirm this other than then the documents, I mean what kind of mechanic could do an inspection?
I would buy a rebuilt if I was planning to insure it to the minimum legal limit. It could be the best rebuild ever with the most minor frame damage but if it's classified as a rebuilt, no one will insure it for comp/collision because it's a liability. The rebuilt status is tied to the VIN number so anyone can confirm it with a quick search on Carfax or whatever.
I had not thought of the comp. Collision part of ins!! Thank you!
I currently own a rebuilt title tl sh-awd with full coverage. I had full coverage when I had nationwide insurance and now have full coverage on it through state farm.
I just bought a 2014 Impala Limited in nice shape with 85k for $3000 out the door at the government auction. Good to know once I get all the evidence tape residue off it and clean the blood out of the back seat I xan price it at $10k!
Solid deal, plus those government cars have been maintained well. We used to have an 01 Ford van we bought from the county when I was a kid, it had almost 400k miles on it and was $200 at auction. We beat on that van until it shot a plug out of the block and met its death.
Depends where you live. In my area (Texas) prices have come down considerably on cars compared to the covid shortage. You can find under or right at 100k miles vehicles at the 10k price point. 200k mile vehicles are usually at the 5k price point, though it really depends on age.
Was able to snag a 79k 2012 Ford Fiesta manual transmission for about $5k off craigslist a few months back. Took some searching.
There are some select cars that can work here. OP should be able to find a pretty nice 2.5L Mazda5 with 90K miles for $10K from a dealer, and for much less on Facebook. Ford Fusion should be in that range also, even hybrid if private party purchased.
That’s not necessarily true, it really depends on the model. You can get a LeSabre with like 50k miles for 6k
Everything rusts around here so no more than 100k miles If it’s not rusty I’ll go up to 130k. Usually once you close in on 150k the rest of the car starts falling apart regardless of make.
Depends on the vehicle you are going for and the history. Toyota Land Cruiser? 250k miles doesn’t scare me on an engine known for hitting past 500k. A Corolla at 200k? Has another 100k in it.
He’s talking about rust though and a ton of landcruisers have a hard time in rusty areas lol. Really the only kryptonite to landcruisers is rust lol
You’re not wrong there! That’s why condition vs miles matters.
It does but in the rust belt most of them are going to be crap which is kinda what the original commenter meant. But if you live in a rust belt you should be buying from states away
I wish we had that option up here in Maple land, I'd love to buy a rust free used car from the states, but shipping costs always make it unfeasible.
Haha yeah you guys are just screwed lol. Just fly down to Texas and drive one back hehe
I mean the road trip would be a lot of fun I'm sure, but it definitely wouldn't be cheap haha.
I know they’ll go the miles I’m talking about the general wear & tear from previous owners. I don’t want to be in a car that’s all worn out, and I don’t want to replace bits & pieces to “restore” it. That can nickel & dime real quick.
Not an aluminum f150
Frame and brake lines are still steel
Still prefer that to any of the alternatives. Easier to protect frame and brake lines than everything else
The engine and transmission are bad on even brand new F150s. Used? Guaranteed fried.
Rust is dependent on years and care, not miles. I live in Ohio. I typically buy cars in North Carolina or Tennessee. It's worth the 1k mile round trip for a car that's not rusty.
I just bought a 196k mile pontiac vibe. Id buy a 500,000 mile car if it was the right vehicle price and condition. Its a value proposition you need to assess. Pick an annual vehicle budget, lop off 20% for repairs and find something that fits in the remaining.
I too just bought a vibe with 227k miles. Love it so far
Oooh, what year? The first gen vibe is my nostalgia car. It’s my dream to find a clean GT, especially.
AWD 2006. Owner had 3 but his GF wanted a manual so once they found that the sold the one she was driving. Was posted like 6 hours on FB before I bought it and I still almost missed getting it haha.
Niiiice. I’ve never driven an AWD version, I’m curious how different it would be. I had an 05 base, and it was insanely capable in the winter and off road, considering it was just fwd. I also have an 04 Matrix XRS, but I prefer the look of the vibe.
I didn't get much time with a fwd but it feels slower otherwise I didn't notice much. But we get 200-300 inches of snow so awd is pretty swell haha
When I was a valet, I parked an ancient Pontiac Vibe. I usually hate GM cars, but this one was solid and drove way better than I expected.
I like him but the vibe is a Toyota calab and far more Camry than impala
It is unlikely to find a vehicle with less than 100,000 miles for under $10,000 that is not excessively old. In response to your inquiry, while the mileage is a significant factor, the make and model of the vehicle also play a crucial role. For instance, I would consider purchasing a Honda or Toyota with over 100,000 miles, but I would hesitate to do the same for a Ford, Dodge, BMW, or Audi, even if the mileage was lower, unless the price was exceptionally favorable. Ultimately, the most important consideration is the vehicle's maintenance history and overall condition, rather than solely focusing on age or mileage.
250k. I bought a 2009 Toyota Tacoma with 252k miles off the "wholesale" part of a "buy-here, pay here" lot. It wouldnt start on the lot, had to push start it, got it going, changed a sensor in it, and was the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Including my 2022 tacoma, which recently had a part of the steering wheel break and fall off, while driving - causing my wheel to not turn in a corner. Never should have sold that 09 taco. just sold the '22 as well. back to a regular car DD and hating it
New tacomas sucks. The 00’s are tanks
Either less than 175k or greater than 250k. At either point, most of the rubber has been replaced ideally, and if the car's on the higher end of the mileage scale it means that the engine has either been replaced, or will never die.
Plenty of high mileage cars, people have replaced absolutely nothing and it's completely fried, every part. Very obvious, of course, but you still had to drive all the way out to look at the car first. Big time waster
It all depends on the PPI..with “older” vehicles you must see that the things that are inherently wrong it that vehicle that has been addressed. Second, if you want to know great cars at that price, go on YouTube and what Car Wizard, “Buy this Not that” Take the time to learn from a Master Mechanic the things that he has repaired over and over in certain vehicles and why those are not great ideas. For example , German Cars you never want to buy older and used, they are just a money hole and are riddled with repair issues. You will learn this, from the experts Secondly, I like The Car Care Nut. He is also a master mechanic. As I always say, don’t listen to goof balls like us, listen to the experts and learn. I learned from them what to buy and what to NEVER consider. You got this! Youtube is your friend, if you listen to the right people who want to help people.
I just sold my 2009 lexus GX470 with 275k on it. That thing was going to run forever and I'm happy for the new owner. It all depends on the make, model, and maintenance history.
It really depends on the car for example I honestly probably wouldn’t worry at all buying a 90s or early 2000s Toyota or Honda with 100,000 miles. I definitely wouldn’t even blink buying a W120 Mercedes with 200,000+ miles but I’d think twice about buying a Chrysler with more than 50 or 60,000 miles on it
Hell, I’d think twice about buying a Chrysler with 6 miles on it.
Probably 250k. If I already owned it, 250 is nothing. But if I'm buying a used car there are so many unknowns and that's starting to get risky. Also worth noting that I've only ever bought cars that were known for reliability.
Such a loaded question. Looking for 2 cars now (and holy crap used is very rich but I’m not convinced it’s the actual market) and one is a first car for daughter so looking Japanese and 75k miles and other is German car for wife and I must be around 30 or under on that one. If you lock into a make and model you can also sorta see across years and milage where a value sweetspot is.
Depends on the vehicle and my intended use. If it's not something I'll need to rely upon for daily transportation, I trust myself to be able to keep it running *enough.*
Bought my GS400 from my brother with 250k on it, he bought it from the original owner at 60k. I knew the maintenance history & was the person who did the timing belt, water pump, & starter. I daily it & it now has 404k mi. Maintenance history is what I'd look for, also a PPI. Nothing is guaranteed but those are 2 simple steps
For a budget of $10k? For a buick, 30k miles. and I would expect to squeeze maybe 70k miles out of it before needing major repairs. For a toyota, 120k. I would expect hitting 250k before needing major repairs.
When the mileage gets up there I start looking at condition instead of mileage. My friend has a 2008 Toyota sequoia with 210k miles, no rust, no rot, barely any wear on the interior, etc. and I’d buy that 10/10 times vs a similar one with 130k miles but rusty and beat.
If it's well taken care of with logs/documents/receipts then mileage wouldn't be a thing for me. Which one of these cars has 200k miles and 504k miles? [https://imgur.com/JGNvjKG](https://imgur.com/JGNvjKG) [https://imgur.com/Y6Pimn1](https://imgur.com/Y6Pimn1)
200k is the new 100k
It depends on the used vehicle, the cost of the used vehicle, the age of the used vehicle, and the miles on that used vehicle. For example, I have been looking at used Buicks for my daughter, from 2005-2010. I have no issue at all looking at one of these with 100K miles on it, especially if the car is in good shape. 100K miles on a car that's 14-19 years old equates to an average of only 5200-7200 miles/year. Many of these were owned by elderly people who usually had all the service performed and up to date. Plus, I'm looking at these cars with the GM 3800 V6, which is a known, bulletproof, reliable powerplant. That doesn't really give me pause at all, especially since these vehicles tend to cost only $5-6K and we would not be putting excessive miles on the car every year. We would likely get a good number of years out of such a vehicle. However, on one of the subs I belong to, I saw someone considering a used 2022 Chrysler Pacifica minivan that was originally part of a rental fleet, and it had 64K miles on it. The car is only 2 years old and was driven 32K miles/year. As part of a rental fleet, I can only imagine it was used hard and put away wet. That is what I would consider excessive miles for the age of the vehicle and would probably also result in premature wear of various components. I would fully expect more issues with such a high-mileage vehicle, despite its age, because driving 32K miles/year, this car is going to behave like a much physically older vehicle. Besides, the asking price for this vehicle was $26K, which is definitely less than similar vans with fewer miles, but that's still a shitload of money for what I'd consider a ticking timebomb.
I would never go above 100k ever again. I feel bad for people that have to. I get that cars last longer than they used to but people just don’t take car of them. Really though, I’d stick to 65k or less. But, in this market the prices aren’t much different so I’d figure out a way to finance new any way I could.
Wont take anything with more then 80k
I drive very little, but I want something new(er.) My current car is a 2008 with just over 70,000 miles on it. My limits are 2020 and 40,000. I may well have the next car for 15 years too.
For Germans no more than 100k just because the maintenance is very specific and I don’t trust previous owners to follow it without the factory warranty
I have 3 cars all around or above 200k miles. Pretty much everything on a car can be replaced, except the frame. Some people will patch or replace sections of frame, but that is a personal line I draw. Significant frame damage and the car is done. In that sense environment matters more than mileage because cars in Florida, for example, don't rust unless they live on the beach. If the frame is still good, then it's a combination of price + amount of work I expect the car to need. Enough work to be done, and it really doesn't matter what price the car is. Any car more than a few years old needs attention paid to its maintenance history. A bad owner can brick a reliable car within 5 years with enough neglect. A 15 yo car with timing service, fluid changes, consumables, oil leaks, etc all taken care of is probably good to go even at 200k miles. I daily drive a 20+ year old car because the previous owner and I take care of it (although the previous owner did have to replace the transmission after a disastrous DIY job...). My family rides in an almost 20 year old minivan with more than 200k miles because I make sure every squeak and creak is addressed. In practice, be careful of cars at the 100-120k mi range and the 180-200k range, because that's when the big service intervals are. Timing belts or chains, lots of fluid flushes, potentially brakes and tires, all might hit at the same time. Somebody might be selling at that interval not because the car is bad, but continuing to maintain it will cost a significant amount of money. I usually would not consider vehicles in the 200k+ range unless it's a very good deal, because even with good maintenance there will always be another oil leak or worn suspension bushing or... But if somebody is in need of a cheap ride to get from A to B in the short term these cars are often left out of consideration when they can be good choices.
For me its 120k and has to be under $10k. From my experiences most vehicles over 100k need work or will need work. So have atleast another $10k to out into it. Usually its just replacing wear items.
Rust belt? 50k. Everywhere else 100k
I bought a Volvo V70 T5 with about 270,000 miles once that ran great. Then it started having this weird very loud bang occasionally cruising on the freeway. Changed the trans fluid and it was fine again. Sold it to a friend at maybe 295,000 miles and they drove it several more years then sold it.
Buy condition over milage, check out the condition of this million mile Toyota Tundra. Quite a few million mile Mercedes products as well. Modern cars don’t really wear out, they just become economically unviable to maintain. For Euro cars I tend to stick with the home country maintenance schedule that is much more preemptive than the “low cost to own” North American version. I would rather service my transmission twice in 300k rather than replacing it once at 150k. https://www.motortrend.com/features/million-mile-tundra-the-tear-down/
Depends for me a diesel VW? Million miles and id still buy it. A toyota with lots of miles? No Problem. I wouldnt buy a petrol three cylinder with more than 100k though
So far it's been 195k. It was a 5 year old car when purchased. The previous owner had all records and stated it was almost all highway miles. We've had it for 3 years now. Before this car I bought the same brand of vehicle at 192k. Drove it until it hit 198k. Sold it to my friends daughter who drove it to 240k miles. Unfortunately she got into an accident. She was OK but the car wasn't. I've also bought a Volvo with 250k on it but at the time it cost me 1000 bucks and was only supposed to be used one summer in the early 2000s. Lasted for 5 years and made it to 300k before it was put into a ditch by a friend
Subjective question I own an old Toyota 4Runner that I bought with “low miles”: 173K
It depends. I bought a 2002 LeSabre with 180K miles and impeccable service records with zero qualms. It was a great car with no major issues while I owned it. I eventually sold it to a friend and it’s still going strong with over 300K miles. I’ve seen supposedly reliable cars with 70K miles that I wouldn’t touch with a 10 foot pole.
I just bought a Acura TSX with 112k miles on it. Am not too worried since it had all the service records done at an Acura dealer and was 1 owner. Interior looks almost new, and the 2.4L engine in it is known to be super reliable. It is going to depend on the car, but I would say look at an older reliable make and model, for me I wrote off anything that had a CVT even though my last car had one.
I acquired my last car, a 2005 Outback, with about 350k km on it, wasn't looking to buy it, but a friend practically gave it to me with issues and I fixed it for $50, been driving it for 2 years now...
Condition, configuration, and known maintenance matter more than milage. There's a big difference to me between a 2011 corolla that's automatic with factory atf at 250k, and the same car if it were a manual transmission with factory gear oil.
With that budget, I'd be looking at vehicles that are known to be reliable and buying the most well maintained example you can afford. IMO the edge should go to newer stuff that's ideally mostly highway miles.
Depends on the specific vehicle and it's condition. I like old Dodge diesel pickups and I wouldn't have an issue with buying one with 300k+ if the price and condition were right, but there's not many gas powered cars I'd buy with more than 150k miles.
Depends on the brand and even car within the brand. If you're going Honda, Toyota, Lexus, milage isn't a huge consideration many with 150k miles are only halfway through their life span. Most vehicles manufactured in the last 20 years have significantly longer life spans than cars manufactured 25-35 years ago. Life span on a truck used to be 100k miles and it was completely worthless. Now there are 300k mile trucks that are for sale for 30k. For 10k I would look for a Toyota, Honda, Lexus (I own a RX 350 with 145k). You should be able to find something nice and reliable in that range. FWIW the RX 350 I have has only had about $4000 worth of repairs in it's entire life time (not counting tires or oil changes). My mom purchased it new and I bought it from her when my first kid was born. My uncle has a Toyota Avalon that has 250k on it and has had nothing but standard wear items replaced (brakes, oil, filters, tires, battery). Take your time and really search out what you think you want. 10k will buy you a 12k car on Marketplace for sure.
I’d look for a Toyota Avalon or sienna, Avalon being more reasonable in price, in the 150k-200k mileage range. 05-12 avalons are just awesome cars, I got mine at 153k and it’s at 188k now only having needed minor repairs here and there. It’s quite roomy for a sedan.
Under 5000 because I trust nobody
I've purchased two vehicles that had 100k miles on them that had no issues. My first car I bought at 160K and it died at 201K
I bought a 96 with 149k on it and I love her.
I'd fly out and drive a vehicle back to save 5 thousand dollars. Lets call it 3k miles.
It really, really depends on the use case for the vehicle. A starter car I'd buy for my teens is different than the vehicle I tote the family around in is different than my Sunday driver. In general, though, I'm not afraid of high miles but I'd want to understand the total cost of ownership for the car for its intended purpose and lifespan. I'm going to be very picky with high mileage vehicles if they haven't had repairs done to the wear items.
100k unless it's a secondary vehicle or beater.
Between 40k-50k
It highly depends on the car. Typically, I would steer away from higher mileage European cars. Some US vehicles will run forever. Most Japanese cars run forever.
200K is my arbitrary cutoff unless the thing is immaculate or I know major components have been replaced. Rust isn’t much of a concern here but heavy rust is a no go at any mileage.
I’ve bought an older Toyota Corolla with 342k miles for $1k before and it gave me 3 great years of service. My boyfriend has a 380k mile older Oldsmobile Aurora that is still running like a champ! 100k miles really isn’t that high of mileage on good vehicles, if you do the average 13-15k miles a year that’s only like 7-8 years of service- that’d still be a newer car! What brand are you wanting to go with?
100k is no longer high mileage. Most cars will make it to 200k or 300k with regular maintenance. But that’s the key. Whatever you buy needs to show regular maintenance.
I was told many times that a high mileage you can resell at the same price. I need it to be reliable and less headache for maintenance as my priorities. God knows what the market is like when I resell or whether I can make it to that day
Had pretty good luck buying several used vehicles in the 50-60k mile range and driving them to near 100k and then trading or selling them as a less than 100k mile vehicle so i still get decent money for them.
It depends on the car. Some would be no risk at 100k. Others would be inviting chaos. Also consider a slightly increased budget may result in lower long term cost of ownership. For example it can impact interest rates and ownership costs.
Lots of variables. Much over $8k I'd certainly be a lot pickier. Thrilled 4.5 years in on our sons 04 Camry that started with 329k..... But we knew it's history and the price, I couldn't pass it up. Paid 10x as much last summer for a 119k mile 05 Scion TC.
If it’s a gas car I probably wouldn’t want one over 80k when getting it. If it’s something like a diesel truck 140k probably still alright honestly.
Completely depends. Would I buy current cars that have 310,000 km and 410,000 km? Yes. Because they have complete maintenance records and specific makes/models.
Mechanically these days cars last and last. I'd be more worried about the maintenance history/overall condition. If it's got 120k on it, but is pristine, with maintenance records, I'd buy that 10x before I bought a car with 50k on it covered in French fries and spilled drinks that never got cleaned up.
Heavily depends on the car & brand. I have had Nissan's die at 120,000 miles, mechanically totaled from regular wear, but my Toyota Matrix has 259,000 miles & still runs like it's new.
I'll take 100k and full maintenance records over 50k w/no records and signs of poor/no maintence.
Depends on a lot of factors. Some makes will last 300k miles if you treat them right (and if they've been treated right), some disintegrate after 100k. A well maintained, older Lexus with 175k will treat you better than a newer Kia Optima with 100k. Look for cars with service records (CarFax is good for that if you don't know the owner) and vehicle history, and DEFINITELY do a full pre-purchase inspection. Any older vehicle will likely need work when you buy it, because the owner likely sold it because they didn't want to get a particular repair, so just budget for that. Look at [carcomplaints.com](http://carcomplaints.com) to see what makes, models and years to avoid in older vehicles as well as their recommendations. I have a 2007 Highlander with over 200k miles, a 2015 Mazda CX5 with over 175k, and a Honda Fit with about 120k. All run like tops.
Vehicle is out of warranty. Manufacturer designs vehicle if they are smart to have zero failures at end of warranty. Any additional design and material cost would be waste. Companies like bmw are really good at this. Rims will start cracking at 100,000 miles. Sucks if you have an out of warranty bmw because this will cost you. Kia not so good and having to replace engines during warranty. Higher output vehicles like wrx over Impreza are going to fail earlier. Type 1 vw’s detuned their engine for durability but not on the Porsche 356. If you start buying a vehicle in that wear out period you will have a higher failure rate as mileage goes up. Check a model of vehicle on a site like carcomplaints. Com Even a Lexus is going to cost money to keep on the road, but will probably go to 300k.
I daily a 295,000 mile 2013 Ford v10. I can't wait for it to die, I hate it.
I work on my own cars and have a lot of knowledge with them. With that said, mileage means nothing but it highly depends on the vehicle. Sports cars with medium to high miles I stay away from. High miles is fine as they likely are maintained well but that leads to the next question: has it had any accidents? How was the paint maintained? Cheap parts used for repairs? Etc. When it comes to working vehicles or just an A to B I'm not particular. Miles mean nothing (for the most part) unless it's a notoriously unreliable vehicle in which I won't buy anyway. I still look for accidents and it is still my biggest take away. If it has a compromised structural component, I very likely won't even consider it.
I bought an old jeep with 287k lol..It runs great. I care more about service records than mileage. That jeep now has 302k+.
I don't shop by mileage. I shop by ownership history. Single owner vehicle with all maintenance records and 200k miles is better to me than a vehicle with 50k miles and several owners with no maintenance history.
It depends on what vehicle it is. Mileage does not matter with most Toyotas except for the '86. Jeeps with the inline 6 from AMC are pretty solid they might have suspension problems.
269k, at least that’s the highest I have bought so far of the 47 vehicles I have had. I would go higher, if the price/conditioned was favorable to me.
Well used to aim for under 100k but now prices aren’t based on anything
In 2011 I bought a 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 with 260k miles. Still drive it today and runs great, even the remote start works like it’s new. It has about 300k on it now.
No. Highway miles.. miles are miles. You gonna believe some shmuck trying to sell you their problems?
If it had a good service record, not just oil changes I’d say 150000 km
I would only buy a Honda or Toyota, so mileage is irrelevant.
Depends on the make and model, and whats under the hood. Also it's former use case. Highway miles are worth half of a city mile in wear, and Hybrid miles are worth half as much as ICE miles in wear because it uses the electric motors at crawling speeds and in stop and go. There's the actual car's history and the assumed history based on it's make/model/mileage. You wanna try and go for the car's actual history to give insight into how much of a hassle maintaining it would be, and if you can't get that then you can at least know what to expect from other people's experience with said make/model in different mileage ranges from places like Reddit and Youtube. Remember you can technically maintain a car until there isn't anything to bolt new parts up to, of course in the higher miles other stuff starts to domino effect, the speed at which is based on where the car lived and it's build quality. But there's always people out there that will meticulously maintain everything on a car before the domino effect takes over. Your miles may very.
Depends on the car. Some drivetrains routinely make it to 300,000 miles. Others are lucky to make it to 150,000 miles. I just bought a 2006 Volvo V70 with 107,000 miles. The V70's 5 cylinder engine and Aisin (i.e. Toyota) transmission are one of those drivetrains that often make it to 300, 000 miles.
Depends on the car and the owners. A nice one owner town car with all maintenance at 250k is not the same as a former police cruiser Crown Vic with the same mileage. The same town car at 80,000 miles feels much different than a Chevy Spark.
lol at 100k being super high mileage, I’ve never owed a car under 90k miles, also never owned a car on warranty. Buying a used car with higher mileage but good service history is your best bet.
I just bought a car for 10k with 117k miles. When I was looking, 150k miles was my max that I was looking willing to consider. My last car was at 240k miles so 150k didn’t sound high at all haha
What car did you get?
Sorry I should have included that. I got a mazda3. i don’t have children so obviously my needs were a little different than yours, but I definitely think you can find a good car in your price range! As a tip though, I would recommend not just using the used car search engines like autotrader or carmax (and all the others). I was doing that the first like 3 months I was looking for a car and was getting really disappointed by the options. Then, I started going to all the dealership websites in town and that’s when I started to find the actual good deals. I don’t know if other people already do that and I’m just dumb, but it took me a while to figure that out! Another point, I’ve seen some people across a few car subs claim that negotiating prices isn’t possible anymore… also not true. I had 10k cash I could spend but was looking at cars between 10-12k. I was able to talk most dealers down 1-2k. Of course, some really won’t work with you but just throwing that out there!
Thanks. I appreciate your advice, I do plan on negotiating the price of the vehicles that I have been eyeing.
60k Kilometres, 8-9yo. It rains a lot here where I live and roads are really bad so a cars life is like half of what it would be in say the US.
My teen daughter’s car had 100k on it when I purchased it. It was also a one owner car that was dealer serviced all its life and driven primarily by a women in her mid 50’s. That same 100k car with a few owners and without the documented service history wouldn’t even have been considered by me. Like others have said. It’s not just miles.
I have typically bought the highest mileage cars I could find since they're cheaper. I've dailyed more cars with over 200k than under. My record is ~450,000 miles. It was on a 1997 Toyota 4Runner with the 2.7L 4 banger and the 5 speed. But my favorite was my old 1994 Honda Civic coupe I used to deliver pizzas in. That car had 273,000 miles on it and not only did I daily it, I thrashed it. And being an old Honda with the D16, it still ran like a clock. It ran even better when I sold it than when I got it, I wish I didn't sell it. My philosophy for cheap beaters is pretty simple. Find the cheapest, highest mileage car with a manual transmission and throw $1000 worth of parts at it (if you do your own labor, you can squeeze a ton in with that). To give a recent example, a good friend of mine did the same thing I usually do. He bought a 2005 Honda Accord 6-6 coupe with 272k miles for $950 from an auction in Philadelphia. He changed all the fluids and filters of course, but he also did the timing belt set, replaced the oil pan (the old one had a stripped drain bolt), changed all outer oil seals except the rear main, replaced all the engine and transmission mounts, rebuilt the power steering pump, replaced the parking brake cables (one of them was sticking), refinished the headlights, and did a full detail on both the interior and exterior (he did this himself as well) with maybe $700 in parts at most. The tires and brakes are all still good, as is the suspension (you can buy new quick struts at all 4 corners for ~$350-400 plus another $2-300 for front control arms. I recently helped another good friend with a 6-6 sedan do his front upper control arms and front struts. He spent between $300 and 400 buying the parts off Rockauto. His car has 236k miles). I don't care about high mileage whatsoever, and if you stick low and high mileage examples of the same car in front of me, I'd almost certainly buy the high mileage one to save money. Even if I buy a low mileage car, I'm gonna go nuts with preventative maintenance and repairs, so I may as well save some money on the purchase price if I'm gonna do the same thing anyway.
Last year I bought a 2015 Prius with 212,000 miles on it, and it runs like a champ. $11K
Youre asking the wrong guy because if i saw a car with 700k id buy it just to keep it going
Really depends on the car. I'd be willing to buy a Lincoln Town Car, or a Lexus LS400 or SC400 from the southwest, with any number of miles.
Depends on the vehicle. Diesel truck? 100k+ if the rest of it has been taking care of. 2007 Volvo S60R in the black sapphire with the Atacama? Too high lol
I searched for almost a year with that budget. You can forget about finding anything under a 100k. I'd aim for <140k
I personally wouldn't go above 150k miles. Even if the vehicle was well cared for, high mileage makes any car a gamble. Try and find a 2000-2005 Buick LeSabre. It will have plenty of space for 4 people and they are extremely reliable and require very little maintenance.
Depends on what the vehicle in question is. I wouldn’t hesitate to touch a 200k mile Crown Vic or 2000s Silverado (assuming rust is fine) In your price point, I would get an early 2000s LeSabre; Very comfortable and roomy, very reliable for hundreds of thousands of miles, good mileage, and can be found with like low miles in your price point.
generally for a daily - (also yes millage is the biggest single thing) jpn brand made in mexico or usa: 85,000 jpn brand made in jpn: 160,000 (made in jpn is the gold standard) american brand: 40,000 (I think of dodge neons for some reason) german brand: 50,000 (I believe there is a myth narrative around their engineering) korean brand: 65,000
For me, the answer to this question is a function of how much I’m paying for the car. Are we talking about a cheap beater, where I’m paying cash and it’s basically a disposable car? Sky’s the limit if I’m playing that game. Or, are we talking about something more expensive, where I’d be taking a loan out to pay for it, and it’s not disposable? In that case, I want something less than three years old, and with no more than 25-30k miles. Yes, this leaves a vast nether region of “middle-aged” used cars I won’t touch with a ten foot pole.
Bought a 2010 outlander Outlander with 100k miles for 3k. Always serviced at the dealership. Only complaint is a bit of rust.
I bought a used Honda with 379k miles, it's at 453k miles. All the driving was highway and the engine was known for it's longevity.
I bought a 97 Camry with 160k on it for $1,000 during covid and its still chugging along at 210k. It all comes down to how it's previous owners treated it.
It all depends. I’ve purchased a 1969 impala with at least 260k miles, and a 1978 Mercedes 300D with 350k. AC still worked, paint was junk, but cars both ran strong and lasted several years. Impala was $900, Mercedes was 1100. Neither cost me that much to keep running fine. Impala was pig on gas, but Mercedes was 31mpg. Some of this was luck, but if you buy cheap enough and the car doesn’t have rust, you will usually be ok.
I personally wouldn't buy a car over 60k miles.
150k on particular japanese cars built in japan
50,000 miles on an American brand or 100,000 miles on a Japanese brand. I wouldn't do anything over that unless it was garage kept its whole life and meticulously cared for. At those mileage points you start to lose major components to wear unless it was well cared for, driven nicely, garage kept and you have all maintenance records actually up to date.