I am looking to buy a used car and want to know how many miles is too many?

Question

I am looking to spend some where around $2,500-5,000 for a used car. So far I have looked at Volkswagen Jetta's, Jeep Grand Cherokee's, Honda Civic's, and the BMW 3 series line. I am looking for a dependable car that will last at least three years without giving me a lot of problems. Can someone who knows a good deal about cars tell me what kind of mileage is exceptable? thank you

Answer 1

I am a gear head and really enjoy cars. I have never had any real problem with a high mileage car. As today oils are much better and the engines themselfs have improved a great deal. The best indication of the autos condition is the maintence records, but few keep good records of the maintence in these times. So check the underside of the engine for any oil or any cleaning. Make sure the timeing belt has been changed per the mfg. schedule if the auto is coming from the original owner you can get the vin. number and have the local dealer run a service check on the vin. That may provide you some addition information on the owners maintence habits. If you are buying a car from a individual or a dealer spend the 35 bucks to get it inspected by a trained mechanic before buying the auto. Also look for body damage as in if the car has been wreaked in any way. In the trunk lift up the carpet and look for bumps or rises in the sheet metal this indicates a rean end accident ( they were hit in the rear ). In the front of the car also look for any damage under the hood. At the door seams look for perfit fitting doors with the same seam width all around the door. If the car has been repainted and it is a newer modle most likly it has been wreaked and repaired.
If it is older they may have just liked the car and wanted it to look better. Spend the money for a auto report it is well worth the 15 bucks. On the milage all the cars you names are well build. For the price range you are looking at i would also consider a Nissan Maxima 1995 or 1996. Look for a GLX ( Loaded everything ) or a SE sport model. ( Almost everything ) milage below 120 k. They are good for 300k if you take care of them. These cars are based on the IQ30 platforms of infinity, And have a V6 3000 nissan powerplant and are very dependable. They have good resell also and are easy to work on if needed. And there are tons of them out there. Go for a test drive in one before making your mind up. These are sweet rides for just about any age group. And you can pack in 5. They have bose sound and the looks. Also stay away from the grand cherokees as they suck gas like we use air. High milage once ment under 40k The dealers are still using that number but truth be know high milage is really 300k today with the correct maintence of the Car. So once again if the interior is not well maintained take that as a sign of very poor maintence. Yet if the Guy you are buying from is a commuter and he worked in a concrete plant you have to take that into the facts. But if it is a school teacher who is driving 5 miles a day and the cars is dirty on the inside you know the engine is dirty on the inside. Get a older person to go with you and let them teach you a bit on looking over a car. If you live in a area with salt used alot in the winter never buy a used car with out existing undercoating. Because the effects of rust can show up anytime if it did not have undercoating. And if the color on any part of the car was touched up check for damage. So i gave you a list of things to watch for but actually the list is much longer then i have given so do the auto inspection before buying the car outright. Also as for a 2 month warrenty on the engine and transmission from the seller. If they know of any problems they will not agree to this as all. Wise ones will not agree to that anyway. It is always worth the shoot. If they have a good car and it is well maintenced they will not even bat a eye at that. A great way to check how hard a person has been on a car is to have some one lift it on a car hoist and check for hits on the bottom side. Like i said i am a car guy. PS if the engine compartment is dusty that is normal. But if it is oily that is not on newer cars. Also check the oil for water and now dirty it is and also check the raditor for condition. As well as the hoses ect. Good luck. Hondas are the best for the buck, Toys are good and Nissan are good. MY last nissan truck had 450,000 miles on the engine before the semi married it. I actually have a nissan diesel car in the back yard under a tree, I can't bear to let it go its not much of a car but it gets 55 MPG. And will run all day and night. Have have owned a honda CRX they get 50 to 60 MPG on gas. And also i have owned alot of american cars and own a grand cherokee right now which get 10 mpg down hill.
Stay away from jaguar jx6 year 1986 to 1994.

Answer 2

I would stay away from the BMW, it might look cool, but on any vehicle in that price range you will eventually need to make some repairs, and you WONT want to be paying for BMW parts. Also, you are going to buy less car for your money. It will be higher milage, older or more beat up than its counterparts.


Milage shouldn't be your only consideration. I would rather buy a '00 year with 100,000 miles than a '96 with 70000 miles. Other people will tell you miles tells the wear on a vehicle, but thats not the whole story. Age takes a large toll on a vehicle. Belts, hoses, gaskets, seals all break down in direct relationship to how old they are. You will have leaks, skeaks and rattles developing on an older vehicle. Also, low milage vehicles may be used for short distance runs, which means a lot of city stop and go driving. Lastly, most engines made in the last 20 years will run well over 200,000 miles without major repair.

The transmission, suspension and drivetrain (axles and joints) will need repair before most engines provided proper maintenance. Even these other components can last a long time with proper care, but they are more prone to abuse. Driving hard will wear a transmission and other drive train parts long before your engine as long as the oil is changed regularly and it doesn't overheat. Also, the transmission and other components get a lot more wear in city driving than putting down the hyway at constant speed. Additionally, most people service an engine properly, changing the oil regularly, but the transmission and other components are less likely to be serviced regularly but are equally as important and can cost as much or more in repairs. The older a vehicle is, the more likely these other components have been forgotten about.

To answer your question, I would say milage below 150,000 miles and a vehicle newer than 7 years. I would stay within those guidelines and you can get a very good vehicle for a great price. I would take advantage of the other people who are scared that milage means a vehicle is worn out and utilize what is left. Of course the less milage the better, but I would put equally, if not more emphasis on age.

Answer 3

If you looking to spend under 5k on a pre-owned vehicle, stick with the imports. The Honda civic is probably your best bet since the price was low when the vehicle was new, so you'll be able to get more vehicle for the money with lower miles then the BMW. Try to keep your miles under 75k. Remember your going to be driving for 3 years. Think of how many miles you average per year and add that to your list.

You can also check out www.kbb.com and put in the type of vehicle you looking at with the amount of miles and they will give you the market value of a vehicle. This is a great way to start your homework on what you could afford in a pre-owned vehicle.

Also check out the tires and oil in the vehicle. See how its been kept.

Carfax is also a good choice to see if the vehicle has been wrecked.

Answer 4

the volkswagen will have electrical problems, so avoid that. the jeep will be the safest, the BMW will probably not be in great running condition because of the price range. the best bet is the Civic. they will run forever. any of these cars are going to be around 100,000miles so i would see which one has the best maintnance performed on them. a lot of stuff comes up when cars reach this mileage. the Jeep will be the most costly to fix second to the BMW. go for the honda.

Answer 5

A lot depends on how old the car is and what sort of driving it has done. If the car has done a lot of highway miles it will be in much better condition than one with stop start city miles.
Engines last longer on diesels but the rest of the car can get pretty bashed about especially 4x4's. Most modern 4 cylinder motors will last somewhere around 250,000 miles if they are serviced properly. Pay particular attention to timing belts and brakes. If either fail it gets expensive real quick. Have a good look underneath to make sure it hasn't been jumping gutters. Be wary of new paint

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Go with a Toyota or Honda. They make the best used cars. I would just try to find the nicest toyota or honda you can with the lowest milage.

Answer 8

after about 30k id really consider not getting it. It all just depends on how nice of a car/how long you plan on driving it. For a long term car.. 30k

Answer 9

really its not about high miliage if the previous owner(s) took care of the vehicle maintainence (oil changes, tune ups) when problems arise and not them drag on the vehicle shold be fine at any rate

Answer 10

depends on the car and type like rear front and whatnot