A car that's a 1999 w/ 80,000 miles on it versus a car that's 2002 w/ 80,000 miles on it-will they be the same

Question

I'm looking at used cars. I"m interested in one that's a Volvo that's 1999 S60 w/ 80,000 miles and there's also one I like (an S40) that's 2002 w/ 80,000 miles. Will they be in the same condition since they have the same mileage on it or different since one's 3 years newer? The reason I ask is b/c I really like the one that's an 02, but not sure if I can afford the payment (it costs more than the 99).

Answer 1

The main difference having the cars with similar mileage is how well were the cars maintained during those 80,000 miles. Proper maintence and following the service intervals is crutial in determining if there will be problems in the future. Also look at the the repair history....if one car has been in the shop a lot then you might want to shy away from it.

Answer 2

No not necessarily. It is the general over all condition of the car!
Take them both to a mechanic you know and trust. Have a compression check run on the engine. Have the vacuum system checked out as well as all the electrical and electronic systems. Have transmission checked out. Have brakes checked out. Have engine cooling system checked out. Have your mechanic friend check under car and under dash for signs of car being in flood.
Also have him check to signs the car has been in a major accident.
Also an older model car with same mileage could mean car was mainly used in stop and go city driving which is harder on the engine, transmission and brakes, than a car with mostly highway miles.
Car dealers are good at hiding flaws from customers which show up later. That's the reason you need to take both cars to an independent mechanic and have them checked.
A lot of people think you can tell about a car by checking the oil and water. that is a fallacy because the dealers know that as well. If the engine oil or transmission oit is dirty they are going to have their service department change it before they put it on the lot. The same goes for the water and brake fluid.
Some things I've heard of dealers doing is:
Putting a heavy oil additive such as STP to quieten a noisy engine.
Putting sawdust in transmission to quieten it down. Not sure if that is true or not!
Turning on radio as soon as you get in so you will not hear any noises or rattles that foretell of trouble a head.
Putting cheap recaps on to hide worn tires and uneven tire wear caused either from car having been in bad wreck and frame bent, or front end wore out.
And always check the brakes under emgerency stopping conditions. You do this by driving the car to an empty football stadium then getting up to speed and braking hard like you are emgerency stopping. Do this several times in rapid succession to see if car starts pulling or you have excessive brake fade. This will tell you a lot about the brakes.
The one thing you do not want to happen especially when you have your kids or family in the car with you is to loss control when you have to make an emgerency stop.

Answer 3

The difference is how the car has been treated over the years. the 1999 sounds like it has gotten about 10,000 miles a year on it. now the 2002 sounds like it has been driven alot harder and had more miles put on it over the years. so that is one difference. check a car fax report to see it's inspection status over the years. the other difference is with a newer vehicle you might get a warranty. the older one you might not but you also might pay alot less. good luck with your choice.