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Why you shouldn't be scared of miles on a car

5/9/2019

Cars have come a long way in the last 15 years, and our perceptions and prejudices should change along with them. Gone are the days where you are lucky to get 100,000 miles out of your car. Almost any car made after the year 2000 is capable of getting to 250,000 or even 300,000 miles. HOWEVER, they can only get there if they are properly cared for and maintained. Honestly, the interior is going to wear out before your engine so stop shunning used cars with over 50,000 on the clock saying, “I don’t trust it.”
I run into so many people that want to save money by buying a used car, but get severe anxiety about anything that has any sort of miles on it. I have owned just 3 cars in my lifetime. A 99′ Honda Accord that I bought with 140,000 on the clock, a 08′ VW Passat with 80,000 on the clock, and finally a 92′ BMW 318i with 116,000 miles. You know which car I’ve had the most reliability trouble with? The Volkswagen that’s the newest of the bunch with the lowest miles. This is simply an illustration to depict my point that there are many things that are more important than the number of miles when it comes to buying a car.

Maintenance: The most important thing when buying a used car is how it’s been treated. A car that’s been thoroughly maintained and respected with 100,000 miles will be much less of a handful than a 30,000 car that’s been owned by someone who doesn’t care about it.
What kind of car is it: Obviously some cars are notoriously unreliable and genuinely can’t be trusted over a certain threshold. Build quality is very important. All manufacturers allow for a certain “margin of error” during the manufacturing process. How manufacturers address that margin is the difference in a car that survives 70,000 miles or 300,000 miles. American manufacturers like Ford and GM have a greater margin for error than Japanese manufacturers like Honda and Toyota which can explain why they last longer than their American competitors.
Know the history: In the event of buying from a private party, and even at a dealership, make sure you’re dealing with someone reputable. Someone that you trust. After all you’re spending thousands of your hard earned dollars on this car. Make sure you know what it’s been through.
Know where the car comes from: Rust and interiors are the things that can sometimes be the most likely to kill a car. Lots of people brag that their California is rust free and likely it is, but you can also get corrosion from the salty ocean air if it’s been kept closer to the coast. The worst cars will come from colder climates that experience snow and salty roads. The snow and slush melting and refreezing on your underbody, along with chunks of salt from the roads will chew through your car if you’re not careful.
What kind of miles are on the car: City miles are significantly more taxing on a car than highway miles. Think about it; in the city the car has to use more of its moving parts when it shifts, brakes, accelerates, etc. not to mention all the vicious potholes. On the highway the engine and oil warms up steadily and gently and only having to shift or brake a couple times here and there.
How was the car maintained: In addition to regular service it’s good to know things such as who did the servicing, was it a certified BMW mechanic working at a BMW dealership or was it an independent guy that works on “German Imports”? Certified techs using OEM parts for service and repairs are ideal when it comes to maintaining your vehicle.
Run consistency: lots of people have cars they only drive in the summer or winter which means they are sitting for multiple months at a time. Cars like to be driven. It’s good for the engine components to warm up and run new oil through them on at least a weekly basis when storing.
Always have a car inspected by a 3rd party before buying: This one is just good sense. Always get a second opinion from a professional before making any big purchases such as this. The inspection will save you lots of time and money down the road.

Overall, I want to make sure people understand that the stigma around mileage isn’t necessarily justified anymore. New advances in lubricants and drive components will help take care of your car much better than they ever have before and that will translate into getting more miles out of your car. With that being said, it is more likely that a car with higher mileage will have been through more trauma than a newer car and wearables such as brakes, tires, light bulbs, etc. will be more likely to need replacing, but with consistent and high-level maintenance there’s no reason a 10,000 mile car and a 90,000 mile car should behave any differently.
This is simply an educational piece on the status of maintenance in the automotive industry today, and is not meant to get people to stop buying new cars. Buying a car is a big decision and should be thought about from all angles. I just want all those angles to be well informed. I hope this was helpful! Leave a comment on whether you would consider buying a car with 100,000+ miles. With all that money you save on purchase price you can afford to fix anything your mechanic finds during pre-purchase inspection. *Cheeky grin*

Article source:
http://downshiftmke.com/index.php/2018/03/21/why-you-shouldnt-be-scared-of-miles-on-a-car/

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