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Porsche
27 May 2022, 13:29

What's a good mileage for a used car?

What's a good mileage for a used car?

Buying a used car can be confusing at times. There’s so much research to be done, and so many factors to bear in mind. Mileage is, of course, one of them.

If you’re looking for a used car at the moment, you may have seen many advertisers touting low mileage as a car’s main selling point. But what exactly is the reason for this, and what is a good mileage for a used car?

What is mileage?

Mileage refers to the number of miles a car has driven in its lifetime. Because, in theory, the more miles a car has driven, the more opportunity there has been for damage or minor wear and tear, it’s an indicator of the state of the vehicle. This is why it’s such an important thing to check before you buy a used car.

What’s a good mileage for a used car?

On average in the UK, cars drive around 7,400 miles per year. So a two-year-old car which has done about 15,000 miles should be less likely to have issues than a car the same age with higher mileage. Use this average figure to work out the number of miles that would be reasonable for the car you want to buy’s age.

What does high mileage indicate?

A two-year-old car that has done a lot more than the average mileage may have been used for travelling long distances, which could also mean there have been more opportunities for wear and tear.

However, there’s a chance that if the car has been well maintained by the owner, the higher mileage doesn’t mean that it’s in a worse condition than another of a similar age and lower mileage.

Another reason why mileage could be high in comparison to a vehicle’s age is it may have been used as a  commercial vehicle. These are often less likely to be well looked after by drivers, so it’s good to ask whoever is selling you the car if it has been used as a commercial vehicle in the past.

What does low mileage indicate?

While it may look like a great deal, an older car with particularly low mileage could potentially be more expensive in the long run. This is because a car that hasn’t been driven much throughout its life may have parts that have become brittle over time which can break and require repairs.

Things to bear in mind about mileage

  • Since mileage is so heavily relied on when assessing the state of a car, buying a car with a good mileage tends to be more expensive.
  • Regular maintenance is vital to a car’s long term health. If it’s been properly maintained, high mileage isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
  • A car with higher mileage may be harder to sell or you may get less for it when you sell it.

How to avoid clocking

Unfortunately, some used car buyers fall victim to an illegal practice called clocking. This refers to the winding back of the odometer to decrease the number of miles reflected on it, increasing the vehicle’s apparent value.

To avoid being caught out by clocking, check the vehicle documents, which should help confirm the mileage.

You can also find the mileage on the service records and MOT history.

 

Ready to buy a used car? Browse countless deals from dealerships across the UK.

About CarsVansandBikes.com

About CarsVansandBikes.com

CarsVansandBikes.com is a digital advertising website that enables people to easily find a "new to them" used or new car, van or motorbike based on what is important to them. We live the mantra As easy as CVB.

It does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all vehicles listed are offered in a completely unbiased method - unlike other similar platforms. CarsVansandBikes.com makes its money through fees paid by motor dealers advertising their vehicle stock all advertising stock in a fair and transparent manner.

When they launched in 2021, it was the first automotive advertising platform that had no extras, everything that is offered to assist vehicle sellers connect with potential customers is included together with providing full vehicle details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed. Their ambition is remove £1billion from dealer and private customer advertising spending – ultimately helping reduce the costs of cars, vans and bikes for the buyer instead of exaggerating the profits of media giants. They are resolute in their view that currently anyone advertising vehicles has been ripped off by all the media giants.

Motor dealers benefit from free advertising until we reach an audience figure of 1 million users per month (as at July 2023 we are at over 700k).  Private customers offered the full advertising services offered by CarsVansandBikes.com permanently free of charge. Dealers benefit from a growing suite of unique tools allowing them to gain maximum benefit from the challenging and changing face of the automotive marketplace.

CarsVansandBikes Limited trades as CarsVansandBikes.com.