What Is Good Mileage for a Used Car - Your Complete Guide

What Is Good Mileage for a Used Car

Buying a used automobile involves a lot of thought and research. Because of this, a lot of individuals have trouble selecting whether to buy new or used. Many things might be wrong with a used automobile, and you might not be able to tell just by looking.

However, unless you're dealing with a con artist, the mileage on a car should be openly discussed and easy to confirm. However, how many years/miles should a used automobile have? Would 12,000 miles be too much? How about sixty thousand kilometers instead? Use the information in this manual to figure out how many miles a used automobile should have before it's a decent buy.

Is Mileage Important?

The mileage of a car is significant since it provides useful information on the vehicle's level of use and subsequent wear and tear. If two cars are otherwise identical, the one with the lower mileage will likely be the better buy since its engine and other internal parts will have experienced less wear and the body will be less likely to have dents and other cosmetic flaws. However, there is no universal law, and there are many other factors to think about, so we will discuss these as well.

How Many Miles Do Most Pre-Owned Vehicles Have?

When considering the mileage of used cars, there is a basic rule to follow. Reduced mileage is preferable. In a year, the typical automobile will rack up around 12,000 miles of driving. According to that figure, the typical mileage for a vehicle 10 years old is about 120,000. You may use these figures to figure out if the automobile you're looking at has high or low mileage for its age.

In most cases, the lower the mileage on an automobile, the better it will be. Used automobiles with less mileage than the typical used car offered nowadays can put you in a better position. Increasing mileage in a vehicle isn't necessarily a negative thing, of course. This vehicle probably doesn't have as much wear as one that was driven mostly in the city because it was used for commuting on the interstate.

Some used automobiles, based on their manufacturer and year of production, hold up well to increased mileage without showing any signs of wear. Keeping up with the car's routine maintenance during its lifetime is also crucial.

How Many Miles Should a Used Car Have?

Look for used autos with low mileage the majority of the time. There is no hard and fast rule about how many miles on a used automobile is too much, but the standard recommendation of keeping annual mileage below 12,000. Determine the vehicle's age by multiplying the years by 12,000, and if the odometer reading is much greater than that, you may have cause for concern.

You should then inspect the vehicle thoroughly to determine the quality of its upkeep and whether or not any important parts or repairs have been recently made. This rule of thumb applies as well to the purchase of a car, truck, SUV, or high-end vehicle.

What is the Ideal Mileage for a Used Car?

As a general rule of thumb, you should stay away from vehicles that have been driven more than 12,000-14,000 miles each year by the current owner. Given the improvement in vehicle durability over the years, a range of 100,000–200,000 miles is not unreasonable.

A Honda Fit, Toyota Avalon, or Mazda 3 that's 10 years old is among the greatest used automobiles under $5,000 you can buy. However, if you want to test the limits, you shouldn't go more than 200,000 miles. You can always check the VIN number of the car to know the mileage before buying.

How Many Miles on a Used Car Is Too Little?

There is no universally accepted threshold for determining low mileage in a vehicle. Even if the mileage on a used automobile looks extremely low, it is still likely to be a solid investment. Some indicators may exist indicating the vehicle has not been driven sufficiently. First, though, check the odometer reading.  You can usually tell if the information on the car history record is correct or not. There is a good chance that the odometer reading is correct if, for instance, the vehicle history record indicates that the automobile is five years old yet has just five thousand kilometers on it.

A car that hasn't been driven much throughout its 10-year lifespan should have few dents and very little wear and tear on the interior, thus these details can help verify that the odometer is accurate. Have a mechanic look at the automobile if you want to be sure the odometer reading is correct. This is recommended when buying new cars for sale, but it is more pertinent when the vehicle in question has little mileage: prolonged storage can dry out essential components, requiring expensive repairs or even replacement.

How Do Accumulated Miles Impact Used Car Prices?

Here's an example. There are two identical automobiles before you, both in terms of make, model, year, and condition. Each vehicle has 30,000 and 90,000 miles, respectively. If you can discover used vehicles with low mileage, you may have to spend a bit extra to get behind the wheel. Because the first automobile has been driven less and has thus had less wear and tear, it will cost more because it is more valuable to the buyer.

As mileage is not the only factor to consider when deciding between cars, buying car #1 over car #2 does not imply that car #2 is a terrible option or a bad vehicle. Choosing a vehicle with greater than average mileage is certainly an option if you want to save money, but you risk having to make more repairs in the future. If you use the calculation based on the typical number of miles driven by a car over the course of a year, you will get an optimal level of both value and trustworthiness.

AGE vs. MILEAGE

You can come across some deals that don't add up while shopping for a used car. For example, the price of a 10-year-old automobile is more than that of a 7-year-old car with the same amount of miles on the clock. If you're thinking that the older automobile should be cheaper because of its higher mileage, keep in mind that this isn't always the case. Vehicle depreciation is not directly proportional to either age or mileage.

Understanding the relationship between age and mileage is crucial before embarking on a car search. One of the most influential aspects of a used car's value is the mileage it has accumulated. It shows how much the automobile has been driven and how much wear and tear it has endured. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect a higher price tag for a greater-mileage version of the same car. A vehicle's ride quality improves as its mileage decreases.

Most auto parts have a lifespan that decreases with miles. A vehicle's engine and suspension, both of which are subject to significant wear and tear after thousands of hours on the road, suffer a direct correlation to its total mileage. It's also important to know how the vehicle you're interested in was driven. When compared to a vehicle that is mostly used on the highway, one that is primarily used in urban areas will exhibit far greater wear and tear.

A well-maintained vehicle with a caring owner is more likely to last for many years, especially if any issues are addressed quickly. A car's age doesn't matter if its components are in good functioning order. Some automotive parts deteriorate with age rather than mileage is driven, although normal wear and tear still take its toll over time. Rubber components, for instance, don't seem to hold up well over time but may be replaced at a lower cost. You shouldn't let these kinds of issues prevent you from purchasing a used automobile.

Is Buying A Car With High Mileage A Good Idea?

Although many people steer clear of buying vehicles with a lot of miles because they believe they are riskier and more likely to have issues, modern vehicles are built to last much longer. When you purchase an automobile that already has high mileage, it has already depreciated, so the value of the automobile will not fall as quickly as it would with a new car.

In addition, because automobiles are supposed to be driven, they frequently have good lubrication and burn-off carbon buildup, both of which extend the engine's lifespan. Cars with little mileage, however, usually don't have fluid changes as regularly, which might lead to issues down the road.

The typical vehicle in the United States is around 12 years old, which corresponds to a mileage total of approximately 144,000 miles driven. When determining whether to buy a used car, consider not only how many miles it has on it now but also how many more you can put on it to get to that 144,000 average.

If your vehicle has 100,000 miles on it, you have around four more years of regular driving before you need to replace it. Mileage is important, but it shouldn't be the only factor in determining whether or not to buy a car.

The 12,000-mile-per-year guideline helps calculate whether or not a vehicle has an average amount of miles depending on its age. Consider the car's maintenance record and the number of owners it has had while making your decision. In addition, you should always have a used auto specialist look it over to make sure there aren't any hidden faults.

The Bottom Line

It can be challenging to find and buy a used automobile. It gets trickier further when you include it in the vehicle's mileage. Used vehicles with a lot of miles on them may not have been a good bet in the past, but with improvements in vehicle quality and research tools, that has changed. Regardless of the mileage, the best way to identify a reliable pre-owned automobile is to examine its VHR, look at its service records, and test drive it.

Frequently Asked Questions