How many miles is too many ?
 

Hey guys/gals when you are looking to purchase a used vehicle do you have a cutoff point when it comes to mileage ? As I casually look for " something else " it seems there are a lot of cars/trucks with anywhere from 125k to 200k miles for sale .

Some are very clean others are ragged out . All the norms apply- one owner preferred , maintenance records , clean title/Carfax etc etc but do you have a mileage in mind when you think I will not consider ?

Modern vehicles are more reliable ( general statement ) than cars of yesteryear but they are also more complex . Multiple computers and electronic systems . If nothing else I think this could be an interesting discussion .

Too many variables to answer. Intended use of the vehicle, amount being spent, long or short term purchase, ability to DIY, etc.

Example: Need a pickup to put the boat in or out of the lake a couple times/year? Up to 200k, no problem. Need a reliable/comfortable car to use for lengthy trips and or airport travel? Under 70k for sure.

Choc for sure there is no blanket answer . Just curious what others think when they are going through the process .

My 986 is the only car I’ve ever bought with less than 100k.
Think of it this way, if you get something that old there are at least 10 of them in your local junkyard to get parts from. Unless it’s the same part that always fails and that will be well documented on the web by now

Lot of variables. One of my buddies bought a F250 Crew Cab from a company for little money. It was used to haul employees in southern Arizona to the field, and some equipment. 99% highway miles and part of a fleet maintenance program. It had 250,000 miles and after he did a deep clean on it it was almost perfect. He has driven it for many more miles and all is fine.

I would never buy a rental car or a car used as a Taxi.

When looking for a Macan for my wife a few years ago we found a 2015 S at the local dealer. She loved it, but the mileage was fairly high for the year at the time. 60k in 2019. The vehicle though was 1 fastidious owner, new brakes, documented full history, and looked brand new. It was nice enough the dealer offered the CPO warranty after me insisting, despite it being outside their mileage guidelines. My wife drives so little that now it is sitting at 80k over 4 years later. I'd say condition and your use are the primary factors.

For general use, I prefer a lower mileage, more mainstream car vs a higher mileage luxury brand. I know you’ve been considering Cayenne’s but I wouldn’t touch a 100k mi+ one as the cost for repairs can be staggering in a car that is still depreciating. My days of spending two days under a car to “try” and fix something are behind me. If you’re willing to pull a transmission or hunt down complex electrical matters, that’s a different story. I’m not.

I recently bought a sports car. Considered many and ended up with a 4700 mile 2022 MX5 Miata GT RF for much less than an older, higher miles Boxster or Cayman would have run. Fun factor, reliability with limited $ liability down the road. The days of impressing the neighbors are long gone.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1701528836.jpg

Depends on needs/use - for my wife driving around young kids I insisted on us buying new, so 100 miles or so from delivery and prior test drives :)

For something more current like y'all are discussing, depends on known issues at certain mileages, known issues in general with that model/year/generation, etc. and again use/desires. Weekend fun car, etc vs. daily driver vs. daily driver for the other half or kids or ....

For a cheap daily driver, I had no problems with my former rental car ('13 Versa I got in 2014) until 125k miles in so I can't really blame it on the fact the first 17k miles were driven by others .... Even when stuff started going south I basically ignored the issue knowing the car was doomed but the cost of repair (new trans - wouldn't shift into higher gears anymore) was more than the worth of the car. Still got it to 160k with my gas mileage dropping from 40mpg-ish to 32ish, and then sold it to U Pull It for $650, used the $ to buy tires for my truck and my wife's car

I bought an XJ6 with 140,000 knowing we wouldn't be putting that many miles on it. Had recent service, new tires, brakes and shocks. No receipts. 8 years later it has 183,000 and I haven't even changed the trans oil. The day it doesn't pass smog is the day it's donated to scrap.

I was in it about $4200 after some initial repairs found in the PPI. It's been a great car.

It is not the engine miles as much as all the plastic, electrical sensors and suspension components that are suspect to wear or temperature extremes. Then there is the cost and difficulty in fixing a simple thing like a valve cover gasket. There is nothing simple on cars today.

Engine life has come along way from 25-30 years ago.

This. I bought a super’s f250 from an oil company in New Mexico. 3 grand and 300k miles. I’m at close to 400k miles with a strong engine and a worn bruce jenner. Starts, runs and drives when i need it to. I got my money out of the sob.

My gen 4 cummins has me in for around 8 grand in just parts from new.

W123 MB 300sd with a broken speedo at 380k miles has been probably the best beater I ever had. I think i paid 1.7k for it and drove it the last couple years of undergrad. Heat. AC. Changed the oil once. Good car.

I'm battling with the ageism component where at a certain point you don't want to crawl around on the floor for your beater DD and just want to suck it up and get something that won't occupy real estate in your brain that is better used doing something else. Wrenching on your fun car is different.

Great discussion so far . I have my thrills/performance cars with the Boxster and 996 . Both are high mileage but both have rebuilt FSI engines . Day to day cost is dirt cheap on those two .

I have my 2001 GMC diesel dually as my hauler . In the last 2 weeks I have hauled 21000 lbs of gravel for retaining wall projects . But it's a niche vehicle and not very comfortable .

My wife's Volvo XC90 is our only real universal vehicle that combines fuel economy , safety and good overall daily driver regardless of weather conditions . I want to have another vehicle as back up . That back up vehicle is what I am casually looking for .

I am getting closer to deciding that a Cayenne is not in the cards . Common sense is telling me that Toyota/Lexus/Honda/Acura are probably a better solution . I want comfort and versatility along with reliability . I also might be considering selling my Boxster S . I don't need two performance cars . Decisions decisions 🤔

The factor that weigh more heavily IMO are:

-Availability of parts (older vehicle even with low miles can be an issue when repair is needed) ex: I had a 1998 Ford F150 that had an electrical/sensor/board (don't remember which) problem when it was about 20 years old. Ford no longer made the part and my only option was used from a recycler. Miles didn't matter.

-Brand: I wouldn't buy a BMW out of factory warranty due to cost of repairs. As I see it, the owner is held hostage by the dealer and in some cases, you can't even get it fixed without proprietary factory computer software. Heck, you can't change a battery or a radio without "registering" it (I think the radio has to be done by the dealer.
I'm the same with Porsche shortly after the air cooled.
At one time I wanted a used 2nd generation Mini when they were first introduced. That ended when I found that no one could work on them except the dealer and parts were made of unobtainium.

-How was it used? A 3 year old 4 door sedan that was driven 35k per year would be almost totally all highway miles. If the condition reflects it was well cared for, I'd buy it in a NY second provided that the price reflects the miles.

Go drive a slightly used Acura MDX if looking for an SUV. I had a 1st gen, great vehicle. My oldest daughter has a 2016 and my son just bought a new Pilot. Both very happy.

I have a LandCruiser at 200k that is almost flawless.

I just bought a diesel F250 at 260k that is ratty but should go another 100-200 easy.

I would not rule out a crew cab Tacoma . I had a V6 single cab Tacoma back around 1998 . A very solid vehicle . I would imagine the newer models around 2015 and up are comfortable and versatile . I don't need 4wd as I am retired . If the weather is that crappy I just stay home 😋

I would love an LC, but anything newish is huge $$$

I remember when cars would need a rebuild at around 70K miles. Modern cars are light years ahead in terms of longevity - given oils and other things are also light years ahead too. We sold my wife's Nissan coupe with the V6 at 141K miles. I felt nervous about the mileage but in my mind, I knew it hadn't probably hit half way so I dedn't feel bad for the buyer. My F350, 7.3L had around 180K when I sold it and it probably was less than half way to its end point. I would buy a car with 100K if it had been maintained properly without much concern.

911s. 5-10K a year. I expect these to be their second or even third cars.

Any other car, up to 15K a year, good service records and a PPI would filter out the bad ones.