Years or Miles?

C

Cuppa

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Should I buy a 06 car with high miles or a 05 with low miles both cars are similar in price? Thanks
 
If it was me, low miles, it draws me in every time,low mileage might indicate a better treatment and less abuse of the car
 
andrew1977 said:
If it was me, low miles, it draws me in every time,low mileage might indicate a better treatment and less abuse of the car
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I would rather by a car with average miles myself - low miles can mean short trips which means more wear and tear for the engine.

I think there is a bit of a premium set on low milers for some reason in this country... I don't see what the obsession is.
 
andrew1977 said:
If it was me, low miles, it draws me in every time,low mileage might indicate a better treatment and less abuse of the car
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Low miles generally indicates lots of short journeys, 80% of engine wear occurs in the first few minutes after starting when the lubricants haven't had a chance to circulate properly and any existing thin covering on moving parts is "washed" away by the richer fuel mixture the ECU delivers at startup.

Personally I'd prefer a higher miles car that has been properly serviced, are both under manufacturers warranty?
 
The day you buy is the day you sell.

All other things being equal, you are going to have an awful lot more trouble in a couple of years shifting the two owner high mileage car than you will the low mileage one.

Likewise, there is more to a car than the engine. There is the number of potholes etc that the car has run into and the way it was driven. High mileage cars have covered a lot of ground and therefore all the other components of the car, suspension, brakes etc. will have done a lot more work and would therefore be more prone to needing replacement sooner.

If I was doing high mileage I would imagine that I would drive the car a lot harder that someone who was doing less mileage as I wouldn't want to spent any more time in the car than was necessary, so I would accelerate and break a lot harder than the smaller mileage guy would not save the same amount of time rushing everywhere he was going to.

Also why do you think the manufactures limit their guarantee on a new car to 100,000 km or whatever, they know that after that that parts start to wear out.

Murt
 
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I know any gagage I have visited with the thought of trading my 2002 Car with 32,000 miles on the clock, one owner and service history - it is not the mileage they look at it is the plate 2002 ?
 
Low mileage or newer car - which is better buy?

I have a choice between a '05 Diesel Passat with 15K miles or a '06 Diesel Passat with 35K miles on the clock. The '06 is 1000e dearer.

Which would be a better buy?

C
 
I think its slightly unusual in that 15K is a bit too low and 35K is pretty high - I agree with DaveD though about the short trip/engine wear syndrome. Even with the 35K, the car is at least much more likely to have been on good, long engine warming trips.

Providing service has been regular, personally I'd go for for the 06. If your own mileage isn't going to be huge the mileage based on car age will probably average out in a few years anyway
 
Caveat said:
I think its slightly unusual in that 15K is a bit too low and 35K is pretty high
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Is the 15k miles or kilometers? average miles for any car is generally 12k per year. The 35k car may have been a reps car? Also, consider what sort of miles you will be doing yourself adn see if the 35k car "averages" out at 12k in the time you intend keeping it.
 
Megan said:
I know any gagage I have visited with the thought of trading my 2002 Car with 32,000 miles on the clock, one owner and service history - it is not the mileage they look at it is the plate 2002 ?
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Yes, but you surely know garages by now, they will tell you that what you are trading in is useless and the car you want to buy is the best car ever put up for sale.
 
Re: Low mileage or newer car - which is better buy?

Carmel said:
I have a choice between a '05 Diesel Passat with 15K miles or a '06 Diesel Passat with 35K miles on the clock. The '06 is 1000e dearer.

Which would be a better buy?

C
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If it's 05 or newer it must be km not miles 15k km= 9321 miles and 35k km = 21749 miles now which one is better?
 
Thanks for the replies. It 36K miles, 57,000 km.
Have decided to go for the 06, think at the end of the day when selling the year is more important. And I won't be doing huge mileage.

C

ps.
Sorry for not checking for another similar post before I started my own.
 
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