MILEAGE ON A USED CAR AND MAKING THE BEST CHOICE

In buying a used vehicle, one of the most requested information by clients is the Mileage.

Most people believe that lower mileage is better. It is however important for buyers to know that low mileage is not enough and may not be the best indicator of a great car.

To put it simply a vehicle’s mileage is the total distance travelled by the vehicle since its manufacture. The typical vehicle on the road will be driven for about 1,000 miles or 1,600 kilometres each month, which translates into 12,000 miles or 19,200 kilometres per year. These average figures can be used to estimate a vehicle’s mileage. Let’s take an example of a 10 year old car, it can be estimated to have a 120,000 mileage or 10 years times (12,000 x 10) each year. However, a more dependable way to tell a car’s mileage exactly is to simply look at the odometer. Speaking generally mileage is a good measure of a vehicle’s current value.

When a vehicle has an average mileage of 12,000 miles per year, it is often seen as an accepted figure in the automotive market. So, on a surface level, when we see a vehicle manufactured five years ago having racked up 60,000 miles, it is translated as having a decent annual mileage for a vehicle. However, you would be shocked that another vehicle also manufactured five years ago having 75,000 miles may have a better mileage.
In some cases the 60,000 miles is gained from city use or even shopping in the neighbourhood which would involve lots of stops and gos. This would have worse effect on the engine and transmission in the vehicle as they are more inclined to faster wear and tear. This means, the more desirable vehicle with 60,000 miles might not be as good as the other vehicle with 75,000 miles active on highways.
That undesirable car with 75,000 miles might have gained its figure from highway drives, which ironically puts minimal workload and strain on the engine.
This is why you need to properly assess the physical condition of the car while considering the mileage too.

The type of mileage is important (Highway Mileage or City Mileage). Highway mileage is way better because of the reduced number of cold starts amongst others which determines engine wear and tear. Contact us today for more insight into choosing the best car for you.