Car miles – All you need to know
A lot of car buyers – when they opt to purchase a used vehicle – will go with the idea that the lower the mileage the better. And whilst it’s certainly true, that the more miles a car is driven, the more moving parts are worn, mileage is not an indicator of quality. It might sound an obvious statement, but cars are meant to be driven. And many parts in a car actually self-lubricate whilst the vehicle is running. In fact, a car that’s being regularly taken out on the road will likely be in a better condition than one kept stationary for months on end on a driveway. A vehicle sat doing nothing over long periods of time will deteriorate quicker, with parts like the engine clogging up.
So, is high mileage good or bad? Firstly, a car with high-mileage definitely requires serious consideration and whilst lower mileage is often preferable, there’s a complicating factor: certain kinds of miles can affect cars in different ways. It all depends on the road surface, the driving conditions, and the type of driving… because a car can actually rack up good and bad mileage.
What are Good miles for a used car?
Is there really such a thing as good and bad mileage on a car? Absolutely. It might seem strange at first, but once you break it down it makes total sense. Basically, motorway miles are better for a car than miles gained from city driving. That’s because motorway driving is easier on the vehicle, which can operate at optimum performance, with less stress on the brakes and clutch, and greater fuel efficiency. City driving is the opposite, wearing the car down more with frequent braking and gear changes.
Motorway driven cars will likely have more miles on the clock, whereas city driven cars will probably have fewer miles due to a shorter commute. However, the motorway mileage will be better for the car comparatively. It’s a point that goes to show, the number of miles on an odometer are not always an indicator of a car’s quality.
If you’d like to know more about good and bad mileage on a car, we have an expert guide on the topic: Motorway driving vs City driving. It’ll tell you everything you need to know on the subject and more.
Petrol vs Diesel vs Hybrids vs Electrics
Petrol vs diesel vs hybrids vs electric cars is a huge topic in its own right, but it also comes into play in regards to vehicle age vs mileage. Here are some points to consider:
- Used diesel cars, known for having the edge in motorway driving, will likely have higher mileage and diesel engines often have a longer lifespan than petrol ones as well
- However, petrol cars as they get older can be cheaper to repair and service compared to diesels and a well-maintained vehicle can result in a longer lifespan
- Electric vehicles (EVs) have fewer moving parts than their hybrid, petrol, and diesel counterparts, this means there are less things to go wrong as the vehicle gets older (although you may have to replace the battery around the 10 to 20 year mark)
- Hybrids offer the best of both worlds with the petrol/diesel engine for long motorway journeys and battery power taking the pressure off the engine when city driving – they’re known to have strong reliability too, although like EVs the battery will need replacing in time
Are some cars better than others with high mileage?
There are marques that have gained strong reputations for reliability over the years, such as Toyota and Honda. And cars that rank highly in reliability scores are known for performing well with high mileage as well – like the Toyota IQ, Honda Jazz, and Mitsubishi Lancer.
However, it really does depend on the individual car – how it’s driven and how it’s cared for. And vehicles known to be reliable won’t necessarily outperform rivals. Again, motorway miles vs city mileage also comes into play. A car with high motorway miles could be in a better condition than a similar model that is mainly driven in the city, which is more taxing on a vehicle.