I'm not having a go at other posters (really I'm not) but does anyone buy this 'motorway miles' thing?
Its usually included to somehow stop you devaluing the car for high miles. Now I would ask the following questions/make the following statements.
1. If the car has had more than one owner how would the seller know the miles put on by the previous owner were 'motorway miles'.
2. Even if it is one owner is the seller warranting this motorway miles fact in any way and what would that warranty be worth if you subsequently found it out to be untrue?
3. Even if it is perfectly true that the miles were 'motorway miles' so what? The thinking I understand is that the car is up to temperature and there is less wear on the engine but so what? The entire car is doing the miles not just the engine and if I am to deal with problems on a car I would much prefer to deal with engine problems where the ultimate solution may be a (relatively cheap) refurbished block than bodywork/electrical/suspension problems which can turn out to be unsolveable money pits.
So all in all give me low mileage cars everytime.
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'So in all give me low mileage cars everytime'
Its your attitude which drives up the clocking industry.
Low mileage cars may have done endless school runs shopping trips etc. Your attitude is a common one however.
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A year-old car with 50,000 miles on it, of which 40,000 are motorway miles, is not as good as the same car with 10,000 miles on it.
But it is a better bet than a car with 50,000 miles, none of which were on the motorway.
Let them say whatever they want to try and sell their car, so long as it's true. You can put whatever interpretation you want on it.
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Point 1, probably true, but if the car is quite young i.e. 2 years old, unless the car has been used as a cab, then the likelyhood of motorway miles is true, 5 years later, i would agree with your assumption.
Point 3. On a motorway you don't encounter potholes, sleeping policemen etc etc and you don't usually have to change gear as regualarly as on a stop start city journey. In addition to this, accidents on the motorway are more likely to write off the car rather than cause small damage that can be repaired poorly or covered up. So the car has less stress on the engine, less stress on the gearbox, less stress on the clutch, less stress on the bodywork, less stress on the suspension componants than something that has done the school run every day for 3 years.
Point 2; a warranty would cover the componants covered by the warranty and hence would not matter where the milage was done.
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I think it's a fairly safe assumption you've raised this point as a result of my post asking for valuation opinions on my car - seeing as you posted there too.
Motorway miles is the difference between my car which at 124,000 miles is on it's original exhaust, and my girlfriend's car which just needed a complete new system at 35,000 miles.
Everything smoke says is correct. When cars do all their miles on the motorway they reach starship miles without ever having new exhausts, clutches, suspension components, CV boots, etc. Tyres last a lot longer too.
I've said it because it's true. I drive up and down the A1 to work, and the previous owner was a rep in southern Scotland. Not cast iron, but a fairly safe bet.
Take a pop all you like, but I'll still use it to advertise because to the informed owner/driver it makes a difference.
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1. If the car has had more than one owner how would the seller know the miles put on by the previous owner were 'motorway miles'.
You don't if it's had more than one owner, unless you have a service record which shows 20k in 12 months. You could also guestimate whether it's motorway mileage by looking at whether the steering wheel is shiny, pads/disks replacement on service history, condition of interior indicating long/short period spent in the car, or "engine hours".
3. Even if it is perfectly true that the miles were 'motorway miles' so what? The thinking I understand is that the car is up to temperature and there is less wear on the engine but so what? The entire car is doing the miles not just the engine and if I am to deal with problems on a car I would much prefer to deal with engine problems where the ultimate solution may be a (relatively cheap) refurbished block than bodywork/electrical/suspension problems which can turn out to be unsolveable money pits.
So what? Ha! the list (as mentioned above) is endless:
- less wear in steering components.
- less engine wear, as cold start oil contamination is usually burnt away in 30 miles.
- less wear in clutch and gearbox.
- less wear in electronic components such as starter motor, light switches/relays.
A friend of mine has just bought an M-reg Cavalier with 140k on the clock (for more than it's worth IMHO), and it runs like clockwork!
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A friend of mine has just bought an M-reg Cavalier with 140k on the clock (for more than it's worth IMHO), and it runs like clockwork!
I take it you don't mean that (a) it stops every day and has to be wound up and (b) it makes a booiiinnggg!!! noise every now and then?
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No he meant its only right twice a day!
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lol!
No, but it needed new alternator (£200, includes PAS pump) and track rod ends, but he knew about the latter before he got it.
It's a TDi and had done 40k since its last service. I wouldn't have paid £400 (as he did) for it.
Apart from that it runs like a well oiled machine. (am waiting for witty reply!!!).
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>>Apart from that it runs like a well oiled machine>>
Perhaps he was when he bought it...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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