We are thinking of buyin a suzuki wagon R.,registered as a '99. However it has only done 4000 miles. Belongs to an old boy who's used it for pootling down to his local village pub. Do cat.conv./engines/mechanical parts suffer when they have been used for short journeys?
Many thanks
Pauline
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The engine and cat will rarely have had the change to warm up and wear rate is higher on a cold engine.
Having once bought a four year old mini with 6000 on it (she only did 1/2 a mile to school every morning and 1/2 mile back), i'd be very cautious about buying something with such a low mileage
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
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The engine and cat will rarely have had the change to warm up and wear rate is higher on a cold engine.
The 1.4 petrol engined Astra-Max van I used to drive at work was a credit to it's makers. It was mainly only used on a private site, covering approx 10 to 15 miles a week, most of which were short start/stop journeys, thrashed from cold, and never really had a chance to get up to proper operating temperature. It occasionally was taken on longer runs, but very rarely. God knows how the cat survived, let alone the rest of the engine - which didn't use a drop of oil btw. It was given back to the lease company for auction after nearly 9 years of use with a genuine 16,000 miles on the clock. In all that time it only had 3 cambelt changes, 2 rear silencers, and a set of new front brake pads fitted. It was serviced annually and we were continually asked about the mileage and had it gone around the clock.
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Pauline, in a word, yes. HJ is constantly warning us about such cars and has stated more than once that he would rather buy a high mileage car that has been 'properly' used. Vehicles that never warm up properly, wear. Catalytic converters that never warm up, retain moisture and fail earlier than normal. Even the brake discs will have suffered by never being 'cleaned off' by the pads. It is not the mileage of a car which matters so much as the use. However, if the price is good and the body is OK you might still fancy it but, in this instance, do not be tempted into paying a premium for a low mileage vehicle.It is a private sale so, caveat emptor.
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Thanks. Just what I thought. |I'll check out exactly how far the pub is....... could be a few miles down the road. I'llsee if it's alos done any regular long runs
Pauline
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4000 miles in 4 years isn't going to mean long runs or regular ones IMHO! My son-in-law does that per month and his 160,000 mile m*nd** runs very well indeed. The Suzuki might be great or it might be a money pit.
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My last three cars have all been very low-mileage one owner, and I have had no problems.
Check the overall condition of the vehicle, and if you buy make sure it has a thorough service without delay.
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I agree with Doc. I certainly don't think low mileage is a good reason for buying, but neither is it necessarily a recipe for trouble.
In 1986 I bought a six-year-old Vauxhall Royale Coupe (aka Opel Monza) that had done 29,000 miles of very short runs. I used it daily for seven mile trips to work and back for 11 years plus, of course, trips out and holidays, etc. Apart from a bit of carburettor bother, the car gave no trouble at all and was running well when I sold it at just under 100,000 miles. Admittedly it had no catalyst and I'm not sure how this would have been affected. However, as Doc says, proper servicing is the important thing.
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As someone else said, do not pay a premium for low mileage. Be prudent and assume that the mechanical wear & tear is equivalent to 10 times the actual mileage - especially piston bores which will have had rich fuel washing out the oil. However, remember there are benefits of a low mileage car - it is LIKELY to have its bodywork and interior in superior condition. Less chances of stone chips or minor windscreen damage.
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I agree with Doc & Dizzy. 1000 miles a year is very low and, sure, most wear occurs when cold but just how knackered could it be with just 4k?
We bought my wifes Metro at 6yrs old with 5000 miles only. The 82 yr old boy who owned it only used it once a week to take his disabled wife to hospital for her regular checks, otherwise it just sat in his garage. We paid a premium for it. The exhaust and engine were badly coked up so a new exhaust was needed straight away. It was also given a couple of shots of Slick 50 fuel treatment, several 'Italian' tunes and extra oil changes. We've now had it 5 years and she's done 45,000 in it and it has been (and continues to be) a very good car.
Personally I think I'd be more concerned if it had done about 15k to 20k with lots of short daily journeys - more opportunity to wear the engine out that way.
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