What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Warning

I am a low mileage car user around 5000 miles before lockdown and perhaps around 3,000 during the pandemic.

I am looking at cars between 2015 to 2018.Here are a few I have picked out at random.

£5,500 97,000 miles 2014

£6,7000 66,000 miles

£6,999 58000 miles

£7,999 58,000 miles (higher spec) 2015

£8,5000 76,0000 miles (higher spec) 2015

£8,700 46,000 miles (basic spec) 2016

£8,900 48,000 miles 2017

£8,900 48,000 miles 2017 (mid spec)

£8,995 47,000 miles 2016 (higher spec)

£9,500 40,000 miles 2016 (mid spec)

£9,900 25,000 miles 2015 (mid spec)

I am in a muddle, should I got for a 97,000 at £5,500 car or pay extra to get a lower miles?

I tend to keep my cars for a long time. Would a car at 47,000 still feel good to drive?

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - _

But What cars are they for the money?

copy and paste your replies if you want and insert name, model, petrol, gearbox.

I could give a more sensible reply then.

I would say the newest petrol you are comfortable in and that you can afford.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Warning

They are all a single model.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - elekie&a/c doctor
Well that narrows it down a bit .
What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - _

Newest mid spec the, (blind) £8900 assuming the finances are good.

What make/engine for the car then>?

Edited by _ORB_ on 17/04/2021 at 14:19

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - wantstolearn

It would be helpful, and more useful to novices like me, to know what car is being considered. The implication of cars was a variety not one make. Although you are technically correct.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Warning

I don't want to say just yet, as there are so few of this particular type of car. I seems to inspire other readers.... Sorry....

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - John Boy

I don't want to say just yet, as there are so few of this particular type of car. I seems to inspire other readers.... Sorry....

The list looks long enough for us all to have one!

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - wantstolearn

I don't think without knowing the car ( even I know there are differences ) much worthwhile and specific advice can be given.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Bolt

The list looks long enough for us all to have one!

One what?, IS this guess the car?

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Sprice

OP, I don't have a satisfactory answer for you.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - badbusdriver

I don't want to say just yet, as there are so few of this particular type of car. I seems to inspire other readers.... Sorry....

Seriously?!

That's a new one :-)

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - skidpan

Shall we start a lottery on which car the OP is looking at.

I'll start, says its rare so I will go for an Infiniti.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Andrew-T

If it's 'rare' go for the one nearest you with the best history. Does its colour come into the equation ?

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Falkirk Bairn

Mileage on its is a poor guide to bar buying.

A high mileage Toyota/Honda/Mazda petrol could be a much better investment on an unreliable brand with a low mileage & a poor reputation for faults - both mechanical and electrical.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - _

If it's 'rare' go for the one nearest you with the best history. Does its colour come into the equation ?

If it is "rare", go for the one that you will get a warranty from a franchised dealer, and the newsest should get 2 years warranty..

and close to you for the warranty repairs to return to the dealer.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - sammy1

Nothing special about these prices for a second hand car. You can buy just about anything ordinary for this money. You would not get a decent Audi BMW or Merc for this money so in the ordinary bracket I would tend to go for low mileage. My answer to a daft question, not the logic I apply when looking

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - John F

You would not get a decent Audi BMW or Merc for this money

Depending on your definition of 'decent', I disagree. I put 'Audi A8, max £7000, max 80,000 miles' into a well known site and came up with a choice of five cars. The A8 is made of aluminium so corrosion is not a problem, their leisurely engines are just about run in at this mileage, at 5000 miles a year it would take ten years to get to 130,000, and at such a low mileage petrol consumption is a comparatively minor issue. They tend to have an above average record of passing MoTs as well.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - sammy1

Fair comment for the money alone but the OP is giving specific examples of year and mileage you would not get the A8 for this. The OP is yet to enlighten us

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - elekie&a/c doctor
Looks like the op has disappeared. Gone in search of the exclusive special model ?
What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Engineer Andy

In itself, the overall mileage at time of sale means very little, except perhaps for an older car with very little mileage on it, or a new car with a huge mileage - especially when servicing has not been appropriate to the mileage/age/as per manufacturer schedule/type.

HOW a car is driven can also make a big difference. Mine, for example, only has around 70k on the clock after 15 years ownership - an average of only 4.7k per year, but that was made up (I'm the sole onwer throughout) of 99% of trips of more than 10 miles, so the car was always completely warmed up (a petrol engined one as well) and thus won't have engine-related issues associated with usage predominantly short trips from cold.

It does, however, mean I've gone through more batteries (roughly once every 4.5 years) than average and ocasionally have had the odd issue with binding brakes (not that bad though).

The problem is that without such information, a potential buyer could easily assume that my car only did short trips. On the other side, a car with an average of 10,000 miles p.a. might've been barely driven in the past year but heavily beforehand, but if it was under 3 years old, you'd never know that unless you had seen the actual service report (computer version or paper copy).

The service and MOT history of cars is important, but I think that the usage history - if you can reliably obtain it (i.e. the previous owners can be believed or it can be proven somehow), then that is far better, because it gives a better picture of the car's ownership, including how well it was maintained.

This is why I have kept ALL of my car's maintainance bills - it will hopefully give a new onwer (when I do sell it) far more confidence that they aren't buying a poor vehicle.

Also, someone may drive a car more sympathetically - which, if evidence is given via maintenance bills, can also mean certain bills that come with hard driving or in poor conditions (regularly over speed humps/poor surfaces) - e.g. suspension, tracking, brakes, tyres etc (especially when its not associated with high mieages), will be avoided at least for the time being.

Checking the condition of a car to see if it is reasonable in line with its age and mileage/usage pattern is key to making a sound buying decision. Someone who sells a car that has a poorly-kept interior will likely not have spent much looking after the oily bits and perhaps also mistreated it when driving.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Big John

As you are a low mileage driver go the newest car possible. Condition / history is all. Also with a low mileage don't buy a diesel.

Another deciding factor might be the car tax changes from 1st April 2017.

As we have no idea what car you are considering we are flying blind.

Edited by Big John on 18/04/2021 at 16:33

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - John F

As you are a low mileage driver go the newest car possible.

Why? I have always been a low mileage driver and have found it best to buy quality cars a few years old with up to 80,000 miles on the clock and keep them for many years. That way you avoid much of the depreciation cost, which can easily be more than the cost of fuel if only doing around 5000 miles a year.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Big John

As you are a low mileage driver go the newest car possible.

Why? I have always been a low mileage driver and have found it best to buy quality cars a few years old with up to 80,000 miles on the clock and keep them for many years. That way you avoid much of the depreciation cost, which can easily be more than the cost of fuel if only doing around 5000 miles a year.

Yup I agree with that strategy but in the case of the OP if you have a certain budget for a particular car(yet to be determined) if doing a low mileage going forward myself I'd start with a younger car with a higher no of miles on the clock in preference to an older car with less miles - if starting from a similar price point.

As an extreme example a few years ago (ok a lot of years ago!) as my Dad retired we found a great condition but cheap 18month old Volvo 740 estate with 88,000 miles on the clock. As he was only going to be doing a low no of miles that excessive mileage didn't matter. It did him well for over 13 years until rust showed it's ugly head. I think an older but lower mileage version of the same would have expired sooner.

Up until now I myself have run end of model cars less than two years old to duck a lot of the depreciation - keep for a decade and then throw away as my annual mileage was rather high. Not any more!!!!

Edited by Big John on 18/04/2021 at 19:48

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - edlithgow

You should not go below zero.

That would violate some important physical principles and seems likely to endanger the very fabric of the universe.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Gibbo_Wirral

Too much of an open ended question. What about service history? Big ticket replacement items like cambelt and clutch?

I'd rather buy a higher mileage car with these jobs done than one with less mileage and have them to come.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - groaver

Due to the facile nature of the question, I'd say the red one.

I like red cars.

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Bolt

Due to the facile nature of the question, I'd say the red one.

I like red cars.

Presumably the OP is off to buy the mystery motor???

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - Engineer Andy

Due to the facile nature of the question, I'd say the red one.

I like red cars.

Presumably the OP is off to buy the mystery motor???

This?

upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/The_My...g

What is the lowest mileage car I should buy? - groaver

Due to the facile nature of the question, I'd say the red one.

I like red cars.

Presumably the OP is off to buy the mystery motor???

This?

upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/The_My...g

heHeHEHeHehe*

*That's a Scooby-doo laugh.