Just take a look at the car and consider it on its merits. I recently saw a 4-year old A4 with 120k on the clock, FSH and the engine sounded like a helicopter - severe top-end wear. Nothing can be taken for granted.
Inspect it very carefully and if you want it make sure you get it at a low price - it will be very difficult to sell on.
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If it was originally a lease car, with that mileage it will have been ex-lease before 80k I'd have though.
I do relatively low personal/business miles so my lease on the company car will run for 4 years. But it's based on 4 years or 80k miles. If I did say 30,000 miles per year I'd have been in a new car by now.
So 155k... well that's not been a lease car for a while in my opinion.
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Original owner, who it is I'm not yet sure, had the car for 3 years before a change of owner was registered.
I thought leases were usually based on age rather than mileage?
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Aprilia
Was that A4 a 20-valve by any chance?
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Most lease companies have a maximum mileage of approx 120k, however some of the smaller more independant ones will look at higher mileage contracts. Now these types of contract aren't cheap but it does give the driver of the vehicle peace of mind knowing that it will be fully maintained if anything goes wrong over the mileage.
The other possible option is that the contract was 3 years with a total mileage of 120k and they simply paid the excess mileage at the end of the contract.
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I'm surprised you even consider 155,000 high anyway. In the world of well-maintained quality cars (BMWs, Volvos, probably several others nominated by others) that is absolutely trivial, hardly run-in. i bought a 5 year old Volvo with 180,000 miles without giving it a thought, other than looking at the condition and the service record (and the low price!). It's now on 350,000 and drives the same as when I got it.
A high mileage in a short time with proper servicing is the best possible way of making a car last - obviously lots of fast cruising, very little gearbox, clutch, steering, suspension use. Compare that with a 50,000 mile example that has spent its life running cold driving over lots of speed bumps and parking in tight places, and then wonder why you might want to part with an extra £3000 for a dubious advantage?
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I completely agree with Cliff.
High mileage in short time = fewer cold starts and even fewer short journeys
In some ways, 150k is better than 80-100k, as it's likely that items such as clutches and suspension bushes which tend to start going in the early 100's have already worn out and been replaced.
I had a high mileage Sierra, bought with 120k on it (and FFSH). 120-130k it needed a clutch, various suspension bushes, an ignition coil, water pump and a few other bits and pieces. Once this was all done, it did the next 100,000 miles with just two trivial problems and was still driving brilliantly when sold at 230k.
My current Mondeo is the same. Coming up on 120k it's had a few stupid bits go (CV joint, engine mount, clutch in the near future), but it will make a better buy for someone in 30,000 miles time with all this done than it would now, even though it will be near worthless.
Buy on individual merit.
Cheers
DP
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On high milers just watch out on the servicing front.
I've bought two in the past 18 months: in one case the servicing record petered out several years ago after a superficially impressive history of main-dealer servicing; in the other case the servicing documentation of which the vendor was so proud turned out to be a lot less substantial than it appeared at first sight, much of the paper revealing prolonged disputes between one of the car's two previous owners and a main dealer of dubious competence, and again the solid servicing record had thinned out of late.
Perhaps there's less risk of this with young high-mileage cars. My cases were both well over 100k but also over ten years old. However, I discern a general tendency for owners to skimp on servicing when the miles pile up.
And then, of course, even that suite of main-dealer stamps may disguise a history of omission, negligence and incompetence.
As ever, a very careful check (ideally by an expert) will pay dividends when it comes to bargaining.
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And then, of course, even that suite of main-dealer stamps may disguise a history of omission, negligence and incompetence.
Very good point..........................It's always presented as very desirable to have the "main dealer" stamps in the book - but in many cases main dealer workshops are the subject of many complaints by owners
How many times have you heard of incompetence by main dealers:
skimped servicing, important tasks skipped by bonus hungry mechanics, wrong oil used , parts invoiced but not actually fitted (taken home by the tech for his weekend foreigner), etc etc
In fact - as we're discussing BMW - on another (BMW) forum a poster has recently asked about the costs associated with servicing an M3, specifically the very expensive Inspection 2, and received a reply froma BMW technician who said that this (specific M3) service carries a 2 hour (ie - £200+) premium as the valve clearances needed to be checked and reshimed as necessary - however he went on to say that the usual routine for the techs was to rev the car hard and if the engine ran quietly then they simply ticked the box on the service sheet/laptop "checked and adjusted" and pocketed a nice 2 hour bonus.
Urban myth ? maybe.............but a smaller independent who relies on local reputation and repeat customer business for his living is less likely to pull this kind of stunt - surviving as they do without the steady stream of company/lease owned < 3 year old serviving/warranty work that makes up the bulk of the main dealer workshop income.
Jacks
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It's a bit unfair to tar every BMW main dealership with the same brush - you could suggest the same scenario with any marque and it would be equally applicable.
As suggested a thorough examination by a qualified vehicle inspector would help to allay any fears, backed up by a reasonable period of parts and labour warranty.
Frankly I'd rather buy a high mileage car such as this (though perhaps not quite that high!) than a low mileage, never been above 40mph around urban areas equivalent.
In fact I once part exchanged a 25k car for a 66.5k saloon with a 1.3-litre engine and a four-speed gearbox - the newcomer, my first Jetta back in 1992, served me well for the next three years and was happily accepted as a PX (allowance of £1,800) for a £3,999 stickered big bumper 1990 Jetta 1.6TX with 52k on the clock by a main VW dealership.
The second Jetta remained in the family for the next eight years and the parting only came because I was offered an immaculate 46k Bora at a very attractive price by a pal who runs a quailty secondhand cars business. The PX allowance in this case was £600 - not bad after eight years' use. The price I paid for the Bora was very little more than I would have expected to pay for a late model Vento.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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Hi I've owned many high millage bmws 4 of which were m's e36 m3 which had done over 240,000 miles when I sold it I brought it for my 21st birthday got a traders pollicy it had 98,000 on the clock when I brought it & I literally thrashed the hell out of it did doughnuts every where , services it my self when nessessery allthough I did once miss it reset the lights & let it go all the way until the lights went out again! But apart from a new clutch , brake pads , wheel bearing , tyres it never once let me down I even thrashed it all the way to Valencia with 4 of us taking it In turns , covering over 4000 miles in 5 days & I still see it driving around now & then , god forbid if the new keeper only knew , next car e39 m5 24th birthday same scenario thrashed the life out of her drive to Prague, nurnbourgring Amsterdam , French alps every where , also serviced my self , with only fan belt & viscous fan coupling letting me down also brought with 90,000 which it had just had a new clutch I sold it on 180'000 still running mint , next 1 , e36 m3 convertible brought on 110,000 had Carmed down a little by then but still no problems , sold at 130,000 theming made the stupid mistake of buying an Audi s4 it was never right cost me thousands in repairs wot a heap of junk , also many people I no that own audis problem after problem , so any way next 1 e46 m3 thrashed it again serviced it my self sold at 160,000 clutch slipping a little & wheel bearing whining where I had drifted it so much but it never let me down apart from a new battery , now I've got an e46 330d with a veizu performance remap , can't afford to run m's any more due to pump prices again coverd 150'000 thrash it to work 100 miles a day still loves it , the moral of this is that bmw's are bullet proof don't waste your money on other cars , I'll never own another make .
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I agree they are well built cars but many BMW enthusiasts take the stance that their quality has decreased in recent years.
It may be due to the fact that they are selling more cars now - hence more 'problems'
It may be due to the fact their quality is no longer as good.
Who knows
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