Determining Good and High Mileage on Used Cars

A question that is often asked is: how many miles is too many miles? What’s a good mileage for a used car? How can we know if high mileage used cars are any good? Well, we have some answers for you. The fact of the matter is that the used car market is hot right now. Cars are appreciating for the first time in their existence, and therefore it’s now more expensive to buy a used car than ever before. Yet, those used cars with higher mileage often come at a lower price. There are reasons for this which we will get into, but if you’re on a budget, it may be time to look at high mileage used cars. We’re going to go over some tips and tricks to help you determine what good mileage vs high mileage is, why a high mileage car may be a better option than you might think, and what to look for when shopping for a used car.

The Good Mileage Equation

There is a very simple trick to figuring out how many miles a used car is driven in a year. The average American drives around 14,000 miles per year. So, the simple equation to figure out if a used car is above or below the average is to divide the odometer number by the car’s age in years. For example, say you’ve got your eye on a 2009 Jeep Wrangler. We know that the car is 13 years old, so let’s look at the odometer. Say it has been driven 100,000 miles. Divide 100,000 by 13, and we get an average of 7,692 miles driven per year. That’s a low average and a good indication that the car has some life in it yet.

Of course, you do want to take into account the age of the vehicle as well as its state. Has it been maintained for those 13 years, or has it sat collecting rust? Being left stationary can be worse for a car than frequent driving. As cars were never designed to sit still, when sitting too long, filters can become clogged, joints can be frozen, and rust can form in places you didn’t even think possible.

Given the annual mileage, a likely scenario for this imaginary Jeep is that it was owned by an older man who took very good care of it but only took it out to go shopping around town and for the occasional weekend trip into the mountains around Los Angeles. This Jeep has been lovingly maintained and has relatively low miles, which means it has good miles.

So, remember the equation: Odometer / Vehicle Age = Average Miles Driven.

High Mileage Cars

Now we’ll take a look at what high mileage means. The typical answer to this quandary is the good old even number of 100,000. Whenever a car gets up to 100,000 miles driven, it’s safe to assume that it’s seen a fair bit of action. Let’s use our equation again, only this time we’re looking at a 2018 Silverado with 100,000 miles. That’s 100,000 / 4, which equals 25,000 miles driven per year. That’s a lot for a car that’s only four years old.

This is an incredibly unlikely scenario, but it serves our purpose. A four-year-old car that’s got upwards of 100,000 miles driven in it is not really a suitable candidate for the good mileage club. That truck was used and abused, putting in long travel time and working long hours. When a car reaches that 100,000-mile threshold, it will often require more maintenance in order to keep it running properly. Timing belts will need to be checked. Tires will need to be changed. You’re really running a higher risk here than you would be if you were facing a car with fewer miles. Or are you?

Good High Mileage Cars

Despite what we just said, high mileage is not always the hallmark of an aged car in need of repair. On the contrary, if a car has been lovingly maintained and spent more of its life driving highway miles, which typically put less wear on the vehicle than city miles, you’re looking at something that will likely serve you well into the future. Provided you continue the maintenance and see that you put as little wear on the vehicle as your driving habits allow, there is absolutely no reason why a high mileage car has to be a bad buy.

Mileage matters on a used car because it gives you an indication of how much life the car has left in it. Anything on the market with under 50,000 miles on it is considered a young car, even if it’s nearly a decade old. Conversely, a younger car with over 100,000 miles is considered an older car, but if it’s been properly maintained, you’ll likely get a great amount of use out of it. Don’t be quick to judge just because the car may be a few model years older than you might like, or the mileage is a little higher than you would have preferred. You need to do your due diligence when shopping for a used car, which is what we’re going to talk about next.

Due Diligence

Doing research and finding out as much about a vehicle as you can before purchase is vital when it comes to used cars. As we said earlier, there are many cars out there that may look great but be junk underneath. They could be riddled with rust or have frame cracks as the result of an accident; the list could be endless. So, taking your time and doing the proper research can save you an awful lot of time, aggravation, and, to get down to brass tax, money.

First, you really want to take a look at the vehicle history report. A reputable dealership will always provide a third-party vehicle history report from sources like CARFAX or CarCheck. Here at Orange Coast CJDRF, we prefer CARFAX because it provides a bit more detail, and you can find a free vehicle history report for every used car we sell right here on our website.

Next, once you’ve chosen your car, see if the dealer or seller will allow you to have a trusted mechanic give it a once over. This can be achieved during a test drive or with a scheduled appointment. A good mechanic is going to be able to tell you a lot more than a simple mileage equation ever could. If the vehicle meets the mechanic’s seal of approval, then more than likely, you’re good to go with your purchase.

Run the Numbers

So there you have it. You have a decent idea of how to calculate average mileage on your own and determine what is considered good mileage and high mileage. Remember to always keep an open mind and your mechanic’s number on speed dial when looking into a used car. There are many drivers out there who have driven their high mileage purchases another 100,000 miles. With modern technology, more and more cars are staying healthy at well over 100,000. So long as you keep taking care of it, it will keep taking care of you.