Mileage

[Zonda_]

I was watching a Hoovies Garage vid where he described a car as having "only 100k miles" Now in the UK we all know that cars spontaneously explode upon reaching such dizzyingly high figures but where did it come from? On another of Hoovies vids there were cars on forecourts with 200k + and it was just seen as a number.

I think its because we live on such a small island that cars traditionally never achieved big miles. I know a few of you live/have lived in Europe, is the 100k figure a thing there?

[NGRhodes]

I think its small island syndrome, its similar in Japan, anything over 100k miles is considered high, even though when you look across US and Europe (possibly other places too), 200k miles, 300k km is far more common, I know of a guy on another forum who lives in Germany who has taken his Saab to 650k km. My very limited/unscientific experience/conversations suggests condition and service history are far more important than milage in US and a lot of Europe.

[mik]

They are all km so passing 100k will be perfectly normal

[ZedLeg]

Yeah, they don’t bat an eyelid at driving 1000+ miles for a trip over there.

A friend of mines has a Toyota pick up on about 350000 miles. She’s driven it coast to coast at least twice and then from California up to Colorado.

[V8Granite]

In the US they do many many more oil changes than the U.K. on domestic stuff. I know in the Merc lot the older cars have their oil changed every 3000 miles, which seems crazy to me. It’s why they have Lube shops in a lot of places to get a quick oil change.

Dave!

[Jobbo]

Sitting on cruise control at 55mph to travel 50 miles to the local shop is not particularly stressful for a car in the US. Driving round London will cause a lot more wear and tear in very few miles.

[Foz]

Is it not a legacy of shit 70’s and 80’s cars that for all intents and purposes shagged by 100k..

Yeah my 70’s BL car just ticked over 200k, said no-one, ever..

[DeskJockey]

High mileage isn't a deterrent per se in my experience. Condition is far more important. My dad ran two old Merc taxis back to back. The 190D2.5 he took from about 290-300k km to just shy of 400k and the E300D W124 was sold with 480k+ km on the clock. It was north of 300k when he bought it.

Back then the rules for taxis were that they could be sold at reduced VED rates when they got to 3y/250k km, so there was always a lot of high mileage Mercs around. I don't remember anyone buying cars being concerned about it.

[ZedLeg]

As Foz says, I think the propensity for 70s and 80s british cars to rust into the ground the first time they see rain ties into the mileage thing.

In a large part of the US cars don't rust, go to inland California of any of the desert states and you'll see 60 year old cars sitting in junkyards that are still solid. As long as you can keep them going mechanically then they'll last forever.

[Rich B]

Add to that, the US lazy big motors that have 100k major service intervals too.

I've had plenty of cars (BMWs, Renault, fords, Audi, etc..) with over 100k - none which had any engine issues at 130-140k+. But other things like rust were beginning to need attention.

[Mito Man]

Generally American cars and the Japanese stuff sold there costs peanuts to maintain and service too. It’s not like over here where if you have something with a 6 litre engine it will cost at least grand a year to service and then once it’s done some high miles or it’s a bit old it will probably need a few grand in additional parts.

[ZedLeg]

Add to that, the US lazy big motors that have 100k major service intervals too.

Aye, they like keeping it simple with their tech. The Corvette engine still uses pushrods and everyone hated the overhead cam ford engine until recently.

[duncs500]

Generally American cars and the Japanese stuff sold there costs peanuts to maintain and service too. It’s not like over here where if you have something with a 6 litre engine it will cost at least grand a year to service and then once it’s done some high miles or it’s a bit old it will probably need a few grand in additional parts.

The specific output of a European car is incomparable though, you're getting a lot more bang, and inevitably paying a lot more bucks as a result.

[Zonda_]

Generally American cars and the Japanese stuff sold there costs peanuts to maintain and service too. It’s not like over here where if you have something with a 6 litre engine it will cost at least grand a year to service and then once it’s done some high miles or it’s a bit old it will probably need a few grand in additional parts.

The specific output of a European car is incomparable though, you're getting a lot more bang, and inevitably paying a lot more bucks as a result.

I'm pretty sure the car he has refering to as "only 100k miles" was a MK1 Focus.

[Mito Man]

Generally American cars and the Japanese stuff sold there costs peanuts to maintain and service too. It’s not like over here where if you have something with a 6 litre engine it will cost at least grand a year to service and then once it’s done some high miles or it’s a bit old it will probably need a few grand in additional parts.

The specific output of a European car is incomparable though, you're getting a lot more bang, and inevitably paying a lot more bucks as a result.

I don't think that's true, you can buy American cars with forced induction on both the higher and lower end of the scale which make comparable power to European cars - in fact the engines which are shared with the EU all make more power now in America due to not having PPFs fitted.

[16vCento]

My S60 spent a lot of its over 100k life with about 150hp more than it should have had, and it had what people seem to class as a unreliable autobox as standard.

Regular servicing and extra oil changes, and it didn't skip a beat in the 70k I put on it.

I care much more about condition and how its been looked after by the previous owner when I buy a car, and if there's nothing to show or back up what it's had done, I'd walk away.

It does take me a long time to find a car to buy because of this though

[Marv]

My Golf is a little tired now, after over 200,000 miles on crappy British A and B roads + 20 winters.

[Beany]

Puma went from 105k to 145k, most of it at wide open throttle, with basic servicing. It might have rusted out from under me but the engine and gearbox were fine and it still pulled hard the last time I drove it.

[integrale_evo]

My e36 still drive beautifully well north of 250k because I replaced parts when they wore out or felt a bit baggy. I bet it drives better than a 80k miles totally original and pampered example still sat on its 25 yea fold rubber bushes.

The online mot checker is a wonderful tool to quickly dismiss a lot of for sale advert waffle too when you see the same fails / advisories year after year on these no expense spared examples

[NGRhodes]

High mileage cars can be a good buy, like triggers broom everything will of had to be replaced that needs replacing to get to those miles and end up with a fresher car than a mid life car where things which can be neglected/ignored for a long time (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus).