High Mileage Cars

[Aud1]

Being so good to drive, there are quite a few high mileage cars out there on the second hand market and over 100k is not uncommon. Assuming a correct and FSH, just what are they capable of if correctly maintained?

Though one would be drawn to a 30k, 3 yr old car in preference to an 80k car of the same age, the former would only have been serviced three times but the latter 8 times!

Comments? [img]images/graemlins/033102talk_1_prv.gif[/img]

[Cobstar]

I have an older Audi! She'd done over 100k when I bought her earlier this year - but that's not excessive for a car of her age. I've been told that she's good for at least 200,000. Certainly doesn't feel like a car that's about to expire.

Had a couple of 18 month old cars with above average mileage when I was younger. But I knew their owner and their history and they'd been serviced regularly and both were cheap. Served me well for the time I kept them. The good thing was that the previous owner had sorted out the niggly teething problems with them as new and I had no aggro.

One of the potential problems with newish cars with high mileage is selling them on if you're not planning to keep them and run them into the ground. Also you need to bear in mind likely cost of replacement parts on a higher mileage car.

[PhilT]

100k is othing these days (Depending on the type of car).

If it still runs well at 100k and upon close inspection it all seems in order, then another 50-100k shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Really depends on the car though.

[Prawn]

My S4 is coming up to 80K miles, certainly no major
problems at this point except that the warranty cost is
too high.

[DavidT]

The Audi owners club were debating this a few months back.

IIRC, there were cars with 200k miles that had virtually nothing spent on them, and some with 350k. All older though, (6 years plus) but it bodes well for the new models.

200k miles should not be a problem with regular maintenance, even 300k. The only possible exception is turbo's I suppose.

David

[DuncS3]

When I was at AMD the other week, there was a guy there with an S Reg MK IV Golf 1.8T being chipped - it had just done 100,000 miles

Dunc [img]images/graemlins/s3addict.gif[/img]

[s2driver]

There used to be quite a few RS2's advertised on www.mobile.de a few years back with 300,000 Km on the clock (best part of 200K miles). Since my engine is basically the same albeit with lower output gives me confidence in the longevity of the 5 cylinder engine. Audi had it in production for so many years and it shows in the reliabilty stakes.

One thing not to forget is that if the car is high mileage then everything on the car has done that mileage and not just the engine. Everything wears and it is just a matter of time before they have to be replaced. It is quite good to find high mileage cars that have had wear and tear items already replaced since it will probably be quite reliable. My S2 has over 130,000 miles on the clock and the only problems have been stupid stuff like bushes, water hoses, air con, radiators that have needed attention. It still rides extremely well on the original shocks and springs! There is noticable transmission wear because the car has been thrashed. A good test drive whilst purchasing should pick up any problems...I did and knew what maintenance was likely to come up. Mileage covered is not everything either. Sercive history is paramount but it doesn't tell you how hard the car has been driven. I know someone who destroyed his gearbox within 10,000 miles (from new) because he was so relentlessly violent with it. Car was a Ford Mondeo 24V and I would never have bought the car with 30k miles even if it was 20% below book price because it had been so hammered just because I knew its 'hidden' history (not because it was a Ford!!). An important thing with cars like ours is not to thrash them when cold since bearing surfaces won't be lubricated properly until the oil is warm and you can never tell f any previous owners have done that. Second hand car selection (trade and private) is always a lottery regardless of mileage and is a buyer-beware market: One advantage of buying a new car if you can afford the depreciation.

My second car is a stripped out Scirocco that I bought for £100. I spent £1,000 replacing and upgrading all of the breaking and suspension systems entirely right down to new wishbones, balljoints and CVs. Things had perished due to age and not mileage but it is also preventative medicine. Other than a 80,000 mile old engine and faided paint (1985 model) everything is new which means mega reliable. Should get around to fitting that 200 bhp G60 engine since it should be quite lairy at sub 800 kg! Will be even more reliable then too [img]images/graemlins/033102bigblink_1_prv.gif[/img]

Lee

[Aud1]

All interesting stuff. I've recently purchased a '99 A6 Avant 1.8T with 85K miles. Cosmetically A1 and I believe mechanically too. Its been religously serviced every 10k or less by Audi Lindbrook and drives like a virtually new car. According to both Lindbrook and the log book it is a one lady owner vehicle and I cant fault it. At less than 30% of its cost when new it's astonishing value! [img]images/graemlins/biggrin3.gif[/img]