When purchasing a used car how many miles do

[Gamom3]

you say absolutely NOT to?

 

Ds is looking for a car and everything in his price range has miles of 115k to over 200k.

Right now he does not want to finance, he knows that he would pay more for insurance if he does.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Since this is for your son, would I be correct in assuming that he wouldn't be driving it for long distances or daily commutes? If it were a family car that was going to have to "go the distance" so to speak, I'd want a lower mileage. But maybe you could fudge a bit and get one with higher mileage (but still on the lower end of those he can afford). :auto:

[Queen_Zarga]

Some cars are generally more reliable at higher mileage than others: Honda, Toyota and Subaru. Although others would disagree, I would say "absolutely NOT" to American nameplates. But hey, that's just MHO.

[Whisperlily]

My parents' Toyota Land Cruiser has 250K miles, at least and is still going strong. It does, definitely depend on the car. It also depends on who owned it, how they cared for it, and what repair work might be necessary to keep a car that age/mileage running.

 

Some things need to be replaced (belts, seals, etc.) after a certain number of miles... if that has been done, it might be worth your while. If not, you might have to factor that kind of repair work into the actual cost of the vehicle.

[DIY-DY]

you say absolutely NOT to?

 

Ds is looking for a car and everything in his price range has miles of 115k to over 200k.

Right now he does not want to finance, he knows that he would pay more for insurance if he does.

 

Find one that is sound, mechanically - verify that however you feel comfortable. Some people are comfortable getting something that needs a new transmission, some people aren't. (Depending on the vehicle, that'll be about $1300 - so it would factor into the cost, obviously.)

 

Then *we* plan to pay upfront for new belts, tires, shocks, and whatever misc. maintenance-oriented things it might need. That's our portion of the purchase. *grin* And that way, we know it's in good condition when he takes it on the road.

 

FWIW, our last four vehicles (three Chevy and one Ford) have had over 130K on them when we bought them. They've lasted us to 350K, 495K and 290K+, 220K+) respectively. The most recent ones (at 290K+ and 220K+) are still going strong. :)