What is the best mileage to buy a used car?

Many miles reduce the value of a car, but that doesn't always mean that one low mileage car is better than another. High mileage will not be a problem if you consider that the general condition is satisfactory.

Used cars are a very good option when you want to buy a car. However, before making any purchase, you should make sure that the car is in good technical and aesthetic condition and that the mileage is not too high.

Choosing a high mileage car can be a challenge and end up spending more money than you planned.

What is a good mileage on a used car?

Although total mileage varies depending on the age of the vehicle, a standard estimate is 12,000 miles per year. A car used for regular commuting and occasional long trips has a range of about miles.

Keeping the numbers in mind, a 10 year old car should have just over or under 120,000 miles on the odometer. A problem may arise if the figure is very different. There is no general rule that too many miles is too many. 

The average useful life of a car in the United States is 12 years before it ends up in a scrapyard or is shipped to a third world country. A 12 year old car will have about 144,000 miles on the odometer.

What you need to do is calculate the mileage you can have on your used car. For example, you can drive it another 70,000 70,000 miles if it already has miles on it. 

However, there are exceptions, and in some cases it is safe to buy a car that has already driven 150,000 or 200,000 miles. If it's a good brand, you'll be able to drive it for a few more years with good maintenance.

Why is it useful to check the mileage of a car?

Mileage is an important factor when buying a used car, but it's easy to overlook. You can get carried away with other better features like miles per gallon (mpg) or other performance metrics.

Low or high mileage affects the cost of buying and selling a car, as well as the likely cost of maintenance and service.

Is it convenient to buy a car with high mileage?

While many people avoid buying high mileage cars because they are considered riskier and more problem-prone, modern cars are built to last much longer. 

When you buy a high mileage car, the depreciation curve has already flattened out and its value won't drop quickly (as it does with a new car). Also, because vehicles are meant to be driven, high mileage vehicles tend to be well lubricated and burn off soot, which helps the engine run longer. 

Conversely, low mileage vehicles often don't change fluids as often, which can create problems later on.

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