Is A Newer Car With High Mileage Worth Buying?

Is a newer car with high mileage worth buying? Yes, a newer car with high mileage is worth buying if the car is in good working condition.

High mileage has always been a controversial factor that decides the buying of used cars irrespective of whether it’s a “newer” used car or an “older” one.

However, considering only mileage as a determining factor in buying a newer car might put you into a deep mess. That said, we will make this post more expansive and discuss things you should look out for when buying a new, used car.

Is A Newer Car With High Mileage Worth Buying?

Firstly, what is a “newer” car? It simply refers to a used car that has not been owned for a longer. For example, a 2015 model car can be referred to as a “newer” car in 2020, while a 2009 model of the same car can be referred to as an “older” car.

Now that we’ve clarified the difference, should you buy a newer car with high mileage reading? Well, sometimes, it is better to buy high mileage vehicles than low mileage vehicles.

Here’s the reason:

Given two cars; a newer model and an older model. If the newer model reads a considerable high mileage and the older car reads very low mileage, it would be best to go with the higher mileage option.

Why?

Apparently, the components in a car will age and begin to rot whether the car is driven or not. So, for the older vehicle with low mileage, it is obvious that the car wasn’t driven more times than it was parked. We know this because a typical driver covers an average of 12,000 miles in a calendar year.

Thus, if an older car (probably 10 – 15 years old car) reads below 100,000 miles, then it is safe to think that the car was parked more of the time, either in a garage or mechanic workshop. Such a car is obviously questionable as some of its parts may be fragile due to lack of proper maintenance and usage.

In contrast, the high mileage newer car was obviously on the road all the time. Thus, there’s more possibility that the previous owner had maintained the car very well due to the constant use. In this case, the car’s components would still be in good shape and functioning well.

However, these perspectives may not be the case all the time; there are high mileage vehicles that are well-maintained, yet they are not actually worth the buy. Also, there are low mileage vehicles that be a deal-breaker. What should you do?

Read Also: Should I Buy a Car With 150k Miles?

What to Check When Buying Newer Cars With High/Low Mileage

• What purpose was the car serving the previous owner?
• The maintenance history/record
• Transmission repair notes

The transmission is one of the foremost things to check when you’re faced with a newer/older car with high mileage. Some cars tend to have transmission issues after hitting several miles (mostly from 90,000 miles).

So, if the car reads above 100,000, you just need to check the transmission and request to know if the previous owner has ever changed it.

Also, you need to take a look at the maintenance record of whichever car you wish to buy. This is very important – a poorly maintained newer vehicle with high mileage can be a trap. Taking note of this, the maintenance report should be shown to you.

Furthermore, you should try to know if the car was being used for short trips or longer trips. This is another factor that justifies the high mileage reading or low mileage reading shown in the odometer.

Obviously, a car that’s being used for long trips (from state to state) would read more miles than another one (the same model and year) that’s only driven within a particular state or used for short trips.

These are the things to consider when trying to justify the mileage reading shown by a used car at the point of purchase. A serious inspection should be carried out on any high mileage vehicle before finalizing and signing the purchase documents.

Conclusion

Generally, high mileage is seen as a red flag when buying used cars, but it shouldn’t scare you off if the said car is properly maintained. Your major concern should be the state of the main components in regards to the number of miles it has covered.

So, for the question, “Is a newer car with high mileage worth buying?” We’d say “Yes,” the car is worth buying if every other thing is intact and in good condition. Again, a well maintained high mileage vehicle is better than a low mileage vehicle that rarely covers 7,000 miles per year.

Endeavor to go with a mechanic or an experienced driver to inspect the used car before completing the purchase procedures.