What Is a Good Mileage for a Used Car?

30th May 2022

When buying a used car, one of the first things people look for is how many miles are on the clock. To them, it shows how much the car has been used, and as a result how much wear and tear it’s gone under and how reliable it’s going to be in the future.

Typically, mileage is based on the age of the car, so the older the car, the more miles it will have driven. That being said, just because a car has high mileage doesn’t mean it’s going to be poor quality.

Driving Quality vs Mileage

How a car is driven and how often, will affect cars in different ways. For example, a car that is used on a daily basis versus one that sits in the driveway will be in better shape, as a car sitting around will deteriorate faster because the moving components aren't lubricated on a regular basis when driven, causing them to seize up over time.

Motorway driving is usually less tough on a vehicle too, as you’re putting less strain on the brakes and clutch as often, unlike with city driving.

Fuel Type & Mileage

Diesel - Diesel cars generally have tougher engines that better withstand higher mileage. They’re also often used for motorway driving as they cope better with longer distances.

Petrol - Petrol cars are usually used for city driving as they’re more economical, but this can put extra strain on the gearbox, clutch and brakes.

Hybrid - Hybrid’s combine the best of both worlds; electric power with either petrol or diesel. With fewer moving parts, there’s less pressure and strain on the car if you’re driving in and around town, and they’re also great for motorway driving thanks to the power from the petrol or diesel engine.

Fully Electric - If a fully electric vehicle has higher mileage, it is less of an issue because there are fewer moving parts, which means there is less to go wrong, therefore repairs are likely to be cheaper and more minimal.

Which high mileage cars are best?

Ultimately, the type of car, how it’s driven, and how it’s maintained all influence its reliability.

However, if you are looking for a high mileage used car that’s reliable, some of the best on the market include:

Ford Fiesta - petrol - 2008-2017
Ford Focus - diesel - 2011-2018
Honda Civic - petrol - 2006-2012
BMW 3 Series - 2012-2018
Skoda Octavia - diesel - 2004-2013
Kia Cee’d - 2007-2012

How to find out if a used car has high mileage

The average person drives approximately 10,000 miles a year. If you multiply this by the age of the car. So, good mileage for a car that’s 7 years old would be 70,000 miles.

If you find a car has accumulated more than 15,000 miles per year, it’s probably best to search for a different car.

What possible problems should you look out for if you buy a car with high mileage?

You definitely need to regularly be checking the oil and coolant levels, in addition to the tyres and wheel alignment, any leaking fluids and broken seals and your timing chain or cambelt.