Why Britain is buying old bangers again (The Telegraph 30 Aug 2026)
"A car with 100,000 miles on the clock has traditionally been something a savvy motorist wouldn’t touch with a barge pole.
But an increasing number of drivers are beginning to appreciate vehicles with six-figure odometer readings.
Prices of secondhand cars aged between 10 and 15 years have risen by 8pc in the past year to £7,238, while cars aged over 15 years have jumped by 5pc, according to Autotrader.
Research by Startline Motor Finance also found that more than 33pc of car dealers reported an increase in demand for cars with excessive mileage. A quarter of vehicles that are more than 10 years old have travelled the equivalent of four times around the world.
“Crossing the 100,000-mile threshold isn’t a goal that buyers actively seek out, it’s just no longer the deal-breaker it once was,” Marc Palmer, the head of strategy at Autotrader, said.
“Instead of viewing high mileage as a red flag, consumers see it as a pragmatic trade-off to keep purchase costs down.”
There was a time when you wouldn’t have been surprised to find a car virtually unusable 10 years after it was made. But nowadays, well-made cars from the 2000s are lasting longer.
They remain mechanically and electronically simpler than newer models, and, in most cases, are relatively economical to keep on the road.
Close to 4.4 million vehicles in the UK have between 100,000 and 149,000 miles on the clock, according to Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency data.
A further 1.2 million have covered between 150,000 and 199,000 miles, while 290,000 have huge totals of between 200,000 and 249,000 miles.
The data, obtained via a Freedom of Information request, suggest that around one in seven vehicles have notched up impressive six-figure mileage totals."
https://archive.ph/EuYON
I traded in my 2006 BMW 320D E90 last year with 100,000 miles on the clock, it had a few advisories at its MOT last year (about £1000 worth labour & parts estimated) plus the air con had finally packed up and it was not London ULEZ compliant, so I decided to get rid before next MOT in 2026. Just noticed it has passed this year on the MOT history website, some of the list of advisories have gone and it has completed another 20,000 miles. Cheap motoring for someone compared to the depreciation costs, etc on a new car...
