12 replies to this topic

[mab01uk]

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...

 

 

[panky]

My old Cooper had just got round the clock when I sold it and the Citroen BX that replaced it is pushing 200,000 miles - and it's not a diesel. Still runs lovely with plenty of power, no oil leaks or smoke. In my case age is certainly just a number.

[Rubbershorts]

I personally won't keep a modern vehicle with 100,00 on the clock again. Engines are fine if looked after, it's everything else that falls off or creaks that's the problem for me. I've have zero interest, nor the skills or space to work on modern cars, so the work has to be farmed out. It always end with, well if I just change that it'll be good for a while, then if I just replace that. The repairs just keep coming thick and fast until I reach the end of my tether and get rid. The mini on the other hand is a hobby, easy to work on and relatively cheap, so I'll be running it forever. Daz.

[Ethel]

Depends on how they did it. If it was hundreds of miles every day cruising at a constant 60-70, OK. But the only way to be reasonably certain it hasn't gone round the clock doing constant cold starts & going through the gears in heavy traffic is to avoid one that's gone round the clock.

[sonikk4]

Both of my B5.5 Passats i moved after 130000 miles, both still going strong when i part ex'd them. My B6 estate i sold to my brother in law with 105000 on the clock with no issues and he then moved it on with 130000 and it was still buzzing around Bexhill for years after.

 

My first VW CC i moved that on after 135000 with no issues and part ex'd it for another later model CC. I part ex'd that with 150000 3 years ago and saw it on the M4 last year. My A6 i have now has 123000 on the clcok and touch wood is dealing with the mileage with no issues.

 

All of the above are diesels and i do not do less than 100 miles a day commuting, in fact my current daily commute is 160 miles. All of the cars were serviced every 10000 miles regardless. Replaced what needed replacing, stuck to the schedule for timing belt replacement. My A6 i service myself as 9000 miles comes around three times a year.

 

So high mileage cars especially diesels and maintained per schedule will go on and on without any serious drama. Yes there will be the occasional fly in the ointment but wear and tear happens. My A6 apart from a minor squeek from the dash in cold weather still feels like a new car. And i will say i have been more and more impressed with the build quality of the later VAG cars i have brought. 

 

As for mini's, my mate Pauls Cooper before he broke the diff had over 103000 miles on the original engine and had recently been on a dyno still pushing out 75bhp on a standard engine that apart from the usual consumables had never been touched. The rest of the shell had not faired so well and i had been restoring it bodywork wise for him but that ground to a halt a long while ago.

[mab01uk]

If you are curious about whether a high mileage car you have sold on, has clocked up even more miles since and is still going strong, or what mileage it finally reached, just enter the reg number in the MOT History website and all should be revealed....

 

Check the MOT history of a vehicle.
Check the past results of a vehicle’s MOT tests, including:
If it passed or failed,
The mileage recorded when it was tested:-

https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

Edited by mab01uk, 01 September 2026 - 07:10 PM.

[Cooperman]

I bought a BMW 730i in 1992 with 56,000 on the clock.
It was my daily car for work and pleasure until 2000. It towed my trailer with the Cooper S rally car to and from events. By the time I sold it the total mileage was 247,000.
It never let me down and required very little work. The oil was changed every 6,000 miles. I fitted a new oil pump at 190,000 and that was a very easy job.
It was the best car I ever owned.

[Spider]

For the most part, I find cars today do last longer than the cars of old, as long as the servicing is kept up, however, often by the time I find they need parts, the car is so old, the manufacturer no longer has them and the aftermarket doesn't have the widget I need !

[ADRay]

just to brag, my “mine-from-new” 2015 Subaru XV just crossed the 205k mark, runs like a champ.

[sonscar]

I was taught it is not so much the mileage as how many times you had operated the starter that governed engine life.Cars die from the failure of an often small part which is prohibitively expensive to replace,needs coding or is no longer available failure neednotbe mileage based.Just my thoughts.Steve..

[panky]

Not much hope for the auto-stop/start cars  

[sonikk4]

Not much hope for the auto-stop/start cars  

 

If you drive short distances in constant stop start conditions say for example driving in a major city centre then there is merit behind this, however if your car starts instantly without cranking for ages there wear would be minimal. But dont you think manufacturers will have had some say in the actual system in its design for longevity over a non stop/start variety??

 

My last three cars have all had the stop/start feature with nil issues. And the system does not always operate depending on what the ecu sees with regards to car at that point in time, for example when its in its regen cycle. 

 

I do however agree its another potential failure point but then again a modern mid range car now has more electrical points that could fail and as for some mechanical, i point my finger fair and square at the wet belt engines. What in the hell and mores to the point, who the hell thought that was a good idea other than to increase the frequency of oil changes and belt changes. Lining someones pocket!!!

[mab01uk]

I always switch off stop/start on my F60 MINI Countryman which is on by default every time you start the engine, as I just find it annoying.

However it also seems to accelerate the failure of the engine mounts which is a common fault on this particular model, and which costs far more to fix in parts and labour than the small amount of fuel that might be saved by stop/start.

 

• Increased Stress: The frequent cranking and firing up of the engine from the automatic stop-start feature puts extra cyclical torque and vibration stress on the hydraulic passenger-side engine mount and lower torque mount.

• Failure Symptoms: F60 mounts frequently wear out or tear between 50,000 and 80,000 miles (sometimes earlier under heavy stop-start city driving).