Shopping for a used car can be an arduous process, to say the least. When you purchase a vehicle that’s been driven by others for years, you do so knowing that the automobile has already been broken in.
While the big draw that used cars have over new ones is the prospect of getting a good deal, it can be hard to know what a “good deal” is. Continue reading to learn more about how much wear on a vehicle is too much.
The old rule of thumb
In an ideal world, a used vehicle’s price tag will be proportionate to the amount of wear and tear on it. Even if a used car is in pretty good shape, how many miles it has is still a key factor to weigh before making a purchase.
On the flip side, if you’re selling your used vehicle, you are equally deserving of a good deal. Even if your car, truck, or SUV has been around the block a couple of hundred thousand times, it still holds some value.
In decades past, if a car made it to 100,000 miles, then it had all but outlived its usefulness. You would have to be either desperate or insane to buy a vehicle with that many miles on it back in those days. Today, 100,000 miles may be only the half-life of an automobile.
The machines that dominate the highways and byways today are much more durable than their predecessors. Depending on the price tag, even a car with 200,000 miles on it may be worth your consideration.
How much does mileage matter?
Even though today’s automobiles are much more durable than the ones built in the past (and maintenance is better), mileage is still a heavy factor. In fact, it’s a key indicator of how much life a vehicle has left in it.
How much mileage the car or truck has correlates directly to how much value it has. The fewer miles a car has on it, then the more that it still has to go and the longer you’ll own it. However, the age of the vehicle is just as vital to its endurance as its mileage is.
Cars have a lot of rubber seals in them to protect against leaks, and they rot and morph over time, making the car vulnerable to leaks and blown gaskets. A newer, high-mileage vehicle is often times better than an older low-mileage vehicle because of that.
Selling your used vehicle
Automobiles are one of life’s greatest conveniences in that they make travel easier and the world a much smaller place. Because of that, as long as your vehicle runs, it still has value.
In fact, your vehicle has value even if it couldn’t outrun the proverbial tortoise. Just like people will always need cars, cars will also always need maintenance, and that means they’ll need replacement parts.
Many online dealers buy and sell salvage cars because even cars that are done have valuable parts in them. Even if your car doesn’t run anymore, it may still have just what other cars of the same make and model need to get back on the road.
Buying and selling used vehicles can be tricky, and it is important to know the true value of a vehicle before buying or selling it. Always take into consideration the age of the car and how many miles have been put on its motor.
