If you're looking for a car that you can keep for many years, then it's important to focus on the vehicle's mileage rather than its age. That's because a car with lower mileage is more likely to last longer and require less maintenance than a car with higher mileage.
While it's a good idea to consider the age of a vehicle and the number on its odometer, it's more important to look at how well the owner maintained the car. A 10-year-old car with 100,000 miles may have received more TLC than a five-year-old model with 50,000 miles.
There's a general rule you'll want to stick to while looking at the mileage on a potential used car purchase. Lower is better. The average mileage a car accrues per year is 12,000 miles. Given that number, the average 10-year-old car should have roughly 120,000 miles on the odometer.
In retaining “like new” quality and inheriting a slower depreciation rate, the best used car age for buying is 2-3 years. In fact, Americans are saving up to $14,000 on a 3-year-old vehicle. For example, a car that may have cost you $30,000 when new would cost around $16,000 after just 3 years.
Detailed condition reports are the best way to determine if a vehicle is in good nick for its age and kilometre range. The magic number that buyers look for on an odometer is 200,000kms. Once a car hits this number, it is significantly reduced in value.
It's always worthwhile to assess the service record of any used car, and if it hasn't been consistent, then it could be cause for trouble. Most cars around the 200,000-kilometre mark and above with a reliable service history should be an excellent purchase if the price is right.
Do kilometres matter when buying a car? In general, buyers often want the car they are buying to have less than 100,000 kilometres on the clock at the time of purchase. But the truth is, there is no such thing as a car having been driven for 'too many kilometres'.
How long should you keep a car? A typical car is expected to last 200,000 miles or more, with electric or hybrid vehicles going up to 300,000 miles. If you drive the average number of miles for an American, a typical car should last you about 14 years and an electric car will last about 21 years.
Since new cars depreciate most during the first few years, a sensible way to avoid those initial value drops is by buying a good-condition car that's just a few years old.
30,000 to 60,000 Miles
It's a good idea to sell your car before it hits 60,000 miles if you don't want to spend a lot of money on repairs and replacement parts. During this mileage bracket, your car should be about five years old, meaning it'll still command a substantial amount.
We've all seen it: You buy a shiny new vehicle, and then your fuel economy drops off after just a few years. For example, a study by the University of Michigan found that vehicles over 10 years old consume 33% to 35% more fuel per mile compared to newer vehicles.
The general rule, though, is that anything under 200 miles is acceptable for a new car. That allows enough capacity for transport from the shipping port or between dealerships if the car is sent to a new showroom. It's also unlikely that the car would suffer any technical issues with fewer than 200 miles.
Cars lose the most value in the first year, and depreciation continues for about five years. A car can lose up to 20% of its value in the first year, and over the first five years fall to around 40% from the original price. That means it loses about 15% of the value each year after the first year.
A conventional car can last for 200,000 miles. Some well-maintained car models will reach 300,000 or more miles total. The average passenger car age is currently around 12 years in the United States. Choosing a well-built make and model can help extend your car's longevity.
Many car owners make the mistake of assuming that they need to replace their vehicles every few years. The average age of a vehicle on the road is about 11 years, but most drivers keep a car for about six years. Here are some factors to consider when deciding if it's time for a newer model.
Average age of all vehicles registered in Australia was 10.1 years, unchanged since 2015. Tasmanian vehicles reported the oldest average age at 12.8 years, whilst the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory had the youngest fleet with an average age of 9.4 years.
Passenger vehicles made up 75% of all registered vehicles in Australia and the average passenger vehicle travelled 12,607 kilometres a year or 34.5 kilometres a day. The average motorcycle travelled 2,557 kilometres a year, or 7 kilometres a day.
Average mileage on a vehicle will usually be in the range of 7,000-12,000 miles per year. If the vehicle is only a few years old and already has 100k miles on the clock, it has seen a lot of usage and may be experiencing higher levels of wear and tear, which could quickly become costly through repairs.
When buying a used car, it is so important you undertake extensive research and understand the ongoing costs to keep the vehicle road worthy. An average car does around 14,000 km per year however some cars that have done more may still be a bargain buy and present you with upwards of 5 years road worthiness.
With proper care, including servicing, Mazda's popular Mazda3 model should last for several hundred thousand kilometres. Parts will wear out in that time, however, so don't think you won't have to get your mechanic to look after your car.
"You can get up to maybe 250,000 km or 300,000 km before a gas engine starts to make noise, or burn oil because it's wearing out, but a diesel can quite easily do 500,000 km and still be in excellent shape," says one certified mechanic I spoke with.
Reliability and Longevity
Japanese cars are built for longevity and resilience. They are categorized as some of the most reliable cars in the world. For this very reason, their resale value is much higher than the American and European brands.
Trucks, truck-based SUVs and sports cars retain the most value. Luxury sedans depreciate the most.
Who buys new cars and trucks? When it comes to car ownership by age, buyers that are ages 25 to 54 purchase most new vehicles.