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Can a second hand car have too few miles?!

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car hand miles
8K views 76 replies 15 participants last post by  flying clutchman 
#1 · (Edited)
We are deciding between 2 2012 plate petrol scenics.
One has done 8000 miles and one 18000 miles, they are a similar price but the 8000 one is much further away. We do only about 5000 miles a year around town.

I wondered if a car can do too few miles, as the 8000 one has done an average of 2600 per year so i guess more pressure on breaks, start up etc?

Any advice would be welcomed asap as we really need to decide tomorrow!

many thanks
 
#2 ·
even 18k on a 3 year old motor is low so keep money in pocket and snaffle that one if its the right spec
Averaging 2600miles a year can cause other problems ..sticky calipers ..lack of heat in exhaust can cause premature corrosion etc
 
#4 ·
Thank you, the 18000 one has a couple of minor scratches (very minor) and the 8000 one is in showroom condition but 120 miles away - not a problem in itself if the car is the right decision.

The other factor is that the 8000 one just has the flat floor console with a remote control for the sat nav and the other has a nice centre console with the sat nav controls on it, having only known the remote from our previous car i dont know which is better? Do you have any comments on this? We have taken our centre console from our previous car (still no sat nav controls though) and i am hoping we can remove the flat console and replace with our old sliding one but not sure if the bolts will line up etc? Do you know about this situation at all?

Unfortunately we are having to make a quick decision as someone hit us just before christmas and our car was a right off :-(

Thank you for all your advice, price wise they are pretty much equal, the 18,000 one is £250 cheaper
 
#5 ·
Thank you, the 18000 one has a couple of minor scratches (very minor) and the 8000 one is in showroom condition but 120 miles away - not a problem in itself if the car is the right decision.

The other factor is that the 8000 one just has the flat floor console with a remote control for the sat nav and the other has a nice centre console with the sat nav controls on it, having only known the remote from our previous car i dont know which is better? Do you have any comments on this? We have taken our centre console from our previous car (still no sat nav controls though) and i am hoping we can remove the flat console and replace with our old sliding one but not sure if the bolts will line up etc? Do you know about this situation at all?

Unfortunately we are having to make a quick decision as someone hit us just before christmas and our car was a right off :-(

Thank you for all your advice
In my honest opinion I would expect minor scratches etc on a 3 year old car would call it an honest car ..pristine makes me look for paint repairs etc as for console sell yours and maybe put money towards smart repair of scratches if they annoy you
 
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#8 ·
We are deciding between 2 2012 plate petrol scenics.
One has done 8000 miles and one 18000 miles, they are a similar price but the 8000 one is much further away. We do only about 5000 miles a year around town.

I wondered if a car can do too few miles, as the 8000 one has done an average of 2600 per year so i guess more pressure on breaks, start up etc?

Any advice would be welcomed asap as we really need to decide tomorrow!

many thanks
mileage tells you little about a vehicle within reason.As does service history.
There is only one way to judge a vehicle and that's to look at it and drive it.
A vehicle that's done few miles has obviously stood around for longer than one that's done more miles for the same age.
standing a vehicle in outside or damp conditions can be a lot more harmful than using it.
standing a vehicle will amplify rust to bodywork,brakes,exhaust etc aswell as speed up detoration of rubbers and bushes and cause interior parts to deteriorate faster.
with that said,10,000 miles difference is nothing ..

post up the links, the whole picture will give a better idea.
 
#14 ·
like any car it just depends how the car was used it may have only been for long or short journeys kept in a garage all its life or out in all weathers
guy over the road uses his car 3-4 times a year rest of the time its in the garage and washed and polished before he puts it to bed

wife only did a 1000 miles or just over last week mg is 17 years old and on 63000miles i dont think she has done 10000 since she got it just over 4 years ago
some times we take it for a spin just to blow the cobwebs off it in the winter and to get any damp out the oil
 
#15 · (Edited)
When I bought my latest car..2years and two months old and 3500 on the clock ..I would always look for a car with a lower mileage..many 1 or 2 year old cars have belonged to hire companies or companies that have bought it for office staff use..many different drivers and all driving differently so things like the clutch gear box and brakes may or may not have been abused in different ways..ask if you can see the V5 you know then if it was a one owner or company owned..
 
#17 ·
Point worth mentioning.

18000 miles (& 8000 miles) is low for a 3 year old car.

But, isn't that the point?

If the owners had anticipated high annual mileages, then it would've made sense for them to pay extra and buy a diesel.

Personally speaking, I suspect that you prefer the spec, warranty and proximity of the higher-mileage car, so what I'd suggest that you do, is test-drive the closer one, and providing it drives well, make them an offer of £500 less than they are asking.

They will baulk at that, but justify your offer by pulling out a printout of the other car, and suggest that they either knock the £500 off, or you pay £250 less, and they repair the scratches prior to you collecting it.

They will be more than happy to bite your hand off, as they will be quiet at this time of year, and they will get the scratches repaired for MUCH less than you'd pay.

They make a sale, you get the car you want, and if there are any 'issues', then you aren't faced with a 120-mile drive to complain.

You can also advise them, that you will spread their good reputation to neighbours & colleagues.

Win-win to me.

HTH,

Paul
 
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#19 ·
Thank you - we are not trading in - unfortunately our old scenic is now a right off thanks to someone not paying attention on december 23rd!

Regarding price, the 18,000 one was advertised at £500 more than the 8,000 one...... the 8,000 one came down £100, the 18,000 one have now come down £700 to beat the 8,000 so is now £100 cheaper! Also has one service left included in the Renault 4 year service package the original owner took out!

The 18,000 one has a smallish scuff on the front passenger side wheel that they have offered to fix, would also try and get the small scratches fixed (length of finger nail roughly x 2)

I don't think i'll get either price down any further and when looking at online recommended prices they are both a good deal!
 
#20 ·
If they won't get the scratches repaired....

Make sure that the tyres are of a decent make with plenty of meat on them, and try to get a full tank of fuel.

If you aren't asking, they won't be offering.

Best of luck whichever way it goes.

Paul
 
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#21 ·
To throw something else into the mix, one has the standard 16" alloys and one upgraded to 17", does anyone know if there is a difference to the drive, or is it just visual. Read something that the 17" gives a harsher drive but that could just be one person's opinion!
 
#22 ·
Think it is a personal thing some say yes some say no ..depends on what you are used to ..my last Laguna had 16s this one 17s and I dont feel much difference but think our clio with 16s is harsh but that may be the Continental tyres which were new when we bought car a few months ago
The 18k motor sounds the better deal in my honest opinion ..try for a bit of tax or set of Scenic mats etc
 
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#23 ·
If someone was to turn up at my door talking about wanting tanks of fuel and similar crap id escort them off the property.

The way to do a deal is to keep it simple,work on the price of the car as is,warts and all.If the warts arnt palatable,you shouldn't be there.Starting to get into them making repairs just complicates things,makes more journeys nessercary,and leaves reasons to fall out later.

By the time ive got to see a car,im pretty aware of what im getting and who im getting it from,the later is important.I will have also already have screwed the price down,and only change that if the car isn't as described,but I cant remember the last time I turned up and it wasn't which is why im more than prepared to travel for the right car.
I never ever use dealers,and I always get back what I pay or more, after 18 months of use.
 
#24 ·
Get what your saying I also used to do same but then it depends on the Op budget etc and the warranty giving peace of mind knowing no repair bills forthcoming
As for dealing with dealers if its a Renault Dealer they may have a set of mats lying about ..When I hand cash to a dealer I want every penny out them I can ..will even take the sugar out their coffee given half a chance
 
#25 ·
Dealers can afford a set of mats,they will have already made you overpay for the vehicle by thousands.
Also You don't know where a cars been when you buy from a dealer.
On paper warrantys seem like a money saver but often they arnt,they are often just a way of keeping you going to them and you will pay in otherways.

Never EVER EVER buy from someone who uses 'wow' or 'she' in an advert :)

The wowers are normally exadurators or worse and the chances of the vehicle being as described is almost none.

The she,ers are likely to be young futher education types or just plain weirdo's.There will likely be lack of maintainance,misdescribed and often abused,but using she makes the pretence they have actually cared.
 
#26 ·
Having used warranties I rate Renault well only one ever bettered it was Skoda (roll bar bushes @70k replaced under warranty )on their original 3yrs or 100k miles
After sales ones are just a nightmare
 
#27 ·
There's an old saying in the motor trade. January is the worst month to sell a used car but the best month to buy. The reason being money is usually scarce after the Christmas blow-out and as the old year has just passed people get the notion in their head that the car is a year older. We all know a few days or weeks makes little or no difference - it just seems to be a psychological thing that lingers in many people minds.

So if you have the cash in hand you can strike a good deal this time of year.
 
#28 ·
Years ago I had my eye on a Toyota Yaris in a main dealer just before christmas but thought just wait another wil crop up as it was at top end of my budget ..First week in January same car same dealer £1000 cheaper ..rapid u turn 5 minutes later car was mine :d
 
#32 ·
TBH, in a car so softly-sprung as a Scenic, a 1" diameter wheel size difference will have little or no effect to the ride.

The car on 17's won't ride like a tea-tray down a flight of stairs, whilst the other glides serenely.

The 17's will look better, give a little more directness to the steering and precision to the handling, plus open up some more choices of tyre brand/pattern.

They are however, easier to kerb.

But these aren't trackcars, and unlikely to be driven in such a manner, where vehicle dynamics in extremis, will be paramount.

I wouldn't let this sway me from the car that I like, to the one I'm less keen on, it's not really a deal-breaker, imo.

HTH,

Paul
 
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