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Does Age or Mileage Matter More in Cars?
These days buying a car is not a luxury anymore; it’s more of a basic need. But it’s not easy to afford a car for a family of low income. The only way of buying a car is to go for a used one. But buying a used car is not a simple task; you may have to go through a lot of queries. Such as does age or mileage matter more in cars. Yet, there is no simple answer to that.
As we all know, a car’s depreciation rate is affected by both its age and mileage, as these two factors are linked very closely. Older and used vehicles suffer from greater wear and tear, but that doesn’t mean they’re worthless. You should evaluate the value of a used car by comparing car-by-car. It depends mostly on your preferences and the car’s maintenance history.
Car Mileage – All You Need to Know
When you decide to buy a used car, you may often think that low-mileage cars are better than high-mileage cars. The longer a car has been driven, the more likely its moving components are to be worn. But mileage is not a key indicator while buying a used vehicle.
Suppose you are looking at two used cars that have the same age. But one of the cars comes with a higher mileage and the other with an average mileage. So, when choosing between them, you should go for the lower mileage one. But the decision is not that simple.
One of the important factors is that all cars are meant to be kept on the run because a car that has been sitting for a long time is supposed to deteriorate sooner than a car that has been taken out on the road regularly. Besides, the car’s condition depends on the kind of road it’s been on. A car that has been mostly on city driving will have a good impact rather than a car that’s been in urban potholes and hilly areas.
What Is a High-Mileage Car?
A car that has run at least 100,000 miles and more on the clock is usually known as a high-mileage car. In other words, if the car has run 1000 miles in a month or 12,000 miles in a year, the car is then considered to have high mileage.
Best High Mileage Used Vehicle You Can Buy
There are some cars that are considered very reliable even after having high mileage. Some of them are mentioned as follows:
- Ford Focus
- BMW 3 Series
- Ford Fiesta
- Toyota Avensis
- Honda Civic
- Skoda Octavia
Car Age – All You Need to Know
When you are buying a used car, you should always consider the age of the car. Most people prefer buying a fairly new one, but there might be some amazing offers for you if you are willing to buy a much older one. In a general sense, the older a car gets, the more servicing and repairs it will need. So, that will lead you to pay more money. But at the same time, you will need to pay a much lower price if you are buying an old car.
So, when you decide to buy an old car, you need to check its vehicle history report. The vehicle’s age and car miles will be clearly stated in that report. An old car that has been maintained properly and has a good track report will offer you reliability and safety. Also, make sure all the features are working properly before you decide to buy the car.
Important Safety Features to Consider When Buying Older Car
There are some safety features that you must look for before buying a used car:
Antilock brakes
It is the essential feature of a car that aids in avoiding an accident. When buying an older car, check out if its antilock brakes are working properly or not.
Blind spot warning
Although it’s a new feature, almost all modern cars these days come with a Blind spot warning. When you take the car for a test time, make sure to check if the car has an active blind spot warning.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
This feature is particularly important for vehicles that are taller such as SUVs. Electronic Stability Control helps your car to avoid any kind of sliding and skidding. After years of use, the feature may get damaged in used cars. So, you must look out before buying a used car.
Collision avoidance systems
This feature helps to detect any objects that come into the path of the car. It reduces your chances of being in an accident by hitting the brakes automatically. Before buying a used car, check out if the Collision Avoidance System is properly working or not.
Car Depreciation – Used Car Mileage vs. Age
The term ‘depreciation’ refers to the process through which a vehicle loses its value over time, and it begins the minute a new car is driven off the showroom. The question is, how does mileage or time affect depreciation?
In a general sense, age is the main factor that influences the depreciation process. It’s because the more kilometers a car has traveled, the older it is. On average, a used car stops depreciation after eight to ten years. Car depreciation is an important factor when buying a used car. It helps you to estimate the correct price by the car’s age and mileage.
Calculating Time-Based Depreciation
The formula to calculate the time-based depreciation of a used car is pretty simple and amazing. The first step is to subtract the car’s current value from its sale price. The second step is to divide the value by the age of the car. The figure you get is the depreciation rate per year. This value helps you to estimate the used car’s actual worth and whether the deal is a good one or not.
Calculating Mileage-Based Depreciation
If you want to calculate the mileage-based depreciation of a car, first, you need to divide the depreciation rate per year by the annual mileage of the car. The second step is to time that by 100, and you get the cost per mile. Sometimes this figure doesn’t give you a fair estimation of the car’s worth as it is mostly dependent on the depreciation rate per year.
Effect of Age on Petrol, Diesel, Hybrids, and Electrics
Age has a very important impact on Petrol, Diesel, Electrics, and Hybrid vehicles. There is a range of specific considerations that you might need to go through before you buy a used car. For example, Electric vehicles have fewer parts that seem to be moving compared to Petrol, Diesel, and another kind of cars. So, there are only a few chances that anything can go wrong with electric vehicles as they age.
Besides, petrol cars need fewer repairs and servicing than diesel even after being used for a long time. So, you should consider buying a petrol car. But diesel engines are supposed to have a longer lifespan compared to petrol ones.
Effect of Mileage on Petrol, Diesel, Hybrids, and Electrics
Mileage has a significant effect on used Petrol, Diesel, Hybrid, and Electric cars. But they also come with a specific range of factors. But first, you need to figure out what high mileage is for a petrol or diesel car.
Used diesel cars are known for their high mileage. Electric vehicles are very reliable when it comes to mileage. Hybrid cars also have a good reputation for taking the pressure off the engine. So, purchasing these cars is pretty much safe if you want to buy an old car based on mileage.
So, What Matters Most – Age or Mileage?
It all comes to the question, does age or mileage matter more in cars? As you should have known by now, there is no straightforward answer to that. It depends on your requirements, needs, and budget. An older car with low mileage indicates that it has mainly driven in the city. Although the car has undergone a good amount of depreciation already, if it has been to regular repairs, you are good to go.
Perhaps the main factor is car maintenance. If a car is relatively new and has a low mileage, but the car was not being maintained properly, then you should avoid the offer. A high-mileage old car that has been repaired regularly is a far better choice than that. So, it’s very important to check the vehicle history report before buying an old car to ensure you know all about the car’s servicing history.
Conclusion
If you are still hung on the question, does age or mileage matter more in cars, then you should check out Zippy Cash for Cars, as they will help to get your dream car. Whether you choose your car according to mileage or age, remember to put your preferences, requirements, and needs first. One of the factors is car maintenance. If the car has been maintained properly throughout its usage period, it doesn’t matter much.
