How much are Low or High kms worth?

[Crazy Dazz]

Ok, so for any given model & year, a low km example should be worth more than high km.
(All other things being equal, and granted you may not be able to judge the nature of those kms.)
But how would I quantify that?
With higher kms, the car has less life left, and I should expect higher maintenance...

[LG17]

Higher kilometres in a city car are certainly a downer but in a country car it's a totally different kettle of fish.
For example, you may live a couple of kilometres from the shop so the car is always warming up and possibly only just up to temperature when you get there; or else you're stuck in traffic for the 2km drive, then it's worse.
The "shop', for me, is either 26km one way or 100km for the big shops. My highway drive places much less stress on the vehicle than your city effort.

[happy1]

Hi,
Quite a complex thing to quantify, with both a technical aspect, and the general public's opinion aspect, as well as consumer law limits for when warranties cease.

Not sure if you are throwing this topic up with for example a 30.000km car versus a 60.000km car in mind, or if you had in mind a 100.000km car versus a 200.000km car?

Also the best deal for a buyer would depend very much how long you intend to keep it, in which case the resale value could be of importance?

You have described a case of exactly same car (high and low km), but I think a typical scenario could be: 'I can afford to spend $25.000, should I buy the new body shape (a high mileage example), or should I buy the older looking body shape and pick a car that has been used only on sunny Sundays (very low mileage)?'.

Personally I would look for what appears to be a good deal, as new as possible, and at the lower km range, without paying top money for it. Personally I would get the newer of two body shapes, as it would look more modern for longer, even if it has higher km.

In Western Australia the car warranties don't apply to cars with over 170.000km.
In a way you can almost consider that the 'end of life' for the value of a car. If it has more km than that it probably can sell for the same money by wrecking it an selling the parts, than trying to sell it as a runner.

Then there would be the psychological km limits of a car buyer. I think many would hesitate to buy a car that has done over 100.000km if they can afford one with less km, and if they intend to keep it for some years. I'm not suggesting that something technically happens to a car that have just got a 6-digit odometer reading, but the market value is less from people's general opinion.
Cheers,

[LTDHO]

Firstly don't fall for the "County K's" gimmick. High kilometers is high kilometers. Only difference is that the country car burned less fuel to get there.

To me, kilometers is a major factor compared to the age of a car. However, be mindful that the odometer can be altered whereas the vehicles age can not.

Both my DC and DL have under 200,000 on them so I consider that low klms. In saying that, I am sure there are similar aged vehicles with 40,000 and 400,000.

Have a good look for wear if you doubt that the odometer is telling the truth. Look at switches, carpet, steering wheel, etc. These are the things that a generally not replaced.

[383hq]

Just use redbook
High value - low value, and high dollar - low dollar will help you understand pricing, but keep it simple, its just a guide. .
I am happy to pay more for one owner well kept cars- history and all, as above condition counts

[Dr Terry]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

Firstly don't fall for the "County K's" gimmick. High kilometers is high kilometers. Only difference is that the country car burned less fuel to get there.

I disagree with that, it is not always the case.

Years ago, around 2003/4 from memory, I purchased a high km VT Berlina from the auction, just because it was all I could afford at the time. It had 180,000 km on the odo & yet was only 4 years old. Being a Berlina it had all the fruit & I thought it to be a steal at the time, because it was only $5K were a similar car with a 'normal' odo reading was pulling around $12K at that time. Lets face it, nobody wanted a VT with 180,000 km, I was probably the only bidder.

Anyway after taking it home & giving it the once over, I was astounded at its overall condition. It was a good 'tight' car with a good service history. It first owner was a sales rep who did virtually all his driving the Taree/Newcastle area & mostly on the freeways at 100 km/h on the cruise control. He had just traded it in at the end of a 4 year lease.

The car had all its original paint & panels (OK lots of stone chips) & the back seat had never been used. The factory spare tyre still sat in the boot & the rear brake pads had never been changed. The front brake pads had been changed once. Driving on freeways for most of its life meant that the steering, suspension & brakes were probably in better condition than an equivalent 'city' car with less than half the kms.

I still have this car, which now has over 400,000 km on it, worth nothing now & is a great spare car. From my point of view this is easily the most reliable & economical car that I've ever owned & I've been driving since 1970.

Dr Terry

[EB#]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

Firstly don't fall for the "County K's" gimmick. High kilometers is high kilometers. Only difference is that the country car burned less fuel to get there...

I tend to disagree. A 'country km' car that spends a lot of time cruising on a rural highway, in top gear, pulling 2000/3000 rpm (depending on engine size) has an entirely different wear and tear experience than a city car.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by EB#

I tend to disagree. A 'country km' car that spends a lot of time cruising on a rural highway, in top gear, pulling 2000/3000 rpm (depending on engine size) has an entirely different wear and tear experience than a city car.

Agree entirely. I live 20km from the nearest shop/service-station on 80km/h or 100km/h roads with total of 4 give way signs. My normal drive to work is 70km round trip. Vehicle is well warmed up, sustained cruising and very few stops for most of my driving.

At 200,000km most of our vehicles have been mechanically fine. The stuff which they get sold for relates to degradation due to age rather than distance.

Unless you are buying something with a factory warranty, you are buying based on the behaviors of the previous owner(s) not necessarily the mileage.

[lra]

I think that use and care is the most important factor. Mrs and I have 3 cars, all immaculate and well serviced.
8 years, 84K … this is the short trip one, so is most likely to have engine/trans wear.
12 years 125K ….. used for long trips around Oz, suspension bits replaced.
14 years 125k …… was my ‘to work’ car with over 100k per day on a country road, now sits mostly in garage under a cover.
Offspring’s vehicles … both relatively new, low Ks, look like a garbage dump inside, with lots of superficial scrapes, scratches and trolly dings.
Without knowing the history of the cars, potential buyers would probably pick the later model ones after/if they have been washed.

[FairmontGS]

OP wasn't asking "how" the kilometres were racked up, just if high or low makes a difference. Answer is Yes, lower kms means car is worth more.

[mike_nofx]

Yes he did say 'all things equal' however surely price wouldn't be equal if all other things were.

I was recently looking at cars, and in the price range the cars varied from just under 100k km to 200k km. All in the same budget range. The lower km cars were in the same price range for a reason, they were rough as guts.

Purely based on price, in general:
Low km poor condition = higher km excellent condition.
Low km exc condition > higher km exc condition.

[Vesper Martini]

To figure out where your question is going Daz, a high Km 2nd hand vehicle is not so much of an issue if the car is doing Sub 10,000kms a year.
of course it depends on the quality of the vehicle in the first place
keep an eye out for expensive service items like Timing Belts

if you plan on using it as an Uber, well that's another story -or Thread

[Crazy Dazz]

Highway cruising miles are definitely easier on a car than city miles. The engine is not strained, there's less wear on drive-train and suspension components, and generally there will be less "passenger" wear per kilometre. Problem is that unless you know the person who owned it, how do you know?
Problem with a "country car" is that it could have it's life on back roads and farm tracks.

But my question is really how do I quantify it?
If I am looking at two cars, same model, trim, and age. Tyres, rego, etc, similar.
One has done 50kk, the other 100kk. How much more should I be prepared to pay for the lower k model?
Should I try to base it on some notion of "usable km remaining"? so I might say the 1st has 200kk to give and the other 150kk, so its worth 33% more?

[cm29579]

I bought an FG MkII a month ago (mid 2013 model), 149,000km on it, country car, and it looks and drives like a new car, and having driven a lot of FG cabs, I have experience with them.

The FGX I drive as a cab currently, its been rough as guts since about the 170,000 mark, rattles and clunks everywhere. Awful gearing.

I never realised until buying this latest one what a difference country mileage makes over city. Only downside is stone chips on the bumper/bonnet and a windscreen that could do with replacing due to the tiny marks everywhere from bugs/rocks etc.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

But my question is really how do I quantify it?
If I am looking at two cars, same model, trim, and age. Tyres, rego, etc, similar.
One has done 50kk, the other 100kk. How much more should I be prepared to pay for the lower k model?

You will have to use you own judgement,
or As above use Redbook or Glass guide as a "Guide"

Another trick is to use your insurance company to give you the value it can be insured for. They don't like doing this, as its not in their interest to help you pick the right car. (timewaster) so choose your words carefully.

[falcon_bandit]

Old and/or Rich people = "If it aint got low kays, i dont want it !!!"

Young people = "Bargain !!!"

[xtremerus]

50k or 100k?
Really depends on the age of the cars.
If they were 10 year old cars?
I definitely would be checking about servicing records etc of a 50k one.
Too low a kms for age can indicate lots of short runs and lack of servicing.
But even if stamped for services, I wouldn't pay any more for it over a same serviced car at 100k

[jstanovic]

No real mathematical formula for price difference between identical 50,000km and 100,000km used cars, just study the market for a while before committing.

I'm not too fussed about km, as long as the odometer "matches" the car's condition then all is good.

[SumoDog68]

With older cars you buy on condition rather than mileage. It is matter of personal preference how much lower kms are worth to you. Unless you know how car was used it is hard to determine price difference based on mileage.
Specific cars have maintenance scheduled items like timing belts , transmission fluid replacement etc. Some owners (like myself) overservice their cars , use high quality consumables(fuel ,oil, rotors ,pads, spark plugs , shocks) , maintain the paintwork and interior , fix small issues and other owners just use the cheapest option available.

[Bayson]

Im not sure country km are better than city km..

Generally country km are at higher speeds, every bump on the suspension is way higher load, spinning the diff much faster, brakes at higher speed, wheel bearings. Load on steering higher, when rocks flick up they tear up the front bar

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by Bayson

Im not sure country km are better than city km..

Generally country km are at higher speeds, every bump on the suspension is way higher load, spinning the diff much faster, brakes at higher speed, wheel bearings. Load on steering higher, when rocks flick up they tear up the front bar

Highway kms are easier on the car - constant speed , good airflow for good cooling , rare brake application , engine working in lower rev range (number of engine rotations is lower) , less steering input , less gear changes . Stop/start driving is harder on cars. It will of course depend on type of the car - small engined city car might struggle on open road.

[MITCHAY]

It is funny how it works. I was certain I would flog my car off before it hit 100k but now I have racked up 185k and it is still going good despite the 4th and 5th synchros being bad but I can work with it so it has changed my whole perspective.

I'm in Canberra so luckily for me it is between 80-100km/h for the most part with not a lot of start/stop.

[stock1991]

the average km's is 20 000kms a year,so to me the cars that have done more than that are the ones id expect cheaper. also i'm sure you know any used car is going to need something, tyres or rego at least so factor that in plus any reconditioning.

edit. as for how much difference, depending on body condition at least $1000 per 20 000kms

[Bayson]

cars are designed with an effective life in mind. As the car gets closer to these km or effective life they approach the end. total km is the measure of effective life. No matter if a car has done 15000km per year, if a 15 year old car has 225,000km its still very very high km.

Components wear with use, they dont reset each year.

Id say more than 180000km regardless of age is too high.

[asagaai]

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

Highway kms are easier on the car - constant speed , good airflow for good cooling , rare brake application , engine working in lower rev range (number of engine rotations is lower) , less steering input , less gear changes . Stop/start driving is harder on cars. It will of course depend on type of the car - small engined city car might struggle on open road.

I bought a second hand car for my daughter- A Honda Civic with 165,000 km on it. When I first say the ad with kms was worried.

Previously tested a Mistubishi Lancer- with 90,000 km on it- was rough, engine underpowered and thrashy- just felt worn.

On the test run the Civic literally felt like a brand new car- tight in suspension brakes, steering- and so smooth.

Had been owned by a high school teacher and she drove the car every day from north Raymond Terrace to Warners Bay to Warners Bay High School with most of the KMs easy freeway cruising, very little stop start.

Still occasionally drive the Honda Civic- now at 180,000 km- and still so tight and smooth.

So I say not all kms =kms

[roddy1960]

G'day...I remember talking to a car sales consultant that I used to go to school with once . In fact it's who i bought my old AU ll off.
He told me the magic number when cars drop value as per kilometres travelled is 130,000.
I bought the AU as a two year old car in 2003 with 58,000 kms and original owner was the Tasmanian Agricultural Dept and it was a fleet vehicle. Just over 200,000 now and has been a beauty . Still is.
My FG XR6 was a one owner from new built in April 2008 (one of the very first ones) with only 69,700 kms on it as we speak and it literally drives like new. I bought it in March 2016 with 65,000 on it.
I service both of them every 6 months without fail , I never drive them cold like some do which I CANNOT bellieve.
I work at a High School and I see people every day who have their car sitting all day long who get in , hit the key and drive off pretty hard within a few seconds rather than letting the engine start to warm up for a minute or two .
They're the cars I'd avoid regardless of clicks if I knew that's how they were treated.
I think the adage "Look after your car and it'll look after you " is pretty true even for newer cars that cope with rough treatment it a bit better than the older ones...Cheers Rod..

[stock1991]

the "magic" number to drop a car kilometre wise, at least psychologically is under 100 000kms, a car with 97 000km can command a higher price than a car with 101 000, regardless of condition. it is all about perception

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by Bayson

cars are designed with an effective life in mind. As the car gets closer to these km or effective life they approach the end. total km is the measure of effective life. No matter if a car has done 15000km per year, if a 15 year old car has 225,000km its still very very high km.

Components wear with use, they dont reset each year.

Id say more than 180000km regardless of age is too high.

Not sure if serious

[EB#]

Originally Posted by Bayson

....Id say more than 180000km regardless of age is too high.

I better drop my (country km) '03 XR6 off at the wrecker then.... It runs like a top, but it's got 290K on it now.

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Bayson

cars are designed with an effective life in mind. As the car gets closer to these km or effective life they approach the end. total km is the measure of effective life. No matter if a car has done 15000km per year, if a 15 year old car has 225,000km its still very very high km.

Components wear with use, they dont reset each year.

Id say more than 180000km regardless of age is too high.

We have a 13 year old Prado with 215,000kms which is actually low kms for such a vehicle, when its 15 years old it will have done 235,000kms

Give me a reason to get rid of it other than keeping up with the Joness.