Is lower mileage always better?

[dontheconqueror]

Yay, first post ko ito!

I recently had a chance to view two second hand cars of the same model, both 2005. Parehas pang XT* ang plaka. One had 32k km on the odomoter, the other 19k lang. However, if I were to choose between the two I'd go with the 32k km one. Why? Parang ang dating niya is 'maalagang 32k' judging from the interior or exterior condition, as opposed to the so-so 19k.

Is it a rule to always pick the one with the lower mileage?

Tenks!

[Horsepower]

check mo rin kung totoo yung mileage nung 19k. 2005 model pa pala tapos 19k lang, kahina-hinala. Yung car namin na July 2006 binili, wala pang 1yr, currently 18k na, may mga kapalitan pa yun.

Pero kung ako, sa condition nung car ako titingin, mileage is just a number - a number that can be cheated that is.

[Si 06]

Check the tires, rubber pads sa pedals. I know for a fact that even digital odometers can be reversed I know someone who does it.

[IMm29]

check mo rin kung totoo yung mileage nung 19k. 2005 model pa pala tapos 19k lang, kahina-hinala. Yung car namin na July 2006 binili, wala pang 1yr, currently 18k na, may mga kapalitan pa yun.

Pero kung ako, sa condition nung car ako titingin, mileage is just a number - a number that can be cheated that is.

Depende din naman sa gamit. Baka naman yung may 19k, 2nd or 3rd car sa garahe, while yung naka 32k nag-iisa lang. Our Starex, for example, has been with us since July 2005, pero has only close to 7t kms on the clock. No tampering or anything, just not used as often.

Anyhow, in general, tampering aside, (but of course, you can't totally discount that, what with some unscrupulous sellers we have nowadays) mileage is just a number. Like what mbeige said, the overall condition of the car will tell you if it's been cared for or abused. Perhaps the 32k car you saw looked newer than the 19k car. Maybe its daily route from Metro Manila to north and/or south provinces instead of purely in the metro. Highway miles, though quicker to accumulate, are less stressful to the engine, compared to city accumulated miles.

Just be aware of "cosmetic" temporary fixes that the seller may have done to make the car look and/or feel newer. It would be best to bring a trusted mechanic to have a comprehensive look at the car, or a friend who can do the same. This way, you're more assured that the car is ok, or perhaps, since they're a third party, you're decision-making is not clouded by your want to buy a car.

[flex]

Last sunday I saw this white corolla (99 model) at a car exchange place in Pasig, ok sana yung car pero when I saw the mileage (24,000km) nagduda ako parang too good to be true so I just walked away.

I think u have to look at the overall package...if the car's condition is really nice....well maintained, such as the engines etc...i think d naman cya kahinahinala....

I had a corolla 95 gli that I sold last year and around 48k lng un mileage but almost 11 years na un...but when the buyer saw the condition of the car...d cya nagtaka...cya pa ang nangulit na bilhin na...coz my dad really didnt want to sell d car...well maintained kc sobra and bihira lng gamitin...

[LEB]

For european cars lower mileage is a bad sign. that means the car is in the shop getting fixed more often than it is being used. Also european cars are proned to stuck up so if you dont use it often it would deteriorate.

[mbeige]

For european cars lower mileage is a bad sign. that means the car is in the shop getting fixed more often than it is being used. Also european cars are proned to stuck up so if you dont use it often it would deteriorate.

Let's not rush to conclusions. Lower mileage European cars may also be well-kept, because it's a Euro car the owner may have garaged it more than his Japanese cars (for daily use).

All cars will sooner or later get stuck up if not used. Cars love to be driven, sometimes hard. If it just gets stored, that's another thing to worry about.

[raine]

Yay, first post ko ito!

I recently had a chance to view two second hand cars of the same model, both 2005. Parehas pang XT* ang plaka. One had 32k km on the odomoter, the other 19k lang. However, if I were to choose between the two I'd go with the 32k km one. Why? Parang ang dating niya is 'maalagang 32k' judging from the interior or exterior condition, as opposed to the so-so 19k.

Is it a rule to always pick the one with the lower mileage?

Tenks!

Kailangan check mo ang actual condition at madaling madaya ang odo reading, at maaaring tama yung reading kasi parating sira pala kaya mababa ang reading at hindi magamit at gusto ng ibenta ng mayari.

[mbeige]

In general, mileage just indicates the amount of use the car has gotten, false or not. BUT the condition is more important. Check service records if any. Check maintenance consistencies. Check for prior accidents (anything can happen within xx,xxx km or miles). And lastly, look for common wear items that may indicate a true high mileage vehicle. Brake pedal will seem more worn, steering wheel top half may be more spongy or worn. Handbrake may be really worn. Those things are tell-tale signs.

Finally, here's my final say on this. As long as the car is solid, mechanically sound (here's where your research pays off), and has been taken care of and proven using service record receipts, etc... then mileage doesn't matter. Heck, we sold our wagon that had 372,000 miles on it for nearly twice the price we paid for it a year ago. Of course it helped that I added and improved on some things, but nevertheless, that just shows that mileage doesn't really deter a lot of people.

One last thing, if it's highway miles then all the better. Pero kung grandma-style driving or mostly city, baka nalaspag yan. The worst driving conditions are usually stop and go traffic, just like in common Manila roads. If a lot of highway miles have been done on most of those indicated miles/km, then even better. Engines love to be driven at operating temp where the oil is hot and can do its job of protecting the engine from wear and tear.

Also always ask why the seller is selling the car, and see if his story matches up. Sometimes if they don't minsan may tinatago about the car like hidden problems not disclosed.

Know the term, "Buyer beware" ... Goodluck!

[tylerdude]

19k for a 2005 model is just right. kasi ang average nya is a little more than 9k km per year which is realistic if the owner uses it in the city only. kami nga we jut bought a 2005 jazz with 15k mileage which is even lower and i think it is just right kung city driving lang talaga. i used to average around 10k a year since bahay (pasig) to office (makati) lang talaga gamit ko and some gimik pag weekends.

[ronw123w124]

Last sunday I saw this white corolla (99 model) at a car exchange place in Pasig, ok sana yung car pero when I saw the mileage (24,000km) nagduda ako parang too good to be true so I just walked away.

[froshie1]

Bigyan natin ng benefit of the doubt si 19k. Pwede naman talaga iyon kung ang opisina ng tao ay nasa 12kms lang at bahay opisina lang talaga ang routa nya. Ang tanong dyan, lagi ba nyang napapa PMS ang sasakyan nya? Iyon ang dapat mong alamin.

[dontheconqueror]

I know for a fact that even digital odometers can be reversed I know someone who does it

Wow, I didn't think you can do this. Buyer beware nga!

Thanks for all the tips...balik ako sa research mode. Konti pa sa history, but more on the condition of the parts mentioned

[cablespy]

mileages isnt as important as the actual conditon of the car.

I'd rather choose higher mileage that was well-maintained rather than low mileage that had poor maintenance.

[XTO]

hindi po. kung makaka-tyempo ng low-mileage at maintained well eh jackpot
yun. but importante yung physical na pwedeng makita at marinig. kahit medyo
mataas na mileage kung pasado sa hanap mo dun ka na.

[cutie42]

this is a general tip to all 2nd hand buyers. if you're buying from a 2nd hand dealer, ask if it's 1st owner, open the trunk and lift the carpet to see if there is a sign na may tama sa likod, open also the hood para macheck mo rin yung front kung may bangga, don't believe in odometers, as what others say they can be adjusted or reversed, lalo na sa mga 2nd hand dealers. an average of 10,000 kms each year is ideal for a car. you can always ask for the copy of the registration and have it check at lto where it is 1st registered.

[kmo]

it really depends on the condition of the car na tiningnan mo ... test drive it to see wag mo na masyadong pansinin kung ng mamatch ba yung year sa milage kasi tama nga yung iba ... hindi naman lahat ng sasakyan ay daily driver ... like ours, we have a 97 316i with just 40k on the odo, 1991 patrol safari with just 115km on the odo my xtrail is 04 but has just 22k on the odo .... mas pansinin mo if laspag ba ang loob etc dun palang malalamn mo na kung inaalagaan ang sasakyan ..... then isunod mo na yung mga pangilalim makina etc etc ...... dont base solely on milage and yr alone

[Revenant]

Possible ba ito?

Nung minsang isama ako ng kaibigan ko para mag-test ng mga 2nd hand Honda Civic 1.6 na benta nung ibang kakilala nya, mas maganda yung takbo nung mga mas mataas na mileage pero highway/provincial driven (sabi nila) kesa doon sa mga mas mababa ang mileage pero city driven?

Plausible explanation ba yung mas bugbog ang engine sa stop-and-go/idling kesa sa continuous 60+kph driving?

[GlennSter]

id rather get a higher mileage car that was highway driven most of the time rather than a lower mileage car which was driven in the city.

thats of course, when we're talking about around 20-30k kms difference.

city driven cars are GENERALLY more laspag than highway driven cars because of the bumps and the stop and go's....while sa highway, generally mas maganda ang daan and your engine is running steadily..

[mbeige]

Possible ba ito?

Nung minsang isama ako ng kaibigan ko para mag-test ng mga 2nd hand Honda Civic 1.6 na benta nung ibang kakilala nya, mas maganda yung takbo nung mga mas mataas na mileage pero highway/provincial driven (sabi nila) kesa doon sa mga mas mababa ang mileage pero city driven?

Plausible explanation ba yung mas bugbog ang engine sa stop-and-go/idling kesa sa continuous 60+kph driving?

See my previous reply.

One last thing, if it's highway miles then all the better. Pero kung grandma-style driving or mostly city, baka nalaspag yan. The worst driving conditions are usually stop and go traffic, just like in common Manila roads. If a lot of highway miles have been done on most of those indicated miles/km, then even better. Engines love to be driven at operating temp where the oil is hot and can do its job of protecting the engine from wear and tear.