Should mileage affect new car purchase?

[jbw]

I'm spending ages trying to decide whether mileage should affect my purchase decision and want to know what others do when considering buying a new audi. I'm currently looking at 02-03 1.9TDI's of which there are a few around. I've never bought a car with a higher mileage than my current car as I consider it more likely to fail and cost me more cash. Am I wrong to think this?
I've found TDI's with 30k on the clock but they lack extras like air con or a sunroof which would be hell on a hot day stuck in traffic. Other's have done 75k but inc. the extras like aircon. If you had £10k to play with - which would you go for?

ta,
jbw

 

[rodenal]

To be honest its all dependant on the individual car.

Its impossible to say a 30k car will be a minter and its impossible to say a 75k car wil lcause you problems.

The only thing i will say is at higher mileages, particularly with rstt's etc on the car the suspension is more likely to be a bit worn out. Other than that i cant see a problem as long as the car has been well looked after

 

[DPM]

All goes on general condition of the car as well mate, that's a big factor!

 

[Olly_K]

i bought my rs4 with 98k on the clock, 1 owner from new. never really put a foot wrong !

 

[jbw]

So is 75k not considered high mileage for an Audi? I'm not experienced at car buying, only owned 2 cars so far. At the risk of someone else snapping one up (has happened before) here is the 75k car and here is the 31k car.

They both look in good shape from the pics but I would have expected a car of this age to have only done around 40k?

 

[steve1975l]

Not having climate would be a real pain. I prefer the higher milage one out of the two.

What sor of mileage are you doing a year?

 

[S3tony]

i wouldnt say that 75k is that much to worry about, especialy in a tdi. my dads last tdi had done 375k and his new one is on about 180k.

 

[rodenal]

the mileage on the 2003 car looks alright, 18000 motorway miles a year will probably keep it in good shape. Definately prefer that one

 

[jbw]

Not having climate would be a real pain. I prefer the higher milage one out of the two.

What sor of mileage are you doing a year?

Ermm... (grabs calculator) apparently I'm doing about 17,000 miles a year. But that could change when I move next year.

the mileage on the 2003 car looks alright, 18000 motorway miles a year will probably keep it in good shape. Definately prefer that one

You mean the higher mileage one, right? They list it as a 2003 but the plate is a 52. I've emailed them to ask a couple of questions before I consider the drive.

i wouldnt say that 75k is that much to worry about, especialy in a tdi. my dads last tdi had done 375k and his new one is on about 180k.

These are audi's that your old man has clocked up that mileage with?

 

[MikeA3]

just make sure the cambelt was done at around 60k including the water pump - that'll cost you about £350+, also check the service history is ok and that any attention notes from the mechanics have been addressed.

as for milage the TDI engines are good for 200k+ if maintained well, as DPM suggested the condition of the car is a good indicator of how well it's been maintained.

my tdi is on just under 73k and has never put a foot wrong.

good luck with the search

 

[voorhees]

just make sure the cambelt was done at around 60k including the water pump - that'll cost you about £350+,

I agree totally this is a top bit of advice plus you want climate mate if your doing the miles in it

 

[S3tony]

These are audi's that your old man has clocked up that mileage with?

audi 80 tdi did about 375k maybe more, still going strong till someone decided to write it off for him.
hes now got a skoda octavia tdi 110 with about 180k on it

 

[Prawn]

audi 80 tdi did about 375k maybe more, still going strong till someone decided to write it off for him.
hes now got a skoda octavia tdi 110 with about 180k on it

ours are very similar tony!

My current A3 1.8T is on 134k, and still runs and drives like a brand new car!

my dads current a4 110 tdi is on 190k, and at its mot a month ago the tester said it was one of the cleanest tdi's he had ever tested, and it still drives like a brand new car!

my mums a3 tdi 110 is on 178k, and is exactly the same story.... still totally perfect!

our old audi 80 tdi 90 auto, is on 228k, and still sounds and drives like a brand new motor!

these things just seem to laugh in the face of high mileage!

 

[Prawn]

edit: personally, of those two, i would go with the higher mileage car

the 31k car seems pretty low specced...... i wouldnt want a car without air con now!

 

[jbw]

I'm too late for the higher mileage one - it's got a deposit down on it.
This has been happening to me for the last 3 months... so frustrating.
Anyhow from the info you chaps have given me I've a better idea of what to look out for.

 

[LexDiamond]

If it really bothers you then you could always get a mechanic to check it out before purchase.

My personal take on this is that 74k isn't alot for most cars these days. Engines are good for high miles on most modern diesel engines. Its the rest of the stuff that can go wrong (and can often cost more than an engine) that you should consider. If you think the general build quality of the car is good then go for it.

 

[AndyMac]

Always go for a younger car over mileage.
An older car with dubious low mileage is far more prone to problems as it will only have been used for school runs etc, so lots of short journeys which are very bad for a car.
High mileage Audi's are a really good buy, as they have already suffered with a large amount of depreciation, especially if you are going to put quite a few more miles on it. We bought our 02 B6 Avant TDi with 113k on it for £9k 18 months ago. It's now got 154k on it and still feels very tight, drives like new.
My B5 is on a similar mileage but is 4 years older and feels baggy & saggy in comparison.