Author Topic: How Many Miles in Used Car?  (Read 1963 times)

LearningMustachian72

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How Many Miles in Used Car?
« on: March 02, 2020, 01:23:23 PM »
Hey!

Have decided on a 2010-2014 Toyota Prius for my next vehicle.

How many miles do folks generally look for in a used car?

Any other used car buying tips?  Sites you like, dealer vs private party, etc?

Optimiser

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2020, 01:35:34 PM »
I like the way MMM addresses this question in step 2 of this post: https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2011/04/19/how-to-come-out-way-ahead-when-buying-a-used-car/

honeybbq

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2020, 02:28:39 PM »
I'm a big fan of Carmax if you have them in your area.

I generally would look at 2-4 year old vehicles in the 15-25k mileage range.

For your needs maybe 50-75k if you can find a low(er) mileage one.

FLAFI

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2020, 02:42:57 PM »
The age of the traction battery is an important factor in a Prius. The ICE engine works less in a Prius than a standard car. Unless there is an large difference in mileage, it's often better to go with a newer Prius. The 3rd generation Prius is a fine car, but if you can get a 2016 (4th Gen.), you'll see major improvements in mileage and handling.         
« Last Edit: March 02, 2020, 02:47:28 PM by FLAFI »

LearningMustachian72

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2020, 02:52:23 PM »
I don’t know that I can afford the gen 4 model.

Any concerns with the battery in a sub 80k gen 3 I should worry about besides fuel costs?  That is, any risk that I would need to replace the battery or incur other major expenses due to this?

Essentially looking for a cheapest commuter car that is still very reliable at a decent price point and I thought the 2010-2014 Prius fit this bill.

Queen Frugal

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2020, 03:23:12 PM »
I just bought a used car. I needed something to pull a camper and I wanted to be as frugal as I could about it.

Here is the most useful research I found about the best age and mileage for a used car:

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/what-is-the-best-age-and-mileage-for-a-used-car

The bottom line according to the article is to buy the oldest car you can be comfortable with to save the most money.

I bought a 2011 Toyota 4Runner with 160k. I found it on FB marketplace and purchased it from a private party for a very fair price per KBB. So far I am happy with it but I just registered it this morning so it's too soon to know how much trouble I will have with it.

I am really sad to be selling my 2014 Toyota Prius with 67k but I don't need 2 vehicles. I don't even have a commute. It has been the cheapest, most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. I think you'll be happy with a Prius.

calimom

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2020, 05:25:38 PM »
I just bought a used car. I needed something to pull a camper and I wanted to be as frugal as I could about it.

Here is the most useful research I found about the best age and mileage for a used car:

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/what-is-the-best-age-and-mileage-for-a-used-car

The bottom line according to the article is to buy the oldest car you can be comfortable with to save the most money.

I bought a 2011 Toyota 4Runner with 160k. I found it on FB marketplace and purchased it from a private party for a very fair price per KBB. So far I am happy with it but I just registered it this morning so it's too soon to know how much trouble I will have with it.

I am really sad to be selling my 2014 Toyota Prius with 67k but I don't need 2 vehicles. I don't even have a commute. It has been the cheapest, most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. I think you'll be happy with a Prius.

Congrats on your new tow vehicle, @Queen Frugal , is your dream Scamp camper next? Wishing you well!

And ahem @LearningMustachian72 ...are you anywhere near Kansas? Sounds like there's a well loved 2014 Prius hitting the market.

Chris Pascale

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2020, 05:47:51 PM »
About a year ago I got a Kia Forte with about 40k miles. It was a good buy. Previous owner was retired.

Queen Frugal

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2020, 06:31:33 PM »
I just bought a used car. I needed something to pull a camper and I wanted to be as frugal as I could about it.

Here is the most useful research I found about the best age and mileage for a used car:

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/what-is-the-best-age-and-mileage-for-a-used-car

The bottom line according to the article is to buy the oldest car you can be comfortable with to save the most money.

I bought a 2011 Toyota 4Runner with 160k. I found it on FB marketplace and purchased it from a private party for a very fair price per KBB. So far I am happy with it but I just registered it this morning so it's too soon to know how much trouble I will have with it.

I am really sad to be selling my 2014 Toyota Prius with 67k but I don't need 2 vehicles. I don't even have a commute. It has been the cheapest, most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. I think you'll be happy with a Prius.

Congrats on your new tow vehicle, @Queen Frugal , is your dream Scamp camper next? Wishing you well!

And ahem @LearningMustachian72 ...are you anywhere near Kansas? Sounds like there's a well loved 2014 Prius hitting the market.

Thanks calimom! I am on the hunt for a Scamp, it's true!

Honestly I'm not trying to sell you my Prius LearningMustachian72 - I am actually holding it for my neighbor who is likely going to buy it - but I will say the Prius is about as practical and economical as you are going to find - even with repairs. Lots of people worry about the battery, but it's my understanding the batteries last a very long time and even if you need a new or rebuilt one, it's not all that expensive - maybe $1000. My neighbor wants the Prius because apparently they are the preferred choice for Uber drivers because overall they are the cheapest to drive. I don't know if that is true or not but it wouldn't surprise me. I did find some articles when searching for finding good values for used cars that also said the Prius was the overall cheapest car to own over time.

And heck, you can even fit a full bed in the back if you want to sleep in it!

bacchi

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2020, 06:38:18 PM »
I don’t know that I can afford the gen 4 model.

Any concerns with the battery in a sub 80k gen 3 I should worry about besides fuel costs?  That is, any risk that I would need to replace the battery or incur other major expenses due to this?

Essentially looking for a cheapest commuter car that is still very reliable at a decent price point and I thought the 2010-2014 Prius fit this bill.

We bought a gen 3 50k miles Prius from Carmax. No problems so far.

lutorm

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #10 on: March 02, 2020, 09:45:45 PM »
Our 2010 Prius has 90k miles now and no problems. Have not noticed any decrease in mileage that isn't swamped by variations due to tire pressure and trip length.

ericrugiero

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2020, 06:20:58 AM »
I generally try to stay under ~100,000 miles on my used cars.  That is because I want them to last a good while and also be reliable for longer trips. There is nothing particularly right or wrong about that, it's just where I have ended up on the value curve. 

Also, for each car there is a depreciation curve which tends to be much steeper on newer cars and gradually levels off.  Eventually it becomes almost flat as long as the vehicle is still running well.  IMO, the most economical point to own a car is as that curve levels off but before repairs start to become frequent and expensive. 

ChickenStash

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #12 on: March 03, 2020, 08:09:43 AM »
It's not likely to be a popular opinion around here, but I try to get used cars with less than 50k miles, preferably under 30k. Much past that point and the impact of any poor maintenance can start to pop up.

MilesTeg

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #13 on: March 03, 2020, 11:49:27 AM »
More important than total miles is miles per year. A bit unintuitive,  but high miles per year is often better than low miles per year. High miles per year likely means lots of highway travel, which is easy miles on a vehicle. Low miles per year likely means many short trips, which are much harder on a vehicle. Mostly because many short trips means lots of heat-cool cycles and lots of additional wear and tear from mechanical parts running below operating temp, especially in cool climates. Something like 90% of engine wear occurs in those first few minutes of a cold start, and transmissions and other drive train wear more when cold.

Ideally, you want to find is a low mile per year vehicle where most of the miles are long trips. But lots of commuter cars out there that have racked up tons of miles per year with lots of highway travel. With verifiable service records they are decent options.

Car Jack

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #14 on: March 03, 2020, 12:27:02 PM »
Good points, MilesTeg.

I work with sales people who are constantly on the road.  They're typically putting 30k to 50k miles a year on their cars and of course, a great amount of these are starting the car and driving for 2 hours at a shot.  These are the absolute easiest miles on a car.  If you can find one of these, 2 or 3 years old with 100k miles on it, you'll have a great car.

On the other end of the spectrum, my mother in law was a visiting nurse in a city environment.  She'd get in the car and drive half a mile.  Then an hour later, get in the car and drive half a mile.  When I first met my wife, she was driving a Dodge Dart with the indestructible slant 6.  Well, at 80k miles, the car spun a bearing and became junk.  I don't think anyone, ever has heard of one of these engines dieing, let alone at 80k miles.  You don't want one of these cars!

Just Joe

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #15 on: March 04, 2020, 12:07:00 PM »
I don’t know that I can afford the gen 4 model.

Any concerns with the battery in a sub 80k gen 3 I should worry about besides fuel costs?  That is, any risk that I would need to replace the battery or incur other major expenses due to this?

Essentially looking for a cheapest commuter car that is still very reliable at a decent price point and I thought the 2010-2014 Prius fit this bill.

Portions of the Prius battery can be replaced rather than the whole battery. You can buy tested and good cells on eBay for ~$50. A friend replaced several in his 250K mile old Prius and kept driving it. The efficiency returned after the DIY repair.

I'll second CarMax if you want a newer car. We bought a vehicle off-lease with ~40K miles for a price just under NADA/Blue Book value at CarMax. Enough people complain about CarMax being too expensive to wonder if there is a regional difference meaning CarMax is more expensive elsewhere. Dunno.

jinga nation

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Re: How Many Miles in Used Car?
« Reply #16 on: March 04, 2020, 12:33:23 PM »
I don’t know that I can afford the gen 4 model.

Any concerns with the battery in a sub 80k gen 3 I should worry about besides fuel costs?  That is, any risk that I would need to replace the battery or incur other major expenses due to this?

Essentially looking for a cheapest commuter car that is still very reliable at a decent price point and I thought the 2010-2014 Prius fit this bill.

Portions of the Prius battery can be replaced rather than the whole battery. You can buy tested and good cells on eBay for ~$50. A friend replaced several in his 250K mile old Prius and kept driving it. The efficiency returned after the DIY repair.

I'll second CarMax if you want a newer car. We bought a vehicle off-lease with ~40K miles for a price just under NADA/Blue Book value at CarMax. Enough people complain about CarMax being too expensive to wonder if there is a regional difference meaning CarMax is more expensive elsewhere. Dunno.

Watch ChrisFix's video on replacing Prius batteries:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSwUEVx5G3U

(spoiler alert: it's doable if you take your time and take safety precautions)