[silverado]

It also depends on the Make/Model of the car.

For Eg a Ford Ikon 1.3 vs Ford ikon 1.6.

A high mileage Innova ( arnd 1Lac ) will not have many engine/transmission issues against a different model maybe a 1 lac km run scorpio/bolero/xylo

[himavanth_m]

Between a 35k Kms car and a 1 lac kms car, There is no doubt I will be going for a 35k kms car. The better question would be, 40k Kms with tyres changed in 2 years or 25k kms in 4 years. In this case, I am not sure which one to buy, provided both have excellent service history.

[sumeethaldankar]

I have a 14 year m800 done only ~36500 Kms.The car is 80% highway driven.My Engine & tranny are in sound condition however the highway running has taken it's toll on the suspension with the shocks needing replacement along with the lower arms which simply was broken ( i have hit speed breakers which would creep up from nowhere at speeds of 80 kmph)

A old car irrespective of kms would need all it's rubber materials looked into along with the electricals which according to me is the weakest components of any car.

So if the choice is to go between a high and low mileage car then go with the lower mileage irrespective of the age in years as even a higher mileage car would need the rubber and electricals looked into.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

... electricals which according to me is the weakest components of any car.

... go with the lower mileage irrespective of the age in years ...

Unlike Mechanicals, the life of Electricals purely depends on life of the vehicle, and little on kilometers run. So, as per this argument it should be the other way round. A newer car with more kilometers should have lesser problems than an old car with a new odo.

[sudeepg]

I'd go for a car that has mostly been driven on highways. City driving puts a lot of strain on the car's engine & transmission with frequent stop & go. Usually people in city use their car as a means of transport to get from point A to point B and are also generally under stress while driving. Therefore they are less likely to pay attention to the wellness of the car. City car also gets knocked more often. Mirror bashing is very common. In a city like Bangalore, there are speed breakers at almost every 500 meters. So most of the drivers usually are fed up of slowing down and tend to just go over it without reducing speed. Thus the suspension and shock absorbers in a city car also take a lot of beating.

In my opinion a car that has been driven on the highway is a better choice.

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Unlike Mechanicals, the life of Electricals purely depends on life of the vehicle, and little on kilometers run. So, as per this argument it should be the other way round. A newer car with more kilometers should have lesser problems than an old car with a new odo.

Well by electricals i mean stuff like battery, alternator etc. I am currently on my 3rd alternator of my 14 year 800 with the same engine :-)

[Gansan]

The life of the engine is finite. We generally know how much for each make/model. So I would naturally pick a car that has the most life left, even if it is a couple of years older.

That said, I would not like to buy a car that has clocked more than a third of it's expected engine life, no matter how well maintained.

[Shan2nu]

All things being equal, the 6 year old car with less running makes more sense. Provided you're getting it at a lower price.

Shan2nu

[vasoo]

I always prefer a car that has run less kms irrespective of its age. Whle I was lookign for a sedan in 2009, I was actively considering a 2006 Civic which has run just 16k kms. However the deal did not go through because of price.

Disclaimer: I have a Santro which is 2001 model and used on a daily basis, but has run on 40k kms so far. Never took it outside city.

[zulfi hansi]

Originally Posted by IQBAL VEERJI

Hi, friends I dont know about others but I was fleeced by an old man in seventies.
This oldie was staying at DADAR hindu colony and he gave an advertisement in newspaper about his 8OO 5 speed, 2002 model, this was inthe year 2008.
Ad said Maruti 800 5 speed 2002 model, done only 10678 kms.
I was surprised at this and went to his place to see the car, it was second owner * 1st owner being Mahindra & Mahindra at worli,second owner someone else and not this old man.
He said it belongs to my freind and he asked me to sell on his behalf.

This old man had a large flat, a grown up son and a wife, I thought to myself how can such a person be a cheater.

I brought the car and later on all problems started ,which started with Battcery, then suspention, MPFI throttle body service,Axle bearings, wheel bearings, brake pads, etc there wasno end to it.All because it had been used not frequntly.

Then one day water started leaking from front windshield I went to our PATRA WALA he said saab yeh toh accident wala gaadi hai, pillars ,doors are very cleverly repaired , now I lost my cool I called that oldie 's home with all abuses ready to shower on him , but I got reply from his wife that Mr. Seth died 9 days ago. He is NO MORE.
I made my mind and sold my 800 in next 7 days time for good........
Lesson learnt Never go by sweet talks, think that a senior citizen cannot fleece you.. Regards.

In all probabilities it could be a standard reply, he might not be dead when he can palm you off an accident vehicle, he can still be alive

[King_pin09]

Replying to an old thread here as I find the topic as evergreen.

While technically one may be better off picking up a car with lesser Kms on the ODO, at the same time it is equally important to apprehend that a car is made of several other components in addition the engine such as electronic, electrical, body work, paint, tyres, wheels etc., the functioning of which are time dependent. It is likely that few of these components may have undergone deterioration during the longer span (combined with lesser usage). Faded paint, rusting body panels, deteriorated seats, et-al, all play a very vital role in making the decision. So by picking up the lesser run example, one may end up making heavy expenditures in maintaining and up-keeping other vital components that essentially make it a Car.

It is advisable to rather take a detailed look on the vehicle, its condition, the service history, reason for sale, and finally a test drive, before jotting down on the sale deed. Personally, I would not buy either of them unless it is a dire necessity.

[OSH]

Another thing I have noticed is that in case of denting and painting,it is very tough to get a perfect match.The reason being that the old paint would have faded with time and the freshly painted surface standsout from the rest.