andyborris
Posted a lot
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Posts: 2,220
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Not at all retro, but I know the knowledge on here is immense, so forgive me!
Thinking about a newish car, a big accident a while ago and old age have combined to make me want to step away from old Triumphs/MG and the like.
However, when I look at anything a bit interesting (BMW 330/Audi A6 etc.) anything in my price range (£6000max) seem to have a lot of mileage, often almost 200K!
Are modern cars really that reliable? Esp. the faster versions? Or am I still locked in the 70's!
Thanks
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slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
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Modern cars and mileageslater
@slater
Club Retro Rides Member 78
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Aug 10, 2022 10:30:52 GMT
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I dispute BMW 330s and Audi A6 being in the same sentence as interesting 😂
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andyborris
Posted a lot
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Posts: 2,220
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Aug 10, 2022 11:02:26 GMT
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I dispute BMW 330s and Audi A6 being in the same sentence as interesting 😂 Having no experience of Audi's at all and the youngest BMW I've owned was E28 525 (wish I still had that one, lent it to a friend and never saw it again!), I'd be very interested why you say this and which one (or neither) you think is interesting. |
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,962
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Modern cars and mileagestealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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Aug 10, 2022 22:11:30 GMT
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Looked after high mileage (actual looked after from chatting to the owner rather than just a stamped book) every time. Most cars have common major issues (ranging from expensive to scrap it and start again) and the higher mileage usually means it's happened already and been sorted or it's not gonna happen.
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Aug 10, 2022 22:34:54 GMT
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Referring to the link with the 3,000,000 mile P1800, do American market cars have seven digit odometers?
How are these mileages verified? The European cars on the list would only have had five digit odometers in their native markets.
According to the blurb, the Porsche 356 had 980,000 miles on the clock when it was stolen. Original speedo, was it?
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'57 Austin Cambridge A55 1800 Overdrive
'50 MG Y-type (In build)
'56 Standard Super 10 (In build)
'04 Seat Leon TDi 130 (Wet weather runabout)
'03 Citroen Berlingo HDi (Parts hauler)
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The mileage of the Volvo 1800S was all backed up by all the service history / maintenance logs. I imagine that the Porsche is the same.
Tbh, the Beetle in the link above is well known as being a complete joke due to the umpteen engines & gearboxes... There was also a late '50s / '60s Mercedes saloon (also a taxi, but not the '70s one in the link) that MB was pushing in their adverts quite a while back that turned out to be a similar Trigger's Broom once the details were looked into.
In comparison, the Volvo had the engine rebuilt at approx 800K (still running), with the next rebuild being after 2 million. However, still the original block, head & crank. The gearbox and axle are also original, but with a few bearings replaced.
My Amazon also has only a 5 digit odometer, but I have a stack of MOT certificates etc that will verify that it has rolled over to zero twice in my family's ownership. What I don't know is how many times it has done that prior to then - it is definitely at least once.
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Davey
Posted a lot
Resident Tyre Nerd.
Posts: 2,350
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As has been mentioned some moderns are capable of big mileage but can end up with big repair bills. My Skoda Superb was on 360k when i sold it and apparently the original turbo. Looked like new underneath and i kept service intervals down at about 5000 miles. It never let me down, i shouldn't have sold it but i was young and wanted something stupid. My A3 had 190k and was showing signs of "doing the big die" and becoming a money pit, I removed the DPF and had it mapped out but pretty quickly started showing signs of buggered injectors and DPF vibration so I got rid. For daily use and if proven to have been a motorway cruiser i have no fear of high mileage vehicles. The current Jag is closing in on 150k now and although i hear horror stories everywhere i go, other than an intercooler going pop its not giving me any concerns. Whatever route you take and I would highly recommend taking the manufacturers recommended service intervals and throwing them in the nearest fire and halve them as a minimum. as stealthstylz has mentioned, if its got the mileage already, most common problems will have been addressed or probably aren't going to happen. If you are planning on working on these yourself be aware that most moderns, pretty much without exception, are a pig to work on compared to what you're used too. |
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K11 Micra x3 - Mk3 astra - Seat Marbella - Mk6 Escort estate - B5 Passat - Alfa 156 estate - E36 compact
Mk2 MR2 T-bar - E46 328i - Skoda Superb - Fiat seicento - 6n2 Polo - 6n polo 1.6 - Mk1 GS300
EU8 civic type S - MG ZT cdti - R56 MINI Cooper S - Audi A3 8p - Jaguar XF (X250) - FN2 Civic Type R - Mk2 2.0i Ford Focus - Mercedes W212 E250
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andyborris
Posted a lot
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Posts: 2,220
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Thanks everyone, for your comments. Would quite like a fast luxury cruiser, do about 50 miles a week now I've retired, so can take a hit on the MPG! And yes, retirement is great!  |
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Davey
Posted a lot
Resident Tyre Nerd.
Posts: 2,350
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Aug 11, 2022 10:28:05 GMT
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This morning my 3.0 twin turbo XF was showing 44.2 mpg.
Its about 10% out when i calculate manually but that's still 40ish.
If its modern and diesel and you want to remap it. MPG doesn't need to be a problem.
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K11 Micra x3 - Mk3 astra - Seat Marbella - Mk6 Escort estate - B5 Passat - Alfa 156 estate - E36 compact
Mk2 MR2 T-bar - E46 328i - Skoda Superb - Fiat seicento - 6n2 Polo - 6n polo 1.6 - Mk1 GS300
EU8 civic type S - MG ZT cdti - R56 MINI Cooper S - Audi A3 8p - Jaguar XF (X250) - FN2 Civic Type R - Mk2 2.0i Ford Focus - Mercedes W212 E250
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Modern cars and mileageDez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
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Aug 11, 2022 11:17:47 GMT
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Unless you want some big bills, I’d personally avoid any car under 20 years old in the 120-200k miles bracket, unless there are receipts for certain key items.
I’d even go as far as saying I’d rather buy a 200k+ car than a sub-100k car if I’m planning on racking up any miles in it.
As Stealthstylz says, a higher milage is pretty much a guarantee someone else had paid for those things previously for you.
Given a design Milage based around 150k, before you get to 200k most vehicles are going to need a dmf, dpf, turbo, clutched alternator, starter, injectors, shocks, springs, wheel bearings , driveshafts and some major bushes doing, which with labour will add up to more than the purchase price of the car.
I’ve not included brakes ‘cos I consider them a service item that will have been done twice by then.
And that’s if it’s a car with no ‘known’ issues that invariably fail and cost even more.
My ranger was on 350k when I bought it and as a result was half the price of any other one. But it’s already had all the ‘ranger faults’ fixed including a new head as they always go porous around 120-140k. There’s actually very few wearing parts on it that haven’t been replaced, some have been done twice!
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Aug 11, 2022 13:13:23 GMT
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To piggy back Dez the trick (if you can) is to find what the usual failure rate of expensive things is for a given model at a given mileage. My 996 was just over 80k miles when I got it, which is the point that a lot of rubber bits, control arms, suspension items and a few other things usually start to fail at. So I had a very spendy service, however with them done, it is great and fuss free. This seems to be the case with a lot of cars from what I read, there is a built in mileage where stuff is expected to fail (obviously rubber things have a shelf life). Which might explain why the higher mileage stuff may make more sense than the 150k mile stuff. |
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Aug 15, 2022 14:20:31 GMT
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If you want reliability you are probably best off looking at Japanese cars.
BMW's are probably some of the best to drive but not as reliable as BMW would have you believe. As Dez says anything leggy and diesel will be a money pit for injectors, aftertreatment and DMF's. Best option generally is something petrol, naturally aspirated and with port fuel injection, won't be the most efficient but it is simple well proven technology.
Do your research, most manufacturers have their issues and they can usually be found with a bit of digging around on the internet, often it can be that the ones with known issues but a well supported aftermarket who have developed fixes can work out cheaper than having to rely on the main dealers in the long run.
As for the mileage how its been done is as important as the total, I'd much rather have a 150,000 mile car that's spent it's life mostly on motorways than 100,000 mile ex London minicab.
When it comes to service, as said above halve the oil service intervals, manufacturers have been competing to reduce cost of ownership numbers which the big fleets use as a major buying parameter for years, this means longer service intervals and pushing the oil life to it's limit. Also make sure the right specific oil has been used with the right additive pack, generic oils really don't make the cut in modern engines.
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Stiff
Posted a lot
'kin 'ell
Posts: 3,021
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Aug 15, 2022 20:25:27 GMT
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I had a 1999 320 diesel S-Class with 280K+ on the clock when I sold it and it drove beautifully. As mentioned in prior comments, it had all needed parts replaced over the years, minor and major, when serviced and mot'd. It would have lasted many more miles had the new owner not put it into a central reservation on the motorway.
I also had a 2009 Audi TT TDi with 183K on the clock when sold (123K when purchased) and I think that was pretty much all on original major parts. That drove brilliantly too and was hugely reliable but I guess it wouldn't have been too far off being costly so maybe I jumped out at the right time for that one.
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Aug 15, 2022 20:27:12 GMT
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Still learning...still spending...still breaking things!
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Aug 18, 2022 17:33:31 GMT
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£615 a year to tax….. that cures any urge I have to own it!
Nick
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1967 Triumph Vitesse convertible (old friend)
1996 Audi A6 2.5 TDI Avant (still durability testing)
1972 GT6 Mk3 (Restored after loong rest & getting the hang of being a car again)
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,309
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Modern cars and mileageChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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Aug 21, 2022 11:08:47 GMT
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I dispute BMW 330s and Audi A6 being in the same sentence as interesting 😂 I think many would disagree with you as well  . The values of the 330is would also suggest that too. If you want reliability you are probably best off looking at Japanese cars. BMW's are probably some of the best to drive but not as reliable as BMW would have you believe. As Dez says anything leggy and diesel will be a money pit for injectors, aftertreatment and DMF's. Best option generally is something petrol, naturally aspirated and with port fuel injection, won't be the most efficient but it is simple well proven technology. This is true about BMWs but, to save it (as a potential BMW fanboy, and someone who has had practically every other brand until now as ad daily driver): -They have a superb spares backup from the dealer, which reasonable parts prices alot of the time, probably only rivalled via Mercedes, and that's for older stuff. I can get almost everything for my M3, yet for my ST220 I couldn't, and the YS3F Saab is almost as bad, where again, the 325d is far better. -They are generally simple to work on. Yes, some things require 4 things to be removed, but they are simple and logical to remove. It seems other brands like Saab and Ford have plainly stupid ways of doing things. Undoing a suspension bolt (which can seize) to undo brake disc carrier bolts anyone? -Upgrades for issues are present, thanks to generally a dedicated fanbase. But, I digress. 200k cars are nothing to worry about, if they have come from the right hands. Some big mileage cars I've seen include -3 x Mk3 Ford Mondeos, between 262k to 387k. Most of those didn't have their engines opened up either. I sold my 2.5T on 192k. -E39 525d Auto on 523k -Pug 406 HDI on 542k Those weren't all motorway miles either. I've had folks tell me that my 155k M3 drives nicer than dealer owned 45k examples, but I've had to change many key things to keep it that way, as my thread details. I still have to keep on top of it. I'd buy with what you see, and what you think of the owner. Only caveat is just because an owner sounds pleasant, doesn't mean they can take care of a car  . |
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. The values of the 330is would also suggest that too.
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