2 min read
Mileage on an aging car is the best way to nail down if the old gray mare ain't what it used to be. Folks always ask, "How many miles does it have?" when buying a car. Let's scout the hills and valleys of good and bad mileage and see what it says about a car's condition and value.
Mileage 101
Mileage is the measuring stick of how much wear and tear a car has piled up over the years. However, more miles on a car doesn't always mean it’s driven through more crud. Good mileage on an old car can be a subjective thing.
Mileage calculator
When you punch the age of your car into a number cruncher and multiply it by its age, you get a big number. But the important thing to wrap your head around is that higher miles on a young car are less concerning than the same mileage on one that's much older.
Car care
Regular maintenance plays a huge role in keeping your car running young. Regular oil changes, brake inspections, a kick of the tires, and other routine services will go much further for your car than the odometer says.
Driving on dirt roads or in stop-and-go traffic puts more stress on a car compared to highway miles. Revving the engine to speed up and slamming on the brakes to slow down will age a car faster than crow's feet on a baby.
Good ole miles
Good mileage on an old car is easier said than done. No fear, here are some tips for keeping your car young at heart.
- By and large, lower miles on a car getting up there in years is best. 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year likely means it's in better condition.
- A pampered car with plentiful mileage can still be reliable. That all depends on whether the owner has kept track of the car's maintenance. It also says a lot about how they treated the car.
If you're selling an old car with a ton of miles, there may not be a long line of buyers waiting to snatch it up. But there will be someone, and that's Peddle.
