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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to want to buy a 77k mileage car.

106 replies

Roundtumble · 10/01/2019 19:12

All advice appreciated!

It's a 2010 Alfa Romeo Mito
Will be my first car & I'm in love with it. Only thing is the mileage. My brother says I can find better for less money and less mileage. But I've been saving for a while now for this purpose & researched somewhat about mileage; the amount doesn't necessarily reflect the condition of the car.
I'll go for a test drive and possibly get it checked out by an independent garage. The car is beautiful imo, dealership says it's been kept in great condition, drives well etc but of course I don't want to waste my money on something that's not going to last long.
What do you guys think?

OP posts:
Gammeldragz · 10/01/2019 19:52

I've never bought a car with less than 100k but my budget hasn't ever been more than £1knand my husband fixes our cars so it's less of an issue.
Wouldn't buy an Alfa Romeo though, they put their number plates on one side and it makes me irrationally angry...

OnlyaMan · 10/01/2019 19:54

In the olden days, when I was a young man, 77k miles was a lot. But for a modern car with a Full Service History, 77k is barely run in.
But an Alfa Romeo? Hmmmmm...they have a reputation for being temperamental, and parts are likely to be expensive.
For a first car, I think you would be better to go for something like a Honda, which go on for ever.
So boring for a first car, I know. But you can be more adventurous later.

Time40 · 10/01/2019 19:59

If you love it, I'd say definitely go for it. I drive a 21-year-old car that's just starting to become a bit of a project (ie, fairly frequent visits to garages for repairs), but I don't really mind that, because it's, you know ... true love.

Unihorn · 10/01/2019 19:59

We also only buy cheap cars with 100k plus miles, but only the hard-wearing type that have been regularly serviced and maintained. My favourite was our Saab which had about 200k and cost about £800 and a 2003 Mercedes E class with about 180k miles that cost £600. Both incredibly comfy cars bought off eBay. My husband gets bored of cars after a year so he constantly has "new" ones. I love my Skoda too much at the moment though.

SloeBerri · 10/01/2019 20:04

From someone who drive a 150K car that’s 20 yrs old (BMW 3 series) I wouldn’t touch an Alfa with that mileage

LakieLady · 10/01/2019 20:10

DP is hugely knowledgable about cars, so I just asked him. His reply

"I wouldn't buy an AR Mito with 7k miles on it, never mind 77k. Not even if it was goldplated".

Notoriously unreliable, apparently.

I bought a 2001 Audi A4 with 70,000 miles on 4 years ago, and apart from things that are wear and tear items (brakes, wiper blades and tyres), it's been brilliant.

alfagirl73 · 10/01/2019 20:12

For starters - unless people understand Alfas, they don't know. The thing with Alfas is, if you look after them, they're fine - my boyfriend and I have numerous Alfas between us - ranging from a couple of years old to MANY years old with high mileage and they run great, handle beautifully (as Alfas do) - but they've been looked after by people who understand Alfas. Sadly, most people don't, and consequently don't really know how to look after them. They're a petrolhead's car.

I don't know what your budget is... have you driven it? The thing with Alfas is that people love them or hate them. Once you drive one - you understand. They handle amazingly and to the person who said they're crap plastic - they're not. I have a few Alfas and they're solid - the closest I have to the Mito is the Giulietta and it's very solid - not only in design/interior - but on the road it handles like a dream. Alfas corner like no other car.

77k miles is a little high for a petrol car but not for a diesel or even a petrol car if it HAS been looked after okay. It really does depend on what you're planning to spend on it and whether it HAS been properly maintained. You would want an Alfa specialist to check it over - most bog standard mechanics don't have a clue about Alfas. They don't understand them.

I like Mitos - nice little car. I wouldn't expect to pay much for that age of car or mileage though. Shop around and if you can, buy from an Alfa specialist - they tend to look after Alfa customers better, they know about Alfas and the mechanics tend to be proper petrolheads who really understand cars. Alfa Romeo drivers are nice people - they look out for each other generally, and I ALWAYS get top notch service when I put my car in for servicing etc... - but as I say, people either love the cars or hate them. However I can always tell when someone is talking about Alfas based on talk/reputation rather than experience of them. :-)

badlydrawnperson · 10/01/2019 20:12

As you can see Op most people slagging Alfas haven't had one.

I did it was fine.

If you get one it may not be.

This would also apply if it was a low mileage BMW.

People will advise you based on their perception especially if they think they have a premium car of some kind.

Only you can decide but I've had boring cars that were reliable and that I didn't like and cars I loved that went wrong and cost money - and an Audi that was low mileage, hateful to drive and went wrong a lot.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 10/01/2019 20:13

A 77k Volkswagen, yes. A 77k Alfa Romeo, no, it will be a money pit.

^This

Anything German (and other VW family) or Japanese - Go for it.

In fact, I'd go for a VW, Seat or Skoda over a more expensive German marque, with more fancy stuff to go wrong as it gets older.

British, French, Italian, American etc - I personally wouldn't consider even a nearly new one. Some of them look beautiful and the interiors are very practically and ergonomically designed - but if the engine and mechanical parts are much less reliable and repairs likely to cost more (Renaults, especially) - then no amount of style would sway me.

Just my opinion (and going on what the mechanics at my local independent garage have told me over the years) - I know many people will strongly disagree.

Personally (and I know this will be very controversial), I'd rather have a basic German or Japanese car with 77K miles than a brand new British or Italian one.

MaxTeyon · 10/01/2019 20:38

As mentioned by previous posters it’s basically just a Fiat and needs no more in the way of specialist attention than a Punto. Not exactly known for their quality, there are much better cars out there you can buy. Not a chance would I buy 77k one unless I was a glutton for punishment. Take a look at the Yaris and Jazz instead.

Santaclarita · 10/01/2019 20:45

Alfas are stupid cars to buy only for people with money and little sense. You might get the odd one that is reliable, but it's rare. Of course the garage says it's reliable, they are hardly gonna say its a pile of crap are they?

Waste your money if you want. Mileage on a decent car is of no concern to me, vws for example will last for ages. I have witnessed an alfa being pushed into a garage while a salesman tried to persuade my dad they are reliable cars.

MaxTeyon · 10/01/2019 20:45

Summed up well by WhatCar:

The trouble is, buy any Mito and you’ll have to put up with a pretty sub-standard car. It’s off the pace in just about every area. An Audi A1 has a much nicer cabin, a Ford Fiesta is much better to drive and a Mini is – ironically – more spacious.

They also slate handling, ride quality and refinement. Their overall score 1/5. Do not want.

DogInATent · 10/01/2019 21:01

With an Alfa the mileage can be a red herring. It's destined to spend most of its life on the back of a recovery truck anyway.

An old friend was always late for appointments. Loved his Alfa, but did tend to turn up all too frequently sitting in the cab of the truck the car was riding on. Think Fiat, with more style but less reliability.

confusednorthner · 10/01/2019 21:04

Dh is a mechanic and wouldn't touch a Alfa with a barge pole! That's not high mileage for age, I'm running a 09 freelander with 170'000 on it.

Original poster
Roundtumble · 10/01/2019 21:25

Thanks everyone. Looks like the general consensus is that IABU, bar a few.
To answer a few questions it's just over £4k & I haven't driven it yet. Going for a test ride on Saturday. It doesn't say whether it's a full service history just that it had one.

OP posts:
why100000 · 10/01/2019 21:29

A 77k Volkswagen, yes. A 77k Alfa Romeo, no, it will be a money pit.

I bought a 2011 golf with 81K on the clock a few months ago, and so far it has been perfect.

MaxTeyon · 10/01/2019 21:32

Going for a test ride on Saturday

Why ask for advice then? It’s a shit car, spend your £4K on something Japanese.

clary · 10/01/2019 21:39

No way would I pay £4K for a 2010 car with that mileage. You could buy a similar age car with lower mileage for half that money. Yeah so what your brother says.

DyingMachine · 10/01/2019 21:48

My car has nearly 200k miles on the clock and it's still going strong! Not an Alfa but still.

It really depends on the price tbh.

BikeRunSki · 10/01/2019 21:51

A 77k Volkswagen, yes. A 77k Alfa Romeo, no, it will be a money pit.

When I met DH he had a Polo with 60k miles on it. He sold it to his colleague with 90k miles, who drive it to 144k miles then wrote it off in an accident (he was ok!).

poppiesallykatie · 10/01/2019 22:12

77K is nothing for a 2010. I bought a more recent second hand car in the last few months (with much higher mileage, but it was previously a company fleet car, so well-serviced, and well priced partly because a lot of people are put off by mileage). I liked the look of Alfa Romeos, but was advised against getting one though as they tend to be troublesome. I did take the advice as it was firsthand.

KitKat1985 · 10/01/2019 22:16

If you want it and you are prepared for the possible extra maintenance and repair costs then fair enough.

DH's car currently has 148,000 miles on the clock and is still going strong (and it's a petrol not a diesel).

Craft1905 · 10/01/2019 22:23

Alfa Romeos have improved over the years. They used to be very badly built, but now they are just badly built.

They are Italian. Give an Italian firm £10m to develop a car, they'll spend a quid under £5m making it look amazing, a quid under £5m making it very fast, and then realise they've only got £2 to do the electrics and the rustproofing. They'll do those 2 for £1.99 and then boast to the boss that they brought it in under budget!!!

Unicornsbumhole · 10/01/2019 22:39

This argument always tickles me, our old vw van has just about got 300k miles and runs sweet as a nut, yet people I know have had cars fresh of the production line that have been a nightmare.
Newer and less milage doesn't always mean better, i would always choose a car thay has been looked after and served well with higher miles over one that has lower milage and hasn't been looked after, the majority of modern cars no longer have the associated issues i.e alphas spending more time in the garage than on the road or fiats being fix it again tomorrow as they are all made by a few general companies to similar specification, not like they were in the 80's
The only thing I would look out for in a modern car between 50k-100k is the clutch wearing out, try and stall the car, if it stalls easliy the clutch has some life in it, if it doesn't then the clutch is worn

CajunShrimp · 10/01/2019 22:46

Just make sure you have AA or RAC membership Smile seriously, DH had a love affair with 2 Alfa’s and they really are as unreliable as people say. Both now in the great scrap heap in the sky after spectacular break downs.