Car mileage

[pschell]

DP currently at car dealer enquiring about a 17 plate car I saw online.
It was advertised as 'nearly new' but he's just found out now that it's done 33,000 miles

I think this is LOADS for it to be advertised as nearly new. Our car is a 66 plate and has only done 11,000

AIBU to turn down a really good offer because of this?
Is it likely to start needing repairs etc soon with this no of miles on the clock?
Any advice would be very helpful thanks!

They are chancers, no way is that nearly new. Not in mileage or age. If they are willing to be that economical with the truth in regard to that, I'd wonder what else they were being blatant liars with too!

Depends what kind of miles. it is only 'average' for its age, yours is well below average.
If it is commuting on a motorway miles it will be much better than stop-starting around town.

It's a little bit on the high side, but not stupidly so.

I suggest searching Exchange and Mart, plus Auto Trader to see what similar cars with the same mileage are going for.

It's nearly new if they normally sell much older cars. It will still have warranty and won't need an MOT for a little while.

Forget about how it's described, decide whether it's any good for you based on the price for what it is, service history etc. And 33k miles on a car that age is nothing, providing that it's been serviced. Much better than one that's only done short journeys.

That mileage isn't that high for a car its age. Yours is quite low. DH does more than 11,000 a year just commuting with the odd longer journey.

And our 61 reg has just passed 100k and is still solidly reliable. It's a Toyota, though.

About 12,000 per year is average so 33,000 for a 2 year old car is a bit high. But nearly new also applies to how it's been looked after, so the state of the inside and the bodywork. If it's pristine then I can see their point.

The car isn't nearly new. It's somewhere between 2 and 2.5 years old. It depends on the month of registration. It's over the average annual mileage but not ridiculously so.

You, however, are only doing about 1/3 of the average annual mileage so you can't form a direct comparison.

Will it need repairs soon because of 33k miles on clock? It depends on what make and model of car but really shouldn't need any major outlay at that level of mileage.

Check out what Which? report and What car? state about the car and then google for BAD reviews. The magazine's will be refering to buying new cars generally but reviews on forums will give you everyday experiences.

Also, an important point because you do such low mileage, DO NOT BUY DIESEL. You won't do the right type of driving and you will doubtless experience major issues with the DPF (diesel particulate filter) if you buy a diesel.

"But nearly new also applies to how it's been looked after, so the state of the inside and the bodywork."
No it doesn't. It purely refers to age. The OP has only 11k miles on their 3 year old car so could have only 33k miles on it at 9 years old. It would not be able to be legitimately described as "nearly new" then just because if has been looked after.

Don't be misled by dealers' inaccurate statements.

'Nearly new' has no legal meaning, does it, so it's just puff.

I looked at and drove a secondhand car once which had a funny engine knock. I noticed it had a tow hitch and asked what it had been towing. Salesman told me they were so particular about keeping the car nice that they had a little trailer for their suitcases on holiday trips.

A close look inside the boot turned up a stray pony nut that had rolled under the carpet.

That wasn't suitcases in the little trailer! Didn't buy.

Thanks very much for replies! Been doing some research on autotrader and finding cars of the same age and similar mileage at similar cost or more expensive. The finance seems to be quite good on the car we're buying in comparison to most others.
Definitely think they've taken the piss with the nearly new wording though so just trying to look at it now as buying a second hand car
Apparently it was previously a hire car, is that likely to be better or worse in respect of long/short journeys?

@NearlyGranny that story has given me serious fear for ever buying a car!!!

The previous hire car would put me off more than the 33k. A for example business driver doing 33k of regularly maintained motorway driving is much better than dozens of different drivers who don't care about the vehicle Because its not theirs and revving it and being harsh on the clutch etc as there not used to it.

Good point @S0CKS about people using it not being used to the car and also driving it carelessly

Suppose what type of hire car it has been. At my work particular hire cars are used for journeys over 120 miles only so it could be alright and they'll have been serviced and maintained meticulously I'd have thought.

I've spent years in the motor trade and an ex hire car wouldn't scare me at all. The car only makes money for the company if it's on the road, so it will have been fully maintained and looked after in a way that very few private owners ever do.

Highly unlikely to have been a white car for 2.5 years either. Usually after 6-12 months they get auctioned into the trade.

33000 over 2.5 isn't much over average. Average would be 30000.

Your 11000 in 3 years baffles me though. What's the point in paying for a car, insurance, tax, etc when surely buses and cabs will be cheaper for the 10 miles a day you do?

"White" car? Bloody "hire" car, I meant.

Sausage fingers and autocorrect combination!

Thanks @SmileyGiraffe - points I hadn't thought of before!

To be honest, with our current car, I've never really considered the cost vs public transport. We have two toddlers and I just can't imagine not having a car with them - even though we don't use it every day.

You have doubts, enough to say no.

As you are not using it every day, I think you should really consider not having one. See if there are car clubs, perhaps hire one a couple of times a year, and public transport or taxis.

We were looking at cars about 2yo when we bought our last car.
I'd say that's a tiny bit over average-ours was 27k and that was pretty much on average.

They varied from around 5k to 54k, but the majority were within 5k of 30k