What's most important with a used car: age or mileage?

[TakingtheLeap]

Apologies in advance if this question has been done to death!

Currently looking to replace our 15 year old Honda Jazz (150k miles on clock) with another Jazz. We most likely can't afford anything newer than 10 years old, but I'm torn between, for example, a 10 year old with 80k and a 12 year old with 60k.

I know there are other factors to consider (service history, owners etc), but in general is it better to prioritise getting a newer vehicle or one with less mileage? And is the answer different for a Jazz than for other cars? (I know from experience with our current car that Hondas continue to run well into high figures).

@VeniVidiWeeWee

That link is has peoples opinions and loose winded "facts".

Proves nothing at all - especially when most modern cars can simply be started and driven immediately "without having to be warmed up" like a baked potato.

Sheesh.

Farting you don’t know what you’re talking about. As I previously stated the water will be up to temp after a few miles but not the oil. It can take 10 miles for the oil to reach correct temp. I monitor my oil temps - do you? I sincerely doubt it.

We gave our ridiculously low mileage ten year old Ford Focus to my grandson. It had been maintained really well and kept under a car port.
It had new tyres, new battery etc. He has had it for three years and loves it. It has had done untold long trips on a regular basis. I agree, it depends how well it has been maintained. If left for long periods not used that wouldn’t be doing an engine any good.

Farting

You obviously missed the graphs and charts. But hey, why let facts take precedence over ignorance.

@MaxTeyon More bollocks without evidence. Not one of my cars needs "ten miles" to warm up the oil.

I'm acutely aware of how sensitive Honda engines are when it comes to the engine oil(s) needed for both petrol/diesel ( I have had 4x diesel Honda's too).

Do you even know about viscosity of different engine oils or why engines have different oil types? They arent all "sludge" in the morning that need to be warmed up and melted before they start lubricating/going around the engine case/components.

Not one motoring expert/journalist etc will tell you to start your car, leave it on/not drive it "while it warms up". Utter codswallop. in fact, do sales folks in dealerships even communicate such tripe? I've certainly never come across it.

@VeniVidiWeeWee Indeed - try heeding your advice re ignorance and then get back to me.

Do you even know about viscosity of different engine oils or why engines have different oil types? They arent all "sludge" in the morning that need to be warmed up and melted before they start lubricating/going around the engine case/components.

I know a shitload more about oil than you do. Do you know about esters? About different grades of fully synthetic oils?

Who said to leave a car to warm up stationary? Not me. That’s the worst thing to do. You start it and drive off but you don’t nail it until the oil is up to temp.

The fact that you seem to think oil reaches temp as quickly as water shows you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.

@MaxTeyon As usual - you jump to conclusions.

"The fact that you seem to think oil reaches temp as quickly as water shows you don’t have a clue what you’re talking about."

At no point on this thread have I claimed this. Not even close.

Very dishonest of you to infer that here. You've lost whatever moral high ground you thought you had.

As for you knowing "a shitload more about oil" than me - well, I dont know your knowledge level, so I wont compare or dismiss what you say.

But your clear dishonest statement above is there for all to see.

I'm out.

I value vehicles as part of my job and mileage is the biggest factor in increasing/decreasing costs of them

Im a Honda driver. I'd say with any car the most critical bit is that it has good quality oil and the manufs filter every year/at the service interval without fail. If that has been done it goes a long long way in looking after your car.

We had a Honda jazz and it was the most uncomfortable ride I ever experienced. Can't understand the love. My micra is much more nippy and reliable, although elderly

Farting I claimed that you “seem to think oil reaches temp as quickly as water”

Which based on this:

More bollocks without evidence. Not one of my cars needs "ten miles" to warm up the oil.

Doesn’t seem that unreasonable does it?

Do tell us how you’re monitoring your oil temp BTW? Have you got a built in gauge, an aftermarket gauge or are you perhaps using an OBD reader? I use/have used all three across quite a number of high performance petrol engines including over a dozen Hondas. I monitor oil temps religiously in different conditions. I can tell you for example that an e36 M3 runs its oil 5 deg C less at constant 140mph than it does at constant 80mph, the opposite of what I expected but I can only assume is due to the massive volumes of cold air flowing through the oil cooler at higher speed.

That’s the kind of shit I’m into, properly sad I know but I could talk for hours about oil. My petrolhead friends know very little about oil, they don’t need to, they come to me.

Max

I think there is no point in arguing with stupid.

By the way, what's your daily driver.

Ignoring all the bollocks so far, Op, why do you need to change your car, and what budget are you looking at?

Sorry for dropping off the face of the thread! Thanks everyone for the responses (and discussion!).

@GreatOrb, it's a combination of things. The MOT is coming up at the end of January and it had a few advisories for rust last time (and cost us £800 to get it through). I'm pregnant and will be on maternity leave this time next year, so what I'm worried about is paying a reasonable chunk to get it through this year's MOT only to find in 2020 (when we can least afford it) that it needs more work or is even at the end of its lifespan. My DH also commutes a fairly long distance (100 miles per day, though not every day) and I worry a bit about it breaking down on him.

We live by the sea and corrosion has really been a problem. We've had the exhaust pipe fall off from rust twice in 5 years and the MOT advisory was for corrosion on the brake pipes. On the other hand we have recently replaced the exhaust and replaced all of the spark plugs (x8 in a Jazz).

Our budget is around £2000. I admit the Jazz isn't the smoothest ride but I know its quirks and love the fact that it's small on the outside but roomy on the inside - seems ideal for with a baby but limited parking near house! Though very open to other suggestions.