Used Car 101: Which is the greater Sin - Owners or Mileage

[Rosicky]

Looking for a used car, and realize many with either very high mileage (>30k per year), or many owners (3). Those with low mileage and 1 owner are high very high price.

 

Given no choice (means ur budget dun permit a low mileage and 1 owner car), which one would you go for? A reasonable mileage car with many owners? or a one owner car with very high mileage? I even saw some cars with 3 owners and very high mileage, but condition is good.... price v low!

 

comments?

[Old-driver]

Looking for a used car, and realize many with either very high mileage (>30k per year), or many owners (3). Those with low mileage and 1 owner are high very high price.

 

Given no choice (means ur budget dun permit a low mileage and 1 owner car), which one would you go for? A reasonable mileage car with many owners? or a one owner car with very high mileage? I even saw some cars with 3 owners and very high mileage, but condition is good.... price v low!

 

comments?

I dont think there is a `lesser of the 2 evils' in this scenario. It could be 1 owner with but he/she does not maintain or service the car regularly. Or it could be 3 owners but they service and change the parts everytime the car change hands. U hv to gauge the condition when u are looking with a little bit of luck

 

I doubt there will be a 1 owner car with low mileage and low price :)

 

[Rosicky]

yeah, was viewing a 3 owner car with > 30k a year mileage, seller say a lot of parts changed , and price is very much lower then similar year/model cars. if i take, will be 4th owner and thus i dun think can sell anymore, need to drive til scrap, thus dunno weather shud i take the risk.

[Darthrevan]

low mileage = ODO might be tweaked

 

high mileage = genuine case of usage by the owner..generally high mileage is better

[PSP415]

Personally e number of owners is nt very critical unless I am planning to sell it within a short period of time becos generally market perception is best if one owner, low mileage and low price [:p]

 

Tink most important is whether ride is well maintained and wear + tear parts replaced. Hv come across rides with genuine high mileage but service records + physical condition can put a younger ride to shame becos no maintenance watsoever.

 

Best to get a friend/mechanic/petrolhead/potatoes (oops) to help look see drive drive to ascertain car condition. Mileage can b tweaked so dun rely too much on this to determine yr decision.

 

Just my tots....happy hunting + hope u get yr dream ride soon.

 

Safe ride....in watever mode u are currently moving in/about/on...

 

Cheers

[MX5NC2]

With dodgy car dealers tweaking the K's I wouldn't trust the odometer at all.

[Acemundo]

Looking for a used car, and realize many with either very high mileage (>30k per year), or many owners (3). Those with low mileage and 1 owner are high very high price.

 

Given no choice (means ur budget dun permit a low mileage and 1 owner car), which one would you go for? A reasonable mileage car with many owners? or a one owner car with very high mileage? I even saw some cars with 3 owners and very high mileage, but condition is good.... price v low!

 

comments?

there could be many reasons for higher number of owners and all reasons are very vaild and need not imply the car is problematic eg of many number of owners

 

1) domestic arrangement of transferring between husband and wife, between company/self ownership, asset division during divorce etc

2) singaporean habit of changing car every 2-3 years

3) change in family plans for cases whereby it happens the few owners in the history of that car had to change to MPV after newborn arrival

 

 

too low a mileage is also not good. end of day more important thing is your skills in sniffing out a good deal for a used car.

[SimonTan]

Mileage can be faked....so it cannot be a reliable factor in Singapore at all.

 

I would avoid multiples owners cars. It really means that the car is not suitable for all the previous owners for one way or another. I will incline to suspect maintenance and reliability issues with the car if more than 3owners.

 

I will go for single owner.

 

All cars that go thru the secondhand car dealers are touched up untill very kilat. No way to know its maintenance condition prior.

[Topgan]

I tell you, average Singapore mileage are about 21k per year.

 

I tell you, many Singapore car buyers like to be lie at then buy from genuine seller on the actual high mileage.

[Galantspeedz]

yeah, was viewing a 3 owner car with > 30k a year mileage, seller say a lot of parts changed , and price is very much lower then similar year/model cars. if i take, will be 4th owner and thus i dun think can sell anymore, need to drive til scrap, thus dunno weather shud i take the risk.

 

type R?

[Acemundo]

I tell you, average Singapore mileage are about 21k per year.

 

I tell you, many Singapore car buyers like to be lie at then buy from genuine seller on the actual high mileage.

 

last week i just discussed with my wife about the simple mindedness of singaporean car buyer.

 

i told her about the same yearly average of singapore car and told her about how much they clock in usa and europe.

 

first, it is silly to assume that cars beyond 5 years old break down a lot. mileage wise, a 6-year old singapore registered car may have only clocked the same mileage with a 2-years usa registered car of the same make. you don't see the same make car in the usa breaking down a lot too.

 

secondly, although cars with slightly higher mileage indicate high usage, doesn't it by same token indicate no breakdowns and little time spend in car workshop? this could actually be a plus consideration and that the odometer is not tampered with.

 

thirdly, they themselves like to change car about once in 3 years. a six year old car would reasonably have 3 owners due to this habit of singaporean. so why frown at car with history of 3 owners as being high? do they really expect it is normal to have single owner for 6-year old car and they can be so lucky to find a 6 year old car with 1 owner and low mileage and low price ?

Edited March 19, 2012 by Acemundo

[13177]

low mileage = ODO might be tweaked

 

high mileage = genuine case of usage by the owner..generally high mileage is better

I also feel that high mileage is more genuine esp if you are buying cars which is around 4 years or more. But so far i know many friends buy 2nd hand car, so far none of them got problems.

[SimonTan]

Japanese cars can buy irregardless of owners.

But when it comes to BMW,Mercs,Volvo.....I will hesitate. Because there might be some issues that lead to the car changing hands often.

 

[Rosicky]

type R?

 

not type R lah but same brand. just went to see and test drive the car, car looks ok and engine sounds "reasonable"... but i am no mechanic lah price is about 10k off dealer's price. owner willing to go for STA inspection.

 

anyone can advice besides the periodic 40k/80k/120k major servicings, what happen after 200k? cycle continues?

 

[Tuna_seng]

Looking for a used car, and realize many with either very high mileage (>30k per year), or many owners (3). Those with low mileage and 1 owner are high very high price.

 

Given no choice (means ur budget dun permit a low mileage and 1 owner car), which one would you go for? A reasonable mileage car with many owners? or a one owner car with very high mileage? I even saw some cars with 3 owners and very high mileage, but condition is good.... price v low!

 

comments?

 

High mileage: many wear and tear parts have been changed many times over, enabling the past owner(s) to drive til such high mileage. Chances are, it was/still is a good reliable car.

 

Many owners: Could be a lemon. Or something wrong with the car. Or one of those play cars that owners got bored after owning a few months then sold.

[Fuelsaver]

i am inclined to think that mileage could be tweaked most likely; if high mileage of 30 per year then unlikely to be tweaked.

 

however, if every year change 1 owner, i am also inclined to assume previous owners did not take care of the car (e.g. drive one year without servicing and dump). unless every 2-3 yrs change hand then maybe understandable.

[Rosicky]

think the best is to send the car to a trusted workshop and check the condition, then make the decision.

[Caramelised]

very much depends on luck, I got a good car salesman who will arrange everything for me, be it new or 2nd gand all go thru him, so far ao good. before that I used to change car every 2 years, get con most of the time even sending in to check bt Vicpm pre sales inspection.