AUTONEWS

What is more important in used cars - mileage or age?

One used car is six years old and has covered 150,000 kilometers. The other has only 90,000 kilometers, but is 12 years old. Which is a safer purchase?

The answer is not as simple as is often thought. Data from the Croatian Vehicle Center shows that both age and mileage have a very strong influence on the occurrence of malfunctions, but in different ways, writes Tportal.hr.

For cars under five years old, the malfunction rate for the best brands is only around one to three percent. For example, Volvo had 1.36 percent of defective vehicles in 2025, Mazda 1.38, Suzuki 1.92, Toyota 2.28, and BMW 2.44 percent.

When vehicles enter the age category between five and ten years, the numbers increase noticeably. Honda had 4.75 percent of defective units in that category, Volvo 5.04, Toyota 5.53, Mazda 5.67, while Volkswagen was at 6.59 percent.

After ten years, the difference becomes enormous...For vehicles older than ten years, the picture is completely different. Even the brands with the best results have a double-digit percentage of defective vehicles. Mercedes-Benz was at 14.35 percent, BMW at 17.41, Volvo and Audi at around 18.3, Toyota at 19.01, while for some brands, defects exceeded a quarter of the inspected units.

Mileage also increases the risk, but there is a catch. A car that covers 150,000 kilometers in six years has often spent a large part of its life on the highway, where the engine, transmission, clutch and brakes are exposed to a different operating mode than in a vehicle that covers short city distances every day.

On the other hand, a low number of kilometers is no guarantee of good condition. Time equally affects rubber seals, hoses, corrosion, fluids, battery, brakes and numerous other parts that age even when the car is driven little.

So, if you are choosing between a younger car with 150,000 kilometers and a much older one with lower mileage, a well-maintained younger car can often be a safer purchase. This is not a universal rule, but a conclusion that stems from the fact that CVH data very clearly shows a strong increase in malfunctions with the age of the vehicle, writes Autonews.

The most important thing is therefore not to buy mileage or year, but a specific car. Service documentation, chassis inspection, cold start, engine and transmission condition, as well as a history check, can be more valuable than five digits on the kilometer-hour.

Car miles – all you need to know...When people choose to buy a used vehicle, they often go with the idea that the lower the mileage the better. But what is ‘good’ mileage for a used car? Answering this question is a little trickier than you might think.

Generally speaking, the more miles a car has driven, the more likely its moving parts are worn. However, mileage is not necessarily an indicator of quality, nor of the car’s actual state. Let’s see why.

Assume we’re looking at two used cars of the same age, but one has a much higher mileage. The car with the higher mileage definitely requires serious consideration, and the one with lower mileage would often be preferable. However, there are several complicating factors:

Cars are meant to be driven. Many parts in a car self-lubricate while the vehicle is running. This means that a car which is being regularly taken out on the road will likely be in a better condition than one kept stationary for months on end on a driveway. A car sitting and doing nothing over long periods of time will deteriorate faster, with parts like the engine clogging up.

The kind of miles. Certain kinds of driving can affect cars in different ways. It all depends on the road surface, the driving conditions, and the type of driving – a car can rack up what is known as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ mileage. Those driven mainly on nice smooth motorways will usually be ‘healthier’ than those bumping over urban potholes and endless sharp turns.

So, does mileage matter? Yes…and no! You’ll need to find out a bit more about the car and how it’s been used, to decide on the state of the vehicle.

What’s good mileage for a used car? Is there really such a thing as good and bad mileage on a car? Absolutely! It might seem strange at first, but once you break it down it makes total sense.

Basically, motorway miles are better for a car than miles gained from city driving. That’s because motorway driving is easier on the vehicle, which can operate at optimum performance, with less stress on the brakes and clutch, and greater fuel efficiency. City driving is the opposite, wearing the car down more with frequent braking and gear changes.

Motorway-driven cars will likely have more miles on the clock, whereas city-driven cars will probably have fewer miles due to shorter commutes. However, the motorway mileage will be better for the car comparatively. As a result, the number of miles on an odometer is not always an indicator of a car’s ‘health’.

What’s good mileage for a used car?...Is there really such a thing as good and bad mileage on a car? Absolutely! It might seem strange at first, but once you break it down it makes total sense.

Basically, motorway miles are better for a car than miles gained from city driving. That’s because motorway driving is easier on the vehicle, which can operate at optimum performance, with less stress on the brakes and clutch, and greater fuel efficiency. City driving is the opposite, wearing the car down more with frequent braking and gear changes.

Motorway-driven cars will likely have more miles on the clock, whereas city-driven cars will probably have fewer miles due to shorter commutes. However, the motorway mileage will be better for the car comparatively. As a result, the number of miles on an odometer is not always an indicator of a car’s ‘health’.

Car depreciation – mileage vs age...‘Depreciation’ refers to the way cars lose value over time – and this process starts the moment a new car is driven off the forecourt. So does mileage matter more for depreciation, or is the passing of time the biggest factor?

Broadly speaking, age is considered the main influence in depreciation, but that’s partly because it’s assumed that the older a vehicle is, the more miles it will have driven. Typically, the average car will stop depreciating after 8-10 years.

So why is this important in the car mileage vs age debate? Basically, it can help you decide whether a car with high mileage or an old age is well-priced and a deal worth going for.

Example: Emma is a student and wants to buy a car while she’s studying. As a student, she’s not that well-off, so doesn’t want to lose money to depreciation when she comes to sell the vehicle. She finds an eight-year-old car with relatively low mileage. This is smart, because depreciation more or less stops after eight years anyway, so she might be able to sell it again for a similar price in a couple of years’ time without losing much money.

Example: Hamza sees a car he really likes. It’s only two years old so it hasn’t depreciated much. But it does already have 60,000 miles on the clock. He decides to pass on the car – it could end up being a nightmare to sell on due to that high mileage, and will have depreciated even further.