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[fluked]

Is a 55 plate diesel that has done 120k miles, which has regularly done 10k per year documented

better than....

A 55 plate diesel that has done 60k, with patchy history, and most likley urban driving?

Thoughts?

[mr singh]

a 10 year old diesel with 120,000 miles is low in my eyes.

id personally go with the 120k diesel as it has history to back it up... BUT depending on price.

many 'low' mileage diesels are driven around town but demand a higher price, a 'high' mileage diesel is most likely to have been driven on the motorways and will be cheaper due to the mileage.

when we were looking as civic diesels all the ones which were in my parents price range were just under 100k or had gone well over.

mileage means nothing these days as long as its got history to back it all up, cars can easily clock over and beyond 100,000 miles with no problems... my uncles civic diesel for example, its an 2006-06 reg, he has had it from new, its been serviced 4 times at honda and the rest by myself, its had 1 clutch in 195,000 miles and it was replaced about 3 weeks back.

it also depends on what you mean by patch history aswell. has the 'low mileage' one been serviced yearly but late or has it missed services?

[fluked]

As it's low milage, it's not been done every year. As the recommended service is 10-13k miles, If I remember correctly. So since new it's had a service at each interval; except most recently in 2014.

I was leaning towards more of how diesels operate, and that motorway runs yield better running of the engine, compared to short runs and city traffic.... (this info I read on here, and various forums, not sure myself, hence the post)

[lil.smartie]

One of our customers bought one at 100k, it's now over 150k (poss about 175k..) without major issues (wheel bearings the biggest outlay)

Kate

[CrazyG]

A 55 plate with 60k and serviced as and when mileage dictated
and not every year is not what I would call a 'patchy' history.

If you cannot say for sure how it has been driven (as in urban or town)
then it may well have been used/kept for motorway journeys.
So...as you can see, there are 2 sides/ways of looking at it.

Either way, if both are mechanically sound and the bodywork in
condition appropriate with the year etc, then either could be a good
deal. It would then be down to what 'bells and whistles' each had,
the colour that was acceptable, but usually which one was the price
you were willing to pay for it.
 

[FireFlower]

You can always take it to inspection where mechanic goes trough about 100 things to check and it costs ~100€ (I have no idea how much in UK they ask for this). It is a check list similar to this: http://www.ammonyc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/301-03_DC_201_StepbyStep_R1B.pdf

If current seller won't allow this inspection to be done then walk away.

Guide anyway:
http://www.forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3946.0

[Jason P]

Mine might be the one Kate's referring to. Bought it with 80k on (ex fleet car) and now at 168k with very few problems - as Kate said wheel bearings the biggest pain (though I understand there are ways around that now), and recently new engine mounts as the old ones were tired. Other than routine servicing though, no major expense. I'm hoping to get a quarter-mill out of it before retiring him!!

[viere]

Mine has run 170.000 miles now and unfortunately has a few problems, even though it was regularly maintained by Mercedes. Fuel gauge not working, exhaust fumes entering the cabin and a currently undefined error(motor management code 2089)