What Is Good Mileage for a Used Car? (2024)

FAQs

What Is Good Mileage for a Used Car? ›

As a general rule, you should assume that the average car owner puts 12,000 miles on a car each year. To determine whether a car has reasonable mileage, you can simply multiply 12,000 by its age. That means good mileage for a car that's 5 years old is 60,000.

There's no rule to how many miles on a used car is too much, but by attempting to stick to the 12,000 miles per year rule is a great place to start. Find out how old the car is, multiple the number of years by 12,000, and if the number on the odometer is significantly higher than that, some concern might be warranted.

Traditional wisdom used to warn car buyers to keep away from vehicles with over 100,000 miles. Put simply, though, the 100,000 mile-marker is no longer a good indicator for buying used. If a vehicle has been properly maintained, it can last several hundred thousand miles.

This is the average fuel economy the car gets in city driving conditions. If you do a lot of city driving, you'll want to look for a car that gets good city mpg as well as highway mpg. A car that gets at least 25 mpg in the city is considered good gas mileage.

So, what is considered high mileage for a used car that is five years old? It should have no more than 60,000 to 75,000 miles on the odometer. If it has more than that, the car has likely gone through a lot of wear and tear in a short amount of time, and may not last much longer without needing serious repairs.

On average, a car should have around 10,000 miles per year. So, for an easy way to calculate how many miles on a used car is too much, just multiply its age by 10,000. For example, a five-year-old car would ideally have 50,000 miles or less on its odometer.

Mechanics usually agree on the figure as 'average' car use. More than that is considered high mileage, so a three-year-old car with 40,000 miles, for example, would be in the high mileage range. Still, mechanics typically use the phrase 'high mileage' when a car has 100,000 miles or more on the odometer.

How many miles does a car last? A conventional car can last for 200,000 miles. Some well-maintained car models will reach 300,000 or more miles total.

In general, most modern cars can cross 200,000 miles without any major issues, provided the vehicle is being well-maintained. Considering that an average person drives 10,000-20,000 miles per year, this will account for roughly 15 years of service. Here are some factors to consider when assessing used car mileage.

Used Car Mileage Shopping Tips

If the car has 100,000 miles on it, that's still nearly four years of driving to get to the average. In some cases, you can be fine buying a used car with 150,000 or even 200,000 miles on it, because maintenance helps them last far beyond what many people have come to expect.

What is the most reliable and economical used car? ›

As a general rule, you should assume that the average car owner puts 12,000 miles on a car each year. To determine whether a car has reasonable mileage, you can simply multiply 12,000 by its age. That means good mileage for a car that's 5 years old is 60,000.

Additionally, maintenance costs can quickly add up as cars age. Parts are harder to find, and labor is more time-intensive. If these concerns make you uneasy, avoid cars over 20 years old. This rule of thumb may help ensure your vehicle choice is still safe, reliable, and affordable.

But when it comes to cars, owning a car well past the 10-year mark should no longer be a badge of honor. Due to safety reasons, if you have the money, you should probably start looking for a new car after a decade. I get the desire to save money and own a car until the wheels fall off.

As a general rule, most vehicles begin to seriously degrade at around 150,000 miles. It is considered rare, and therefore outstanding longevity, if a car reaches 200,000 miles on the road. That said, there's more to identifying good versus bad mileage on a used car than just the odometer reading.

Finding a four-year-old car with 50,000 miles on it can be a great deal, as it means that the driver used it a little less than average, and it could have more life left in it. However, you should be a bit wary of vehicles that are a decade old with only 50,000 miles to show for it.

So, a car that is five years old would have about 75,000 miles to be considered “average.” Anything significantly more, and a car is considered to be “high mileage.” Anything significantly less, and it's a “low mileage” car.