How Big a Factor Should Mileage Be When You’re Buying a Used Car?

When people are thinking about buying a used car, one of the first questions they’ll usually ask is: “So, how many miles are on it?” They’re often scared off by cars that have what they perceive to be too many miles on them. You should carefully consider the mileage on a used car before buying it, but it’s not always the most important factor. Here are some of the reasons why mileage won’t always tell the whole story when it comes to used cars.

Just because a car has low mileage on it doesn’t mean it’s in great shape.

Many people make the mistake of assuming that all used cars with low mileage on them are in great shape. But this couldn’t be further from the truth! A car might only have 40,000 miles on it. But if it hasn’t been maintained much over the years, it could actually be in worse shape than a car with twice as many miles on it.

There are lots of used cars with high mileage that have been well-maintained.

Many people also make the mistake of assuming that all used cars with high mileage on them have too much wear and tear. But this is, again, not always the case. If the previous owner of a car maintained it properly over time, a used car with 80,000 or even 100,000 miles on it might be in terrific shape. It could actually be in better shape than cars with half as many miles on them.

The cost of a used car is usually a reflection of the mileage on it.

If you opt to buy a used car with 40,000 miles on it as opposed to 80,000 miles on it, you’re going to pay the price for it. Dealerships will charge a lot more for a car with lower mileage on it than one for higher mileage, even if both cars are in the same condition for the most part. You might want to think about that before automatically choosing a used car with low mileage. As long as you take good care of a car with high mileage, it could provide you with a better deal.

Are you in the market for a used car at the moment? 443 Auto Sales can help you get your hands on one. Check out our pre-owned inventory to see what we have in stock. Call us at 570-386-0443 if you have any questions about the used cars that we have available.