When browsing through the classifieds in search of your next set of wheels, one of the first things you’re likely to check – after the price, of course – is how many miles it has on the clock. Looking at the mileage gives you a good idea as to how much the car has been used in its lifetime, and, potentially, how long’s left on some of the major components before you’ll need to scrap it.
What is High Mileage For a Car?
High mileage cars are those that have worked more in their life than you’d expect, when looking at the average car mileage per year. Of course, every car is different, and mileage alone isn’t the be-all-and-end-all when trying to find the perfect car. It could be that a car with very high mileage has been serviced regularly and had the right parts replaced when needed, whereas a low mileage car may have never been to a garage since it was bought, and you have next to no idea what awaits you when you pop the bonnet.
As a general rule, though, the term “high mileage car” is often reserved for those that have six figures on the odometer, and many prospective buyers can often be put off by cars with 100,000 miles or more on the clock. It’s because of this fear of higher mileage cars that some dishonest salesmen opt for the fraudulent practice of “clocking” a car – turning the mileage counter back a few thousand to try and squeeze a better deal out of a car than it would normally be expected to fetch.
What is the average annual mileage for petrol cars?
Recent studies have shown that the average car mileage per year sits at around 13,000, but once you start breaking this down further, that figure drops to around 10,400 for cars up to three years old, with new cars unsurprisingly covering more miles. Breaking that average down further still shows that there’s different figures for the various fuel types; petrol, diesel and electric-powered cars. Petrol cars actually statistically cover the fewest miles of all fuel types, clocking up on average 7,500 miles per year.
So, using that as an expected average, if you’re looking to buy a used petrol car that’s three years old, and has covered some 40,000 miles in its life so far, you’re looking at a high mileage car, and could probably negotiate a slightly smaller price tag, if this hasn’t already been taken into consideration by the seller… Especially since it’ll be due its first MOT very soon.
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What is the Average Annual Mileage for Diesel Cars?
With diesels being much more efficient over longer distances than petrol cars, and regular short journeys actually being detrimental to the overall lifespan of a diesel engine, it’s no surprise to see that the average annual mileage for a diesel car is more than that of a petrol vehicle. Petrol cars, as previously mentioned, cover an average of 7,500 miles a year, but that figure jumps when you change the fuel powering your vehicle. Electric cars cover around 9,400 miles a year, which is a pretty good halfway house between petrol and diesel, as the latter will cover on average a staggering 12,500 miles a year. That’s right, a diesel car will cover, on average, 5,000 miles more than a petrol car. That’s an additional two-thirds of a petrol car’s annual mileage on top of its usual travels.
What is the maximum mileage on a car?
If you can keep your car running smoothly and without issue for its entire life, then there is no limit to how far you can drive it. When you consider that a lot of drivers may get put off by cars that have covered over 100,000 miles, you may be surprised to find out that there are actually nearly 6,000 cars on the road that have done over four times that number. Data provided by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in October 2021 not only showed there were 5,987 cars with over 400,000 miles, but 2,676 with over half a million miles on the clock.
According to the statistics, the highest mileage car in Britain is likely to be either a Vauxhall Astra or a Rover 75. There are currently 35 Vauxhall Astras and 33 Rover 75s driving around with over 750,000 miles on their odometer, that’ll get you from the Earth to the Moon, back down to Earth, and then back to the Moon again. Rather unsurprisingly, the most common vehicle with over 750,000 miles on the clock is a van, an LDV Maxus to be precise, with over 100 examples on the road with three-quarters of a million miles. What may shock you, however, is that within the somewhat predictable list of Corsas, Astras, Golfs and Land Rovers sits the Audi TT. At the time of conducting the survey (October 2021), there were 16 of them (we’ll be polite and not call it a hairdresser’s car) with over 750k on the clock, the only sports car to make it onto the list.
If you’re starting to worry about the mileage on your car, or if it’s getting a little long in the tooth and the gremlins just keep on coming, then perhaps it’s time to start thinking about scrapping your old whip and getting yourself something a little newer and shinier. Scrapping through Scrap Car Comparison and utilising our nationwide network of trusted scrap and salvage specialists guarantees you the very best price with minimal hassle or fuss, and if that wasn’t enough, we’ll even come and collect the car, wherever you are, at no extra cost to you! So get started today and find out just how much money your old car could be worth.
