Reply With QuoteOne thing to check is the tyres. While they might have plenty tread they can be cracked high on the sidewalks and just starting to perish.
After years of driving new and nearly new cars, I'm thinking of dipping my toe into the second hand market. I'm now working from home on a full time basis and don't drive as much, so the expense of new cars just doesn't make sense. Anyway, to the point: I've seen a car I like (a 2006 Mercedes C Class), which has only covered 11,000 miles. It's been serviced by a main-dealer as per the recommended servicing schedule and is absolutely mint. My question is, will the low mileage cause problems once the car is being used every day? Or would I be better off buying a car with a few more miles on it - something that's been used regularly and not parked in a garage for extended periods of time?
Any advice from the more knowledgeable would be appreciated.
One thing to check is the tyres. While they might have plenty tread they can be cracked high on the sidewalks and just starting to perish.
With low mileage use it's all about how it has been looked after service wise.
How many times has it been serviced...
It would not put me off and all i would check is the date on the tyres as with that mileage they are probably original.
Put 4 new tyres on and enjoy.
Just check the MOT and service history. I've bought plenty of "old" low milers to good effect. As said above, check the age of the tyres (date coded) and give it a good service. Enjoy or send me the details!!!
Just check the MOT and service history. I've bought plenty of "old" low milers to good effect. As said above, check the age of the tyres (date coded) and give it a good service. Enjoy or send me the details!!!
Originally Posted by RustyBin5
Just that.
My daily drive Jag is 18 years old now, bought last year with 45k miles on it (25k in the first couple of years, then it was barely used for a decade and a half!).
New oil and new tyres when I bought it, it's just sailed through its second MOT for me without an issue.
Go for it after MOT and service checking. Once you get it weaving and breathing it shouldn't be an issue given its a Merc
Was expecting a thread about something exotic from the 70's or 80's.
A 2006 vintage Merc with 11000 miles should be a foible-less reliable daily. Something from, say, Lotus built in the 80's might be a different matter.
I think the vast majority of mainstream cars made in the past twenty years are fundamentally pretty reliable on the big stuff, it's just the more perishable items and areas that you need to be vigilant and prepared for - eg hoses, cables, electrics etc.
Basically there are materials in a car that simply deteriorate over time, and nothing much can be done about that. If buying a significantly older car I think the best advice would be check it thoroughly, buy it, and put aside maybe a grand for any unforeseens.
And always remember, the more complex a car is, the more there is to go wrong and the more it will cost. I had a mate who bought an older Merc SL for peanuts. It was lovely until the roof mechanism failed and then the air-suspension started leaking (1.5k per corner fix I think he told me...)
So clever my foot fell off.
Like you we now both work from home, the most mileage we do in a week is about 150 miles, and consequently we're running a 18 year old Audi, for holidays we hire a car, the Audi costs very little to run and as a bonus is pretty inconspicuous amongst thieves and boy racers.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Where’s it been kept all that time ? In a garage, on a drive, on grass ? I’d only personally consider it if it’s the former.
The first thing I’d consider is the price. A lot of older cars with extremely low mileage like this one can be expensive to purchase in the first place (relative to other cars of the same make and age)
If it’s a few grand more expensive than say one with 100K on it, then I’d give it a miss.
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Thanks for all the advice - things like changing the tyres would never have occurred to me.
It's been garaged it's entire life and according to the service book, it's been fastidiously maintained - even when it's only done a hundred or so miles between services.
If the price was right I’d think about it. If it’s an auto I’d be tempted to have the gearbox oil changed though. It’s history and condition are the things I would look at. But whatever I would change the tyres and ALL the fluids. And have a few quid in my back pocket for any seal that’s perished that’s going to pop after a bit of use.
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^^^
I agree with this advice.
Makes you wonder why the owner bothered buying it in the first place?
What are they asking for it?
At the right price I would jump at it, personally I would probably do my own underbody and wheel arch protection and use a couple of coats of long lasting paint sealant after paint prep for winter protection, that would be me and my time so not much in the way of costs.
Treatment like this will prolong the life of the car if driven in the winter and kept outside.
I much prefer well looked after older cars, my daily hack is an Octavia Estate I bought 2 years ago for £1600, it came from an old couple who spent money on getting everything done, touch wood I haven’t had to spend much on it other than home servicing, 2 tyres and an upgraded stereo, I could sell it now for £1600.
While I love cars I hate losing money on them!
Back in the day I bought an aged but low mileage Calibra. I put nearly 100k miles on it with very few mechanical problems. When I first got it the rubber components were the only problem (hoses etc), but they were cheap to replace.
Well said.
I can only speak for Hondas but I have a feeling this might apply to other marques - there is a sweet spot from the late 90s to around 2010 where the quality was good and the cars weren't overly complex - I tend to drive six speed manuals with NA engines and I currently run a 06 Vtec Civic which I picked up with 20-odd thousand miles. Absolutely love it. It's the G shock of the automotive world.
I would prefer a Stratos or a Dino but my pockets aren't quite that deep.
I'd check carefully for rust on a merc of that age
Exactly this.
Not quite the same, but a few months ago I bought a car that that had done very few miles over the last few years (5,000 over 4 years). I decided that the diesel I bought February last year just wasn't cutting it as the car that sat outside much of the week instead of on a motorway. So I traded my Mercedes CLS for a 2004 E55. Full, fastidious service history at main dealer and local specialist. No expense spared etc etc (I was told this by the servicing garage - it even wears Mercedes wiper blades!).
Lack of use has been an issue. The tyres were cracked, I replaced the valves as they were perished. The a/c was blocked and the vents didn't move inside as they should when the different modes were selected. Various bushes showed sign of perishing. The wood inlay in the interior has even faded unevenly, presumably half the car caught the sunshine when stood outside. The rubber seals around the boot opening had perished and broken away. The rear curtain blind was stuck. There was green stuff growing around some of the rubber window trim on one side of the car.
It's now how I want it. Mostly a list of niggles (my local Mercedes dealer has been really helpful with bits of rubber, seals and trim clips!). But it's a much healthier car now it gets used regularly. Just think about how those 11,000 miles were spent - was it a decent trip out every few months or a mile a week to the local shop? How long was it stood without use and where? Old(er) cars benefit from regular use more than a modern one I'd wager.
Ant
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