mileage

cormie

Hi,
I'm looking at buying a car and was wondering how much I should take mileage into consideration when buying. I'm looking at a 98 polo 1l with 90K on the clock for €3650. I know 90K is allot, so should I let this get in the way?
thanks

Shrimp

not to be a nit-picker.. but seein as we've gone metric.. shouldn't that be kilomage..

Our man in Havana

Shrimp wrote:

not to be a nit-picker.. but seein as we've gone metric.. shouldn't that be kilomage..

No! Most odometers are in miles and will stay in miles.

AMurphy

It depends.
High mileage of itself is only part of the equation.
High mileage on a small 4cyl is more detremintal than high mileage on a large 6cyl engine.
and what loading, eg, was it a taxi, towing or simple long/fast commuting on good/bad roads.

Check for pedal/clutch/seat and suspension wear.

90K on a 6yo car is not excessive.
Frankly, I'd go for lowermileage myself, ~60K. Unless everything else, suspensions, body, electrics, etc were in excellent condition or better.

here's high mileage on a 92-3.3L-V6 minivan.

Eoin

I think the average mileage per year is 12 - 15,000 miles (or 19200 - 24000 KM to keep Shrimp happy ) so it is not too far off for the year.

If you are buying privately, have the car checked out by a mechanic (shouldn't cost more than 75 Euros). They will be able to tell you if the car will need any work done to it in the immediate future.
If you are getting it through a dealer, get a decent warranty from them (nothing less than 6 months).

If I was looking at a car with 90K miles, I would probably be a little more careful when checking it out, but I wouldn't rule the car out immediately.

Check out www.carzone.ie and www.cbg.ie to see what the average price is for the car.

cormie

well the avg. price off a dealer is about 4-4.5 k

My plan for buying privately is tell them that I will only buy it once a mechanic has given the go ahead.

If the mechanic says not to buy it, they pay the mechanic fee. If the mechanic says to buy it, I pay it. If I say to this before meeting for the car, this particular seller is based in Carlow so if they knew of any hidden surprises they surely wouldn't bother coming long distance only to get no sale and be down a mechanic fee and drive all the way back. So they would want to be confident in the car to sell it to me;)

Well if average mileage per year is 15K then supposing they bough it Jan 98 and I'm buying it Jan 05 then that is roughly 90K so should I just go for it?

The man said there was a new belt and tyres put on. Would the mechanic check the clutch and all that? I wouldn't jhave a clue what I was at.

There is nothing on either cbg or carzone that I want:(

so anyone advise against this? He said it was owned by a lady probably doing work runs. Anyone know what the road in Crlow is like?

Given the facts, what would you guys suggest?
Thanks!

lomb

if its had timing belt, water pump , clutch,possibly shocks (bounce the car and see if it rebounds if it does forget it) replaced then consider it otherwise forget it.
if it does have the above done with proof then listen carefully to the engine when hot ur listening for ticking rattling and thumping noises. this get louder as the engine warms. drive the car from cold and see how smooth it is. if its rough and shakes look elsewhere.
finally look at tyres. c they are good brands and are in matched sets. if they arent walk away.
generally many owners sell cars around 90 that are shagged so its a minefield but there are some nice ones about. once u know what ur looking for these stand out and are excellent bargains.
also light cars like polos dont need expensive suspension work at 90 whereas luxury saloons may need all the busings changed.
dont be scared of the miles its a question of maintainence. trucks are driven for 1000000+miles but are well maintained

cormie

Ok, I wouldn't really have a clue about knowing if anything was replaced or wether it was shaky or not. Do you reckon if the mechanic says go for it, to go for it even though it has 90K?

lomb

u need to c receipts for work or at the least ask them what has been done.

is_that_so

First if it's 98 it should have be NCT, ideally with two yeasr on it. That ensures that most of the basic parts should be OK. VW Polos are fairly solid. If the mechanic says yes then go for it.The only problem that can occur with high mileage cars is that when things break, instead of one thing going you can end up with two or three things. My own preference for a car of that type would be a "second car" ie shopping, school runs etc., and therefore low mileage. You will have to pay more than for this one but the likelihood is that it hasn't been doing laps around the country, but it might be worth the wait.

cormie

he said he had the full vw service history! does this mean anything?

is_that_so

cormie wrote:

he said he had the full vw service history! does this mean anything?

Yes it does. It means it has been serviced regularly by VW and not by cowboys.
If you're happy with the price you're likely to get a few years out of it.

cormie

well €3650 is pretty good compared to other prices I have seen for similar year etc. I'll give it some more thought anyway, thanks again

posiedon

Personally, I wouldn't touch a 1 litre car with 90K on it.
It won't be long before all sorts of things start to happen, clutch, gear box, cylinder head gasket, petrol pump, ignition, electrics.....
That's pretty hefty mileage, not runabout miles.

However if the car has been perfectly maintained with full VW service history, it could be ok. Check their last NCT results, and find out if it passed on a retest or not, this will give you an indication of weather stuff is starting to go. It's only natural on a little car that wear and tear will take it's toll. These were built for small trips in the city. Driving on Motorways and long distance is not good for these cars. If the engine were bigger, you'ld be laughing. Also, I've never come accross anyone who accepts to pay for the mechanic to check out the car. This is usually an independent job, you sort out yourself. After all the car is being sold as seen, regardles of what they might tell you. I'm also surprised that they are driving all the way from Carlow. Sounds eager to me. One of the golden rules when buying privately is to go to the house of the seller. That way you can also check the paper matches up with the registered address, an it's not a trade car for sale that they can't flog fom the garage, etc...

Also remeber you gotta sell the car on one day, and you'll be stuck with the high mileage yourself, unless you decide to run it into the ground. For the budget you have, there are some really good deals out there, especially if you moved up to a 1.4 car.

Anyway, jut my 99 cents worth, but I hope it all works out for you.

cormie

Well you see, I'm only 20, so insurance on a 1.4 would be far too much. I currently drive a Nissan Micra 1L. It's a 96, I would keep it but I want to use my car to advertise my company and have the logo below put on the rear, bonnet and sides. I think a polo is the best looking 1L car for this purpose and I've also heard that it's one of the best 1L cars you can get anyway. A Ford Focus would be nice for advertising on but they don't come cheap and they don't come in 1L.

The man I rang said he sells cars and was selling it for a woman he knew.

€4.5K would be my max at the moment. I have to pay insurance at the end of feb too

So what would you reckon for a 98 1L Polo then? Bout 60K (as mentioned above) maybe?

EDIT: I'm on provisional too:(

posiedon

I always found the early VWs to be a bit spartan. No power steering electric windows.... Which if you're a smoker come in really handy, otherwise you'll probably never notice.

You could probably get a Citoren Saxo, Peugoet 106, Ren Clio (new version).
For in and around that money. It's not always the size of the engine that counts on insurance. When I was a wee bit younger I had a 1.3 Colt. But then I changed it for a 1.4 Brava and my insurance actually went down. And it wasn't because I was older or anything like that, becuase the colt was stolen, so I had to change car there and then. The Brava I had was a great runner, although you can be very unlucky with them. Cheap as chips and full of kit though, and the 99 models came in a 1.2 version. It really was an economical car to run all round. Sure it might cost you a little more in insurance, but it shouldn't have a huge impact, and you get more car for less money.

Look at this one:
http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=183431

cormie

I think 1L (998cc) are generally cheaper than anything else though, everywhere says it magazines etc. Saying that, I think the Polo the best bet considering I want a good car that looks good for advertising on. So I'm really looking for a 98 polo (I think 98's have power steering, I'm not a smoker) 1L black, 5 door, with around 60K for under 4K.

What do you think the chances are that the one with 90K on the clock will be flawless for the next 2 years or so?

is_that_so

cormie wrote:

The man I rang said he sells cars and was selling it for a woman he knew.

€4.5K would be my max at the moment. I have to pay insurance at the end of feb too

So what would you reckon for a 98 1L Polo then? Bout 60K (as mentioned above) maybe?

EDIT: I'm on provisional too:(

60K is much better. As regards insurance have you checked out other companies. Are you getting the best possible insurance deal( high risk group, provisional licence etc.) ? Axa AFAIK will give you credit if you have done a training course/lessons. Simple solution is get the full licence .

cormie

I've applied for it so all I can do is wait and just improve my driving untill then!

I think Quinn Direct are the best price for people my age. When I get my full license I will shop around for sure!

I've paid my 1st years insurance last Feb in one go, can I pay monthly from now on? or is it bi monthly or every 6 months or what?

thanks

stratos

I would have to say the milometer would be the last thing I would use to work out the mileage of a car, especially the newer computerised ones. brake disc, pedal, gearknob,seat wear are more informative. Also strangley enough the vendor is a good pointer to what the cars like. If the owners unkempt and disorganised his car will be too.

cormie

ok thanks:)

is_that_so

cormie wrote:

I've applied for it so all I can do is wait and just improve my driving untill then!

I think Quinn Direct are the best price for people my age. When I get my full license I will shop around for sure!

I've paid my 1st years insurance last Feb in one go, can I pay monthly from now on? or is it bi monthly or every 6 months or what?

thanks

Ask them. A lot of companies do monthly payments of some kind.

posiedon

Hibernian are doing discounts on Provisional drivers now, with a new Provisional Ignition course. It's on their website. I did ignition when it first came out and saved a packet.

cormie

That's great news! I'm going to get onto them right away! I wonder how they will compare to Quinn Direct anyway (without ignition)

I don't like the fact I have to sit the test in another car, one that I wont be used to. Hopefully I'll be able to adjust easily enough...

Can you ask to have a spin before they examine you just to get a feel for the car I wonder? :cool:

bazz26

You can do the test in your own car.

As for 90k on a 1.0 engine, I would say look around at others. Most of these small cars are only used as second cars or runabouts and would not cover huge miles.

Have a look at this, I know it is a year older than the one you were looking at but it has 20k less miles covered which could be 2 years driving to most owners of these cars. There would also be negotiation on the price I am sure.

http://www.carzone.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=186571

Don't expect anything like power steering or central locking, plus the Polo is not as nippy as your Micra as it is a heavier car.

cormie

is a 98 model guaranteed to have Power Steering or central locking though?

Pitty about the colour, I may have considered it if it was black.

What I'm looking for is:

VW Polo
97/98/99
1L (998cc)
5 Door
Black

as for the 2nd car thing, well this will be my main car. Probably about 15K per year average I will travel.

thanks for your help and advice.

cormie

Well here are a list of adds from the buyandsell I have singled out.

Would a 97 with 45K be a much better option than a 98 with 90K?

I'd really like to keep it under €4,000.

Any deals look as if they are worth dishing out an extra few shillings for?




VW Polo 1.0 '98.5 dr, lady owner, 86k kms, very clean, new tyres, brakes, serviced, e/m, #3,500 ono.

**VW POLO, 1.0, 1998, black, 5dr hatchback, lady owner, NCT 07/06, taxed 03/05, 90k, Irish car, excellent condition throughout, perfect mechanical order, #3,650. (Carlow area).

VW Polo 1L '98.CD/MP3, alarm, alloys, 50k mls, 5dr, NCT 06/06, #4,700. Contact:

VW Polo '97.45k mls, 5dr, NCT '06, ex cond, lady owner, n/s, #3500. Contact:

VW Polo 1L '97.5 dr h/b, 70k mls, NCT '06, just serviced, #3,200 ono. Contact:

VW Polo 1L '97.Black, alloys, CD, 70k mls, NCT 09/06, new tyres, immac cond, #3300. Contact:

VW Polo '98.1000cc, h/b, 49k mls, taxed, NCT, s/r, royle blue, ex cond, owner emigrating, #4200.

VW Polo '98.75k mls, 13 mths NCT, 7 mths tax, 2 lady owners, #3500. Contact:

VW Polo '99.NCT & taxed, immac cond, CD player, alloys, 5 dr, black, #4,800 ono. Contact:

VW POLO 1998. 5dr, 63k mls, NCT tested, fsh. #4,650

VW Polo 1L '98.CD/MP3, alarm, alloys, 50k mls, 5dr, NCT 06/06, #4,700.

VW Polo 1L '99. 5dr, 37k miles, excellent condition, navy blue, tax 05/05, NCT 06/05, service 05/05, #5000.

VW Polo 1L '99.55k mls, NCT 04/05, tax 05/05, blue, twin a/b, p/s, alarm, 5 dr, great cond, #4,500 ono.

VW Polo 1L '99.5dr, h/b, pmo, very clean, radio/stereo, NCT till 07/05, #4,500. Contact:

bazz26

The Polo didn't get power steering or central locking as standard until the face lifted model of 2000. VW charge extra for most things.

You will find it hard to find a 1.0 Polo of that year with power steering unless the first owner paid extra for it. I think the 1.4 Polo had it alright.

cormie

Well my current car hasn't got PS or an alarm so it wouldn't really make a difference as far as what I'm used to driving goes! so from the list above, what would you go for?

posiedon

I would go for the second last one.
VW Polo 1L '99.55k mls, NCT 04/05, tax 05/05, blue, twin a/b, p/s, alarm, 5 dr, great cond, #4,500 ono.

You should be able to get this for 4,200 cash. Wave the money in their face and they will surely sell for that price. Just find something to complain about and it will make it easier. Odds are its sold already.

cormie

The only bad thing about that (aswell as the highish price) is the colour.. blue!

If it was black I would definitely go for it.


So what would you choose 2nd to that one?