Would you buy a Car that had over 200,000 miles ?

[Atrea]

I think the thing to contemplate is how many engines really get up to 300,000?

Lots. Just none that are made in the US.

[Gothicshark]

Here's the thing some cars are designed to be useful for 3-6 years. So if you buy a car which is designed to only be good for a limited period of time than if it has over 100k miles it is not worth the effort. At the same time there are some vehicles out there which are designed for professional use which can go 500k with out much issue.

If you were looking at a real jeep (CJ5/CJ7/YJ, TJ, TJ LWB (LJ) and JK models "Wranglers") and not the 4 door SUV I would say 200k isn't bad but I would do a full rebuild on the motor and drive train. The reason being they are classic vehicles and have actual value. The Jeep SUVs however are not worth much. and are really disposable vehicles.


I personally have a 1996 Lincoln Towncar it is a professional Short Wheelbase limousine designed to do 500k+ miles so having one with 150k is fine.

[HBpapa]

So many generalizations made about vehicles by model.

If the previous owner(s) took good care if the vehicle and you are getting it super cheap then I say go for it. I've seen plenty of the 'reliable' cars out there go to shit before their time because they were lemons from the start or because, more commonly, they weren't taken care of. No leaks, no weird sounds or smells...take it to a mechanic and see if they'll do an inspection on the vehicle for you as this could save you some major headaches down the road.

[Komati]

Nope.
Thumb rule: 200 000 is the breaking point for most cars.
Unless they're well maintained it's rarely worth getting a car that's driven that far.

[Eroginous]

So I've got my eye on this 1997 Jeep grand Cherokee that has been properly maintained and has no noticeable issues the thing is it has over 200,000 miles on it.

I figure I will drive it a maximum of maybe 5000 miles per year and doubt I will put even 25,000 miles on it before replacing it with something else.
The current owner has down extensive work to it but to my knowledge it still has the original engine/transmission.

Knowing that would you buy it (my current ride gets roughly the same gas mileage and that isn't a concern)

1997 is new enough to have slightly better quality parts than older model cars, and would be more forgiving later in it's life. However, 200k miles is a lot for any car, and I would only buy a car with that many miles on it IF it had been well taken care of and the owner could show me proof of that.

[HBpapa]

If you were looking at a real jeep (CJ5/CJ7/YJ, TJ, TJ LWB (LJ) and JK models "Wranglers") and not the 4 door SUV I would say 200k isn't bad but I would do a full rebuild on the motor and drive train. The reason being they are classic vehicles and have actual value. The Jeep SUVs however are not worth much. and are really disposable vehicles.

A lot of the "real jeeps" and SUV models used the same drivetrain for a given year and engine displacement. CJ's are definitely classics, but the Wranglers added resale value is almost entirely based on looks and 'bolt on appeal' for the weekend warrior.

[FuxieDK]

We know the make of the car, so that's not very useful.

OP ask a general question ("will you buy a car with 200.000 miles on in?") and proceed to give an example of a Jeep.

I answer the question, not comment on his example..

[Gothicshark]

A lot of the "real jeeps" and SUV models used the same drivetrain for a given year and engine displacement. CJ's are definitely classics, but the Wranglers added resale value is almost entirely based on looks and 'bolt on appeal' for the weekend warrior.

That is the reason, what I said was true. Cherokees have no resale because they suck as weekend warrior vehicles, where as the traditional Jeep has the look that hunters and Jeep fans love. I have met many a CJ with a Chevy or Ford engine inside. Just saying, with the CJ/Wrangler it's less about the drive-train and more the body that is important.

[James Tiberius Kirk]

Well vehicles are no doubt designed to last a lot longer than most people keep them for before they sell them on, so 200,000 miles is a lot but it's probably well within the capabilities of it to do that again.

[Spectral]

Absolutely not. Why would you?

[aztr0]

Unless you're using it for some illegal activities and its cheap, I wouldn't touch it.

[vanin]

You mean a car where other people touched the steering wheel?!

Never!

What if I told you that during manufacture the workers touch the steering wheel? :P

[muto]

As a lot of people have said unless its a honda or a toyota there's almost no point.

I bought my corolla with 180K miles on it and not a problem with it so far. I knew a fella who had a corolla as well that had 280K i think and it still ran perfect. Great cars

Ya my mom had a 93' Toyota Corolla, and it had 300k miles on it when she traded it in for a new Camry back in 2004. The manager of that dealership bought the car for his grandson, and my mom ran into him at the grocery store just this last year, and he said the car still purrs like a kitten.

[Zergin8r]

I have an old 96 chevy pickup that I got got 2k, it had 250kish on it when I got it and 610k now, only thing I ever had to replace was a battery but they generally only last 4-6 years anyways.

[Corayo]

Depends on the price.

this. if its cheap enough it could be worth it.

[Zergin8r]

Lots. Just none that are made in the US.

As long as you are not hard on your vehicle and do regular maintenance you should be ok... I still have the original engine/transmission in my truck and its a 96 chev with 610k on it.

[Spectral]

this. if its cheap enough it could be worth it.

I disagree; the wildcard of maintenance costs and potential repairs means that it's not worth it even if it's very, very cheap. I'd rather have a fixed cost that I know every month rather than not knowing if I'm going to need to replace a transmission.