Buying a car is still a top financial decision one makes. It is a simple car meant for travel between two points or one loaded with luxury; no car can live with you until eternity.
Yes, due to known or unknown reasons, the car can break down to the extent that no repair work would induce life in it.
As a result, you’ll finally have to discard and replace it with a new one.
However, what is the maximum number of miles a car can run? What is the average lifespan of a typical car? These are some questions you might seek answers to when deciding to buy a car. So, let’s get discuss these queries in detail below.
How many miles on a car before it dies?
While answering how many miles a car can deliver, you will need to consider an assortment of parameters. Some of these are:
- The model, make, and condition of the car,
- Year of manufacturing,
- Your driving style, etc.
It is because a well-maintained car with no or negligible issues manufactured within the past one-two decades can deliver you approximately 200,000 miles before bidding farewell.
It is as per the findings that after reaching this point, almost every car will start asking for repair work w.r.t parts like engine, transmission, brakes, etc.
Though investing in better repair work can extend the car’s lifespan by a few miles, it’s a no-brainer that the car will become more prone to unexpected breakdowns all of a sudden even then! It will leave you with only one option of discarding the car and buying a new one.
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What is the average vehicle lifespan?
Buying a car in today’s time is still worth an investment for many, an investment that may or may not yield the desired results.
However, if accepted as your top priority while paying for your car, there is one parameter that can make your investment yield unexpected results, and that’s the lifespan of your car.
Knowing how long the car will last with you can allow you to make better decisions and purchases in the future. For example, the lifespan of cars wasn’t as commendable in the past as it’s today.
Statistically, a typical car from a reputed manufacturer can last for about 200,000 miles or 11-12 years. If the car is more scientific and electric, you can even extract 300,000 miles from it.
Contrastingly, the above figures read 8-9 years and 150,000 miles in the past. In a nutshell, as technology has progressed, the life expectancy of cars has seen a much-needed rise for better ROI for car owners.
Factors that can affect the mileage of your vehicle before it dies
While shopping for your car, what all features would you feel tempted to ask the dealer? I know you’ll ask about its add-on features, mileage (MPG), power, comfort, and so on.
Let’s keep other things aside and concentrate on the mileage first. In simple terms, mileage is the miles a car can cover for a specified quantity of fuel.
The better the mileage, the more are the chances of it getting parked in your garage. But what are those factors that influence the mileage of a car before it dies? Let’s find out.
Weather
Your car will give you different mileage readings in summers and winters. Talking about winters, since cold air is denser, it increases the drag and decreases the tire pressure.
It makes the car do more work than usual to get its wheel rolling. Additionally, colder temperatures mean more time for the car to get to an optimal operating temperature—all these results in less mileage.
Now, in the summer season, the car tends to give better mileage due to:
- The oil is in its optimal temperature range, so it lubricates better.
- Optimal tire pressure.
- No alterations in dragging.
All these results in better mileage. But here’s a catch. Using an air conditioner can hurt your good mileage.
Body shape
Your car’s style and shape are responsible for presenting the car and its fuel economy.
Yes, it’s a fact that significant and boxy cars pile up more resistance in front of them that increases the drag, decreases efficiency, and consumes more fuel to get the work done. On the other hand, cars that have a moderate size tend to give better mileage.
Speed
The speed at which you drive is a vital mileage governing factor. The higher the speed, the poorer the mileage and vice-versa.
Weight
Heavy vehicles consume more power to move, and this results in more consumption of fuel. It is the reason why lightweight vehicles have a better economy in front of heavy automobiles.
It’s worth noting here that by weight, I mean the additional weight you add to your car in the form of passengers and other stuff plus the standard weight of the car itself.
Hence, it’s always advisable to refrain from overloading any vehicle and understanding the maximum weight the vehicle can carry without hurting the mileage.
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At what mileage is a car bad?
A reputable manufacturer’s standard car can last for about 200,000 miles or 11-12 years before giving up.
If the car is more scientific or battery-powered, you can even drive 300,000 miles in it. However, the above figures are only for the cars manufactured within the past two decades.
The above figures may translate to 8-9 years and 130,000-150,000 miles for vehicles made before that. For some cars, extracting 100,000 was a big deal at that time.
Furthermore, taking cognizance of the methods that work towards increasing the car’s mileage, the car will hard to hard run for an additional 50,000-60,000 miles. Post which, you’ll need to discard it.
Should I buy a car with over 200,000 miles?
How many miles is too many for a car? This question will hit you hard every time you decide to buy a used car instead of a new one.
It is because even though a used car saves you a considerable amount of money, spending even a tiny amount on a car that’s about to expire is the worst idea.
Hence, experts suggest the used car buyers remain mindful while making deals where it’s crucial to know how many miles is too many for the car.
It would help if you turned away the deals where the car on sale is older than 200,000 miles for a rough estimate.
Such a car won’t survive much and will constantly ask for hefty repair work to keep going. Plus, if you wish to sell it off later, you won’t get anything in return. So, you shouldn’t buy a car that has covered over 200,000 miles.
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Conclusion
No car can survive for eternity. Irrespective of the other standpoints, a well-maintained car with no or negligible issues and manufactured within the past one-two decades can deliver you approximately 200,000 miles before going off permanently.
As per the findings, almost every car will start asking for repair work to keep going after reaching this point.
Furthermore, even if you decide to spend on the repair work, you may add a few more miles to its tally, which is the worst decision in other car owners’ eyes.
Hence, if you’re buying a new car, go with models that can guarantee at least 300,000 miles before dying.
Or if buying a used car, check if it’s not older than 150,000 miles. Anything more than this will only leave you heading to the repair shop then and now.
