What is a good mileage for a used car?

A good mileage for a used car depends on its age, but around 7,000 to 10,000 miles a year is generally considered average in the UK. Lower-mileage cars usually cost more, while higher-mileage cars can be great value if they've been properly maintained.

When you're comparing used cars, mileage is only part of the story. A full service history, the type of driving the car has done and how well it's been looked after can matter just as much. In this guide, we'll explain what counts as good mileage, how it affects a car's value and what to look for before you buy.

Key takeaways

• The UK average is about 7,100 miles per year

• Higher mileage means a lower price

• Maintenance history can be more important than mileage

• The type of mileage can also be a factor

• Cars can cover 200,000+ miles if well looked-after

What is a good mileage for a used car? 

Everyone has a different idea of what counts as ‘good’ mileage for a used car. How many miles a car has covered has a major impact on how much it’s worth, and while some people prefer cheaper, higher-mileage cars, others are happy to pay more for a low-mileage model. 

Why does mileage matter when buying a car? 

Mileage matters when buying a car because the higher a used car’s mileage, the less it’s likely to be worth. Why? Because the greater distance it covers, the more wear its mechanical parts, bodywork and electrical components are subjected to.  

What is the average mileage for a car? 

According to the latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures, the average mileage for all cars in the UK in 2024 was 7,100 miles per year. Bear in mind, though, that average mileage has decreased steadily in recent years, so anything between 7,000 and 10,000 miles per year is considered average for an older used car. 

What is a low-mileage or high-mileage car?

You can work out whether a car is ‘low-mileage’ or ‘high-mileage’ for its age simply by dividing its mileage by how old it is.  

For example:

How does car mileage affect value?

As we’ve mentioned, mileage is one of the key factors in a used car’s price. Take two cars of the same age, make and model and if all other aspects (like condition, colour, service history, number of owners) are the same, one with low mileage will be worth more than one with high mileage. 

Here’s an example, based on real-world prices for 2023 Nissan Qashqai models listed on Autotrader at the time of writing: 

As you can see, the low-mileage cars are worth up to £8,000 more than the high-mileage models, with the average-mileage (25,000-35,000 miles) cars sitting in the middle. 

What is the best mileage for buying used cars? 

Working out the best mileage for a used car is a question of priorities. You’ll pay a lot less for a car with high mileage, but it will have more wear and tear so could end up costing you more in maintenance and repair costs. 

Some car parts have a certain lifespan, and it’s usually more to do with mileage than age. While things like door seals and rubber pipes degrade over time and paintwork is affected by exposure to the elements, moving parts such as engine, brake and suspension components wear out due to repeated use. 

Parts such as the brake discs, clutch or timing belt often need to be replaced at around the 60,000-mile mark, and the cost can run into hundreds or thousands of pounds. It might turn out to be a false economy to buy a car that’s coming up to this kind of mileage if these items haven’t recently been replaced. 

A car that’s covered less than 30,000 miles is likely to cost you less to maintain than one that’s covered 100,000 miles, but the way a car has been treated by its previous owners can matter just as much. 

Used cars mileage guide

The type of mileage a car has covered can make a big difference. City driving can put more strain on a car due to all the stopping, starting, speed bumps and turning. Country roads also tend to be hard on a car because there can be lots of hills, corners, potholes, road salt and mud to contend with.

Motorways, on the other hand, are actually quite easy on cars. As well as allowing a petrol or diesel car’s engine to work at steady, healthy temperature, motorways are generally smooth and reasonably flat. So if you see ‘mainly motorway miles’ in a used car listing, this could be a good thing (even if it might be hard to substantiate).

Is low mileage always better for cars? 

In general, low mileage is better for cars since it means less wear and tear. That said, cars are designed to be driven and a car that’s a few years old but hasn’t covered many miles will have been sitting around a lot. That can lead to some parts drying out or seizing up, although these are usually easy things to fix.

A bigger concern is that a low-mileage car may have been used mainly for short trips where the engine rarely reaches its optimum temperature. In the case of a petrol, hybrid or electric car it’s not much of a concern, but all modern diesel cars have something called a diesel particulate filter (DPF) that can get clogged up if the car isn’t regularly driven at higher speeds. If the DPF does go wrong it can cost thousands to fix or replace, and can cause other related (and costly) engine problems.

What mileage is too high when buying a used car? 

In theory, no mileage is ‘too high’ since regular maintenance and replacement parts can keep a car running for hundreds of thousands of miles. In fact, at the time of writing there were more than 600 cars listed on Autotrader with more than 200,000 miles on the clock!

A well-maintained car that’s covered more than 100,000 miles can be a great deal, but you should make sure that there’s plenty of evidence before committing to buy. In practice, keeping a high-mileage car on the road doesn’t always make financial sense since repairs can end up costing more than the car is worth. 

What are the best high-mileage cars to buy? 

The best high-mileage car to buy is one that has been properly maintained over the years. That’s because, beyond a certain age and mileage, the way a car has been looked after tends to play a bigger part in its condition than its make or model. 

Having said that, some cars are statistically more likely to be reliable than others. Our guide to the UK’s most reliable cars is a good starting point. Four of the seven models featured are Toyotas, with the Yaris, Corolla, RAV4 and Aygo all making the cut. The Honda CR-V, Tesla Model 3 and Renault Clio are the others featured. Alongside these, brands that regularly score highly in independent reliability studies include Audi, BMW, Hyundai and Mini.

What mileage is covered by a new car warranty?

Most new cars come with a manufacturer warranty that covers them for three years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes soonest. Some brands offer longer cover, however. Every new Kia, for example, has a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, while Hyundai’s new cars come with a five-year/unlimited mileage warranty. Toyota goes even further, covering its cars for 10 years or 100,000 miles as long as they’re serviced each year at a Toyota dealership. 

Most car brands, and many independent suppliers, offer extended warranties that cover a car up to a certain age after its initial warranty has expired. The cost varies according to the level of cover, but an extended warranty can work out to be good value and it does provide extra peace of mind. 

Mileage and car finance 

If you pay for your car through a Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) car finance agreement, you’ll typically have an annual mileage limit. Go beyond this, and you’ll have to pay a penalty at the end of the agreement if you decide to hand the car back or part-exchange it for a new PCP agreement. 

If you pay the final ‘balloon payment’ at the end of your PCP contract, the car’s mileage doesn’t matter since you now own the car. There’s no mileage limit with an HP car finance agreement because it’s a contract to buy the car. There could be complications if you’ve covered a high mileage and want to terminate the agreement, however.

Check out our guide to annual mileage and car finance for the full lowdown. 

Disclaimer: This blog post is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Your rights and options will depend on your individual circumstances and the terms of your agreement.