When considering a used car I have rarely been put off by high mileage,
providing that there is documentation showing regular and preventative
maintenance performed per schedule. This can be as much documentation as
dealership stamping or as little as a notebook in the glovebox dutifully
filled out by the owner (you have to be a good judge of character). Also,
when the right brand of car is purchased mileage isn't necessarily a factor
either. I have Honda's and Toyotas that have over 200K and I would drive them
coast to coast tomorrow with not so much as a screwdriver in the trunk. That
is not to say that Chevy and Ford and whatnot won't do well too, please don't
misunderstand my meaning, it is just that my experience has shown Honda,
Toyota, Nissan in that order are my preference for a vehicle that I don't have
to wrench to drive. They are also what the women and children in my life
drive so there is no drama. Then, my favorite is when the owner can show that
the replacement parts chosen were genuine OEM. It shows that the they
appreciate the engineering and manufacturing quality of the original parts and
that they didn't cheap out and buy Autozone junk to toss in the car when an
ancillary item needed replacement. Finally, I arm myself with Consumer
Reports and check the reliability on whatever brand/model I am replacing as
even the best auto makers have issues in some areas at some times. For
instance, the 6 cylinder Toyotas had sludge issues in the mid 90's. Don't
forget CarFax or a similar check to get the history of the vehicle. In my
case not all cars sold in Texas originated here and some were shipped from up
North to the market here. I had enough salt and corrosion from my first 24
years of life in NE Ohio to put up with that now. All that said, these are
only my opinions, but have served me well in the ownership of 75 cars or so in
my 53 years. Best of luck.
Ed Fisher
Dallas, Tx
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