Is buying a 10-year-old car worth it?

June 2024 · 6 minute read
When buying a used car that's 10-years-old or older, your primary concerns are purchase price and reliability. Don't pay more than that 10-year-old car is worth. And, pick a car with a solid reputation for dependability. No car is really too old if you follow those rules.

Can a 10-year-old car be reliable?

Modern cars are, on the whole, extremely reliable even as they age. The average five-year-old car costs about $350 in repairs, while a 10-years-old car has an average annual repair cost of just under $600 a year.

Is 10 years an old car?

A 10-year-old car or a vehicle with over 200,000 miles is already considered an old car. The lifespan of a car is usually considered to be nine years.

How many miles is a lot for a 10-year-old car?

The average ten-year-old car should have around 120,000 miles on the odometer, anything significantly more or less could indicate trouble brewing.

What is low mileage for a 10-year-old car?

Mileage will vary between vehicles, but a decent rule of thumb to follow is that people drive an average of about 12,000 miles a year. Therefore, 120,000 miles would be a good mileage for a used car that's about 10 years old.

How Old Of A Used Car Should You Buy?

What is the best age to buy a used car?

All in all, the best age to buy a used car is around the 5-year mark, as this minimizes depreciation and maximises reliability for the price you'll pay, meaning you're less likely to have any problems or need to pay any more money for later on which is a common problem with really cheap or much older vehicles.

Is buying an old car a bad idea?

When buying a used car that's 10-years-old or older, your primary concerns are purchase price and reliability. Don't pay more than that 10-year-old car is worth. And, pick a car with a solid reputation for dependability. No car is really too old if you follow those rules.

What mileage is too high for a used car?

There's no absolute number of miles that is too many for a used car. But consider 200,000 as an upper limit, a threshold where even modern cars begin to succumb to the years of wear and tear.

Is mileage or age of car more important?

Even when mileage is low, the older a car gets, the less reliable it becomes. Modern cars are much more reliable, even as they age. Five-year-old cars record what is considered a major problem every three years, while 10-year-old cars are more likely to face a problem every 18 to 20 months.

What is a good mileage for a 2012 car?

As a general rule, you should assume that the average car owner puts 12,000 miles on a car each year. To determine whether a car has reasonable mileage, you can simply multiply 12,000 by its age. That means good mileage for a car that's 5 years old is 60,000.

What can I do with a 10 year old car?

You can re-register your car in states where there is no ban imposed on using cars older than 15 years (10 years in case of diesel vehicles). To do this, one has to approach the RTO (regional transport office) with which the car was originally registered and obtain an NOC (no objection certificate).

Is it good to buy 9 year old car?

The body work seems okay with minor scratches and dents, AC works well and the suspension feels good too. The tyres have been replaced a year ago. The only downside is there are no airbags and ABS, no fog lamps and other fancier gadgets.

How long should you own a car?

Paying less helps you pay off the car faster.” While Orman says it's best if you can buy a car outright, if you do need to take out of a loan, she suggests choosing a car you can fully own within three years.

What is considered an old car?

Usually, the classic car moniker applies to vehicles over 20 years old. Antique cars are over 45 years old, and vintage cars are built between 1919 and 1930.

What are the most reliable 2010 cars?

Of the 32 companies studied, Land Rover proved the least reliable company - 53% of its cars suffered a fault - followed by Alfa Romeo, Renault, Saab, MG, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Audi, Rover, BMW. The most expensive make of car to repair was Porsche, at an average cost of £717.36 followed by Mazda at £481.26.

Does the age of a car matter?

The older a vehicle, the less it's worth. Again, because it's more likely to need repairs at some point, but also because it will fall behind the standards of newer models. Ultimately, car age and mileage both matter when buying a used car.

What is the most reliable high mileage car?

According to many reputable sources including Carfax, U.S. News, and Consumer Reports, these are some of the most reliable high mileage cars:

Should I buy a 7 year old car?

In reality, there is no concrete answer for this – it all depends on the car. A well-maintained 10-year-old car could possibly be a better investment than a newer model which hasn't been looked after. As a very general rule of thumb, a car is usually reliable up to 5 years providing it has been maintained.

How many miles should a 2010 car have?

A ten year old 2010 model will often have 150,000 miles or more on the odometer.

What should I keep in mind when buying a used car?

11 Essential Things to Know When Buying a Used Car

Can a car last 500000 miles?

THERE is no one secret to getting your car to live to a ripe old odometer reading. Luck could get you there, but it is no surprise that many vehicles that have reached 200,000, 400,000 and even 500,000 miles have received extraordinary care and maintenance, often with the owners doing the routine work themselves.

When should you stop spending money on an old car?

When repair costs start to exceed the vehicle's value or one year's worth of monthly payments on a replacement, it's time to break up with your car, according to automotive site Edmunds and Consumer Reports, the product review site.

Is a 20 year old car too old?

We wouldn't go too far beyond the mid- to late-1990s for any car, as parts can be harder to find once a car crests 20 years of age. For higher mileage vehicles with more than 150,000 miles on the odometer, we might recommend trying to find a newer model year than the late 1990s.

Is it worth buying a 15 year old car?

Buying a 15 year old car isn't necessarily a mistake. If it's got good service records and has been kept cosmetically clean, it might be worth the risk.

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