The term "low Km" is used very loosely...

[GREGL]

Originally Posted by HULK_BA

The km argument is similar to the "Immaculate" or "mint" condition terms used loosely.

How many times do people sell a car as "immaculate" when you turn up there are scratches all over the shop, imperfections at every glance. Then they backpedal to "great condition for its age" comments.

This thread even demonstrates a disposition in definition. Country km, meticulous service history, km per year or km absolute??

It seems the definition changes relative to the km on our odometer and if they are a buyer or a seller, a variable/negotiable definition?

Immaculate is often used when a car presents in near showroom condition for it's age. Generally low K's for it's age, and all indications are the owner/s had been fastidious regards the upkeep of their vehicle. If only you could rely on that as a true guide ( with a RACQ inspection or someone like that of course ).
Now if you if you use those guidelines to buy your next dream car you can be confident you are buying a trouble free car. Hello it's a lottery each and every time you upgrade, crikey it's even a lottery when you buy new. Unless you know the actual history of the car
Xg ute 143,000 km. immaculate paint, perfect interior (for it's age) no gutter rash and tray absolutely unmarked. 1 owner full log book history, 94 build bouht in 2008. Would you consider that low kms. I did, but I payed for it, new head gasket, new balljoints and tierod arms and something else I can't think of. ( it passed with flying colours ho hum) Was a tad slow so I upgraded.
Point is your low K theory is flawed. May I ask how you advertise your cars or do you just trade.

[RAPID_BA]

You have missed the point. Im not at all saying high km cars are no good or low km cars are good. Just looking for a definition for what is low km dealers use it on almost every car and their definition is often different to ours.

[GREGL]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

Then there's the low kilometers of Falcon Vs Commodore.

200k in a Falcon is worth 100k in an equivelant Commodore!

I give you a hint mate, the 2002 c/dore had for 6 yrs not cost a cent more than usual servicing and two bonnet struts. 2006 falcon had for 3 years and so far have spent around a grand fixing TCS ( nothing better than sitting in a car in the middle of summer waiting for the limp home mode to come good) and a friggin bonnet cable and a couple of other niggles. Don't get me wrong I love my falcon, however I also appreciate the commodore in the those 6 years it has never let us down once. On long trips I feel more comfortable, you know why, if it does **** itself it's only worth $5000 nowadays whereas the XR8 is $18000 ((to me anyway) So if it has to be left on the side of the road or in a workshop miles from home no stress. thats the commodores strong point you don't get attached to um'.
Now if that happened to the the falcon I'd be having sleepless nights and stressing something terrible.
Moral of the story is everything has a bright side don't bag the c/dore it does have it's good points.
a

[2011G6E]

I'd agree..unless you're totally one-eyed badge-blinded, you have to admit that it's honestly a toss of the coin between a Falcon and a Commodore nowadays. They're both excellent large cars that we are damn lucky the respective companies bother making for such a small population base.
Both should keep on keeping on for many years and many kilometers, and now when a car reaches 100,000kms, it's nowhere near as big a deal as it was maybe twenty or thirty years ago.

[TUF_302]

Friend of mine has a T3 with like all of 20thousand on it

[mike_nofx]

The Falcon Vs Commodore thing was said very tongue in cheek.

Although having said that, how many 500k+km Commodores do you still see cruising around compared with Falcons?

[GT0132]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

The Falcon Vs Commodore thing was said very tongue in cheek.

Although having said that, how many 500k+km Commodores do you still see cruising around compared with Falcons?

A no brainer that there'd be more 500+ Falcons than Commodores based on taxi fleets alone I'd say.

[4.0i_SiX]

Yep I read the title of this thread, saw it was started by Hulk_BA and died a little inside...

[tankclare]

Nothing wrong with high km cars as long as they are maintained well.

Our 2002 Honda CRV has 330,000kms on it and has been through hell and back and still going strong as ever.

My EF Fairmont Ghia has around 340,000km on it now and I got it with 205,000km on it in february 2008. It has been used countless times towing cars across the country side, been used for 1000+km trips per week as a work car, been drag racing at eastern creek and been in a burnout comp. Not to mention going through a set of tyres a month when on my P's. Yes its copped a hiding but have never had any real problems with it as it has been serviced and maintained regularly. Has never done a head gasket or anything just a fuel pump and hydraulic lifters which are expected. This car is what started my faith in ford reliability.

As others have said. Just because an older cars has lower kms doesn't magically make it better. If anything the only good thing about it would be resale value because some other narrow minded person likes the "low kms".

[GT0132]

It would be interested to hear the experiences of members with high km cars (say above 250k kms) in terms of mechanical problems appearing without warning in spite of regular servicing.

My experience with a high km car (over 30 years ago) is that not a week went by without something going wrong or needing attention.

[tranquilized]

Originally Posted by tankclare

As others have said. Just because an older cars has lower kms doesn't magically make it better. If anything the only good thing about it would be resale value because some other narrow minded person likes the "low kms".

The only good thing aboutg low milage is resale?


Who doesn't like low km's?? All things equal, of course an old car with less km's is better than the one with higher km's - thats stating the blatant obvious!

But all things are never equal, and I agree that a high milage but well maintained car could be a good buy. But I'll take the low km and well maintained option every time thanks. Must be narrow minded I guess...

[tranquilized]

Originally Posted by GT0132

It would be interested to hear the experiences of members with high km cars (say above 250k kms) in terms of mechanical problems appearing without warning in spite of regular servicing.

My experience with a high km car (over 30 years ago) is that not a week went by without something going wrong or needing attention.

My experience is similar.

In 2000 I bought a 1993 XF Panel van with 280,000km's on the clock. I cant say it was a dog, I did about 120,000 more in it before I got rid of it. But, I do remember having to get a lot done to manage that - nothing major mind you. Although I think the engine was about to die just as I sold it on.

In 2007 I bought a 1999 XH Panel van with 127,000 on the clock. It's done 180,000 now. It has done a head gasket, although with an I6 of this vintage I think most will agree that has little to do with milage and is more an inevitable occurance. Anyway, it hasn't given any other trouble at all in the 5 years I've owned it.


The other thing to consider when deciding if its worth paying extra for a low milage car is how much driving you do yourself. The way I see it, if your doing a lot - why pay the premium you'll forfeit after you've racked up the km's anyway. Where as if you dont drive so much, you're likely to get the premium you paid back when you sell and its still a low km car. Of course, some may see it the complete opposite way...

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by GT0132

It would be interested to hear the experiences of members with high km cars (say above 250k kms) in terms of mechanical problems appearing without warning in spite of regular servicing.

My experience with a high km car (over 30 years ago) is that not a week went by without something going wrong or needing attention.

In the 3 years I've had my German Taxi I've had to replace the battery (the one it replaced was 7 years old!) and the Ignition/steering lock.... oh, and a couple of air and oil filters.

Originally Posted by tranquilized

The only good thing aboutg low milage is resale?
Who doesn't like low km's?? All things equal, of course an old car with less km's is better than the one with higher km's - thats stating the blatant obvious!

Unless the low k car has had a hard life and the one with high k's was pampered.
(Speedo now shows 535,xxx kms)

[RAPID_BA]

Gas0lane your car is an exception. A credit to you for the maintenence and upkeep. But not all high km cars are maintained to your standard.

But the dealers most treasured KPI of a used car is km. But they like to define the term which ever way suits them

[flappist]

I think this question has been answered