Should I consider a high mileage used Toyota?

Is it a bad idea to consider purchasing a high mileage current version Toyota RAV4? My budget is around £16k and I really like the current-gen model (2019+), but the only vehicles that come into budget have around 75k+ miles.

I'd normally dismiss the thought of spending that much on a car with those miles, but given that these are Toyotas with a very well proven drivetrain, could it be a reasonable proposition? Additionally, I'd assume that any cars with mileage this high in a short space of time would likely have been covering motorway miles.

Asked on 18 April 2024 by

Answered by David Ross
Mileage is an important factor when considering a used car, but it is not the only element to consider. As you say, a car of around five years old with 75,000 miles will have covered around 15,000 miles a year, which is slightly higher than average but not excessive, so it is likely to have covered a fair proportion of motorway miles which are generally less stressful on vehicles than urban driving. A car with above average mileage but that is in excellent condition and priced appropriately is arguably a safer bet than one of a similar age, lower mileage but that is showing signs of neglect and a patchy service history.
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