When it comes to buying a used car, one of the things that you need to consider is how much life the car still has left in it. There’s no use blowing your budget on a car that’s not going to get through it’s next MOT without substantial work. However, you will be surprised how often people buy a used car only to find that it lets them down soon enough, and they are back to square one scrimping for cash to buy a replacement car. Here are a few things to make sure your next potential used car has.

Low Mileage

If you’re looking to keep a car for the long-term, then it’s important to choose a car that doesn’t have too high a mileage. If you drive more than 10,000 miles per year, then a car with 50,000 or 60,000 miles on the clock may not see you through the next five to ten years.

Generally speaking, the more miles on a car, the lower the life expectancy of it. However, this is not always the case. There are a few cars out there that will happily do “moon mileage” and examples of which can frequently be seen with over 250k miles on the odometer! Nevertheless you’re probably still better off getting one of these cars with the lowest possible mileage, as that way you can be that much more confident that it will go the distance. Be aware of dodgy sellers engaging in vehicle clocking though, as it’s still common practice even today.

A reliable Make and Model

When you start your search for a new car then you will notice that there’s a wide range of different cars to choose from. While you will probably know the bigger names such as BMW, Ford and Nissan there are likely to be other makes that you’re not so familiar with.

Regardless of your budget, it’s always best to go with a reliable make if you’re looking for longevity. If you can’t find the car you’re looking for at your local garage then be sure to check eBay, Gumtree and other websites for trade and private car sales.

A good Service History

If you want to own a car that will be reliable for years to come, then it’s important to make sure that it has been looked after properly in the past. A good service history will mean that the car has been maintained as per the manufacturer’s recommendations which should keep the engine, gearbox and steering components in tip-top condition. Be wary of any secondhand car that doesn’t come with service history. If you buy a car with little or no service history then you should expect that it will need a lot of work carried out in the future, so plan and budget accordingly.

It’s had Minimal Work

Check the service history for the nature of the work that has been carried out. Ideally uoi’ll want the service history to reveal nothing but routine maintenance. Any other large repairs could be a sign that there are components within the car that are not quite up-to-scratch. If you want to avoid buying a lemon, don’t buy a car that’s ever had major problems in the past.