Bergstrom of Green Bay

What Is Good Mileage for a Used Car?

What is the first thing that you look at when you look for a used car? Mileage. When you find a year, make, model, and trim level that you love at a price that you love, it is important to look at the mileage. You don’t want a pre-owned car, truck, or SUV that has taken a beating over the years and a used Ford F-150 with 35,000 miles is much different than a used Ford F-150 with 100,000 miles – regardless of the quality of the vehicle. When you start the search for a new-to-you car, truck, or SUV, you may be asking – what is good mileage for a used car? Bergstrom of Green Bay can help you find a high-quality used car in Northeast Wisconsin.

How Many Miles Should a Used Car Have?

When you look at the mileage on a used car, truck, or SUV, it is important to look at the average number of miles a vehicle is driven per year. A general rule of thumb for used cars is 14,000 miles per year – which comes from data provided by the Federal Highway Administration. This means that a vehicle that is three years old with 35,000 miles has fewer miles than the average vehicle and may be a good choice for you and your family. The quality of vehicles continues to improve year after year, which means that the quality of used cars continues to improve. The average vehicle on the road is 12 years old. 

Highway Miles vs City Miles

When you purchase a used car, it is important to look at how and where it was driven whenever possible. The stop-and-go driving of constant city traffic puts more wear and tear on the engine than long miles at a constant speed on the highway. Does the used car you are considering have more miles, but was driven by someone who commuted from Green Bay to the Fox Valley everyday for work? Or was it owned by someone who spent hours each week in bumper-to-bumper traffic? While the vehicle driven on the highway may have more miles, the miles driven are not as taxing on the vehicle’s powertrain. Translation – a vehicle with more miles that is driven on the highway may be a better investment.

READ MORE: When Should I Buy New Tires?

What is good mileage for a used car? You may want to know before you buy and we hope that this quick overview will provide you with a general idea and the information that you need to make a smart used car purchase when you visit Bergstrom of Green Bay. Apply for credit approval today at Bergstrom of Green Bay and get behind the wheel of a high-quality pre-owned car, truck, or SUV in Northeast Wisconsin!