JUST ONE in 10 drivers in the UK would purchase a used car that had more than 100,000 miles on the clock, a survey has revealed.
Despite a shortage of used cars entering the market, CarGurus, an online automotive platform to buy and sell used vehicles, found that only 13.3% of drivers would be willing to buy a petrol car with over 100,000 miles on the odometer, while 15.5% would buy a diesel.
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However, when asked the same question regarding electric vehicles (EVs), an even lower proportion of the 1,000 drivers surveyed (8.9%) would purchase an EV with 100,000 miles or more.
The research also indicates that consumers are less likely to purchase a higher-mileage EV compared to petrol or diesel vehicles.
The average mileage point at which drivers would be put off buying an EV was 49,900, in contrast to 60,500 for petrol and 64,000 for diesel cars.
The CarGurus survey also looked at the most important factors drivers consider when buying a car.
While drivers remained most concerned by vehicle price (55%), mileage was the next most important (36%) ahead of MPG (34%), the car’s age (27%) and safety (23%).
The study went on to explore what was putting drivers off from buying high-mileage cars.
Topping the list was the cost of maintenance (70%), fear of breaking it down (55%) and finding it harder to secure car finance (18%).
When looking specifically at EVs, the biggest concern was battery life (52%), followed by how expensive the battery is to maintain (39%) and overall reliability (29%).
The top-five car brands that consumers are most likely to purchase when considering a petrol or diesel vehicle with over 100,000 miles:
- Ford
- Audi
- BMW
- Mercedes
- Volkswagen
The car brands that consumers are most likely to purchase when considering an EV with over 100,000 miles:
- Tesla
- Toyota
- Mercedes
- Audi
- BMW
Ivan Aistrop, Deputy Editor at CarGurus UK, said: “In spite of a shrinking used car market and the ongoing cost of living crisis, our research details that a very small proportion of drivers (around one in ten) are willing to purchase a high -vehicle mileage. For high-mileage EVs, this is an even smaller portion (8.9%).
“There is no typical mileage that determines a good used car, as each buyer’s needs are unique. High-mileage vehicles need not necessarily put off buyers and can even offer good cost-saving opportunities if the vehicle has a full-service history, for example.
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