Die-hard drivers: 200,000 miles and up

Yes, you can keep a car up to 200,000 miles and beyond. I am a firm believer in expecting to get at least 300,000 miles out of a car. To most people that seems far fetched, but it is not.

I personally don't typically buy a car till it has around 100,000 miles on it. And except for one vehicle, I've never had any issues. Let me share my tips with you.

1. To start, you need to buy a good quality used vehicle. I usually buy either Acura's, Honda's or Toyota's. Of course there are other good quality vehicles on the market.
2. When I buy a car, truck or van I check it out. I take for more than just a "test drive." I like to drive it for 50-100 miles. This gives me time to find out if I really enjoy driving the car, am I comfortable in the vehicle and are there any apparent issues that I am noticing.
3. I may or may not take a car to a mechanic. Because I'm in the industry, that does give me an advantage, but I am no mechanic, so if I feel the need, I will take it to a mechanic and have them check it out.
4. I also get up close and personal to the car. I check the paint work by looking for overspray, "orange peel," and other signals that the vehicle has been painted. I look for any apparent body work as well. Now you might be surprised, but in my experience I would say that somewhere between 25-50% of vehicles on the road have some sort of paint and/or body work. In most cases it is not a big deal. Let me point out something that you must understand. You can not trust CARFAX or AutoCheck to tell whether or not a vehicle has been in an accident. I do suggest you get a CARFAX or AutoCheck report, but I urge you not to trust it when it comes to telling if the car has been in accident. The fact is, CARFAX and AutoCheck don't know about most of the accidents that vehicles are in. Plus their data is not always current. Keep posted because we plan on holding a consumer seminar and workshop on how to tell if a car has been in an accident.
5. When I own a car, I seek to take good care of it by changing the oil every 3,000 miles and keeping the fluids filled, the filters replaces when needed and taking care of basic maintenance when needed. I don't take my car to the new car dealer for service. WAY TOO MUCH MONEY. I find a good local mechanic to take my car to. Here in Charlottesville, I have been very please with Airport Auto Center on Airport Road. I also highly recommend a mobile mechanic. He is an ASE Certified Technician that comes to you. If you would like his number, please e-mail me.

Our family currently has two vehicles. A 2003 Honda Odyssey with almost 100,000 miles on it. The only odd issue I've had was power window issue some time ago and just recently one of the rear windows is not functioning properly. These are minor repairs. I also have a 1993 Acura Legend with almost 250,000 miles on it. It was running great, until I had a couple overheating issues. Now I have a blown head gasket. My solution? I will get a "Take-Out" engine and have it put in. A "Take-Out" engine is an engine that comes from Japan and was taken out of the same vehicle at around 30-50,000 miles. Because Japan has very high emissions standards, vehicle owners are required to replace their engine every 30-50,000 miles.

So I can buy a Take-Out engine for around $1,500 and have it put in for $500-1,000. Bottom line, I get a relatively unused engine for $2,500. THERE'S NO WAY I COULD BUY ANOTHER USED VEHICLE OF SAME QUALITY FOR THAT MONEY!

I hate wasting money or getting ripped off. And just about every time you buy a new car, you are getting ripped off. Ripped off, because of the depreciation, not because they charged you too much. So buy a quality pre-owned car before you buy a new one. It is a wiser financial decision!

This article from CNNMoney shows some people with high mileage cars.

For more information, keep posted or contact me here.

Airport Auto Exchange sells used, pre-owned cars, trucks and vans in Charlottesville, Virginia to a diverse clientele. Call or stop by.