Used cars that have covered “starship mileages” of 150,000 miles or more are no longer off-putting to buyers if the condition and the badge is right, reports Glass’s.
The publishers of the motor trade bible, Glass’s Guide, say that a healthy market has developed for prestige cars that would once have been considered almost unsaleable.
Rupert Pontin, Head of Valuations, said: “A high-level Mercedes, BMW, Audi or Jaguar that has covered 100,000-150,000 miles at five to eight years old is probably worth at least 10% less than identical models that have only done an average of 10,000 miles per year.
“However, if it has been properly maintained, the starship car probably looks every bit as good and, thanks to good build quality, is probably not much less reliable or much more expensive to run. It’s a cost effective way of getting behind the wheel of a nice car that will impress the neighbours.
“Buyers are waking up to the fact that these vehicles represent something of a bargain and we are seeing an increase in demand. There are also a number of specialist dealers that specifically supply this sector.”
Rupert explained that the market was catching on to the fact that modern cars were capable of much higher mileages than even just a few years ago.
“Even at the turn of the century, 100,000 miles meant that a car was nearing the end of its useful life. Nowadays, cars at that mileage are just getting into their stride. If properly maintained, most modern models are capable of 250,000 miles and even more.
“This is true of nearly all cars but the advantage that higher level, prestige models have is that the quality of their finish is higher than the mass market.