Since like 2017 I’ve been driving my dads old 2010 Honda civic. It just needs a ton of work at this point, the whole underside is like falling apart, so I’m looking to purchase a used car.
I just have no idea what I’m looking at really so was wondering if anyone had any advice. I love that old civic and I occasionally see like other old cars for sale, from like 2013, 2015. Would these cars be a mistake to buy and in like a year I’d get told the same thing, oh your whole underside is rotting away?
Also how much attention should I pay to mileage? And if I do look at an old car, is a low mileage actually worse since it means it wasn’t driven around a lot?
And yeah any advice you can give. Are there any makes/models I should avoid? Any features or specifications I should look for/avoid? Etc. thanks
Lower mileage is better since it’s less wear and tear on the car. An older car will always have more maintenance requirements than a newer car, regardless of mileage because rubber gaskets and components will wear out due to age even if it hasn’t been driven much.
If it’s in your budget, I would recommend looking for something less than 5 years old and less than 80k miles. That should give good remaining life at a reasonable price. Lots of these are out there from people who like to buy new cars or from leases etc.