What is considered high mileage for a used car in the UK?

Anything meaningfully above 10,000 miles per year of age is high for its age — so around 100,000 miles on a five-year-old car. In absolute terms, buyers and trade valuations tend to treat 100,000 miles as the psychological threshold, which is exactly why well-maintained cars just above it are often the best value on the market.

Is 100,000 miles too much for a used car?

Not for a modern car with a documented service history. Contemporary engines routinely reach 150,000–200,000 miles. At 100,000 you are buying the maintenance record rather than the mileage: evidence of cambelt or chain service, regular oil changes and no recurring MOT advisories matters far more than the number itself.

Is low mileage always better on a used car?

No. Very low mileage for the age often means short urban trips or long periods of standing, both of which age rubber, brakes, batteries and — on diesels — the DPF. A well-used car with full history and mostly motorway miles is frequently the healthier buy.

How many miles should a 5-year-old car have?

Around 40,000 to 60,000 miles is typical for a five-year-old UK car. Substantially below that is worth understanding rather than celebrating, and substantially above it should be reflected in a lower price and supported by a full service record.

Does mileage or age matter more when buying used?

Age drives the time-based costs — perished rubber, corrosion, fluid and belt intervals, battery ageing. Mileage drives wear on the drivetrain and consumables. For most buyers age sets the price and mileage adjusts it, but condition and service history override both.

Buying guide

What mileage is good for a used car?

The short answer: around 10,000 miles a year is the UK average, so a car with roughly that per year of age is normal. But mileage on its own is a weak signal — how those miles were driven and how the car was maintained matter more than the number on the dash.

Written and reviewed by Phil Kehoe, Director, Motoring.Today · methodology in our editorial standards.

The benchmark
Type of miles
When low is bad
High mileage
Electric cars
FAQs

The 10,000-miles-a-year rule

Use it as a sanity check, not a pass mark.

UK cars cover about 7,000–10,000 miles a year on average, and the trade prices used stock against roughly 10,000 per year. That gives you a quick benchmark for whether a car is above or below average for its age — and therefore whether it should be priced above or below book.

Age	Typical mileage	What it means
1 year	8,000–12,000	Nearly new. Anything under 5,000 suggests a second car or short journeys only.
3 years	24,000–36,000	The classic ex-lease sweet spot. Serviced on schedule, main dealer history.
5 years	40,000–60,000	Still mid-life for a modern engine. Cambelt may be due depending on model.
8 years	64,000–96,000	Condition and history now matter far more than the number itself.
10 years+	80,000–120,000	Buy the maintenance record, not the mileage.

Motorway miles are gentler than town miles

A 90,000-mile car that has spent its life on motorways has done fewer cold starts, fewer clutch operations and far less brake work than a 45,000-mile car used only for short urban trips. On a diesel, regular longer runs also keep the DPF regenerating properly — the single most common reason a low-mileage diesel becomes expensive.

This is why a full service history beats a low odometer reading. Ask what the car was used for; a company car with 100,000 documented motorway miles is often a better buy than a neglected 40,000-mile local runabout.

When low mileage is a warning, not a bonus

Cars deteriorate from standing as well as from use. A five-year-old car with 12,000 miles has usually done thousands of short, cold journeys or sat unused for long periods, and both are hard on the same components.

Perished rubber: hoses, bushes and tyres age out on date, not mileage.
Corroded brake discs from sitting, even with plenty of pad left.
Fluid and cambelt intervals that are time-based and long overdue.
On diesels, a clogged DPF from never reaching regeneration temperature.
Batteries — 12V and, on an EV, calendar ageing of the traction pack.

Is high mileage worth it?

High-mileage cars are the best value per pound on the market if you buy the right one. A modern petrol or diesel engine will happily pass 150,000 miles with scheduled maintenance, and the depreciation curve has flattened almost completely by then — so the car will cost you very little to own on paper.

The risk moves from depreciation to maintenance. Budget for wear items in the first year: tyres, brakes, suspension bushes, a clutch on a manual, and any belt or chain service the record does not evidence. Check the pattern in the MOT history before anything else.

Mileage on a used electric car

EVs invert the usual logic. There is no cambelt, no clutch, no exhaust and no oil service, and regenerative braking means the brakes often outlast the tyres by years. What matters instead is battery state of health, how often the car has been rapid-charged, and whether it has been routinely left at 100% charge.

Ask for a state-of-health figure rather than fixating on the odometer, and see used electric cars for live stock and what to look for.

Frequently asked questions

The questions buyers ask us most on this topic.