Choosing a used car

Used cars may have certain advantages over new cars. In fact, a used vehicle is the best option for many people because it's so much less expensive. Used cars usually cost less to insure, too, because the previous owner has absorbed most of the depreciation. In some cases, even the registration fee is lower.

Mileage matters

Still, when you purchase a used car, you should think about some important factors that you don’t worry about with a new car. The first, and often the most important, is mileage, or how many miles the car has been driven, recorded on the car’s odometer.

The automobile industry regards 12,000 miles per year as “normal” mileage for a used car — so, you’d expect a five-year-old car to have been driven about 60,000 miles. A two-year-old car with 60,000 miles is a high-mileage vehicle. But, an eight-year-old car with only 60,000 miles is a low-mileage auto. Mileage is key because as it increases, repairs and maintenance costs increase as well.