Why Low Mileage Cars are a Total Rip-off

[@ericswires8534]

Buying super low mileage car would mean you would be expected to not drive it in order to preserve the value. I want to have a car I can drive

[@Fusion710]

wrong, i got my 1.6t 6 speed manual 2013 fusion for $10k with 50k miles on it, i beat tf outta it

[@ericswires8534]

@@Fusion710 I wish I had that car just for the manual transmission. I had a zx2 with a 5 speed and it lasted 16 years. I didn’t know they made manual Fusions in 2013

[@nichole2757]

“You’re not into cars, you’re into money” ohhhh that was cathartic for me to hear. Thank you Doug, I’ve been enjoying your content and your dealer inventory too.

[@kevinrowley2579]

In 2010 I bought a '99 Carrera 4 Aero with 14K miles on it. The car still smelled new on the inside. The dealer who sold it to me is a friend of mine. About 9 months later I met him for lunch at a restaurant, having driven the 996 in a pouring rainstorm to get there. He proceeded to give me all kinds of crap for driving that car on that day and telling me I would be sorry when it came time to sell it. My response was: "I buy cars to drive them, not look at them. If I can't drive the car, for whatever reason, it becomes worthless to me. And, I never buy a car with a plan to sell it. I leave that to car salesmen."

[@switchcars]

Why would rain devalue it? It eventually dries....it's not like it shows up on the Carfax: "Driven on a rainy day"

[@kevinrowley2579]

@@switchcars It wasn't the rain so much as the fact that I was driving it. He expected I would only drive it on the occasional weekend in nice weather. He also thought I should keep it under 20K miles and then resell it.

[@brianackland4813]

Agreed, but wine collectors are way worse. Actually, these are often the same people. 😬

[@switchcars]

I listened to a great podcast on the wine, umm, "scam", and some of the ACTUAL scams that have occurred among big-dollar collectors and auctions. It is amazing that studies show that even well-heeled wine experts often can't tell the difference between an expensive wine and a cheap one in a blind taste. At least car people can tell a Lambo from a kit car, most of the time.

[@AMitchA]

I don’t agree. Most wine collectors are aging the wines to drink them at peak.

[@winguard96]

All I will say is that cars are meant to be driven. My lowest-mile car is at 160k, the rest are 250k+. I'd be a bit concerned if someone didn't drive their Honda CRX (with reference to thumbnail). Think about all the seals and gaskets that'll dry out from sitting unused that you'll have to replace if you want it back on the road.

[@Zzus321]

Every Gasket will leak if you ever decide to drive it 😂

[@jasonsmith760]

Facts

[@thumprrr]

The original owner who bought that 92 CRX-Si is an idiot. If he or she would have invested that $12,000 into an S&P 500 index fund they would now have over $325,000. They didn’t get the enjoyment of driving the car. This is coming from a former 2x CRX-Si owner. 1988 and 1992

[@jackpalczynski7884]

91 was the last year of the CRX in the US. I bought a 91 Si new in 91. I autocrossed it and road raced it at Bridgehampton before it was closed and Lime Rock and NHIS before it was changed. Great car for my 55 mile drive to work. If I wanted another one (which I'd love), I'd find one and replace all the things that would be needed even on a 5 mile car. Everything rubber for sure.

[@switchcars]

BuT CaRS aRe iNvEsTmEnTS

[@allenschmitz9644]

And flying pig's are real.😅​@@switchcars

[@brianm.4243]

The argument of wanting to experience a car new does not work here. Even with 90 miles on the clock it's still 20 years old. No sweat on the steering wheel because it hasn't been driven much? The leather has still degraded over that 20 year span. Even if the car was being maintained to immaculate standards, it's still not the same as new. It's an aging item that has product all over it to mask that age. I would rather have a car with mileage on the clock, because a sitting car is a deteriorating car. If a car is ran over it's lifespan a good amount it will outlast a car that's been sitting it's entire lifetime and will be far more reliable. That doesn't mean I want a car with 200k miles. But I also don't want a 20 year car with 90 miles.

[@PHLster]

If you want the nostalgia, 90’s and early 2000’s cars with 50-120k miles and maybe 3 owners can still feel and drive “like new.”

[@What.its.like.]

I'm with you low mileage cars it's weird. They bring the most money because of low mileage, but they usually have the most problems because nobody drives them., which in my experience is like the worst thing that you can do to a car because everything just wears out faster because of dry rot, because the fluids going through the rubber hoses helps the rubber last longer Every single low mileage car I've had I've had issues with so so I don't even buy low mileage cars anymore than I'm gonna drive For example, museum cars they look absolutely amazing but I've heard there are terrors because they just sit and then when you want to drive it. All these issues arise.

[@SkylineFTW97]

Exactly. What you said about how cars as an art require being driven to truly appreciate them. You want one to look at? Get a painting of your favorite car. The painting doesn't get chips in the paint driving on back roads. It doesn't get dings from shopping cart bumps. It doesn't need oil changes. Leave the cars for the people who actually drive them. Also the Corvette has been a supercar in at least some configurstions since the C4 ZR1 in 1990. It's been competitive with performance since then and that's all that matters (the same applies for the Dodge Viper).

[@nicholascortez728]

The issue is then keeping them locked away eventually kills the value because no one after a certain pony has contact with them and no nostalgia. This was a discussion in a wagon group I'm in about 1940s Woody's which historically were super expensive (like north of 100K), one recently sold for 50-60K and it was a very low mile pristine example. The people that dream of those cars are dead or dying off, they were locked away never to be seen by people younger than the owners.

[@switchcars]

great point. The best thing one can do to ensure future value is to let kids sit in the car, take them for rides, and fuel that passion.

[@TehArtfulDodger]

Becoming Ed Bolian, this is the slip at the start of the slope. Next its gonna be im over all original paint cars. Next Im over clean carfax cars. Welcome to the dark side we hoon cars here

[@switchcars]

I really, really like clean cars, mileage irrelevant. I also like to drive them. Therein lies the rub. Original paint is a myth anyway. SO many cars get paintwork before they are delivered to the first owner.

[@Kevin_Rhodes]

@@switchcars True that! I bought an M235i Euro Delivery. Got door dinged in Germany, and chipped the front air dam in Italy. And when the car was re-delivered to me in the US, both of those things had magically disappeared. If I had the money to buy one of these cars, and it was something I love (for me, an '84 Jetta GLI would be a car I would spend *stupid* money on, I could not care less about Porsche Turbos), I would buy it and drive the wheels off the thing. Just call me Jay Leno II. But I don't have the money, so it's a moot point. I do drive the wheels off the car that I spent a LOT of money restoring though, "value" be damned. I have an investment portfolio to make money off.

[@BrownSofaGamer]

@@Kevin_RhodesAn 84 Jetta GLI as your first choice is impeccable taste. One of my favorite cars too.

[@Kevin_Rhodes]

@@BrownSofaGamer Drove one through the last half of college, grad school, and for a long time after. Absolutely fantastic car, and far greater than the sum of it's modest parts.

[@BrownSofaGamer]

@@Kevin_Rhodes That’s awesome. I’ve only ever driven my newer Mk7 GLI, but I really want to own a classic one someday. Mk2s can still be found for a good price so those I’ve had my eye on.

[@ConnorRangatira]

I’m with you on this one. I’d rather have a drivers car with some miles where I can just enjoy the car and not stress about every mile.

[@johnhufnagel]

I get the rant. Stupid low mileage, is stupid. DRIVE THE DAMN CAR. And don't get me started about how much WORK they need to have done to them to actually DRIVE them safely.

[@AmmoPack]

No work if you store it correctly.

[@TheRamRanch]

18:09 My fiancé asked once, “what are you going to do when everyone has an EV and you can’t drive your car anymore” *I have an 87 ram. It’s special to me. Not a great vehicle whatever.* My response was, I’ll either EV swap it. Or hang it from the ceiling of the garage. Either way I’m never getting rid of it even if I can’t drive it and it’s worth nothing. I love that truck.

[@nes999]

I had this happen with a hobby of mine. I actively had to ask myself "who gets to use this stuff? Should I sell it and buy used so I will use it?" Its odd "destroying" things at first. However my enjoyment level has skyrocketed.

[@andrewfragala5131]

Collecting cars with the express purpose of never driving them is the same as those smooth-brains that collect shoes and let them rot in their closet waiting for the price to go up.

[@AmmoPack]

Literally not the same at all. Not even close in any aspect except for the fact that an item is sitting in storage. Cars should be kept for history purposes, or collection purposes. Shoes are fucking shoes. Like what.

[@richardsharma283]

Whenever Doug does an impression, I crack the hell up 😂

[@Affalterbach1967]

Car with 10 years. Has all the every 6/12/24/48 month maintenance been completed ?

[@BMWVX]

Sorry Ethan, Doug is on point with this one. I’m looking for a high mile Z8 (as I want to drive the damn thing) and so many owners (past and present) have missed the point of that car… such a shame!

[@switchcars]

I'm looking for the same. And I plan to do an outlaw build on mine as well.

[@matthewjswider]

No used car dealer can be trusted. I bought a panamera turbo 5 months ago. They had their mechanic do a PPI and they didn’t disclose an oil leak. Just took it for an oil change and my mechanic discovered the oil leak. They sold me a warranty saying “bumper to bumper including the air suspension” of course, the warranty company now says the air suspension isn’t covered. I hate used car salesmen. When I buy another car, I’m only buying from Doug.

[@switchcars]

Well I'm a used car dealer, ergo I can't be trusted. We don't sell warranties though, and we recommend 3rd party PPIs. An in-house inspection is not by definition a PPI. It can be good, but it's certainly not independent and cannot be unbiased.

[@weni8793]

as much as I hate the hype around new old vehicles, I like it from the "I like rebuilding stuff" perspective because the higher mileage cars are much cheaper

[@PremierAutoMan86]

Didn't watch the whole video yet but a base 2012 Corvette with an automatic just sold for $330k at Barrett-Jackson with 65 miles on it. RIDICULOUS!

[@switchcars]

Utter insanity. We saw that today, after the video was filmed, otherwise I might have spit my bourbon out.

[@LawrenceMacMacster]

My dad bought a brand new alfa spider in 1986 he had some roof leaks and felt a bit cramped he just didn't like it that much and the trade in he was offered next winter was pretty bad so he stored it "meanwhile". In 2014 he sold the house and had to move it nobody wanted that thing even if it had just 1200km on the counter.

[@renaultmeganesuperleggera]

Well it's an alfa romeo, that's why. The fact that you said something about roof leaks when it was new made it funnier

[@disconductorder]

imagine the genius that bought 100x 2001 corollas and long term storaged them properly with break in oil still inside

[@AmmoPack]

a dude did that with prius’ when gas was ridiculously high a few years back lol

[@disconductorder]

@@AmmoPack lmfao and then had to buy all new batteries lithium battery cars = smooth brain investment

[@AmmoPack]

@ Never thought of that. 🤣🤣🤣 I thought it was pretty insane from the get. 🤣

[@vegasxventures]

It’s called having the goal posts moved. You work your whole life and realize low 6 figures is the new 55k a yr. Inflation is a helluva thing.

[@Chris_In_Texas]

I have the same problem but at a smaller scale with custom knives, I spend thousands on a knife and won't "use" it, its just for my collection. The problem is that most of the time they will not increase in value, but decrease. However I do get them out from time to time and show people, but I am not going to try chopping down a tree or cut open a box with it. 😁👍

[@lmaolmao-ib8lg]

Low milage cars are still 1000X cooler than the watch industry. It's just a way to diverse investments.

[@NudaMan]

I seen a Pontiac G8 GXP 6 Spd manual on facebook marketplace for $65k lmao, I hope it doesn’t sell because that’s ridiculous for a 20+ year old car that’s not making over 450hp to the crank but it is a LS3

[@dominicrussell8158]

There is a dealership in Dubai with a 0 mile Carrera GT, I love that it exists but at the same time it is tragic, that car deserved to have been driven.

[@themancalledx]

Guaranteed whoever buys it won’t drive it anyhow

[@a8337z]

I agree I bought a 2009 Porsche 997.2 base with 70k miles for 43k nine years ago put 32,000 miles on it and just sold it for 20k and bought a 2021 c8 2lt convertible, Z58 with 45k for $62,000 so I'm into the C8 for 42k, I'm not afraid of a few miles. I'm into money and love depreciation.

[@cayman9873]

Ferrari, no miles, Mercedes, no miles, so many never drive them. My lancias , porsches, all were thrashed on racetracks . Those memories are worth everything

[@DollarBill01984]

Totally agree that the value of the near zero miles cars aren’t worth paying the premium!

[@ccubsfan94]

I thought Corvette dudes were the worst, then I joined a GT350 group

[@TheJagjr4450]

95k for a 9 mile 1990 IROC 1LE - ($16k new) was crazy too...

[@BrownSofaGamer]

The best low mileage cars are the ones you find on FB Marketplace listed for cheap because the owner just doesn’t want it. Then you can be the one to actually put the miles on it. Spending all this money on an auction car means to can’t drive it you want it to have value.

[@jack073]

Agree. I bought a low mileage 997 GT3 last year, within 6 months I had clocked 5k on it. Goal is to double that number this year. Cars should be driven and enjoyed. Not stored.

[@cayman9873]

I have always bought my cars with miles on them. I enjoy putting 150 k miles on a porsche over years with my girlfriend, making memories

[@danlaur7973]

Don't throw shade on a square body Chevy!....lol....Chevy did make C7 ZR1 convertibles btw

[@2K8Si]

A 1987 Silverado sold for $151K ? ... A fool, and his money, will be separated... There is absolutely no reason why anyone should spend that kind of money on a lowly, work bound vehicle... There is no driving pleasure coming from that... No character, no soul, nothing 'special'... No better than a simple economy car, but with some utility... I truly do not understand why anyone would want that, other than utter stupidity. It gives you nothing back. It's a damn truck, from the 80's... What a waste of money.

[@AmmoPack]

who cares. It’s not your money.

[@Steinerrides]

You could make the same argument for any old car that is worth more than something that is newer and performs better. It's about trying to relive your past.

[@2K8Si]

@@AmmoPack Well... You're not wrong. No argument here. To each their own.

[@brianm.6271]

Doug and Tyler - The Larry and Hank of the car podcast world.

[@ConnorRangatira]

I just bought a 1995 Supra that has 90,000 miles and I completely restored it, I mean COMPLETELY restored it to the point where it’s a brand new (1,000HP) Supra now and I can drive the shit out of the car and enjoy it.

[@biggiefitz6275]

The price made me laugh so suddenly I nearly spilled pop on my desk. LOL

[@Nevoexpo]

Because people don't drive them, that is why!". FYI, Doug, super agree with the restoring it. If you really want to make it "NEW", do that.

[@805NAVE]

He who dies with the most miles wins, YES Jerry! I met Seinfeld in Malibu couple years back. He was a jerk , not friendly at all, but he got that right. Closing in on 365,000 on my Lexus, and 310,000 on my Land Cruiser. Need more miles

[@ianhardin1148]

I've got caviar taste and a peanut butter wallet, but if I had the means to get any of my short list of "wants" cars I would drive them until the wheels fall off. I agree with you Doug. If I ever hit the lottery we'll covertly start buying these cars and 'ruin' them...which unfortunately will only drive UP the prices of the remaining low mile ones. LOL

[@Jackson-ol5xt]

I am enjoying a low mileage 90’s car by necessity rather than by choice. It’s my only car because I am young and fresh out of college, and I was lucky to acquire it from my neighbor’s grandparents for a low price since they wanted to get rid of it. I have already had to replace the radiator, tires, and belts (timing and serpentine), and I will probably end up replacing the bushings soon since the bushings are rubber. Granted, this car will last 2-300k miles if I keep up maintenance, so I am happy to do it. It just sucks seeing the value of my car tank as I drive it, not that I don’t enjoy driving it.

[@jerzsubbie]

Most car guys can't afford to not care about the value of their cars. If they can't afford to not care and STILL don't care, that means they're financially irresponsible. Though, I agree chasing the absolute lowest mileage example is silly.

[@gonzoprius3589]

Tyler's reaction when he realized the Toyota is an ev and doesn't come with a cat is priceless 1:22

[@renaultmeganesuperleggera]

Toyota got an ev?

[@gonzoprius3589]

@ yep

[@bubba99009]

It's still a 30 year old car - it's not brand new no matter how low the miles are. It's not gonna feel brand new it's not gonna run like it's brand new - nothing about it is a new car and it's not worth the crazy premium for something you can't drive around the block without devaluing. So they just sit in someone's garage under a car cover.

[@Sevem7m]

I believe the catalytic converter protection is literally like a titanium plate/box/grate type of thing welded to the bottom of the car over the that part of the exhaust. The idea is so that any would be thief would have to cut through the strong metal before they could easily access the catalytic converter. I've seen them on trucks before since the underbody is so accessible

[@beanwithbaconmegarocket]

Maybe it's different with exotics but when I buy normal cars / motorcycles, I look very warily at vehicles with too low of miles. These machines were built and engineered to be run and run regularly. I'm worried about engines and parts that have been used so infrequently.

[@stephencavanaugh8377]

What is the purpose of having a car, regardless of what it is, and not driving it? Especially if it's a sports car. They're made to drive, not sit in a garage on display.

[@HondaFit4Adventure]

"It's a 91 Honda, how dare you! " 😅

[@LeonBarnes85]

Welcome to the Light side my friend....all I need are well kept cars .... mileage is not as important to me when I hear engine replaced front end changed regular maintenance...then U have me

[@ericswires8534]

I drive a hybrid Mustang. It burns gas and rubber.

[@MongoFlowofConciousness]

Motorcycle riders brag about how many miles they put on. I knew a guy that traded in his Goldwings when they turned over 200,000 every couple of years. A guy that I know now has 120,000 miles on his HD I know another guy that bought his first motorcycle in February and promptly rode it to Texas and back twice before spring. All three of these guys lived in Minnesota at the time. The land of roughly 6/12 months of ice free roads.

[@MongoFlowofConciousness]

Some 20ish years ago some rich guy took a certified 98/100 point all original, low mile C2 Vette, cut it up and made a pro street car out of it. I'm sure there are people still wiling to kill him.

[@rxmclaren7]

This is exactly why I don't want a perfect 930...my only requirement is that it's from 1980 and mechanically sound...a few spots of rust...mehh, don't care... I want to not worry about a daggon scratch in the paint or whether it is going to rain... I just want to drive...

[@audios22]

I agree Doug with most all you say. And some points of Tyler, I also agree. It all depends on the buyers purpose for buying a low mileage car. One exception might be a completely restored car with less than 100 miles. But most likely a trailer queen. For me, getting a used car that I know will give mew the driving experience I want with a reasonable mileage is fine. because I drive my cars\!!!

[@EdDale44135]

Once a car gains value by a factor of 10x due to the miles, it will never be driven again.

[@dmimcg]

Guy NAILS IT!!! But I do own a 2002 Fiat 500 with just 85 miles.

[@-Jason-L]

I cant imagine someone mothballing a crx from new. They werent considered hot cars, let alone investments.

[@tylerdred]

At that point, its a museum piece, NOT a car. As far as complaining about price, it comes down to supply and demand. Not many 90 mile examples around, so price will be high.

[@brenthennrich8518]

I'll add to Doug's side, if you buy a $2.7M car, and you actually want to drive it, the insurance on it will be insane.

[@AmmoPack]

You’d have to be stupid to tell the insurance company you paid almost 3M for an old vehicle, they won’t cover that. Better off just telling them it was a craigslist car.

[@RyanBerich-u1w]

For regular cars, a low mileage car is more valuable than high mileage cars EXCEPT, a car needs to be driven to be reliable. Don’t buy a car if it looks like it was parked for a year or more at any point. Ideally, the carfax should reflect 500 or more miles every year.

[@switchcars]

For sure, lowER miles is a bonus, and I'm even guilty of buying my wife a 7k-mile 10-yr old car, but I wouldn't ever buy one with delivery miles that wasn't brand new.

[@mercedesbenzisbest]

C7 Zr1 was also offered as a convertible

[@ajd0101]

unless germany made/assembled non-amg benz i see 70k as a lot. trucks will have issues but still run and last 200k plus

[@joe_ferreira]

There is a big difference between 'new' and it was possibly neglected because it wasn't even broken in. Does it still have the oil from the factory? Aren't you supposed to break it in and do a proper break in service? This is crazy at 95 miles.

[@th.b.7871]

Just a few weeks ago more than 6 Mio. where spent for a banana with tape on a wall. So why not pay 2.7 Mio. for one of only 450 cars ever made with only 92 Miles…?

[@switchcars]

You can't eat a car. Also that banana was the only one taped to a wall - collector cars are a dime a dozen.

[@jasonsmith760]

Rather have a properly done restomod than a low mileage stocker

[@thumprrr]

Look at Manny Koshbin. He owns tons of valuable cars but he rarely puts miles on them because he’s looking at them as investments.

[@switchcars]

Yep. That's totally fine, if that's how one sees them. Just don't pretend to also be a car guy because cars are your preferred investment vehicle, no pun intended.

[@jasonhestand]

Nice pour!

[@Tofucapitalist]

A 993 turbo with little to no miles will explode the second you start driving it

[@lilvic372]

If you can’t afford these low mileage examples and you’re not actually in the market. Realistically you’re opinion doesn’t matter

[@joe_ferreira]

Cat protection might be.... A Body armor panel like a skid plate... I have one on my 4runner that makes it hard to get at it the cats.

[@GrindBass86]

Not even going to watch, it's a CRX and therefore is worth every penny no matter how many pennies you spend.

[@neuronbob]

ugggggggggh I would have bought that CRX just to drive it.

[@kevinhenault434]

So you can't buy and flip them for a crazy profit anymore and your upset? Like every dealer I have ever met.

[@switchcars]

Most of my clients were buying them and flipping them. Not even dealers. I was just selling them FOR my clients. Just putting information out there for discussion, I'm not upset. Market changes, we change with it. Name of the game.

[@Mikk-t2o]

Its kinda like a house.is it a house or a home.a car is 4 memories scratches n dings give it carator

[@docsharoon]

Low milage older cars is oxymoron . Cars are made for a purpose of that purpose is not achieved then it's not the original object as intended . Think about a rolex that's never showed time for 50 years ...

[@mikemando3238]

I'd own that cherry square body over any Ferrari any day

[@themancalledx]

Who cares is right

[@lucasross4007]

Now everyone understands why ed bolion buys the cars he does

[@troller3155]

The CRX was worth it!

[@cayman9873]

I have a beautiful younger fit girlfriend, I want every memory we can have. Not an 40 year old virgin.

[@timothycoyne5874]

Agree, the ultra low-mileage thing is madness. I’m not impressed by people who never drive their cool cars, I’m disgusted with them. Go collect gold or watches or something else, and leave enthusiast cars to people who will actually drive and enjoy them.

[@switchcars]

The irony is watches don’t have odometers. You can’t measure their use except by looking at them - the way it should be

[@AmmoPack]

Wild you care so much about what other people do with their money and stuff.

[@AmmoPack]

Honestly this is a terrible take.

[@johnhufnagel]

1st comment? 2nd like?

[@msw1185]

First?

[@kevinbryantsr.6443]

There is a very fine line too low of mileage is a huge red flag that means that it has been sitting for far too long the perfect Middle Point is about 40,000 MI

[@AmmoPack]

all i can think is “stop driving up the prices of low mile cars so i can buy them” If someone wants to spend $2M+ on a >100 mile car. W H O C A R E S.

[@LesabreSuper]

These buyers are not in a vacuum, and neither are the cars. While it is someone else's money and purchase decision, the cars are public and very limited as they get older. Plus this affects the car market as a whole. That is why we care.

[@AmmoPack]

@ Car collectors are a MAJOR and important part of the car community. They have the means and money to keep these cars in near pristine condition for decades. I have no idea how anybody has any issue with that.