Why High Mileage on Used Cars Doesn't Scare Me: A Car Enthusiast's Perspective

Let's chat about why I'm totally down with grabbing used cars that have a good bit of mileage on them. You know, my first car adventure started with a 1973 Audi Fox I picked up in '82. This baby had 95,000 miles on the odometer, and while she looked decent enough, the real work was all under the hood. I had to swap out nearly everything—hoses, belts, bushings—the works, even gave the engine a complete rebuild.

Then, I scooped up a 1971 Chevy Monte Carlo, same deal on the miles, and yup, it needed a full overhaul too.

Now fast-forward to my current ride, a 2019 Ford F-150 that just hit the 100,000-mile mark. And believe it or not, it feels like I just drove it off the lot—everything's still snug and runs smooth.

Got me thinking—do we really need to stress about mileage anymore? Back in '82, 100,000 miles was nearly retirement time for a car. But these days, it seems like they're just getting warmed up. Heck, the 100,000-mile mark now feels more like what 200,000 miles used to be.

A lot of this change comes down to how cars are made these days, and Toyota's a huge part of that story. When I first got into cars, hitting 100,000 miles meant a car had a good run. Toyota, though, they were always on another level. Their cars would last way beyond the tests, barely breaking a sweat.

This all goes back to the genius of W. Edwards Deming. Post WWII, this guy revolutionized manufacturing with his methods, focusing on controlling the process to ensure top-notch quality. Toyota picked up what he was putting down and totally ran with it, setting new standards for what a durable, quality car should be.

So, when it comes to used cars today, I say don’t sweat the mileage too much. If it's been well-kept, that number might not be as scary as it once was.

What do you think? Are we past the point of fretting over a car's mileage? Where would you draw the line on a used car's mileage today?