High Miles Z a bad idea?
 

Hi everyone, I've been on the market for a Z for a long time and am finally close to making a purchase. I really want a 40th, but it's hard to find one for less than 28K

I'm a recent grad from Baylor (any Bears out there?) and I want to make sure I'm making a good decision financially. So the question is, do I buy a car for closer to $25-28k with low miles or one for a few thousand less with higher miles. Will I be paying a significantly more on services/maintenance on the high mile Z?

I've come across a couple some other Zs with really high miles at a cheap cost (makes sense).

One, for instance, is at 70,000 miles with sport and touring for less than 22K. I think it's a great deal but realistically, is it a smart buy? What sort of issues do the high mile Zs have? I'm only going to have the car for about 3 years and I don't put more than 10,000 miles on it per year.

First of all, buying a car is never a good financial decision. Cars are money pits.

Second, what Z's have you found that have 70k miles?? I didn't find a single 370z at that mileage, only 350's. There isn't a Z on earth with 70k miles I would pay $22k for.

When it comes to cars with high mileage, Nissans are pretty good. But any car at that mileage is going to require more maintenace. Are you doing the work yourself? I owned an '04 Z, and by the time it had 82k miles I had replaced an O2 sensor, the exhaust after the cats, replaced the rear calipers. This is in addition to oil changes, etc. Not the end of the world to me, I did it all myself. But that's the type of stuff you will need to be doing.

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...gIndex=1&Log=0

Here's the car I was looking at.

I'm planning on looking at it today. I know I should find out what's been replaced already. I also know KBB isn't the necessarily the final say-all in terms of a price, but this was about a grand under that at retail cost.

I guess the real question i"m trying to answer is that if I'm going to own the car for around 3 years, will it be more expensive for me to pay a couple extra grand up front, or buy a cheaper, higher mile car for less and then know that maintenance is going to be higher.

the price is right around clean retail for that with the miles and options. regardless thats getting up there and if you plan on re-selling it makes it more difficult.

i got my 2009 touring/sport/nav Z with 1800 miles on it for a really good price.

my advice shop around and look for a deal. i found one even though i had to fly to Louisiana for it.

Buying a sports car is an emotional purchase rather than just a rational one like buying a Sentra or something good on gas. So it only makes sense to buy the car that really speaks to you, and if that is a 40th, stick to them. I personally get hung up on the cosmetic issues that are inherent on almost all used cars as rack up miles. So I suspect most 70k mile cars will have lots of cosmetic issues that would really bug me. I would much rather spend the extra few thousand and get a nicer, lower mileage example.
Oh, we won't hold the Bear thing against you here. Gig'em :)

There is nothing wrong with buying a car with 70k miles. That's really not that high if the car hasn't been abused and was well maintained. This is why I keep a detailed record of any service I get done.

For a car driven in Texas where everything is like 100 miles away, the mileage isn't too bad if this was a daily driver. As long as you & your mechanic are thorough in checking the mechanicals, electronics, etc... You should be fine. The maintenance cost should be the same no matter which direction you go with. If the car is due for a tune-up, have the dealer cover the cost. Stuff like brakes, tires and other things that need replacement should be covered by the seller no matter which car you go with. If it's not done, negotiate a reduction in the asking price. The biggest issues are the unknowns with the used car you intend to buy. Your used car shouldn't require any maintence at the time you leave the lot. Be warned though, common maintenance cost for the Z is a bit more than your average car. Oil changes are about $70-$100 & new tires run about $1,000 and last about 15k miles.

With that said, it's always better to buy a well maintained lower mileage car over a well maintained higher mileage car because of the inherent wear & tear. These cars are built pretty well, but things will wear out eventually. It might be a "better" investment to buy a lower mileage car if you plan to keep the car for 5-10 years.

I wouldn't buy a 370Z with 70k miles...

You have a great group of people there in Dallas, go out to a meet and see what they say. Ask what problems they have had



EDIT: $22k for a 370Z with 69k miles, HELLLLL no... Too high IMO, even if it is sport touring

2 things i won't buy used, sports cars and motorcycles. that being said my Z has over 100k on it now and still going strong outside of the SLF. don't think i'm getting rid of mine, EVER

I'd buy it used, which I did... ONLY if it has a warranty...

The OP is in TX, where the AC goes out all the time... It isn't exactly cheap to repair that... (That's why I suggest going out to a meet and asking what problems THEY have) I know one person's AC went out.

A used 2009 70k Z sounds like problems to me. No thanks!

Yeah, and OP, the KBB trade in value is $19.5k which mean the dealer lowballed to $17-18, if you're hell bent on a sport touring and that's all you can afford, (don't mean to say that in a prickish way) don't pay more than $19k

not sure how much $ you make (and dont want to know), but spending $25-28K on a used car only to keep for 3yrs where you dont put more than 10K miles on it out of college is not a very wise decision...

if you must get a different car, get something new and affordable, keep the car for at least 5yrs and save up the rest for your future car or house.

not sure if you have an accessible garage, but car hobby starts with a garage, if you want to do it right.

When I buy a car I keep it for life unless I trade it for a different car and I am not talking about Trade-in I mean strait up trade.

ya you can do better dont buy a car with 70k miles on it bro
when i got my 09 it had 23k on it and i paid 26k fully loaded in jan 2011
my car has 37k on it now

No matter what ever anyone tells you stay clear of any high mileage sports cars, at 65k + miles even on most babbied cars they will show some signs of wear and tear will need some attention. Now if the car is abused then who really knows how bad it is until something breaks.

The only way I would buy a high mileage car is if I bought it from a close friend or relative and knew how it was driven and if mileage was qiuck highway etc and I got the car for a song.

If you buy a used sports car try and get one with 10k - 19k on it, the best ones are the ones that ppl tired of or changed hands every 2 yrs, you really don't want something that was used as a daily driver.

Note there are a lot of ppl that will buy a sports car every 3-5 yrs and only put on 2k - 3k per year as it is only a recreational vehicle and it will have only 10-15k after 5 yrs, etc.

The main thing is to be patient and look around, great deals come around all the time and make sure there is absolutely no rust on the underside of the car.