A good mileage for a used car is roughly 7,000 miles for every year it's been on the road: about 35,000 on a five-year-old car, 70,000 at ten. Noticeably under that is low mileage; well over it is high. But the number only means anything if it's genuine, and how the miles were driven matters more than how many of them there are.
How many miles a year does the average car do?
Cars in England averaged 7,100 miles in 2024, according to the Department for Transport's National Travel Survey: petrol cars did 6,200 miles, diesels 8,300. That's the yardstick every "is this normal?" judgement hangs on. It's also been falling for two decades: the same survey recorded 9,200 miles back in 2002. Which means an older car wearing above-average mileage isn't automatically a motorway workhorse; it clocked up its early years when everybody simply drove more.
How do I work out if a car's mileage is normal?
Multiply the car's age by 7,000 and compare the result to the clock. A 2019 car in 2026 is seven years old, so the average predicts around 49,000 miles; 50,000 on the odometer is normal, not high. A three-year-old showing 12,000 is genuinely low; the same car showing 45,000 has been doing double shifts. Give diesels extra headroom: they're bought for distance and average 8,300 miles a year against petrol's 6,200.
| Car age | Low (under) | Typical range | High (over) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 5,000 | 5,000–9,000 | 9,000 |
| 2 years | 10,000 | 10,000–18,000 | 18,000 |
| 3 years | 15,000 | 15,000–27,000 | 27,000 |
| 4 years | 20,000 | 20,000–36,000 | 36,000 |
| 5 years | 25,000 | 25,000–45,000 | 45,000 |
| 6 years | 30,000 | 30,000–54,000 | 54,000 |
| 7 years | 35,000 | 35,000–63,000 | 63,000 |
| 8 years | 40,000 | 40,000–72,000 | 72,000 |
| 9 years | 45,000 | 45,000–81,000 | 81,000 |
| 10 years | 50,000 | 50,000–90,000 | 90,000 |
Treat the bands as a sanity check, not a verdict; they're the DfT average with sensible margin either side. A car outside them isn't ruled out; it just needs its story checked harder.
Is 100,000 miles too many for a used car?
No: the six-figure death sentence dates from an era when engines wore out and bodywork dissolved. A modern engine serviced on schedule treats 100,000 miles as middle age, not a deathbed. What actually kills cars is neglect and the wrong sort of miles: 90,000 motorway miles (warm engine, steady throttle, brakes barely touched) is an easier life than 40,000 miles of cold starts, potholes and supermarket car parks. A 90,000-mile motorway cruiser with a full service history is often a better buy than a scruffy 40,000-mile town car. High mileage earns you a discount at purchase; take it, then spend a slice of it on the cambelt.
How do I check the mileage is genuine?
Read the MOT history: the odometer reading is recorded at every MOT test, and the full record is published free on GOV.UK's MOT history service, going back to 2005 for cars. Put the readings in date order and they should climb steadily at a believable rate. A reading that ever falls, or a car that mysteriously "slowed down" just before sale, is the signature of a wound-back odometer. Our free MOT check pulls the whole trail for any reg in seconds, and our guide to spotting a clocked car covers the physical tells (worn pedals, polished steering wheels) that a rewritten dashboard can't hide.
Does mileage matter more than condition?
No: condition and history beat the odometer every time. Use mileage to set the price bracket, then judge the actual car: does the wear match the number, do the service stamps line up, do the advisories tell a coherent story? Our guide to reading an MOT history properly shows what the record reveals beyond pass and fail, and the used car buying checklist covers the on-the-day checks. If you'd rather see it all in one place, our £5 report puts the full mileage trail next to the MOT record, tax status, full spec, keeper count and any plate or colour changes: the mileage question answered alongside everything else worth knowing.