Which 100kmi car should be in better shape: newer or older?

Question

I'm looking to replace my dying '96 Accord, and I've been skimming Craigslist for used cars. While searching for Acura TLs, I noticed one in my price range that was significantly newer than the others: a 2010 TL SH-AWD with 93k miles.

The others in the same price range (usually cheaper) were 2004-2006 models, also with around 100k miles.

So the question is, which car is more likely to last longer without excessive maintenance: a 3-year old car with 93k miles, or an 8-year old car with 93k miles?

Also, are there any specific things I should look out for on a newish car with high mileage?

Answer 1

A newer high-milage car will usually have done a lot of highway miles (unless it was a taxi/minicab, but the TL doesn't look like that sort of car...). This means it will have been driven at a constant cruise for long periods of time. It will probably have been a company car, driven by a sales rep or similar.

On the other hand, an 'average' mileage car (in the UK, this tends to be around 10-12k miles/year) will have had a much more mixed life, being driven at all speeds and on all types of roads.

Look at the service history, and pay attention to the details. A lot of company cars get neglected, as people care less about a car that someone else is responsible for fixing. You want to find a car that has been looked after and maintained properly.