
30,000-40,000 miles: Most manufacturers’ general warranties expire in that range, and the first major maintenance is usually due. Selling before reaching those benchmarks may get you the best price for your car.
How many miles can a car last?
200,000 miles
A conventional car can last for 200,000 miles. Some well-maintained car models will reach 300,000 or more miles total. The average passenger car age is currently around 12 years in the United States. Choosing a well-built make and model can help extend your car’s longevity.
What is the best age to sell a car?
According to Edmunds, there’s a significant drop in the first 2-3 years, and another at the four-year mark. Selling in between those drops will generally net you the best value. After that, the next big drop usually happens at around eight years.
When should you sell a car?
Its suggests that when cars reach five years old their failure rate is higher than at any time in their life, and start to go wrong more from about 60,000 miles. So sell too early and you’ll be bitten by depreciation, but leave it too late and reliability could be a factor.
How old should a used car be?
If, like Reiss, you’ve been having trouble finding the vehicle you want for the budget you have, you might be considering going with a used car that’s a few years older. Here’s how old you should go, according to car experts. “I think the sweet spot [for used cars] is 3-to-4 years old with 30,000 to 40,000 miles on it,” Reiss says.
Is it a good time to trade in a car?
Buyers often focus on the best time of year to buy a new car, whether it’s around holiday discounts or end-of-year clearances. Trade-ins can be an afterthought in this line of thinking. But there actually is a good time to trade in a car. Values are higher in the first two quarters of the year, with larger drops in the final two quarters.

Are older cars cheaper?
Once you add in lower insurance and registration costs, older cars are even cheaper. KBB.com provided us with depreciation data on cars, SUVs, pickups, and vans from model years 2007 to 2016. On average, these cars lost one-third of their value in the first year and more than half their value by year four.