The mileage of a car denotes the distance it has covered, playing an important role in determining its wear and tear and in turn, its value. A commonly accepted standard for the average car’s mileage is 12,000 miles annually. This estimate is based on various factors, including but not limited to, daily commuting needs, occasional long drives, and road trips.

For a 13-year-old car, one calculates its ideal mileage by multiplying its age with this accepted annual mileage. By this method, a car that is 13 years old should have ideally clocked approximately 156,000 miles (13 years multiplied by 12,000 miles per year).

However, it is vital to note that this figure is an average. There can be significant deviations based on specific circumstances. Some used cars might have far less mileage because they were only used for weekend drives, while others might have far more mileage due to extensive highway commuting. Therefore, although the standard is widely applicable, one must account for individual car use cases when buying or selling a used vehicle.

Maintaining regular maintenance records helps to alleviate some concerns about higher mileage vehicles. Therefore, remember to check the service history and the car’s condition as it could be a more relevant indicator of the vehicle’s value than just mileage.

SOURCE: Tom Kadlec Kia. (n.d.). What’s Good Mileage on a Used Car? Retrieved from https://www.tomkadleckia.com/blog/good-mileage-preowned-car/