Is the number of kilometres travelled a determinant of a vehicle's selling price? That is, would a car with lower kilometres command a higher selling price?

The distance travelled by a car has a major and direct effect on its selling price. There are other factors such as overall condition and the car’s service history which acts as proof that it’s been maintained properly. But on balance, two cars with identical histories and in identical condition, will have different values if they have travelled different distances.

Modern cars are much more reliable and long-lived than ever before. Advances in metallurgy mean engines and other mechanical parts have longer lifespans, and better materials and engineering precision mean the bodies and interiors tend to last longer, too. Even paint has come a long, long way. So there’s an argument that, for modern cars, distance travelled is less of a concern, but it’s still a big element in how the trade will value a particular car. There are also psychological triggers, too, and many car owners will try to sell a car just before it reaches 100,000km (as an example) when, in fact, the car still has a lot left to give. It’s a bit of a hang-over from a time when 100,000km was considered the average lifespan of some popular cars.

It’s also important to take each car on its own durability merits. A small hatchback with 300,000km on its odometer might rightly be regarded as just about worn out, while something like a Toyota LandCruiser with the same mileage is considered barely run-in and will still command a huge price, provided the other factors (condition and service history) also stack up well.