I recognise that many will be underwhelmed at this, but as an owner of a 2010 auto in truly outstanding condition, I occasionally look at these, maybe with a view to picking up a spares car. 

 

One current ebay example, 48,000 miles FSH, 2 owners 1.6 Zetec. looks a bit grubby inside, but for the money........it is, on paper at least, less than the cost of a mid-range bicycle. 

has the world gone mad 🤔 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363951133882?hash=item54bd2d94ba:g:838AAOSwzvli~031&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoPA%2BchYa2uQy20L9bgltn4CCW8pXijHxz6V2UdqLxg%2FGqpOtMuJqLnc65AfZlD1n%2BW67emdGJXHMDaqcGgsJgk2oPmi2be9RL439OI752z1Z9Tyb0oAp2bYNPunnBadWC68MLq7OrA%2F8LqnspR4CYK08yYvi84u5QmPa4Fl6bILu2NGgRUf3I%2FJruwEAkCj2qdxgKFj4jHLkoA%2Ba4DudFEg%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR-bB7rTcYA

I don't remember these ever being desirable.  It's just a Zetec, no nice options that I can see.  1.6 petrol auto bad on fuel, high on tax.  It's 13 years old, mileage is almost irrelevant by this age.  

Broken parcel shelf, worn switches, scruffy seats, cig burn suggests it probably smells like Onslow's Cortina.  It's a nice colour though, so that's a bonus.  

By this age, buyers can afford be choosy as the price difference is so low...something like a 2.0 TDCI Titanium with X pack will be more desirable but only cost a few hundred quid more.

Historically that’s probably always been the normal kind of price point for a 13 year old car like that. Covid caused car prices to go a bit mad, but maybe things are settling down now.

Interesting thoughts chaps, I’d agree with most, but not the point about mileage being irrelevant. A 13 year old banger with 150,000 miles on it is exactly that, a banger. But at the other end of the scale, a car in perfect condition with 30,000 and an obviously cosseted  life, is rather more than that in my humble opinion. 

i think the blue one is an oddity as the low mileage ought to bring with it switchgear that isn’t in that state and a lovely interior. If that mileage is real, then there’s 100k of motoring there for bicycle  money. 

Desirability of a car like the one I bought will be limited to those with an appreciation of low mileage minters, whatever the spec. For me, that was the reason I bought mine. It’s SLUG slow and the 1.6 is absolutely the wrong engine for the auto. It also has limited gadget appeal but it’s a nice thing to have as the spare car for occasional summer use.

For the sake of comparison, here’s another, almost  exactly like mine but with a few more miles than mine and not quite as good, See rear photos. This one is the other extreme in the price department which suggests someone else might value it for what it is. I don’t think it’s worth anything close to that myself, and neither do I think that mine is. The vendor obviously doesn’t know his fords though, billing this as “the top spec zetec model” I did chuckle at that....

Thanks for your thoughts, 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374164291850?hash=item571dee010a:g:DyQAAOSwl5xiwA-8&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoJWMJJsisiwBS6hxfmPhHJJMRu6%2F79zey9f3w4HethlocuPhY2aZ7puf8yBe7g%2F3XgwBKAQTsQ165Jbf%2BSpJ8g7oLKBH09Kr9dCSA3iVRRz3%2BwW0Vr7RMO7CbFEdPll0GBdaZxuHUCXHMv3rCX3gFcVXz8sFAUfW%2FIrd%2FE%2Bd%2BCX8UrQK0tnJ4r1y%2BFztpyyDnBBfAXNXqz%2BGEzYGqItXFs4%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8ze7ojdYA

 

 

 

 

A 13 year old car with low mileage could have spent an hour a day in stop start traffic for most of it's life.  Or only been taken out once a week for shopping, parked on a damp driveway for the rest of the time.  Far worse for the engine and other mechanicals than sitting on the motorway for 50 miles a day.  I've regretted buying low mileage vehicles more than once.  Condition is far more important than mileage on older cars, as you even said yourself.  

 

I think 'top spec' is just dealer propaganda to entice non-car people.  So many cars are listed as 'top spec' or 'fully loaded' that it means buyers don't believe us when we genuinely have a flagship model!  

very old cars now - with few of the consumer toys you now believe you need

things like cam belts, oil pumps, water pumps and AC condenser will all start to go pop  - and one of the budget cuts was to use inferior rubber on stuff so suspension bushings now quite tired

that said a mint 20k mile 2009 model went with in a week at a secondhand place near me for 6k !!!

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

...Condition is far more important than mileage on older cars, as you even said yourself.  

Concur 100% We've all seen low mileage cars we wouldn't touch!