In 1995 my mom bought a one year old "program car" (rental unit) with 23K on the clock. Today she still owns it and it only has 91K. Just passed its emission test last saturday with very low emissions (13 out of 141 allowed low speed, and 33 out of 147 allowed at high speed on the hydorcarbons).
The trick was we tested two identical cars in 95 both not far off the assembly line from each other and only 3k mileage difference between the two cars. The one my mom has was very responsive and handled really well and, well, the other car you could tell had been abused even though it had 3K less miles.
Also get a carfax report on anyone you plan to buy, this will help tell you if the dealership had to do any major repairs to it. The dealership where my mom bought hers even gave her a free report before she bought the car.
Here is a few trick we used to get her a good car:
1) Test drive two or three of the model you are looking to buy. I do put them to the test but only as I would drive them as my own car.
2) Get a carfax report and look it over carefully. If you find that the car has had major repairs you may want to look for a different car.
3) Have the dealer put the car up on the rack and you or a trusted friend look at the underside, wheel wells, front and rear bumper areas for any repaired body structure, if you see damage walk away.
4) If you wonder if it has been in a flood, check the trunk under the carpet. You can usually see water line marks even under the car if it has been flooded. The trunk may have been cleaned but usually the back side of the door panels are not if you can check them.
5) Check over the engine bay really well, such as oil color and smell, do the same with the transmission fluid, check the color and condition of the coolant. If possible look in the oil fill port and see how clean the engine is, clean metal to a light brown with no grit then the engine is clean. If you find black sand like or tar like in the oil port do not buy that car. Check the battery area for rust and/or unexplained holes, could mean the car has been wrecked or not maintained properly.
Hope this helps all whom are looking for their next car, truck or whatever.
