Labour Day Feature: High Mileage Cars On Carousell That Deserve Special Recognition

One key consideration when purchasing a used car will be to identify how many kilometres it has clocked, as it usually serves as a rough indicator of its condition. While most of this logic rings true, a handful of cars with low mileage might have been through torture chambers - this we’ll avoid in a jiffy.

The other side of the coin reveals cars with limits seemingly “breached”. The thought of purchasing a car that surpasses the psychological six-digit mileage barrier might prove an obstacle, but these three cars have unashamedly tripled, or even quadrupled figures on the odometer. While there can be temptations to hide mileage numbers from plain sight, these cars deserve all the credit for displaying their mileage history in full glory.

Kings of the tarmac are not only reserved for hypercars - high mileage vehicles have seen it all and deserve plenty of credit too. Sure, there’ll be more cars in Carousell’s used car section that cover even more ground if we probe further, but we’ll leave some of the fun up for grabs. In the spirit of Labour Day, let’s celebrate the accomplishments of these tireless cars that go way beyond serving their owners’ needs.

2007 Toyota Harrier 2.4A

Mileage clocked: 280,000km

While churning out close to 300,000km of mileage is no mean feat and a headline grabber, our eyes were also drawn to this Toyota Harrier that only changed hands once! A 2-owner unit over a span of more than 15 years redefines dedication on both owners’ part. Assuming that it hasn't been shelved during its lifespan, it would have clocked 18,000km per annum consistently since 2007. Despite it looking a little long in the tooth with foggy headlamps and a seasoned steering wheel, we know that Toyota’s 2.4-litre naturally aspirated motor and 5-speed automatic pairing is nothing short of bulletproof. And this is living proof that this car is engineered to weather whatever storm aimed at it.

2006 Toyota Wish 1.8A

Mileage clocked: 320,000km

Old school metal need not always be cumbersome and a pain to upkeep. Just ask the 6 previous owners of this Toyota Wish, which has clocked comfortably more than 300 grand of mileage over 17 years, or an average of 18,800km per year. A 1.8-litre engine mated to a 4-speed automatic won't set your heart rates spiking through the roof, but there is no need for driving excitement when all it’s expected to do is bring seven pax around town without fuss. We reckon that given its age, it’ll struggle to attain a fuel consumption of over 10km/l on a full load. But for one that has been there and done that, who are we to judge? This, or a 160,000km mileage Honda Freed of similar depreciation? We’d opt for the Toyota to experience a brief hint of immortality.

1988 Mercedes-Benz 200E

Mileage clocked: 396,000km

An 80s classic Merc would always make the cut, but the question now is which one withstood the test of time in Singapore. This W124 200 E with a chassis code of 124.021 is a 1988 specimen, powered by a 2.0-litre M102.963 fuel injected motor capable of 121bhp. If you find it tough keeping up with all these numbers, fret not as they are meant for classic Merc aficionados - a knowledgeable bunch that can recite codes from parts bin offhand for a car that’s absolutely steeped in folklore. Admittedly we are only scraping the surface of the W124, but if you’ve just been exposed to its 396,600km odometer reading, first impressions must have included some sort of wild admiration. Massive respect, and we can’t wait for future owner(s) to breach the half million mark.

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