01The number everyone gets wrong
Ask a Malaysian buyer what 150,000 km does to a car's value and you will hear something dramatic. The listings appear to agree: cars under 50,000 km ask a median of RM165,000 while cars over 200,000 km ask RM17,500. That is a 89% collapse, and it is almost entirely misleading.
197,439
Listings with mileage analysed
Across 998 models, snapshot of 14 August 2026
−2.0%
Per 10,000 km below 100k
Same model, same model year
−0.46%
Per 10,000 km from 100k–200k
The odometer nearly stops mattering
| Mileage band | Median asking price | Median age of those cars | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 50,000 km | RM165,000 | 4 years | 57,022 |
| 50,000–100,000 km | RM63,000 | 7 years | 83,723 |
| 100,000–150,000 km | RM34,900 | 11 years | 38,902 |
| 150,000–200,000 km | RM23,888 | 14 years | 12,367 |
| Over 200,000 km | RM17,500 | 16 years | 5,425 |
02What mileage costs once you control for age
To isolate the odometer we compared cars of the same make, same model, and same model year against each other — a 2019 Myvi against another 2019 Myvi — then measured how price moved with mileage inside each of those groups. That covers 183,156 listings across 2,236 model-year groups.
The effect is real, and it is concentrated almost entirely in the first 100,000 km. Below that threshold, every 10,000 km costs about 2.0% of the car's value. Above it, the same 10,000 km costs about 0.46% — a quarter as much.
What that means in practice
| Comparison, same model and year | Expected price difference |
|---|---|
| 30,000 km vs 60,000 km | About 6% lower |
| 50,000 km vs 90,000 km | About 8% lower |
| 110,000 km vs 150,000 km | About 2% lower |
| 120,000 km vs 190,000 km | About 3% lower |
03Five real cars, same year, different odometers
Rates are abstract. These are actual asking-price medians for a single model year, split by mileage band, with the listing count behind each cell.
| Car | Under 50k km | 50k–100k km | 100k–150k km | 150k–200k km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Perodua Myvi | RM36,000 (n=21) | RM36,800 (n=331) | RM35,900 (n=127) | — |
| 2020 Perodua Bezza | RM35,400 (n=88) | RM35,400 (n=394) | RM35,000 (n=136) | — |
| 2019 Perodua Axia | RM26,800 (n=42) | RM25,800 (n=293) | RM25,800 (n=143) | RM21,000 (n=21) |
| 2019 Proton Saga | RM22,750 (n=26) | RM20,000 (n=195) | RM20,800 (n=83) | — |
| 2018 Perodua Alza | — | RM35,827 (n=191) | RM36,900 (n=78) | RM36,900 (n=25) |
The 2019 Myvi is the cleanest illustration in the table: RM36,800 at 50,000–100,000 km and RM35,900 at 100,000–150,000 km. Fifty thousand kilometres of driving separates those two groups and about 2% of asking price separates their medians.
The 2018 Perodua Alza is stranger still — the higher-mileage bands ask *more*. That is not mileage adding value. It is a reminder that within a single model year, variant and trim mix vary between bands, and small cells move around. It is exactly why we lead with the market-wide rate and treat individual cells as illustrations.
04Why buyers overestimate mileage so consistently
The confusion is structural, not stupid. Almost everything a buyer sees encourages them to price the odometer instead of the car.
| What the buyer sees | What is actually happening | |
|---|---|---|
| Listings | High-mileage cars are visibly cheaper | They are also visibly older — twelve years older at the extremes |
| Search filters | Mileage is a headline filter on every platform | It is easy to record, which is not the same as being decisive |
| Seller behaviour | Low mileage is advertised loudly | It is the cheapest claim to make and the hardest for a buyer to verify |
| Mechanical intuition | More kilometres means more wear | True for components, but the market has already priced the age those kilometres came with |
This article extends our explainer on how mileage affects car value from principle into measurement. The principle has not changed; what is new is a number attached to it.
05How we measured it, and the one caveat that matters
We used every listing carrying both a price and an odometer reading, then compared like with like. This is editorial analysis of asking-price patterns, not how a Carvaly valuation is calculated. Understanding your Carvaly valuation explains how to read a result.
- 1
Start from listings that report mileage
Of 340,782 listings in the snapshot, 204,541 (60.0%) carried a mileage figure. After removing implausible prices and odometer readings, 197,439 listings across 998 models remained.
- 2
Group by make, model, and model year
Every comparison happens inside a group of cars that are the same model from the same year. This is what removes age from the measurement.
- 3
Require real groups
A model-year group needed at least 15 listings to contribute. That left 183,156 listings across 2,236 groups.
- 4
Measure price against mileage within each group
We fitted the relationship between asking price and odometer reading inside each group, then combined the groups. Splitting by mileage zone produced the two headline rates.
We also want to be clear about what this does not cover. These are asking prices, not completed sales. They describe listings, not the mechanical condition of any car. And a market-wide rate is an average across 998 models — a hard-worked turbocharged engine and a lightly used naturally aspirated one do not age the same way, whatever the odometer says.
06What to do with this as a buyer or a seller
The practical value here is knowing which differences to negotiate over and which to ignore.
If you are buying:
- Stop paying large premiums for mileage above 100,000 km. Between 100,000 and 200,000 km on the same model year, the market barely differentiates. Spend that money on an inspection instead.
- Do weigh mileage carefully under 100,000 km. This is where the 2% per 10,000 km actually applies, and where the difference between 40,000 and 90,000 km is worth negotiating.
- Buy the service record, not the odometer. A 130,000 km car with complete invoices is a better risk than a 70,000 km car with none, and our data says you will not pay much of a premium for the former.
- Check the schedule the car should have followed. Manufacturer portals such as Honda's maintenance schedule and Perodua's owner's manuals tell you which major items fall due at a given mileage.
If you are selling:
- Do not discount yourself heavily for crossing 100,000 km. The market penalty is far smaller than the psychological one, and our figures let you say so with evidence.
- Do present the evidence that mileage cannot show. Service invoices, ownership count, and a clean inspection carry more weight than the number on the dash.
- Expect a step, not a slide, past 150,000 km. Several models show a distinct drop there rather than smooth decay. Price accordingly if you are close to that threshold.
A word on odometer tampering
Everything above assumes the reading is honest. A car whose odometer has been wound back is not a low-mileage car; it is a car with a false document trail. Verify mileage against service invoices, inspection records, and the general condition of pedals, seats and steering wheel. If the number and the wear disagree, believe the wear.
Frequently asked questions
Is 150,000 km too much for a used car in Malaysia?
Not on price grounds. In our analysis of 197,439 listings, moving from 110,000 km to 150,000 km on the same model and model year is associated with roughly a 2% lower asking price. Between 100,000 and 200,000 km the market barely differentiates on mileage — condition, service history and model year matter far more.
How much does mileage reduce a car's value?
About 2.0% per 10,000 km below 100,000 km, and about 0.46% per 10,000 km between 100,000 and 200,000 km, when comparing cars of the same model and model year. Across all mileages combined the figure is about 0.93% per 10,000 km. Those rates are market-wide averages, not a valuation of any specific car.
Why do high-mileage cars look so much cheaper in listings?
Because they are much older. Cars under 50,000 km in our snapshot had a median age of 4 years while cars over 200,000 km had a median age of 16. The raw price gap between mileage bands is mostly measuring twelve years of depreciation, not the odometer.
Should I pay more for a low-mileage car?
Below 100,000 km, a moderate premium is justified by the market. Above it, large premiums are usually not — you would generally be better off spending that money on an independent inspection and buying the car with the better service record.
Does this apply to every model?
No. These are market-wide averages across 998 models, and individual models behave differently — some show a distinct step down past 150,000 km rather than a smooth decline. Use the rate to set expectations, then value the specific vehicle on its year, variant, condition and history.