Average mileage in 2021?

[Bobby Dazzler]

I just had a car serviced and noticed that I had done almost exactly 3,000 miles in that car in 2021, which is much less than I used to do pre-2020, but more than I expected.

It got me thinking about what our weekly average mileage per car was in 2021, and it has surprised me. I thought it might be interesting to find out the MBClub average.

Let’s try to have some consistency in how it’s calculated and what’s included and what’s excluded, so that we can have a like-for-like comparison across MBClub.

Rather than guess your mileage, please check service records and MOT history to calculate mileages and avoid unintentionally skewing the results.

Exclude cars which you don’t regularly use (so don’t include the Ferrari 250 GTO) and exclude vehicles which are specifically for business use (so don’t include vans/trucks).

Include cars used for commuting and business travel (but not deliveries, taxi, etc), and include company cars if they’re regularly used by your household.

Include cars belonging to your household that is anyone who lives in your household, but exclude “family” cars belonging to people who live elsewhere.

Rule of thumb: if it’s parked where you live and you wouldn’t think twice about using it to go shopping or collect a takeaway in any weather, then include it. If not, then exclude it.

So here’s how to calculate the average weekly mileage with an example:

Add up the mileage covered in 2021 for each car in the household, then divide the total by the number of cars, and then again by 52 to get the weekly average.

1. Family car 4,400 miles - include
2. Commuter car 8,600 miles - include
3. Work van 26,300 miles - exclude
4. Garage queen 700 miles - exclude

Add up the mileage covered in 2021 for each car in the household:
4,400 + 8,600 + 0 + 0 = 13,000 miles

Then divide the total by the number of cars:
13,000 / 2 cars = 6,500 miles

Then divide again by 52 to get the weekly average:
6,500 / 52 weeks = 125 miles

In this example the average weekly mileage per car in the household is 125 miles.

I’m looking forward to seeing the results.

 

[Teego]

I just had a car serviced and noticed that I had done almost exactly 3,000 miles in that car in 2021, which is much less than I used to do pre-2020, but more than I expected.

It got me thinking about what our weekly average mileage per car was in 2021, and it has surprised me. I thought it might be interesting to find out the MBClub average.

Let’s try to have some consistency in how it’s calculated and what’s included and what’s excluded, so that we can have a like-for-like comparison across MBClub.

Rather than guess your mileage, please check service records and MOT history to calculate mileages and avoid unintentionally skewing the results.

Exclude cars which you don’t regularly use (so don’t include the Ferrari 250 GTO) and exclude vehicles which are specifically for business use (so don’t include vans/trucks).

Include cars used for commuting and business travel (but not deliveries, taxi, etc), and include company cars if they’re regularly used by your household.

Include cars belonging to your household that is anyone who lives in your household, but exclude “family” cars belonging to people who live elsewhere.

Rule of thumb: if it’s parked where you live and you wouldn’t think twice about using it to go shopping or collect a takeaway in any weather, then include it. If not, then exclude it.

So here’s how to calculate the average weekly mileage with an example:

Add up the mileage covered in 2021 for each car in the household, then divide the total by the number of cars, and then again by 52 to get the weekly average.

1. Family car 4,400 miles - include
2. Commuter car 8,600 miles - include
3. Work van 26,300 miles - exclude
4. Garage queen 700 miles - exclude

Add up the mileage covered in 2021 for each car in the household:
4,400 + 8,600 + 0 + 0 = 13,000 miles

Then divide the total by the number of cars:
13,000 / 2 cars = 6,500 miles

Then divide again by 52 to get the weekly average:
6,500 / 52 weeks = 125 miles

In this example the average weekly mileage per car in the household is 125 miles.

I’m looking forward to seeing the results.

Life is too long. I'm still struggling with my insurance renewal. Think I've gone through an age gate or something. What do you think about TPO or RTA on a CLS55?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Life is too long. I'm still struggling with my insurance renewal. Think I've gone through an age gate or something. What do you think about TPO or RTA on a CLS55?

TPO being Third Party Only? I wouldn’t my be surprised if it’s no less expensive.

 

[Rich764089]

Interested to see, thanks @Bobby Dazzler

Working from home has seen my mileage halve, though I do get to drive for enjoyment a lot more as a result

 

[Londonscottish]

My car's done about 4k. My wife's 1.5k. Normal for us, really, except for the lack of French driving holidays over the last couple of years.

Any business travel I do is always tube/train/taxi/plane.

 

[MrGreedy]

18k, down to 3k WFH.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

My winter car has done 3,000 miles which seems ridiculous as I only started using it in November and I can’t remember using it after January last year. It really surprised me.

Our family car has done 10,000 miles but I can’t work out how. Since 2020 we’ve not done any European road trips, no school runs, used other cars more, and travelled between Devon and the Midlands much less than before 2020, but the mileage is the same as 2019. Bizarre. At first I thought it might have been an error on the service record but the MOT history concurs! I’m really surprised by this one.

Our other two main cars have done what I would have expected and I’ve not included anything that doesn’t get used much.

With no school runs, no commuting and no business travel, all of our mileage has been social, domestic and pleasure. We don’t get up to much these days so I can’t believe we’ve done so many miles!!

 

[MrGreedy]

My winter car has done 3,000 miles which seems ridiculous as I only started using it in November and I can’t remember using it after January last year. It really surprised me.

Our family car has done 10,000 miles but I can’t work out how. Since 2020 we’ve not done any European road trips, no school runs, used other cars more, and travelled between Devon and the Midlands much less than before 2020, but the mileage is the same as 2019. Bizarre. At first I thought it might have been an error on the service record but the MOT history concurs! I’m really surprised by this one.

Our other two main cars have done what I would have expected and I’ve not included anything that doesn’t get used much.

With no school runs, no commuting and no business travel, all of our mileage has been social, domestic and pleasure. We don’t get up to much these days so I can’t believe we’ve done so many miles!!

Fortnightly trips to Balmoral and Sandringham for dinner can tot up the miles buddy

 

[ChrisHGTV]

Ill calculate mine properly but the Merc which is the family hack did about 6000 miles, I was surprised it was so high. My Alfa, less than 500! My wife’s Abarth was 4000. The Ducati and Vespa, zero...again. Pre COVID I’d do about 24k in the Merc And my wife about 12k.

 

[Trickythemerc]

Managed to do 6000 in the CLK but put 80,000 on the two vans

 

[Mickw212]

I managed just over 15,000 in 2021. Car had only 45k on it when i bought it so its had a shock living with me!

 

[Chrishazle]

Just had the "shopping trolley" MoT'd and since it's last Mot (Jan last year) it's done just under 3k miles - yet the Assyst+ bitches every time I turn the ignition on that the service is overdue by currently 150 days - which I'll ignore for possibly another 150+!

 

[merc estate]

Good advertising with direct line giving you money back, when i renewed mine they give me back £8, as i didn't do even half the milage i had insured for, but i changed the car. I took that as an insult, but look great on there adverts. Then they wanted to smack my bottom with the renewal putting it up about £200. I have insured with LV now on go compare and god forbid if you have an accident they pay £250 of you access.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

27 votes so far. It would be interesting to see a bigger sample.

 

[Wolfie1]

Wife is a community nurse so her mileage is just what it normally would be as nothing has changed for her,
my mileage will be about the same as i have had to go to work every day too so just the same for me too, dont know exact mileages though.
But my RX7 has done 600 miles since 2019 as i wasnt able to drive it because of an operation i had