Driving a car long distance?

It’s not the miles; it’s the type of miles. A vehicle that has a daily commute of 100 miles on smooth non dusty interstates is more likely going to be in better shape than one that does 10 miles a day on rough and dusty gravel country roads. Starting the engine is often a concern. A car that is started and killed several times a day will often have a shorter life. Especially if it is in a very cold areas of the country. As is one that is in stop and go traffic all day long.

A 700 hundred mile trip is not necessarily long only about three tanks of gas. Or 10 to 15 hours of engine time.

For myself I would be very cautious of buying car with 120k miles for these trips though. I live in a rural part of the country and a car with that many miles is usually on its way out.

It all depends on the car, the condition of the car, and how well (or bad) it has been taken care of with regular maintenance and everything else. The millage is just one factor.

It's a crap shoot when buying a car with high millage when you don't really know the owner and previous owners (if any). All we can do is inspect the car well ourselves or by a trusted mechanic before buying it.

As far as I know, we all, most of the time, drive the best vehicle that we can afford.

So if a vehicle with 120k miles is all that you can afford now or have your heart set on, go ahead, buy it, but inspect it well first by yourself or a trusted mechanic. With any luck you won't be spending $300 here and $600 or more there every 2 to 4 months in repairs (that's the sign of a lemon). Good luck.