A car’s mileage is a big deal. Low-mileage cars typically have a higher value than higher-mileage cars, and depending on the type and year of the car, the difference between the two values can be pretty dramatic. We also view mileage as a car’s lifespan, and even consumers with minimal car knowledge understand that a car’s lifespan is limited. It is typical to avoid cars with high mileage over 100,000 when we are looking at vehicles to buy used, but what can you expect from an engine that has miraculously made it to say…. one million miles?

The million-mile engine

Lucky for us, adventure content creators like Donut Media are always prepared to answer the questions we never really knew we wanted answers to. It isn’t often that we even think about a car making it to one million miles, but you can imagine they are relatively old and dirty, after all, it has worked for one million miles.

High mileage cars are a statement

Having a car that goes 200,000 miles is a testament to the car’s ability to withstand true driving. On the road, regardless of whether it’s mostly city or highway mileage, a car is only expected to last for so long. In fact, the value of a car drops off drastically once it hits around 100,000, and on some cars, it doesn’t even need to make it that far. Seeing older cars that can constantly reach higher mileages typically shows that they are of pretty good quality.

How to get there

Donut Media also mentions that there are some more obvious ways to keep your engine in good, running condition to maximize it’s potential lifespan, though most people don’t keep their vehicles long enough to ever see one million miles. For starters, regular maintenance is key to helping your engine stay happy and healthy. Somewhat standard cleaning, such as walnut blasting, can also help remove carbon residues that can keep your motor from operating smoothly. Then, of course, if you dump enough money into any car and whatever repairs it needs you can get any car to go as far as you want.

Of course, the car’s odometer doesn’t always show the age of an engine, as it isn’t reset if the engine is ever replaced or major parts of the engine are rebuilt. Regardless, this entertaining video by Donut Media answers a question we didn’t know we needed answers to — what does the inside of a one million mile engine look like?