The point to consider is that the 54.8k is a rare car, and you're not going to find 50k cars kicking around.

Mileage means nothing to me, and I would perfer starting with a basket case. That way, I know what's in the car, the quality of the repairs, and get most bang for the buck. Redarding mileate, my question is how do they prove it's 54.8k on the clock?