Used Cars: Purchase Used Car With 96,000 miles, head gasket problem, lena white

Question
I thinking of buying a 2002 pontiac se bonneville.  It seems to be in good condition but it has over 96,000 miles on it.  Comes with a 10,000 mile warranty on engine and transmission.  Is this a lot of miles on a car 2002 or newer--I understand the newer cars can run much longer than the older cars.  I have detected some white smoke coming from the exhaust.  Mechanic said needed thermostat and seal around $97--not anything major.  Should I proceed with purchase.  Car seems to run fine and is in great shape.

Answer
Hello Lena,

 White smoke is not a Thermostat !! Be very careful as that is probably a head gasket problem!! Yes the new cars do seem to last longer then some previous older ones, but buying a American car with that many kms can and will cost you on maintenance, ie: heat gasket is anywhere from 500-1000 to fix and many small things seem to break on them randomly..