Would You Buy A Rental Car?

[Zuljin]

My gut reaction is, no. But anyway.

Pros
•They're supposed to be mechanically well maintained. Putting customers in junk cars that break down is bad business.
•They're usually kept very clean. Customers get charged for bringing back trashed out rentals. Rental companies either have detailers or pay for them.
•I've never rented a car that was dirty, beat up or broke down.
•Recent year models.
•Low miles.
•Range of option packages available. The rentals I've driven were well appointed.

Cons
•Cars these days can go for a good while with less than required maintenance. Rental companies know this. They're only keeping the car a little while anyway.
•Cars may be returned looking good, but nothing says they weren't flogged half to death.
•Short and limited warranty.

Then there's price. I looked at Enterprise. Their prices weren't spectacular.

Yall ever buy a rental car?

 

[Brew_Dude41]

I have good friends that have bought a jeep liberty from rental agency. Very few if any issues.
Personally, I wouldn't, but it has worked for them.

 

[brewingmeister]

I think you summed up the pros/cons fairly well. Used cars are everywhere. If someone doesn't buy the car directly from the rental used lot it will end up on the dealer used lot. You looking for rental car abuse stories or what?

 

[Zuljin]

Got any good ones?

 

[TallDan]

Those cons apply to any used car, regardless of previous ownership. Unless you're talking about a Mustang or other sports car (which might have a higher than normal rental flogging rate) I personally don't see why it would really be a bad idea other then the price.

 

[Hamaki]

We've done so three times. No problems with any that I wouldn't expect from any used car and in fact less than we've actually had with several used cars bought from private parties or car lots. Our most recent, a 2010 Camry, immediately went on a ~5,000 mile road trip as soon as we got it. Have repeated that a couple of times since with no real problems. Biggest gripe is the driver's side sun visor took a dump. Apparently this is a recall item that I need to go to the dealership for.

Edit: All three were from Enterprise.

 

[kh54s10]

My thought is that you are buying a car that is about a year old and has 2 years + mileage on it. You have had an unknown number of drivers some who might have really beat on it.

It may have been well maintained but that is a crap shoot with any used car unless you get records or know the previous owner.

Personally I would not buy one.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I had a Camaro SS for a day this week from Avis. I only put ~100 miles on it. Or, in Camaro terms, 500 miles of wear

 

[snccoulter]

I can't remember which comedian it was Jeff Foxworthy or one of the other redneck ones (Gota Love Them) bit something like this was said. Buying a rental car is like marring a hooker, you don't know who drove it last but you know it was not take care of"

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I bought one four years ago with 26k miles on it, but Certified Preowned so it came with a warrantee to 50k. I just rolled it over to 100k Tuesday, and except for routine maintenance and manufacturer recalls, it has needed no other attention. Would do it again for the right model car.

 

[vNmd]

I bought a Grand Am about 10 years ago that was a rental. I had it 7 years. Worked great until the end then it started going downhill real fast. I think that has more to do with the car than the fact that it was a rental. The price was good. I was very happy.

 

[autobaun70]

I would buy one in a heartbeat, assuming you can find what you want, and it is from one of the major rental companies. The biggest downside to me is the typical plain options, though this is improving here recently.

I have worked worked in the equipment rental business (construction) and now work for a material handling dealership with a very large rental fleet. Though not the same industry, they are very similar managed. At my previous job, I worked with quite a few people who previously worked for Enterprise. They all loved the company, but left due to the odd schedule required in the business.

To me, the primary advantage of a rental is that the maintenance was done regularly. If you are the type that sticks to the every 3000 mile Jiffy Lube recommendation, and only uses the dealer, it will be below your standards. That said, you can be guaranteed that it is done on a pretty regular schedule, using high quality oil/filters, etc. The mindset behind rental operations is to make sure stuff doesn't break, so that you avoid expensive repairs. The agreement with the manufacturers is such so that even warranty repairs are not completely covered by the manufacturer, and you loose revenue whenever an asset is sitting.

 

[Zuljin]

Thanks.

I thought I'd be needing a new vehicle by now, but the Frontier just keeps on trucking. One day though, it's gonna happen, and I don't feel like paying for new.

 

[phug]

We bought a former rental about 6 months ago. It had 32 thousand klicks on it and was only a year and a half on the road. Which means there was 3.5 years and 68 thousand klicks on the bumper to bumper. We did buy it from a dealer who bought it from the rental agency. It was definitely given a once over by technicians who work on that brand day in and day out. We're happy with it. Even if you buy from a single owner you don't really know how it was treated and you only get the maintenance record if you're lucky.


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[Cyclman]

I would NOT buy a rental car. I rent cars dozens of times a year, < 30% are in reasonable condition. This week, the car was so out of alignment it was dangerous to drive. Others have smelled, had engine troubles, transmission troubles. I hardly wanted to drive them, not to mention own them.

People do not treat something they rent as well as something they own, ask people who rent out their personal condos.

 

[hunter_le five]

I don't feel like paying for new.

This.

I would buy a rental car if the price was right and it appeared to be in reasonable condition. In fact I'd be far more likely to do that than buy a new model vehicle. But then again my two main requirements for vehicles tend to be 1) it runs, and 2) it will keep running with basic maintenance. I don't care what it looks like or if the previous owner's fart smell still clings to the fabric (I will overpower that stench in due time).

My current truck (2004 RAM 1500 4WD) only cost me $3k because it has quite a bit of cosmetic damage, but had relatively low miles (50k) and runs fine. All I've had to do to it is change the oil every once in a while. It was an HVAC repair truck in a previous life (still has the company logo, which makes stealing freon and copper stupid easy). I'll run it until it stops running and go buy another cheap vehicle. I don't feel the need to go $20k-$30k in debt every time I buy a vehicle.

 

[autobaun70]

I would NOT buy a rental car. I rent cars dozens of times a year, < 30% are in reasonable condition. This week, the car was so out of alignment it was dangerous to drive. Others have smelled, had engine troubles, transmission troubles. I hardly wanted to drive them, not to mention own them.



People do not treat something they rent as well as something they own, ask people who rent out their personal condos.

I agree with this in most cases, but it just doesn't apply in many cases for cars. The average vehicle owner that buys new buys a new one dies so pretty often. They often drive it like they stole it for 2-3 years, trade it, and do it all over again, usually about the time it is scheduled to get its first major service, or tires. During that time they get the cheapest deal on oil changes they can find, and do basically nothing else.


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[jtratcliff]

supposedly, best bang for your buck is a Crown Vic that is a retired police cruiser... Still rode hard & put away wet like rentals but better maintenance. Certain models seemed to be prefered.

I haven't looked into it too closely but it seems to be the conventional wisdom on the Finance forum over at FatWallet.

 

[Zuljin]

We bought our Frontier new in 2001. I still drive it. Runs fine. Looks good. It's needed a few repairs, but nothing major. Nothing that left me stranded. Nothing worth scrapping it over. It's got about 250,000 miles now. We've gotten our money's worth. That truck is a good argument for buying new. I just don't want to. But if I did, and got this kind of use out of it; winning.

I sort of want to keep it for life at this point, but if it takes a serious crap, it's out. I've had fixers. I'm done with that. And the AC need fixing, again.

 

[dkevinb]

My daughter bought a 2012 Civic this spring from Hertz with 24K miles on it. Got a great deal on it. We took it to our mechanic, it checked out. It came with a 1-year 10K mile warranty from Hertz, though it was still under factory warranty, too. So far it's been perfect. I plan on going back there to look for a car for me when I get my bonus check this winter.

 

[Zepth]

supposedly, best bang for your buck is a Crown Vic that is a retired police cruiser... Still rode hard & put away wet like rentals but better maintenance. Certain models seemed to be prefered.

I haven't looked into it too closely but it seems to be the conventional wisdom on the Finance forum over at FatWallet.

Around these parts those are a status symbol to have an old cruiser. Often full of holes, usually from mounting on the equipment. Not to mention the way people act nervous and act ridiculous just because they think an officer may be close. Not worth it in my opinion.

I've seen some rentals get a complete crap end of the stick. "As long as it runs when I return it" mentality running strong. If you could get an extended warranty or guarantee of non-lemon status it's at least worth considering. I know that with Honda you can buy a used vehicle and buy an extended warranty at that point. Catch is that the time frame begins at original vehicle purchase. IE, buy a 7 year warranty on a 3 year old car and you only get 4 years warranty. Chances are if something mechanical is about to snap when you start off with it, it will happen in that time frame.

I got my current car as a 1 year lease that expired. Extremely low mileage (10k), came with a set of snow tires on rims, and was about $8000 less than original MSRP. Not to mention not having the original freight fees. What bullcrap that is. Also a different topic entirely. Anyways I'd say if you look around for gently used cars that are possibly still the model year or 1 year old you can get the best deal of the bunch.

 

[TallDan]

Since this thread keeps coming up with recent posts and I'm that kind of person:

No, I would not buy a rental car, they are not for sale, they are for rent.

 

[hunter_le five]

I sort of want to keep it for life at this point, but if it takes a serious crap, it's out. I've had fixers. I'm done with that. And the AC need fixing, again.

I'll be right over. It's still got copper and freon in it, right?

Since this thread keeps coming up with recent posts and I'm that kind of person:

No, I would not buy a rental car, they are not for sale, they are for rent.

How about bridges? Would you like to buy a bridge? I'll sell you a bridge.



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[j1n]

I would never buy a rental car.

I used work where id be flying all over the country and i have had plenty of rentals. I would beat the crap out of them all the time. Me and my coworkers would drive them like it was stolen. I know we aren't the only ones that treated rentals like this.

 

[dkevinb]

The thing to bear in mind is that most of the newer model low-mileage used cars on the brand name dealer lots are ex-rentals. My daughter checked out some Toyotas at the Hertz dealer one day, went to the Toyota dealer the next day and the same cars were on his lot. She went back to the Hertz dealer and mentioned it to him. He said, "Yeah, they bought 3 off me yesterday, What were they asking for them?" It was about $5K more than the Hertz dealer had been asking.

Think about it - How many people trade in a 2-year old car with < 30K miles on it nowadays? Where do those cars come from? Rental car companies buy bazillions of cars every year. Where do those cars go?

Back in the '60's when a car would be lucky to last 100K people flipped cars all the time. Nowadays, when you can easily get 200-300K out of a good car? Not so much. A good friend that I carpooled with for a long time bought a used Impala from the Chevy dealer. Turns out it was a used Hertz. The Chevy dealer bought it from the Hertz dealer and flipped it to my friend for a big markup. Nice car.

You pays your money and you takes your choice. Buying a used car from anyone is a bit of a crap shoot. At least the rental companies do basic maintenance. That's not true of every wingnut out there.

 

[Zuljin]

I read a fishing forum where a guy is a dealer mechanic for Lexus. A customer brought in a vehicle because it "didn't have any more get up and go, and it was making horrible noises". She said the last oil change was "whenever it was due". He posted a pick with the oil pan off. It looked like burnt chocolate pudding.

 

[dkevinb]

I would NOT buy a rental car. I rent cars dozens of times a year, < 30% are in reasonable condition. This week, the car was so out of alignment it was dangerous to drive. Others have smelled, had engine troubles, transmission troubles. I hardly wanted to drive them, not to mention own them.

Hmm. SWMBO and I have rented a huge freaking boatload of cars over the last couple of decades and only had one that was in bad shape. Who do you rent from, and what kind of cars? Most rental companies wouldn't stay in business very long if their cars were in that bad shape.

Hopefully you wouldn't buy a used car without driving it and taking it to your own mechanic, anyway. I think that would eliminate the worst.

 

[Zuljin]

Since this thread keeps coming up with recent posts and I'm that kind of person:

No, I would not buy a rental car, they are not for sale, they are for rent.

I'm pretty sure it works like kegs. You can just keep them until they're yours.

I'll be right over. It's still got copper and freon in it, right?

No Freon. That's the problem. The high pressure line has an extra hole in it.

 

[dkevinb]

I read a fishing forum where a guy is a dealer mechanic for Lexus. A customer brought in a vehicle because it "didn't have any more get up and go, and it was making horrible noises". She said the last oil change was "whenever it was due". He posted a pick with the oil pan off. It looked like burnt chocolate pudding.

A woman I worked with told me, "I had a flat tire and they told me all the tires needed replacing, they were down to the belts. Is that right? No one ever told me you were supposed to replace the tires."

 

[Cyclman]

Hmm. SWMBO and I have rented a huge freaking boatload of cars over the last couple of decades and only had one that was in bad shape. Who do you rent from, and what kind of cars? Most rental companies wouldn't stay in business very long if their cars were in that bad shape.

Hopefully you wouldn't buy a used car without driving it and taking it to your own mechanic, anyway. I think that would eliminate the worst.

I rent from all the majors- Alamo, Dollar, Avis, Budget, National, Hertz. Agree on the thorough check for any used car you buy. I don't know why I so often get crummy cars...but my whole sales team faces the same issues. If a company guaranteed a clean, newer car, I would pay a premium for that, for sure.

 

[Hemidoc]

I work at a new car dealer.
Enterprise brings there cars in all the time if they have a problem.
They won't rent a car that has an open recall or something wrong with it.
Funny story: I had Enterprise bring me a PT Cruiser with a coolant leak.
I checked it and as fast as I put water in it the water ran onto the pass side floor.
Any who turned out someone had taken a screwdriver to the HVAC box and knocked holes in the heater core.
Enterprise agreed to pay to fix it.
When I pulled the dash back to get to the HVAC box I found a crack pipe in the defroster duct
Guess that's what they were digging for.

 

[dkevinb]

I rent from all the majors- Alamo, Dollar, Avis, Budget, National, Hertz. Agree on the thorough check for any used car you buy. I don't know why I so often get crummy cars...but my whole sales team faces the same issues. If a company guaranteed a clean, newer car, I would pay a premium for that, for sure.

Our corporate cars have always been Hertz, and they've always been almost brand spanking new, many of them with < 1,000 miles. Personally we rent Enterprise most of the time because of their rates, and they're just really nice people wherever we've gone. The cars are pretty plain vanilla, but always in good shape. Don't think I've ever done Alamo, Dollar, Budget or National.

Last spring we rented an Impala from Hertz and drove it from SoCal to Virginia and back the long way. It had about 2,500 miles on it when we picked it up. By the time we got to Tennessee the Change Oil light had come on, so we did. When we turned it back in we'd put an additonal 6,551 miles on it. We had it for 19 days, no mileage charge. Great car. I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

 

[dkevinb]

I work at a new car dealer.
Enterprise brings there cars in all the time if they have a problem.
They won't rent a car that has an open recall or something wrong with it.
Funny story: I had Enterprise bring me a PT Cruiser with a coolant leak.
I checked it and as fast as I put water in it the water ran onto the pass side floor.
Any who turned out someone had taken a screwdriver to the HVAC box and knocked holes in the heater core.
Enterprise agreed to pay to fix it.
When I pulled the dash back to get to the HVAC box I found a crack pipe in the defroster duct
Guess that's what they were digging for.

That is funny. I just read that one of the big problems in Colorado now for the rental car companies is people from out of state dropping them off at the airport to fly home and trying to get rid of their leftover weed before they get on the plane. They keep trying to give it to the rental car employees. Tough problem to have.

 

[Hamaki]

I think luck, chance, whatever, has a lot to do with it. I've only been really happy with one new vehicle purchase - a 1990 Dodge diesel pickup we still have. Looks like hell but always starts, always goes and I've hauled tons of hay, trash, firewood, etc. with it. I think it probably has close to 500k miles on it. Odometer quit working about 12 - 15 years ago. Other new vehicles have not been as satisfactory and one was a real problem.

We've had good luck with all three used cars bought from Enterprise. Those we bought from used car lots & private parties were much less of a success.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Our corporate cars have always been Hertz, and they've always been almost brand spanking new, many of them with < 1,000 miles. Personally we rent Enterprise most of the time because of their rates, and they're just really nice people wherever we've gone. The cars are pretty plain vanilla, but always in good shape. Don't think I've ever done Alamo, Dollar, Budget or National.

Our corporate agreement is with Avis, so basically everyone in the company who travels gets an Avis Preferred membership. I've generally had good luck with the cars there. I wonder if they do give the "better" cars to people who actually are in the loyalty program?

My earlier comment about flogging the living hell out of the Camaro SS notwithstanding, I really am generally quite civil in a rental car. I'm a business traveler. I have better things to do with my time than act like a hooligan in a rental car. Given how many business travelers are out there renting cars in relation to vacationers or pleasure travelers, I'll bet a LOT more miles are driven in those cars by people like me than by people who are flogging them.

 

[TallDan]

Our corporate agreement is with Avis, so basically everyone in the company who travels gets an Avis Preferred membership. I've generally had good luck with the cars there. I wonder if they do give the "better" cars to people who actually are in the loyalty program?

My earlier comment about flogging the living hell out of the Camaro SS notwithstanding, I really am generally quite civil in a rental car. I'm a business traveler. I have better things to do with my time than act like a hooligan in a rental car. Given how many business travelers are out there renting cars in relation to vacationers or pleasure travelers, I'll bet a LOT more miles are driven in those cars by people like me than by people who are flogging them.

Similar story here, I have avis preferred, and consistently get better cars. For example, right now, I have a Toyota Highlander for a reservation of a mid-size car. Formerly had Avis First as well, which got me slightly more. Even when they gave me a Challenger SRT-8 (again for a mid-size reservation), I wouldn't say i beat it up at all, but I would say i burned more gas than usual.

 

[dfc]

Would you marry a hooker?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Have you ever bought a used car from a dealer?

Chances are you've bought what once was a rental car. Used to be it was not so easy to get the history on a car. Now it's a selling point, if you ask for it.

I'm fairly certain our current car was once on a rental lot. Was a year old when we bought it. Been the best car we have ever bought.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Would you marry a hooker?

Dunno. Does she still have a factory warranty?

 

[TallDan]

Would you marry a hooker?

Pretty sure I didn't, but I also didn't ask for a full history of sexual partners and the nature of their relationship and then contact each one of them to verify the accuracy, then cross check that with medical history to ensure it all lines up...

...did you?

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0slTBGBEf0g[/ame]