Hertz has a couple of cars coming up for sale that interest me. 2018 models with less than 50k miles. Would you buy a car that was used as part of a rental fleet?
Would you buy a rental car?
- Thread starter Elkins45
- Start date
Nope...no way in H E double hockey sticks.
I have in the past and didn't have any problems associated with whatever it may have experienced in its past life, but that doesn't necessarily make it a good idea. I probably wouldn't do it again. A used car would have to have an exceptionally well-documented background (or be ridiculously cheap - not likely in the current used market) for me to buy used over new at this point.
It depends on the car. I would not buy any kind of sports car but if I was looking for a minivan or station wagon or a large sedan I would consider it. If you had to buy off a used car lot you dont know who or how many owned it previously or why they got rid of it.
This. Definitely don’t buy any dodge journeys from Orlando airport though. There was some spirited driving in it a few years back.
I have purchased a high mileage 2015 Altima strippie; it has been great. A nice Rogue that was perfect; got traded in 2 years later on a new CR-V, a Yaris which was great but too small, and a nice Sentra that was fine for a couple of years and then turned in on a new vehicle.
The cars had been maintained and the price was right.
The cars had been maintained and the price was right.
I used to buy rentals in the 80's 90's. Several cutlass cieras, most of them had about 30k. Never had a problem with them.
The particular car I’m most interested in is a 2018 Mazda3 with 48k miles for $14,400. A new one is almost 2X that.
Yes. For the most part the cars are clean and well kept and maintained. Sure, there's always a bad one however if you buy a vehicle with a good reputation for being reliable you should be ok. Most rental cars are highly mass produced and parts are easy to locate if needed.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
If it’s a good enough deal, sure. That just means it was probably driven how I am gonna drive it 
My ‘15 Sonata was a rental, bought with 52k and traded in at 108k. Most reliable car I’ve ever owned by far. My mom’s ‘14 Grand Caravan was a rental. It’s been fine too.
My ‘15 Sonata was a rental, bought with 52k and traded in at 108k. Most reliable car I’ve ever owned by far. My mom’s ‘14 Grand Caravan was a rental. It’s been fine too.
Yes, lowest mileage possible. Just look it over carefully and make sure it wasnt repainted or repaired from a more severe accident, that is one area that there arent records on vs private owned vehicles.
Insurance companies report accidents on the vin number of a vehicle. This is how dealers will promote cars as no "reported" accidents.
Car rental companies do not have insurance for their vehicles, they are self insured so accidents on any particular vin number (vehicle) are not public record and will show as "accident free"
Still you can get a great deal and I would not hesitate, I am just saying look over the vehicle carefully because accidents are not reported like they are on a private vehicle.
My wife's car is a rarely driven around town car that we bought from Enterprise, 2012 Mazda 3 at the time 26,000 miles, ten years later its only got 85,000 miles and has never needed a repair, actually except for the headlights, still looks new.
Insurance companies report accidents on the vin number of a vehicle. This is how dealers will promote cars as no "reported" accidents.
Car rental companies do not have insurance for their vehicles, they are self insured so accidents on any particular vin number (vehicle) are not public record and will show as "accident free"
Still you can get a great deal and I would not hesitate, I am just saying look over the vehicle carefully because accidents are not reported like they are on a private vehicle.
My wife's car is a rarely driven around town car that we bought from Enterprise, 2012 Mazda 3 at the time 26,000 miles, ten years later its only got 85,000 miles and has never needed a repair, actually except for the headlights, still looks new.
14k for that car is really really good. Does Hertz have special auctions for these or just on their website?
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Too many unknowns for me to buy one. Reality is that probably a decent percentage (possibly majority) of them would be fine for at least a couple years or more....buuuuttttt....That just isn't how MY luck works. Rentals aren't generally treated much worse than many other used cars on the market. There is some luck involved and a person should always have the car inspected, of course.
I can't even get new car parts to function properly. I can't trust a rental car. Especially since the last one I rented didn't even have enough air in the tires to drive properly and the transmission was already slipping.
I mean, there is zero incentive for most people who rent a car to treat the car with any respect. They couldn't care less if it breaks down or they are wearing out the engine, etc. Most people won't drive it into the ground, but some do.
I can't even get new car parts to function properly. I can't trust a rental car. Especially since the last one I rented didn't even have enough air in the tires to drive properly and the transmission was already slipping.
I mean, there is zero incentive for most people who rent a car to treat the car with any respect. They couldn't care less if it breaks down or they are wearing out the engine, etc. Most people won't drive it into the ground, but some do.
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I have. My focus was a 35000 mile Hertz. It was fine while I had it. The only problem with the DSP transmission, not something that rental life did.
I've owned at least 5 rental cars over the years including two Grand Caravans. I honestly wouldn't hesitate to buy another if I were looking for a used vehicle.
