Though I treat rental cars with respect, I would not buy one.
Would you buy a rental car?
- Thread starter Elkins45
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Enterprise has a corporate policy of not letting the OCI go more than 5k. They usually change them early. I think it has something to do with their agreement with the manufacturers.
I don't think that's true. @53' Stude can probably tell us more.
Correct.
In order to earn the discounts they receive from the auto manufacturers, the rental companies MUST agree to maintain them properly and in a timely fashion. Most rental companies do not do the maintenance themselves. They contract with other companies (like Firestone etc) to do all of their maintenance. These third party maintenance companies typically have staff dedicated to keeping track of each vehicle, it's miles, and getting each vehicle in for it's services.
As a former rental car employee I would absolutely buy one. Yes the cars will have more wear for the mileage but there are a few pros in my opinion. First off if you live in the rust belt the cars are constantly being washed which is good. I know some people who never wash the salt off of there personal vehicles. Second i feel like if something is going to break under warranty then it’s more likely to happen on a rental which helps filter out any vehicle problems for the next owner. Basically rental duty is the hypothetical boot camp for cars. It helps weed out the weak ones. Third is maintenance is done on time vs someone who buys there car and then never checks the oil again. Sure rental cars get more abuse and more body damage but if you are looking at purchasing a vehicle as a tool for transportation rental cars are great options.
My present ride is. No problems, bought at 38K, now 108K. I was always more suspicious of returned leases. What kind of service schedule are these people following?
I always asked for the service records, which Hertz did not wanna cough up. But I out talked 'em... They used a close by Jiffy Lube. Basic oil changes, air filters, etc. Cheapo rubber all around. But the prices were well under market and there were plenty of vehicles to choose from.
Right on! I have to say I'm not surprised. I respect other people's property as well. You know what? I believe the vast majority of customers do as well.
The only used cars I buy are CPO cars coming off of lease, and being resold by the dealer that sold it new. I figure they save the best for themselves, and they have decent warranties.
I would never consider any kind of performance car from a rental company. Who knows what abuse it received.
I would never consider any kind of performance car from a rental company. Who knows what abuse it received.
Somebody with actual first hand knowledge commenting-and not somebody pontificating. Personally, I have bought at least three-and had zero issues with them.
I have bought 2 in the past. never a problem.
Owen Lucas
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For those who have bought rentals before, was the discount better than buying a comparable non rental used car? I'm surprised at the positive experiences from those who have purchased rentals before.
What would you consider to be a good price (in the current market) for a 2018 Corolla with 50k miles? Hertz will sell you one for $16,200.
Or, we're fully aware of the capabilities of the sheet metal surrounding us and want to explore the limits of it...
I wouldn't say I abuse rental cars by revving it up and throwing it in gear, or running over huge potholes on purpose, or anything that that. But I will definitely push the throttle to the firewall much more often than I would in my own vehicle, often combined with subsequent heavy braking and ABS activation.
Is that "Abuse" or just merely "Heavy Usage"
For a good price, sure. The same people wreck their own cars that drive rentals like Jerks so it's always a gamble with a used car.
The reality is that you'll probably be fine.
Back in 2009, I rented a 2008 Ford Focus. I went to the dragstrip and put 10 or so burnouts and 1/4-mile passes on it. The next day, I took it to an autocross event and beat the snot out of it. I washed the rubber off before returning it. I'm sure many others have treated them similar ways as well.
An old friend worked for Enterprise for a few years. He said the number of deaths and horrible crimes committed in the rental cars was alarmingly high. It wasn't uncommon for cars to be picked up by local law enforcement as part of an investigation into the person that rented it or to have to get the entire interior replaced / reupholstered because some guy off'd himself in it. One particular case he told me about stuck with me. Some guy rented the car and proceeded to kidnap, rape, and kill 2 teenage girls in it before leading cops on cross county chase that ended after the tires were blown out by road spikes. Enterprise was upset, not over what happened, but because of how long it took to get the car from police custody and back out to rent.
Would I buy a used rental car? Eh... it would be a checkmark under "cons" but wouldn't deter me entirely.
Back in 2009, I rented a 2008 Ford Focus. I went to the dragstrip and put 10 or so burnouts and 1/4-mile passes on it. The next day, I took it to an autocross event and beat the snot out of it. I washed the rubber off before returning it. I'm sure many others have treated them similar ways as well.
An old friend worked for Enterprise for a few years. He said the number of deaths and horrible crimes committed in the rental cars was alarmingly high. It wasn't uncommon for cars to be picked up by local law enforcement as part of an investigation into the person that rented it or to have to get the entire interior replaced / reupholstered because some guy off'd himself in it. One particular case he told me about stuck with me. Some guy rented the car and proceeded to kidnap, rape, and kill 2 teenage girls in it before leading cops on cross county chase that ended after the tires were blown out by road spikes. Enterprise was upset, not over what happened, but because of how long it took to get the car from police custody and back out to rent.
Would I buy a used rental car? Eh... it would be a checkmark under "cons" but wouldn't deter me entirely.
Either that's a new policy (in the last 10 years) or not enforced very well. My friend that worked at Enterprise said they didn't even have a log book for maintenance, and he knew some of them were on 15k+ miles on the cheapest bulk conventional oil.
Owen Lucas
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Looks they are going for $18 - $19k, not a bad deal at $16k.
In my case, it was an '08 Escape XLT bought in '09. It was a 1-year lease that ended up on the local Ford dealer's used lot with somewhere around 28,000 kms if memory serves. In hindsight, I didn't get a particularly great deal. It was generally problem-free for the 8 years or so that I had it, so overall cost per kilometre or year was pretty reasonable. I only got rid of it because the rear fender arches started to bubble with rust and I was tired of fighting with 2WD in a climate that sees snow ~5 months per year.
