Dealership's used cars on lot are past rentals...?

Question

Ex-Rentals: Scenario 1: Stay away from them. You never know how they've been driven by potentially abusive behavior.

Ex-rentals: Scenario 2: Buy them, they are more than likely kept well by the rental car company insofar as maintenance and cleanliness.

Ex-rentals: Scenario 3: The same dealership who will try to convince you to buy the car, will apply scenario # 1 on you in order to give you less money for it as a trade-in later on.

What is the real deal?

Answer 1

There is nothing wrong with a former rental as long it came from one of the major rental companies, all of which are owned by the auto companies. Be honest..are you going to travel to any congested American city on a business trip, rent a Ford Taurus and purposely drive like a moron and abuse the car just because its a rental? Unless you are a total idiot the obvious answer is no..of course not. Like anything else use due diligence and research the vehicle thoroughly..run or ask for a carfax report and look the car over carefully. The real deal is that the major manufacturers own the major rental companies. The vehicles are built, "sold" to the fleet/ lease company, put in service and then bought back and liquidated at closed factory to dealer auctions. The vehicles are maintained strictly by the book and cleaned constantly while in service, and come to the retail buyer with the balance of the manufacturers warranty from the original in service date at no extra charge.

Answer 2

Ex rentals aren't always a bad thing. Yes they can be abused to the point serious wear was inflicted on them, but that's only one side of it.

I'm assuming this is a typical rental scenario: the car has less than 15k miles on the clock, and is thousands off retail. If you can get a car that's cheaper than a ex-lease with that low miles, and it drives fine, i'd say chance it.. Even if the car dies a year earlier than it would have if it weren't a rental, you're still saving thousands towards a new car.

Also i'd rather have a rental than an off lease, because lets say 15,000 miles on both a rental and a lease, at least on the rental you know not every one of those miles was put on by an abusive person, but the lease has had one person put on the entire 15,000 , and they could have abused it the whole way, and still the car will cost thousands more than the rental. Plus as you said you know the car was maintained and got it's fluids changed.

And your scenario #3 doesn't make sense. The dealer doesn't look into the past inorder to buy your car, they look at the condition of the car now, and how appealing it will be to customers and how much money they can make off of it.

Answer 3

A lot depends on what type of car it is.

Typically, luxury cars and large sized cars are pretty good options to buy as off rental cars.

I would stay away from sports cars, suv's, convertibles, and small sized economy cars.

Buying a rental car is no different than buying any other used car. At least you know the history, can purchase it for less, and any reputable dealer does a full inspection before selling it.

In all cases, have your own mechanic inspect any used vehicle before purchasing or making an offer on it.

Plus, nobody knows that it was a rental if you ever go to trade it in, and it does not affect the value of it at all.

Answer 4

Um...If anyone treats a rental like I do...Don't get one. The are VERY well exercised.

Answer 5

Is the seller the owner---seen situation does it look spectacular-----indoors situation,seats,mats,pedal rubbers,------does the vin extensive style on the vehicle tournament that on the logbook and that it has,nt been tampered with----does it have an MOT certificates-----is there any spectacular finance owing on the vehicle. you need to even have some innovations approximately vehicle costs.