What are Program Cars?

[ntcrawler]

You hear this often in a car radio ad by a dealer:

“We have over 50 Program cars in stock!” or some jive like that.

So what is a program car?

[bordelond]

Program Cars:

Rental Car Companies, And Dealers Selling Fleet or Program Cars - Some of the larger rental car companies (Hertz, Avis, and Budget) feature rental car sales divisions at certain locations. New car dealers use program cars to bring customers into their dealerships. You may have seen their come-on ads, absurdly low prices on current or previous year models with a little asterix next to the price and a microscopic explanation at the bottom of the ad.

The term “program car” can apply to a dealer demonstrator, a company executive’s car, or an off-lease or former fleet or rental vehicle. Rental cars and former fleet vehicles are the least desirable types of program car. Some though not all have been overworked and under-maintained. It’s hard to tell whether the manufacturer’s new car break-in and maintenance schedule was adhered to. Unless you can find service records, assume the worst. Don’t buy without an independent mechanic’s inspection.

At the wholesale level, rental cars are worth at least 10% less than comparable new car trade-ins, because people who rent vehicles often mistreat them, and because of poor maintenance. Make sure the price you negotiate is significantly lower (10%) than a factory-certified model at another dealer.

[Si_Amigo]

And keep in mind also that most of the desirable “executive” cars are auctioned off internally to the company and to employees only. People around these parts take notice of single Japanese executives riding around by themselves in sports trucks that the company leases them for two years.