I’m in the market for a used car and there are some good deals available for cars that were previously rental vehicles. I’ve heard two opposite opinions on this - one is that rental cars are bad because the renters don’t care about the car and treat them roughly. Another is that they’re good because rental car places are good on keeping up with maintenance and because of the perception that rental cars are not a good buy, their prices are lower and you can get good deals.
I’ve also read some advice articles that say that buying a rental car right now, in particular, can be a great deal, because rental companies are downsizing their fleets because of coronavirus related downtowns, which means the market is being flooded with cheap former rentals cars.
One in particular I have my eye on is a 2019 ford fusion hybrid model with only 22k miles, and I wonder how much wear and tear it could’ve possibly received. It’s under 15k, which is a great deal on that model. But that’s not the only one - I’m considering some 2017 or 2018 models that have more miles and are cheaper. I’m just looking to get a general opinion on whether it’s advisable to buy an ex rental fleet vehicle.
I’ve owned a couple of previous rental fleet vehicles and have had no problems. While it is true that rental drivers may occasionally be overly aggressive or incautious with vehicles, the same is true of any used vehicle unless you are familiar with the driving habits of the previous owner(s), and as you note, rental vehicles have at least been maintained per the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule (more or less) because they are an asset to the rental company. The biggest concern is that a rental vehicle has almost certainly not been broken in properly (driven at alternating speeds not exceeding 45 mph for the first X number of miles) but the finishing on engines and transmissions is good enough on quality vehicles produced these days that this is unlikely to result in seriously detrimental contamination (and again, you aren’t assured that with any random used car anyway).
I would treat a former fleet vehicle like any other used car; check it out, have a trusted mechanic perform an inspection of powertrain, brakes, and suspension, and negotiate the price accordingly. Since fleet owners generally don’t want older vehicles (due to increases in maintenance costs, customers expect newer vehicles) they tend to offer them at favorable prices, and since the second and third tier rental car companies aren’t looking to expand their fleets either you are probably in a favorable position to negotiate. The only thing to be wary of is being stuck with payments on a vehicle in an economic downturn, and especially if gas prices rise enormously in response. A Fusion Hybrid is a good selection in that context; just make sure you are prepared for the cost of replacing the battery pack, and the car seems to have pretty good long term reliability.
I wouldn’t buy a rental truck and maybe not a rental sports car. I think the most somebody could do to a passenger vehicle would be give it a little extra acceleration getting on the freeway, and 95% of drivers wouldn’t do that more than once. You’re probably guaranteed that the maintenance was done properly and on time. The few I’ve had were a great deal at the time. Cheap, boring, 4 door sedans that probably cost the least per mile of anything I’ve owned.
My one caution is to verify all the the amenities. Things you might thing are standard, might not be. Weird radios, hand crank windows, no cruise control ect. These days most of that stuff is so standard that it would cost more to order a fleet car without it, but still just verify everything.
I’ve done it and it worked out fine. The rental agency isn’t skipping routine maintenance because money is tight when the oil change is due. Most rentals are used by businesspeople, family on vacation that wants a sedan to go to Disney rather than drive their F 150, or carless people like me who occasionally need one for an out of town trip.
However, the last car I did buy was in 2008 so things may have changed, but I’m pretty active on travel boards and haven’t noticed people complaining about the quality or mileage on rental card in the USA.
Our current and previous “crossover” sedans and a prior 25-foot RV were all one-year-old rental vehicles and all gave us little trouble. We drove the RV till it croaked of old age; drove the last car till its make/model problems appeared; and what we have now is fine. In contrast, we bought our current 25-foot RV new, and it spent more of its first year in the shop, not on the road. A year of driving knocks-out any bugs.
As with any used vehicle you’re considering, take it to an independent mechanic for evaluation.
I’ve done and had a great experience. I got the car I wanted, at a fair price, and it was all very easy. No driving around to visit with possibly sketchy people who are selling their cars.
I have no idea why there is a stigma. I got a family vehicle that had minimal problems and lasted for many until it was totaled in an accident.
My beloved 2007 Mustang, which I bought in 2008, was a previous rental. Best car I ever owned. I ran it for eleven years with nary a problem until someone slammed into me and totaled it.
I’ve done it twice and the first one was a Chevy Corsica. It lasted 16 years. I’m currently driving a Hyundai Accent. Nine years so far. So I recommend them it.
I bought from Hertz, and have been satisfied. I found that they sold their cars cheaper than other rental companies, and generally at about the same price they would sell for at wholesale auctions. Be aware that they have different trim levels of the same car available, on a Fusion I rented, I ended up with the Platinum trim level, which had leather, a sunroof, a fancy stereo, stuff like that.
On the Fusion Hybrid, be sure the trunk is big enough for you, the hybrid equipment takes up a big chunk of the trunk space. My rental was very nice otherwise, and delivered about 39 mpg overall.
The buying experience with Hertz was reasonable. They do not negotiate on price, at all, and at least here in Florida they have a dealer fee of $500-700 on top of the listed price. Not thrilled about that, but in Florida virtually every dealer has that fee. It’s just the (shitty) way things are done. The salesman wasn’t pushy, and was actually pleasant and helpful. The manager did insist on offering me about 8 different nonsense warranty and upgrade packages, but only once, and without pushing them. Overall I was satisfied with my purchase and not infuriated by the employees, which is about the best you can hope for in buying a car, I think.
I’m currently driving a 2017 Nissan Versa sedan (admittedly no one’s idea of a sexy machine), that I bought two years ago from Enterprise with about 47k on the clock. Price was favorable and the sale was straightforward with no shenanigans except a $150 documentation fee that was not disclosed prior to the sale. I’m now up to about 80K and have not had to do anything but the recommended periodic maintenance. Given my experience so far, I’d do it again.
I am currently driving a former rental - a 2009 Camry that I bought in September 2010 with 40k miles on it. It has served me well for ten years so far and shows no signs of being near the end of its life. (Admittedly I do not drive a lot - it has only about 90k on it now.). I would do it again.
We’ve done it twice, 2010 Toyota Sienna with 20K miles on it still going strong today and a 2016 Kia Soul with 18K miles which knock on wood has never given us problems. Hertz has good prices and we’d buy from them again.
We’ve done it twice, 2010 Toyota Sienna with 20K miles on it still going strong today and a 2016 Kia Soul with 18K miles which knock on wood has never given us problems. Hertz has good prices and we’d buy from them again.
I got my 2018 Ford Expedition used from Enterprise. It was about half the price of driving it off the lot new, and it was in very good condition. I’ve had no issues with it so far. Just oil and wiper changes.
About the payments-- yes that’s a normal concern for anybody buying a car in our unstable social/economic situation now.
But why would the price of gas be an issue now-- any more than, say, a year ago?
Right now there’s a surplus and low prices because nobody is driving during the pandemic. The price will eventually rise-- back to what we were all used to paying. No surprise there.But is there any reason to expect it to go higher than before?
I bought a Pontiac Grand Am rental quite a while ago, and it lasted forever with few problems. As mentioned, most rentals are done by people on business trips (maybe not in resort locations) and they don’t drive like maniacs. Especially if you get a boring car - anyone wanting to be a daredevil will stay away from it.
The only thing I’d think about is that the trim would likely be the lowest possible. Good if money is your main criteria. I was looking for extra safety features, and I’m not sure if many rentals would have high end ones. But I haven’t looked at used cars for a while.
We got one from Hertz. Overall it is has been a great car. There has been a few drawbacks that they don’t tell you about until you get there and test drive it or buy it.
Only had one key. How the heck did this happen considering most rental places wire the two keys together?
No floormats. I kind of get this. Rental places want the floors easy to clean.
Cheap tires. I thought it was strange that my new vehicle was substantially louder than my older one until I got new tires. Big difference.