member for 15 weeks 2 days
Should you buy a rental car??? Of course, the popular answer (or perhaps unanimous), would be an immediate “no.” They have the reputation of being driven to the ground, beaten up, abused, and banged around, and overall, treated poorly. However, I was reading an article on MSN Autos, (entitled nonetheless, "Should You Buy a Rental Car" http://editorial.autos.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-doc...), and coupled with my own experience in the car biz, this is a stereotypical misconception for many of these vehicles. (I’m not being naïve here, and yes, I have rented cars many times in the past.)
MAINTAINED & LESS $$$
Rental cars go through regular servicing and maintenance updates and typically go through a rigorous inspection from a third-party inspection company before being put up for sale. After all, (most) rental car companies don’t want to want to deal with the hassle of an unhappy customer, or be given a bad rep in the auto industry. They also include the remaining balance of the manufacturer’s warranty, usually have low miles, and are most often sold for thousands of dollars less than their counterparts at a dealership. This is not because the vehicles aren’t “as good,” but if the rental car companies sell them directly to the consumers, the extra few thousand dollars are saved, which car dealers have to tack on to cover their overhead. Also, vehicles classified as “rental cars” are often valued less than other used cars.
WHERE DO I BUY A RENTAL CAR?
More and more national car rental licensees and independents are selling their off-rental vehicles direct to the public, due to the decrease in “guaranteed buy back” from the manufacturers. (Manufacturers once upon a time used to buy back most, if not all, of the vehicles they provided to the rental car companies.) Enterprise and Thrifty have always offered selected vehicles to the public, but now many others are doing so as well. My good friends at Arelco (National Car Rental) in Indianapolis, Fox Car Rental in Los Angeles, Ace Rent a Car in Chicago and Midway Car Rental in Los Angeles are selling some of their cars retail, just to name a few…. And if you think buying a rental car means you’ll be stuck with a run-of-the-mill Ford Taurus, or Chevy Impala, you’re wrong. There are many rental car companies that offer a wide-range of vehicles (think Luxury category), including BMW’s, Mercedes, and yes, even Ferraris!
YOU HEARD IT FIRST
You can hear about some of the positive experiences first-hand, from individuals who have purchased rental cars. Kristin Reeves, who purchased a 2007 Ford Explorer with only 5,000 miles, said that it’s “fantastic,” and confidently states “I haven’t had any problems whatsoever.” One of the producers for Car and Driver Radio, Michael Jones, bought a 2004 Cadillac Deville and paid $22,500 for it. He claims that at a nearby dealership the same car was selling for $31,000.
SMART SHOPPING
However, as with buying any used car, here are some precautionary tips to take before making your purchase:
1. Obtain a vehicle history report through www.CarFax.com
2. Take the vehicle to a trusted mechanic, and have them
thoroughly inspect the car, including the underbody
3. If possible, take the car for a test drive first
So I leave it to you to decide if you should consider purchasing a rental car. You have the facts- now you decide what to do. But of course, with any (used) vehicle purchase, I highly recommend you follow the advice above—you’ll drive away with a lot more confidence!
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