5 Reasons You Should Buy A Used Rental Vehicle

"Sean" (turboboost)
10/29/2014 at 09:20 • Filed to: car buying, rental, used cars

About two years ago, I was on the hunt for a used vehicle, a truck to be specific. I wanted something that was still under warranty, without the new car tax, which means a "barely used" vehicle.

I rolled the dice on a used F-150 with about 22,000 miles on the ODO. Those miles were put on it a span of only 10 months. In the process of doing this, I saved roughly 13,000 off of it's then "new" price (yes, there may have been "buy new" incentives that I am not factoring in, but for the sake of my argument I am leaving it out).

5 - Rental companies typically take better care of their cars

The thing about a used car is, no matter what kind of mileage it has or the outside condition of the vehicle, you often do not know the maintenance schedule on these cars. I argue that off-rental vehicles (also off-lease vehicles) have a pretty diligent schedule as far as maintenance is concerned. A typical vehicle on a used lot may very well have a sketchy maintenance history, and you will pay more for that luxury due to the stigma of buying an ex-rental vehicle.

4 - These cars are usually in their manufacturer warranty period

Rental vehicles that are taken off the fleet and sold are typically between 20,000 and 30,000 miles. With this, you are basically getting the benefits of buying new with a 3 year/36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper warranty (albeit with very few miles left on the warranty) without much of the added cost. Many manufacturers will even let you pay to buy the extended warranty as long as you are still under the manufacturer's warranty.

3 - Rental vehicles are mostly highway miles

Anecdotal evidence here, but most rentals are driven long distance on the highway. Logic states that while it is indeed possible my truck was driven 22,000 miles in stop and go traffic in 10 months, it's probably not the case. As we all know, it's often not how many miles are on the vehicle, but how it was driven. A Fusion with 80,000 and a WRX STI with 40,000 miles are completely different beasts, probably flogged in completely different ways, with completely different repair bills. So while the rather young rental vehicle you plan on buying might have high miles, the kind of miles it has been driven may be insignificant.

2 - Most of the bugs have probably been worked out

All of my new cars, without fail, have had some issue that needed fixing within the first year. This is not uncommon, the modern car is a complicated piece of equipment, and things are bound to go wrong. The thing with a rental vehicle is that, when these problems crop up, these vehicles are usually fixed in a timely fashion so that they are able to be put back out to the rental fleet. A sitting vehicle for them is money lost. This is to your advantage as a consumer, as you will often get a vehicle that has had all the gremlin bits worked out that come with a new vehicle. If not, well see #4.

1 - You will save money

I can't stress this enough, there is a stigma against buying a used rental car. People do not like the idea of it and I can understand why. You are not sure if the majority of the people renting the car drove it like !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! on a rally course or your !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! going to see the family in Middleville, Wherever, USA. My feeling here is that, it's a risk worth taking, due to the cost savings. I do firmly believe that it depends on the vehicle you are intent on purchasing. I would not personally purchase a sports car of any kind from a rental company. A sedan or family truckster? Sure.

Ultimately, buying new is a risk, as is buying any used vehicle. Take the proper care that you would with any vehicle you would consider used. Have a mechanic look at it for a quality !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Hopefully you save a few bucks in the long run, and get a quality ride out of it.

A rental can be risky (What is the fastest car on the planet? A rental.) but rewarding if done with thoughtful research and good common sense.

DISCUSSION (100)

Tom McParland > Sean
10/29/2014 at 09:27

Depending on the car rentals can be good buys...in reality most people don't hoon the crap out of rentals and you can get some relatively new cars at a decent price.

As Du Volant > Sean
10/29/2014 at 09:27

Having watched thousands of ex-rentals pass through our inventory over the years I can tell you that they're among the LOWEST amount of customer complaints after taking delivery. Can't tell you how many times we've had someone coming back with complaints on a two year old car that a private owner "babied." The general public takes really shitty care of their cars- rentals are far from perfect, but pick a random person's car out of a parking lot and there's a good chance that a rental is maintained better.

The one thing to watch out for- when rental cars get banged up they get fixed as cheaply as possible and the damage almost always does NOT show on the Carfax, so have an experienced body man inspect the car before you buy!

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Sean
10/29/2014 at 09:29

Knowing that I can't be the only person who tries to kill every rental, I would never buy a used rental.

Sean > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
10/29/2014 at 09:34

You have to remember that most people are not "us". They rent a vehicle, drive within the limits from point a-to-b, and go on with their lives. Like I said, it's a risk, but I feel it's worth taking a calculated risk with proper research.

Sean > Tom McParland
10/29/2014 at 09:37

Right, I do believe most people want to use it as basic transportation, even if you get the occasional renter performing the Scandinavian Flick down I75 in a Camry.

SteveLehto > Sean
10/29/2014 at 09:40

One thing that many people do not know is that some Fleet cars are built to a lesser standard than "regular" cars. In other words, if Acme Rental buys 1,000 Ford Escorts for its inventory, those Escorts might not be built to the same standards than an Escort you or I might buy at a dealer. This will vary from MFR to MFR I'm sure, but I have spoken with people at various car makers and heard about ways they cut corners to save money.

The savings are necessary because the Fleet buyers demand huge discounts based on the volume. This also explains why your rental car might not be as quiet or as well-built sounding as a regular car. I have always told clients to watch for a Fleet designation in paperwork - if they do not know they are buying such a thing.

So, factor that into the equation in the article above. Nothing wrong with buying a former rental so long as you know what you are buying.

Meatcoma > Sean
10/29/2014 at 09:42

Maybe most are not "us", but there are enough of us.

Sean > SteveLehto
10/29/2014 at 09:43

This of course goes along with the research I stated earlier. In my case, the F150 came with a 4-pin hitch wiring instead of a 7-pin hitch wiring. This did not impact my decision, but it is a good point to make.

As Du Volant > SteveLehto
10/29/2014 at 09:44

Interesting. I didn't know they cut corners on materials, though I did know they did it on options.

Couple examples I've run into: Chevy Malibu LT came standard with Bluetooth and XM in certain years, rentals didn't have it. Chrysler 200 Touring came standard with a power driver's seat but the rentals didn't. You can't get a Chrysler Town & Country with cloth seats anymore, unless you're a fleet customer- about half of the ones they get have cloth. I'm sure there are plenty more examples.

SirPoopyPants > Sean
10/29/2014 at 09:48

I still think buying a former rental car is like marrying an ex-hooker...

SteveLehto > As Du Volant
10/29/2014 at 09:48

In my line of work I have spoken to all kinds of people in the industry and some of it MAY be outdated by now. I poked around but couldn't find a whole lot about it on the net. I remember hearing things which would not be obvious to the naked eye. Like less sound deadener and lesser (cost-wise and quality) upholstery and padding.

But the shortcuts you mention would also make sense. And that is a great point. If you assume something is standard you might not think to look and see if it is missing.

SteveLehto > Sean
10/29/2014 at 09:50

Sean - I agree. I tried to look some of this up but found that most of the MFR's sites require you to be an actual Fleet buyer to see what they offer to Fleet buyers. It all boils down to Knowing what you are buying.

Thanks for the article.

SNL-LOL > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
10/29/2014 at 09:50

LOL I caught air on the FDR in a rental Dodge Charger, and went full throttle* on the cobblestone streets in SoHo.

*relax, speedkills peeps. It's a V6 Charger. Full throttle means 30mph, tops.

Lotus73 > Sean
10/29/2014 at 09:51

Be careful, if it matters to you, but I've seen a few late model former rentals that didn't have ABS

tehkav > SirPoopyPants
10/29/2014 at 09:53

Yeah! Sex workers aren't people, amirite?

Gnarkiller > Sean
10/29/2014 at 09:53

In my experience Rental car companies take awful care of their cars. They only keep the cars to about 20k and you're lucky if they changed the oil twice.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Sean
10/29/2014 at 09:55

One Reason You Shouldn't Buy a Used Rental Vehicle

Sam > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
10/29/2014 at 09:56

99% of people don't. Hell, my dad got a Mustang GT Vert when he was in Vegas for SEMA. How many times did he hoon it? 0. He took it from point a-point b-point c and back again. We are the 1% (probably less than that).

HiMyNameIsJayAgain > SirPoopyPants
10/29/2014 at 09:58

You mean well-experienced and can teach you a few tricks?

Crest > SirPoopyPants
10/29/2014 at 09:59

But can you imagine the cheap pleasures? And she'll do everything to please you because she knows her chances for a peaceful normal life are slim once her past is revealed

Crest > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:01

I know for sure that whatever you paid for your car, you could have gotten it cheaper somewhere if only you looked hard enough. I got nothing against rentals but with this thing called the interwank, you will find something better at a better price if you look hard enough

NeedsmoreaftermarketXTparts > Tom McParland
10/29/2014 at 10:03

I may have driven my rental chrysler 300 like I stole it for 3 days while my jeep was in the shop after being t-boned. (anything feels like a rocketship compared to that 3.8l V6 paired with 35" tires)....my wife's cvt impreza stomps me when we drag race

Tom > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:03

Reminder that rental cars are not required to have recalls performed on them...thus if a recall has been issued for any reason it is likely that it hasn't been performed yet.

whoisbobbarker > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:03

Those miles were put on it a span of only 10 months. In the process of doing this, I saved roughly 13,000 off of it's then "new" price (yes, there may have been "buy new" incentives that I am not factoring in, but for the sake of my argument I am leaving it out).

That's a rather large omission considering the size of incentives offered on many trucks, which can amount to around $13k in some cases.

BigBlock440 > As Du Volant
10/29/2014 at 10:04

The 2.7 in the Charger is (was?) a rental only engine

crby35 > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:05

After we had our second kid in 2012, we needed more space, so I found a 2012 Grand Caravan with 20K miles which was a rental vehicle. It was loaded with everything but leather. I got a $30K + minivan for $21K plus an additional warranty on top of the usual Chrysler warranty. So far it's been a great car with no problems.

Bryce Womeldurf > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:05

Kinja'd!!!

I've owned a previous rental in the past. The flip side to #5 - Rental companies typically take better care of their cars - is that unfortunately people who rent a car do not take good care of cars that are not their own. I had this Lancer for 8 years, and although it was very reliable, the interior was really beat up for being only a year old when I bought it. All four of the AC vents were cracked as though someone had broken them on purpose. Of course, when I owned it, it was too new for there to be affordable replacements for the vents, so I just ended up gluing them back together. Mechanically it was a great car, aesthetically it needed work before it looked nice. It was probably never washed either, as I ended up trying to polish out a lot of bug damage from the front end and a bird dropping on the trunk lid.

TheCraigy > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:06

I don't even like it when the dealer or the valet drives my car for a tenth of a mile at a time. God forbid my mother-in-law drives my car, she'll be pumping the gas before she starts it, and leaving her bengay smell all over the place. No thanks on the car that's probably had, at a minimum, about 300 unique drivers. People are disgusting.

Someone Else's Projects > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:06

I just went onto Enterprise's used car site and found a couple of surprises that might catch the eye of enthusiasts.

-They have one Saab and one Jaguar, a 9-3 Turbo4 and an XF 2.0, respectively. Might have been service loaners.

-They have 214 manual transmission cars nationwide, including a Regal GS, Wrangler Sahara, 370Z coupe, two CTSes, and eight Mustangs in both V6 and GT forms.

Thud Slamrod > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:06

From Pontiac Vibe burnouts on the Capital Mall to jumping a Ford Focus on abandoned roads in the Florida Keys I've hooned the crap out of every single car I've ever rented.

TheCraigy > As Du Volant
10/29/2014 at 10:07

I think the customer is less likely to complain when he knows he bought a rental ;)

Scaggnetti > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:07

I am all five reasons you DO NOT want to buy a rental. Seriously.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:08

I've bought several used rentals with no major issues EXCEPT for a Subaru that chewed through its headgaskets sooner than expected (little over 80k miles). Just remember, with all used vehicles but especially with rentals, the engine break in period may not have been followed.

TheCraigy > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:09

For the sake of argument, it seems like during truck month (which only occurs in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December) you could buy a new truck for $13,000 off new price.

maximum_sarge > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:10

Having seen the way the rental company EMPLOYEES treat the cars (the shop guys at our local airport) I wouldn't touch one of these without a bumper-to-bumper 100k warranty.

chucchinchilla > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:10

All 5 points are not unique to rental cars and/or could be figured out by doing some basic research on the used car you're looking to purchase. As a business traveler who has experienced hundreds of rental cars from every major agency out there I can tell you with certainty that there's no way you could interest me in a used rental car. It's like dating a hooker.

Dest > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:11

There's one giant problem keeping me from buying rentals: they're all automatics.

Lucas > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:11

My wife bought a 2008 VW rabbit in 2010 with 20k on the odo that had been a rental. She got it for about 2k below blue book. At almost 100k, it's been very reliable. The only issue we have had with it was on the HVAC recirc damper. You read right, a VW has been reliable! To be fair, I've owned 2 other VW's ('01 Jetta VR6 and '02 GTI VR6) that were also very reliable cars.

swansong, rockin' the wagons > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:11

In 20k-30k miles, how much maintenance does a new car really need? 3 oil changes and tire rotations, some inspections and checks, and maybe some recall work. Is a 20k mile rental car really going to have a better maintenance history than a 20k mile privately owned car? And so many manufacturers are throwing in "free" maintenance schedules these days.

C-5M Load Smasher > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:11

Whoever buys the Jeep Cherokee I had in Oklahoma for two weeks, I'm sorry, but it was my civic duty to find out it's limits.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Sam
10/29/2014 at 10:11

Sounds like he didn't get his money's worth.

WingaDingaDingaDingaDinga > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:12

I think you're forgeting the main reason why people don't buy them. They are FULL of semen.

JayHova > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
10/29/2014 at 10:12

Don't be gentle, it's a rental.

Go-fstr > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:12

I am one of these woefull people; I purchased a 2012 Dodge Avenger in 2013 that was a rental.. It had good points and bad points:

Good, Low miles, it was 1 year old with 21,000 miles on it. Like said before, how could ti be stop and go traffic and still get that many miles on it. $$ I got it for about 7 grand less than what a new one would have cost. Warranty, still had 15K left on the factory warranty. In fact, I only need to go in for recalls during that 2 year period. It was a perfect car to replace my wifes 2000 Accord with 207K and a dying transmission, infact, it had more options than her car did, so thats all that mattered (cruise, steeringwheel controls for radio, CD player, Nicer seats, same MPG's)

Bad, well, Dodge Avenger....it had a 4 spd transmission(like the only one left in America) and will always have that" it was a rental, could that be the ____ dying/breaking unconventionally early?" stigma as long as we own it. They had 2 different tires on the front of the car.. causing a hop every bump we hit.. yeah Economy tires on one side, all seasons on the other... nice job enterprise

Overall perfect for my wife to run around in with our toddler, we can get nicer cars when we have cleaner children. it now has 54,000 miles and not hardly a hiccup.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > As Du Volant
10/29/2014 at 10:13

100x this. I purchased an ex rental a few years ago. When I got home, I noticed the paint on the back bumper was cracking oddly. 60k miles later, the paint is peeling to show a totally different color bumper underneath (not primer, actual paint).

Bumper was replaced, but probably just a small fender bender and the car has certainly been reliable otherwise. BUT no accidents were on the Carfax and it was repaired only marginally.

LongbowMk2 > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:13

No manual, no buy.

JayDeZ > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:15

My mother-in-law just picked up a used rental car about a year ago and she loves it. It had the options she wanted (4 doors and an automatic) and nothing she didn't. Its a shame she looked for and actually wanted a 2012 Chrysler 200

The Stig's graphic designer cousin > Tom McParland
10/29/2014 at 10:15

They might not hoon the car, per se, but at the same time, they don't care about it at all. Hell, a large number of people get in, crank their car, and instantly go WOT before the temp needle has had a chance to even think about moving. And if they do that to their cars, what they do to a rental is going to be at least equal to that.

Also, while i don't do this, I know a lot of people will hoon whatever rental car they have, even if it's a boring ass econobox.

http://jalopnik.com/5932640/why-a-…

ncasolowork2 > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:15

I'll give you just 1 reason not to.

1) The fastest car in the world is a rental car. Meaning people who rent is drive it HARD. They may be highway miles, but I promise you they were hard miles. Odds that the car is in good shape inside and out? Slim to none. When it isn't yours you don't care so much about that door ding or accidental spill.

LongbowMk2 > SteveLehto
10/29/2014 at 10:16

wasn't there an issue with rental cars not having side curtain airbags?

dmat > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:17

Call me crazy but I almost went for a used rental car while transitioning between my trucks. When I had to get a rental car after getting in an accident, enterprise decided to bring up the option of buying a vehicle. This was march of 2013 and they were selling 2012 dodge ram crew cabs with under 30k miles for around $21,000. Seemed like a good deal at the time.

llamaguy > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:18

We bought our Focus HB as an ex-rental, 30,000 miles and it was $13,000. I just checked and a similar age vehicle (-1 year) with 40,000 miles is anywhere from $16-18,000. There are some lower but I'm willing to bet they are also rentals (it seems like half of all Foci are rentals, especially SE and SEL)

turbodiesel > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:18

Done that on my XC90 3.2. Ex-rental, certified pre-owned... now racking additional 10,000km in just eight months alone. :)

Davidm > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:18

I honestly believe you are on crack!!!!!!!!!

While maybe you did get a good buy on whatever you bought, and also won the rental car purchase lottery, I personally would never buy a Ex Rental Car, more people hoon them than not, myself included, I also work in the Auto Repair Industry, typically rental car company want THE cheapest repairs, which leads to the cheapest shop. Maintenance, I scoff at that also, I actually have a rental car for a company car, First oil change the vehicle had was at 12k, and the rental company is in charge of keeping track.

So in summary, I wish you luck with your rental you purchased, but personally, I would look long and hard for a comparable vehicle before I ever called a salesman from any rental company

smalleyxb122 > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:19

While I rationally don't have a problem with a former rental (the least troublesome car I ever owned was a former fleet vehicle), it is hard to unlearn decades of "knowing" that former rental cars are the worst possible cars to buy.

It's similar to shopping for mileage. Everyone wants the low-mile car. I'm guilty of it, as well. I know that rationally, a high-mile car is more likely to have had those miles put on on the highway. I also know that there is a higher probability that more of the wear items have already been replaced. I know that a well-maintained 200k mile car is a waaaay better purchase than a 50k mile car that was used for short trips and was never maintained, but I still fall into the trap, and would pay more for the 50k mile car.

Dake > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:21

I'm not totally convinced, though I've never rented a truck except for the hour from Home Depot. I wind up in Hertz or Enterprise rentals fairly regularly and it seems like anything with more than 20k miles or so feels pretty clapped out. The driver's seat is often blown out (usually at some weird angle that paralyzes my neck after 20 minutes), the suspension rattles and clunks and the transmission is more sluggish than me trying to work out after a two-waffle and bacon breakfast.

This is in economy/compact through standard/midsize though so I guess it's possible those get more abuse from their demographic. Still, the cost savings might still be enough to more than offset maintenance costs.

llamaguy > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
10/29/2014 at 10:21

Most rental customers are going to be driving for business. Company gives them a car for 1-2 weeks before switching it out for another, they're not going to be hooning around because they're busy and/or tired, not to mention they can't afford to get a ticket while working.

Lysol is the Man, Whitey! > Tom McParland
10/29/2014 at 10:23

In 2008, I bought a very clean 2005 Grand Cherokee Laredo that was a fleet vehicle with only 35k miles for $11,000 with dealer-installed new custom leather seats. Today it has about 86k miles and in its current condition I can get $8,500-$9,000 for it, maybe only slightly less. Best car decision I've ever made.

basementshow > SirPoopyPants
10/29/2014 at 10:24

They don't seal well and are easy to fall out of?

DMCVegas > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:24

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Kinja'd!!!

After hearing the first-hand accounts on Jalopnik of 14K mile+ oil changes, and the cigarette burns and other mystery smells of my past rentals... I'm not going to give much credence to this one.

You can argue this, and I'll still argue that buying a rental car is like looking for a wife in a whorehouse.

Axel-Ripper > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:25

Don't get a minivan. There are fleets that get rented to race teams and get driven like racecars every weekend. You don't want none of this, Dewey Cox.

As Du Volant > BigBlock440
10/29/2014 at 10:26

Actually it was available to the public, but nobody actually wanted them because they were horrible. Most dealerships would only keep one in stock at a time to advertise as a loss leader, i.e. "New Chargers as low as $xx,xxx!"

The Chrysler 300 was available with that engine for a while as well.

Since 2011 the 3.6 is the base model engine, but for the first couple years the 5 speed automatic hung around as a base model/fleet special.

Sean > swansong, rockin' the wagons
10/29/2014 at 10:27

..and how many "regular" drivers will skip all 3 oil changes, trade the car in because life, and now that used car is on the lot waiting for a new owner? It may be only three oil changes, but at least they were done, if you trust that the rental company maintains the vehicle.

Ralphie60 > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:27

All I know is from personal experience. In 2005, I bought a 2004 Pontiac GP. I ran the carfax and found out it had been a rental. It had 31,000 miles and was like new. Now, after 188,000 miles total, it looks pretty rough. One bad hail storm, and driver's seat coming apart.

Other than that, nothing apart from minor maintenance, which I do myself. This has been the most reliable car I've every had, and that includes all the ones I've bought new.

YMMV.

-Ralphie

Ruprecht the monkey boy > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:27

I second this entire article. I've bought two ex rental cars and was extremely happy with both of them. I had a 92 Grand Am that had decent power, rode great on the highway and I had exactly zero problems with. The next car I bought was a 96 Thunderbird that I loved even more. I'm a two-door kinda guy and this one fit my needs perfectly. Great car and again, exactly zero problems. Both cars had around 10k miles and still under warranty.

Any chance anyone can ungray me? Please?

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:28

My wife bought a one year old Liberty from Enterprise and has had it ten years now. No issues with the car, other than the bumper hitch recall that FCA hasn't addressed yet...

SchwarzeEwigkt > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:28

A rental won't have a manual. I'm still clinging to that, so I'm out.

VAXcat > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:29

Read this ( http://www.ag.auburn.edu/users/parmega/… ) before you but a used rental car. Like it says in the article - rental cars are the fastest cars on the planet - they can accelerate harder, dive deeper into corners and brake harder than any car you'll ever personally pay for the maintenance on. And regardless of what type of rental car it is they make dandy off road vehicles as well.

GasMan > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:30

Rental Cars, the only true all terrain vehicle!

No way I would EVER buy one because someone like me might have rented it.

basementshow > Someone Else's Projects
10/29/2014 at 10:31

Take a closer look at some of those "manuals": just because it has a +/- option next do the D doesn't make it a manual.

Ente Süßsauer > SteveLehto
10/29/2014 at 10:34

I once had a Chevy Impala as a rental. The seats were the worst seats I have ever had, and it made the 20 hour drive the worst road trip I have ever taken. My passengers didn't believe me that the seats were far different than what comes in a normal Impala.

Someone Else's Projects > basementshow
10/29/2014 at 10:34

Aw dammit. Thanks for pointing that out. For the record, the Regal is a +/- automatic, as are some of the Wranglers and Mustangs, but other Wranglers and Mustangs are proper 3-pedal manuals.

jbm0866 > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:35

I'm one of those people that is a little squeamish at the thought of buying an ex-rental even though I know the vast majority are less than 2 years old (many less than a year) and relatively low mileage. On the other hand, when I think about all of the rentals I've had through the years, I have never mistreated one, and generally drive it like I do the cars I own. I think it really depends on the make/model and which rental agency it came from. (all are not equal when it comes to maintenance) I've had some rentals less than a year old that were already beginning to look worn...and some that were near or over 2 years old that were pretty much immaculate..

PilotMan > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:35

Just remember that a good dent repair guy can work miracles and most of those suitcase rear bumper scratches can be buffed out. Spending $150-$400 on a thorough detail job really can make that rental look like new.

thedangler > Tom McParland
10/29/2014 at 10:35

Except for the occasional friend of mine who decides that every time he has a rental it's a great idea to see what happens when that particular vehicle is forced into park while moving... or shut off while driving..

BigBlock440 > As Du Volant
10/29/2014 at 10:37

I thought I read that it was a fleet only deal with the 3.5 being the regular base engine.

Reading wikipedia, apparently it became available in 2007, but the 3.5 was the base in 2006 in the US. So I was kinda right, if you only look at one year.

straz85 > Sam
10/29/2014 at 10:38

So true. While in WA a few months back, my brother in law and I were both driving with cars full of people up a log road to a lake near Mt Ranier. I had a Chrysler Town and Country and he had a Volvo S60 T5 (FWD). I was flying up this road, hitting every bump and rut I could find to see how the van handled it. He would slow down to a few MPH and go around all of them. I really wished I had the Volvo, even thought it was FWD it would have been much more fun.

shitheelandtoe > Tom McParland
10/29/2014 at 10:39

Agree. Most rental cars aren't driven by Jalops. They're driven by tired business folks like me, trying to get from the airport to the Courtyard and then from the Courtyard to the tech park. I couldn't be less interested in the performance characteristics of whatever relatively forgettable car I'm given.

OneRotor > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:45

One of my buddies back home works at a Hertz. Granted it is right next to the Detroit airport, but he has stories of new cars coming in every day with rod knock. 5000 mile this. 7000 mile that. Import, domestic, sedans, trucks. Does not matter. Rentals are a gamble, and since they are being purchased as a 'fleet' vehicle, there is no warranty on them.

Buyer Beware.

ex.saint > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:45

I'm hard pressed to imagine a realistic scenario in which I would buy a rental vehicle after discovering it was, in fact, a rental vehicle.

I've definitely had some pleasant rentals, but I've definitely been in some that weren't held together particularly well. While I can say that about all (non rental) vehicles, the ratio isn't even close.

The Transporter > SteveLehto
10/29/2014 at 10:45

It depends heavily on which rental company you buy it from. As a rule of thumb, if the name of the company espouses cheapness (Thrifty, Budget, Dollar) then the vehicles will be very sub par. I can't speak for every rental agency, but I know for a fact that Hertz and Enterprise buy cars that are identical to the ones on dealer lots. They won't all be as heavily optioned as a showroom model (If I had a nickel for every 2013 Chrysler 200 with a 4-speed slushbox I've driven, then I wouldn't have to work for Hertz anymore) but they will have all of the base features.

Sejji > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:46

Disagree. Rental companies have a horrid history of repairing recall items. I would take your vehicle in to check just in case.

Rentals are usually bare-bones versions of the vehicles that are available on a lot. When an automaker provides or sells to a rental car company, it's the most basic thing they make. After comparing between a rental Rav4 and my wife's, I couldn't believe how much nicer hers was.

Also, I don't believe the maintenance schedules are as religious as you say. I'd like someone who works for a rental company here to chime in.

blah > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:46

Couldnt agree more. The wife and I saved about 8k on a 2012 focus titanium. Its been a great car. No proplems at all. It had 10k miles on it when we got it. Has about 35k now. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing on that car that I couldn't replace myself (entire DT included) that would cost me $8000. Also that's $8k in Jan 2013. Even if there was something pricy I had to swap out, there's no way to prove it wouldn't have happened with a " one owner private sale" used focus.

As Du Volant > BigBlock440
10/29/2014 at 10:47

We didn't get our Dodge franchise until 2008, so that's where my experience begins.

gla2yyz > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:47

A local dealer was selling a one year old ex-rental Impala for $13,000. Okay, it's not a stunner but 300-hp for half its sale price one year later plus two years of remaining bumper-to-bumper is pretty good for the average A-to-B buyer. I recommended it to a budget-sensitive friend of the family who was replacing a 14 year old Kia and wanted something large for the feeling of security. Could do worse.

notouchnovember > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:47

It feels like the problem with rental cars, is that they are the more awful economy models. I am trying to think of any rental car I have driven that I would consider owning, and I am at a loss. The cars I would like would be the ones hoons picked out to hoon enthusiastically.

charles5448 > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:48

Just going to put this out there for what it is worth... I was an rental car company (remain nameless for the sake of the company) mechanic for the summers in-between college. I would never, ever buy a rental car. Down to the core of when you say they have been properly maintained.... that is a complete joke. Some of the mechanics would reset the oil change light and send that puppy on its way. Most of the mechanics I worked with hadn't quite heard of the benefits of using a torque wrench until customers complained of wheels falling off the car.

Now to the customers side of it, I am going to go ahead and say most customers hoon the ever loving shit out of these cars. 10 cars a week would need motor swaps that we would preform in-house. I have never seen a rear axle on anything completely split from top to bottom before, not to mention that car needed a new transmission and engine. People would bring these cars back looking like they had kissed the wall at Daytona and then try and tell us the car was like that when they picked it up. So that leads us on to the body damage cars..... Guess how we fixed that?? We had an outdoor body mechanic that would paint cars in all kinds of weather and if he couldn't match the white paint from a Ford Fusion he would just use the paint from a Chrysler. He once patched a Taurus that came in with bullet holes all down the drivers side.

Then you get into the people that work for this company shuttling these cars around... THEY DRIVE THE HELL OUT OF THESE CARS. No body that works for this company cuts any of these cars any slack. We had an overflow lot that we called the burnout box. Not only would we do burnouts but we would see if the new SS Camaros were as fast as 5.0 Mustangs. We would do this in a drag race type manner. The employees would do donuts and power slides in just about every car we owned just to test their threshold for pain.

Not to freak anyone else out but our lead mechanic at the shop was named, Billy Jack....

NEVER BUY A RENTAL

notouchnovember > notouchnovember
10/29/2014 at 10:48

Trucks though... Hmmm....

PilotMan > swansong, rockin' the wagons
10/29/2014 at 10:49

I do not trust the free maintenance schedules for BMW, Merc, or Fiat. My MINI needed oil long before service was due and my new Abarth burns through a quart of 5w/40 every 4,000 miles. The recommended oil change from my MINI was approximately every 7500 miles which is fine when the owner is keeping the oil topped off. I don't know why both small cars burned oil, maybe because freeway speeds for both cars require a constant RPM above 3,000? Turbo cars also tend to burn a bit more oil through the PCV and turbo as well.

As a vehicle owner you are supposed to maintain an operating oil level between oil changes. 99% of new vehicle owners never check their oil under a free maintenance plan, their car is new and the dealer covers the oil changes so why worry?

pditty111 > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:50

I can't recall ever driving a rental car that wasn't begging for an oil change 5,000 miles ago.

Jeb_Hoge > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:51

My wife got a 1996 Ford Contour in 1997 that was a rehabbed rental, and whoever did the work on it must have had a sense of humor because it had some sticky Firehawks and the brakes were the strongest I've ever felt. It wasn't fast, being a 4 cylinder 4-speed auto combo, but when you got to speed, the way it handled, you could sustain it for a hell of a long time.

DadsChevy > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:51

I used to work for an emergency response organization, and we traveled a lot. Most of the time we rented SUVs or minivans to move around our equipment. During these trips we came up with the Two Laws of Rental Cars:

1.) All rental cars, regardless of make or model, is a off-road vehicle and should be driven accordingly.

2.) All rental cars, regardless of make or model, is a sports car and should be driven accordingly.

Seeing the abuse we did to those vehicles is why I will never buy a used rental car. Yes, I know that not everyone is like this. Just enough of us to ruin it for everyone!

luvMeSome142 & some Lincoln! > Ruprecht the monkey boy
10/29/2014 at 10:51

here you go

kyleshootscars, Eurotrash Tragic > NeedsmoreaftermarketXTparts
10/29/2014 at 10:52

Husband and wife drag racing. Future relationship goals right here^^

Mr Joshua > Sean
10/29/2014 at 10:52

Years ago, I used to buy my Budget fleet leased company car every 2 years for a small residual and flip it. All engineers at Wang Labs had company cars back then but very few of us took good care of them. I always viewed mine as a moneymaker.

popweasel > As Du Volant
10/29/2014 at 10:53

I had a Chrysler 200 rental last weekend and it had power driver's side seat, including lumbar adjustment. Not a bad little car, averaged 34mpg on my trip (mostly highway as the article suggests).

driftwhatever > Axel-Ripper
10/29/2014 at 10:56

corollary, try to avoid any that may have originated around Sebring, FL. There is pretty much only one reason and one specific group of people that would show up in that town and need a rental car.

PilotMan > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
10/29/2014 at 10:56

A Liberty! Sell that sucker while you can. My neighbor bought two a couple years after they came out. They both were horrible cars, needing new transmissions every 40k miles.

Another very good friend needed a new transmission in her liberty at 37K. She has had her oil changed every 3,000 miles but now at 100K miles her Liberty is burning a quart of oil every 1,000 miles.

I'm a Mopar guy but I've heard so many horror stories from my dealer about the Liberty, That line must of employed the majority of the pot smoking, drunks assembling vehicles at Jefferson North.

As Du Volant > popweasel
10/29/2014 at 10:57

The companies can order the cars any way they want, and some of them do get the power seat. But if they just take the standard package with no options they'll often get less features than the same retail package.

The Transporter > Meatcoma
10/29/2014 at 10:58

That trade in "previously owned" car on the used lot is far more likely to have been mistreated to within an inch of its life than a former fleet car. I've seen rentals come back that were obviously hooned, but it's really quite rare.