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Lets see, having worked for 2 car dealers and had to deal with Enterprise and Budget cars now and then...
...blown transmissions with under 5K miles from abuse, parts missing off the cars (that the renter probably sold), blown engines, damaged undercarriages (which we could only deduce came from people re-creating the Dukes of Hazard), etc, etc. People treat rental cars like red-headed stepchildren. Trust me.
+1. i also worked in the car business and saw alot of rentals. people are not nice to rentals. i would never, ever buy a rental car.
but if you really want to, i suggest writing down the vin of the one you are looking at and call a dealer to ask about its warranty history, at the least.
What? Who are these crazy people doing donuts in rental cars? I've never mistreated a rental, and I don't know anyone who has. But I keep hearing these wild stories about insane people driving these cars. How crazy is someone going to get in a Hyundai Santa Fe? I'm trying to picture it, but I can't.
The one I'm looking at has is a 2007 and has 18,000 miles on it. I'd have a mechanic check it out thoroughly.
greenie
you dont have to drive fast to hurt a car. people can drive real slow yet slam doors, slam the transmission into gear, not let the engine build any oil pressure before they take off... abusing a car is definitely not limited to driving fast.
a) The sale price typically accounts for this "unknown variable"
b) Rental cars from major rental companies are religiously maintained.
A) true. An absolute plus, one of the good things about buying a used car from a rental outfit.
B) Sometimes. We had a Enterprise rental shop renting out Metro sedans, who routinely would not service their vehicles. I was told by some mechanics our shop that we denied warranty repairs because these places were skipping required service intervals. Same goes for the Honda and Olds dealer I worked for. The opinion I formed about rental cars is not favorable whatsoever. Keep in mind that this was quite some time ago, and maybe Budget and Enterprise have gotten their acts together, but it still wont make me feel secure enough to buy a rental, no way no how.
What? Who are these crazy people doing donuts in rental cars?
Who are they? I don't understand the question. I'd guess that they are men and women, between the ages of 16 and 50.
One way or another, they are out there. People drive the crap out of rental cars, and I would be hesitant to buy one for blue book value. I want a car that has only had a handful of different drivers; rentals cars probably go through hundreds of different drivers, and I'm sure each one wants to see "What this rental car can do.."
I'm sure each one wants to see "What this rental car can do.."
Cha-ching!
I know, I was one of em! lol No, but seriously, people abuse rentals. Why do you think renters started fitting speed governors, spy devices (ie trackers, speed monitors, and other such devices) on rental cars? That should give you a clue right there, people.
I think there's a little "rental car hysteria" going on here.
I'm looking at a 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe with 18,000 miles on it. My mechanic would check it out thoroughly. What's more, Hyundai comes with a 100,000 mile warranty.
My friend has a Camry he bought from Enterpise years ago, and he's never had a problem.
Enterprise only sales about 10% of it's cars directly. The rest are auctioned off for resales through other dealers. These cars aren't going into the trash. Plenty of people who don't even know it, are driving them.
Greenie,
Something to keep in mind is that even though buying a rental doesn't bother you, it will bother potential buyers when you decide to sell. That may or may not be a factor for you, but I felt it was worth pointing out.
Q: I have a question regarding buying a car from rental agencies. Hertz, Enterprise, ]etc... Do you think it is good to purchase from rental agencies?
Sure! Keep in mind, a rental car is a used car, just like any other car. But we feel rental cars are probably maintained better than many privately owned cars, as they are kept in constant care and maintenance during use. But they do tend to have more scrapes on the paint. When you rent a car from the top companies, they are clean, and I have never had a rental car break down. The companies tend to take them out of service by 2 years of age, so you are getting a decent car. But all our rules for buying used cars still apply, because they are in fact used cars.
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Trust me.
