Would you ever buy a car that was previously owned by a rental company?

[LastKnight]

ive been kinda struggling with this... im getting carfax's before i even consider buying anything, but i found exactly what im looking for, the only one ive found within 300ish miles.... except it was a rental unit before it came to the dealer... infact at a few different rental agencies. it makes me uneasy about dropping the cash on it. in all likleyhood i wont get it but i just wanna know what you DUers think.

EDIT: what im looking for is a Mitsubishi Outlander, XLS used probably 2003 due to my price range. and im only looking for the XLS level because its the only one where they offer the ABS on it, and i live in, and am going to school in a (very) snowy climate. so ABS and 4 wheel drive are highly desired.

the one that cropped up here in town happens to be something that came off of rental... just short of 30k miles on it.

so, would you buy it?

[Floogeldy]

1. Need clarification and more info.

Three hundred something miles? Has been to two rental agencies? This does not compute. Why would a rental agency get rid of a car with less than 400 miles on it? Answer: SERIOUSLY WRECKED.

Maybe I'm missing something?

Need year, make and model, too.

[Kathleen04]

3. I think he means w/i 300 miles of his home...

right?

[LastKnight]

6. correct.

[LastKnight]

4. i worded that badly.

it has just under 30k miles on it. i ran a Carfax on it and the title is clean of accidents... thats where i found out it was from rental companies.

what im saying is the next closest one (that ive found) with the feature i want is 300 miles away...

what im looking for is a Mitsubishi Outlander, all wheel drive, and with ABS, they only offer ABS on the top of the line version. thats why im having a hard time finding one near home.

[pstans]

2. I have 2 friends that work for rental car places

One is in accounting, the other was a manager of a place. They both said to never buy a car that was rental car. They worked 2 different jobs for 2 different companies.

[napi21]

5. I have not, but several friend of mine have and all was GREAT.

I guess I should qualify my statement by saying I think idt depends on what kind of car you are talking about.

My friends bought luxury cars. Because of the typical customers who rent them, they are usually not abused. I would have a bit more concern if I were looking to buy an economy class vehicle, or compact, I'd be more wary. There are some people who rent cars and deliberately do things no one should do to a car, and can permanently damige major systems.

[Pallas180]

7. Considering the moment you take the car out of

the showroom, it's worth 10,000 less, yes I would buy one from the rental company. They usuallly turn them in between 6000 and 16,000 miles.

30,000 is a bit high mileage and I dont know that I would buy it with mileage THAT high.

[Dave Reynolds]

8. I, for one, would not.

Although the rental companies may (or may not)do maintenance on them, renters may not be kind to them in the interim.

Risky bidness.

[evlbstrd]

9. My daughter bought one.

So far, she's the only one to wreck it.

[DarthDem]

10. Possibly

There was a rental car I really loved - - a little white Cavalier, before the redesign or phaseout or whatever they did to it - - that I drove from NY to CA and back for Christmas a few years ago. I would have bought it, but then, I drove it more than anyone else had combined, and it was in good shape.

If the miles are low, you're not taking too much of a risk, IMHO. However, as the miles get higher, you need to get the car checked out by a good mechanic before buying. If you get the okay, then go for it - - I've heard there are some real bargains out there. Watch out for weird smells, too - - like the Seinfeld ep, they will not go away. Good luck.

[bobbieinok]

11. one of my brothers has done this and was very satisfied

a friend also recommended to me that I do this

they tend to be lowest mileage available....it's claimed that rental places really keep them well-maintained or they'd have very unhappy customers

bottom line for me: friends advised at looking at these first

[LeftyMom]

12. I'd be leery

Especially with an AWD vehicle, people probably put more wear and tear than the average rental on it. Whichever car you decide to get, spend the $70 or so for a AAA inspection before you buy, we got one and it was totally worth it, detected potential problems that didn't pop up for a year and helped us to negotiate the price down a bit.

[SheilaT]

13. Research, research, research.

First off, what's the most important thing to you, price, make and model of car, mileage, what? I'm not sure buying a rental is any different from buying any other used car, but since all the major rental car companies seem to have their own sales divisions, why is this vehicle at a dealership?

If 4 wheel drive is important, also look at Subaru Outbacks. That's what I drive, and it's great. Also, seriously consider getting a car with manual transmission, as you have far more control on snowy roads or in any less-than-perfect conditions compared to an automatic.

I'm just wondering why this car is at a dealership, rather than being offered through the rental agency. Something feels odd about it to me.

In general terms, getting a former rental can be a good way to go. My mother did that twice and was very pleased. Make sure you get a car that's a good one to begin with, not some crappy entry-level model of the car.

Personally, I've found shopping for used cars (I've done it several times int he past two years) to be quite fun and entertaining. I think the best thing is to visit several car lots, simply looking around, test driving, and then walking away without ever discussing price or financing. It tends to make them a little nervous. Like everyone I hate the bargaining process.

Do have any vehicle checked out by an independent mechanic. If you're buying a certified used car you don't need to bother, but the more you know the better off you are.

Good luck!

[LastKnight]

14. kick.

[Squatch]

15. Knowing how I personaly treat them? Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck no.