Would you buy an ex-rental?

[2000Accord]

Looking at importing a 2007 Murano from the US...I can get one from a Nissan dealership for ~21K, but it is a former rental vehicle.

I realize that this will make the resale tougher, however I generally keep my vehicles for ~5 years, so this is less of a concern. I am more concerned about the quality/reliability of ex-rentals.

[Weapon_R]

I would. As long as you still have a couple years of warranty, and plan to sell in 4-5 yrs, it would be worth looking into at that price.

[Eleanor]

Neutral drops FTW! :D

[Sharpie]

I wouldn't be too concerned as long as you still have warranty.

[ScottysZ]

Wow, this response here is kinda surprising me.

Wouldnt touch one with a ten foot pole, but thats just me.:dunno:

[infected]

No way.

[Redlyne_mr2]

No way.. especially not a US one.

[G-ZUS]

Alot of people have driven the cars, from shuttlers to customers. Shuttlers do drive the shit of the cars, I used to work for national and we used to drive the shit out of the cars. Bagging on them like its nothings, burnouts, neutral drops, I even slammed a couple in reverse at highway speeds for the hell of it. If I were you, I'd run in the opposite direction and not look back

[PrezeS_PL]

Originally posted by Eleanor
Neutral drops FTW! :D

Not everybody drives a rental like that, :D I wouldn't buy a car that I had rented before.

Than again I had older cargo van that run ok, it had some problems but any vehicle with 300k would have some. It was ex- Budget tuck,

[FiveFreshFish]

It's not the people who rent the cars that you need to worry about. The employees (car jockeys) abuse the cars way worse than most renters.

[Crymson]

I don't understand that mentality at all. I guess i just grew up being taught that respect is one of the best virtues a person can have, respect for people, and respect for things, yours or not.

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

I would for that deal.. An older one, no way.

I had a friend buy an old 96 neon w/ 300k on it... Ran fine... until it crapped out on the side of the QEII. Don't remember what happened, but I would like to mention she rear ended someone before the car crapped out, so that could have an effect..

Ran like a champ whenever I got a ride in it.

[SR240SX]

Hell no.

Things ive seen done to rental cars...lol would NEVER even consider it for cheaper then that price.

[toyboy88]

Originally posted by Eleanor
Neutral drops FTW! :D

:werd: ...in a Dodge Grand Caravan nonetheless! :rofl: :rofl:


But yeah...I don't know if you guys saying you would buy it, were being sarcastic are not lol???

Because I would stay the hell away from rentals if we are talking about buying them...

[Trini]

would avoid at all costs

[JRSC00LUDE]

Why not? Buying a former rental is basically the automotive equivalent of getting married.

[trieu]

I work for National now and I would never buy an ex-rental car, there are so many dings and scratches on all of the cars and I don't think anyone drives these cars like they would their own. :thumbsdow

[Canmorite]

Never.

[A790]

Originally posted by G-ZUS
Alot of people have driven the cars, from shuttlers to customers. Shuttlers do drive the shit of the cars, I used to work for national and we used to drive the shit out of the cars. Bagging on them like its nothings, burnouts, neutral drops, I even slammed a couple in reverse at highway speeds for the hell of it. If I were you, I'd run in the opposite direction and not look back
How did you "slam it into reverse" at highway speeds? That's damn near impossible.

[G-ZUS]

Originally posted by A790

How did you "slam it into reverse" at highway speeds? That's damn near impossible.

Why is that? The car didn't go backwards, but the shifter did go in reverse

[Jlude]

Originally posted by G-ZUS
Alot of people have driven the cars, from shuttlers to customers. Shuttlers do drive the shit of the cars, I used to work for national and we used to drive the shit out of the cars. Bagging on them like its nothings, burnouts, neutral drops, I even slammed a couple in reverse at highway speeds for the hell of it. If I were you, I'd run in the opposite direction and not look back

I worked for budget rental cars a long time ago... and if you think the way the renters drive them is bad... you gotta see how employees drive those cars... shameful! haha


Personally I would stay away...

[nikka]

the tranny would drop right out of the car if you ever managed to "slam it into reverse at highway speeds" :bullshit:

and i would never buy a rental, i was watching one of my ski movies and the guys were in a subaru legacy wagon taking it off of jumps in whistler and then the driver just said, "i dont give a shit, its a rental"

[A790]

Originally posted by G-ZUS


Why is that? The car didn't go backwards, but the shifter did go in reverse
Hmm... I'm gonna call BS on this one. I've tried this with both manuals and auto's and have never been able to pull it off. Not only that, but Mythbusters tested it and couldn't do it either.

[toyboy88]

Originally posted by A790

How did you "slam it into reverse" at highway speeds? That's damn near impossible.

I think he just means going 120 or something...then putting the gear in reverse and revving the engine maybe???

:dunno:

[Supa Dexta]

No way in hell I'd touch one... You know EVERYONE beats the shit out of those things..

[G-ZUS]

Originally posted by toyboy88


I think he just means going 120 or something...then putting the gear in reverse and revving the engine maybe???

:dunno:


Yeah that's what I meant, the car didn't actually engage reverse or go backwards.

[rusich]

I had to rebuild transmission on my 1995 Cutlass Supreme, after I accidently put it in reverse doing 60 km/hr.

[jsn]

yea i wouldn't touch it either... Rentals get bagged on. Even if you have a warranty, it'll be a hassle to have to repair it all the time

[FiveFreshFish]

Originally posted by A790

How did you "slam it into reverse" at highway speeds? That's damn near impossible.

First you turn off the engine and then turn it back to the "run" position but without cranking it over. Then you shift into reverse to freak out the car behind you because your reverse lights come on. That's all it accomplishes. Remember, almost all rental cars are automatics.

The car jockeys just want to bag on the cars and have some fun, not outright destroy the cars, strand themselves and get their asses fired.

[trieuth]

I work for enterprise, and if I had the opportunity to purchase a vehicle, i definetly would. its normally a good deal, and the car is never more than 6-8 months old. and its still got the factory warranty for a few years. just get an inspection done.

[sputnik]

I am actually going to call BS on all of the "neutral drop" claims as well.

Why the hell would you do a neutral drop in a rental just to run the risk of having the transmission crater and leave you stranded looking like a dumbass once they check the computer for the last few minutes that it was running.

Seriously.

I would venture that most rentals are actually driven lighter than most cars because they are often driven by people who have no idea where they are going.

[Speed_69]

I work for a car rental company and just like everyone has said up above...these cars are bagged to shit. If not by the customers, defenitely by the employees. I would never buy a ex-rental vehicle after knowing what really happens to these vehicles however i would consider an SUV, as from my experience, SUV's don't get bagged on much.

[Thaco]

Meh, i bought a rental, i've had it for 7 years, 130,000KM on it, never had anything go wrong with it that cost me more than $100 to fix. (Battery, T-stat, expected stuff)

[MilanoRedTeg]

Originally posted by sputnik
I am actually going to call BS on all of the "neutral drop" claims as well.

Why the hell would you do a neutral drop in a rental just to run the risk of having the transmission crater and leave you stranded looking like a dumbass once they check the computer for the last few minutes that it was running.

Seriously.

I would venture that most rentals are actually driven lighter than most cars because they are often driven by people who have no idea where they are going.

they are also driven by reckless drivers who have messed up or crashed their own cars and are waiting for them to get fixed

[rated_R]

I have worked at both National and Budget Car Rental and have seen many of my co-workers drive the shit outta those cars so much that I wonder how they are still running...but if it's still under warranty for a couple or more years then I would considered it ...and like trieuth mentioned make sure to get an inspection done before buying it.

[trieuth]

Originally posted by MilanoRedTeg


they are also driven by reckless drivers who have messed up or crashed their own cars and are waiting for them to get fixed

Not everyone who gets into an accident is a reckless driver, don't be so ignorant. Not everyone drives the shit out of rental cars, people don't bag the shit out of them as much as before. As cars do have computers in them, and abuse can be tracked. Why risk getting dinged for a transmission thats not even your vehicle? There is a reason why rental car companies have age restrictions...

[a social dsease]

I would not personally buy an ex rental vehicle.


Last summer I *accidently I swear ;) * threw a company truck into reverse going about 50km/hr. It was an automatic, with the usual truck style shifter attached near the steering wheel. I just put it in reverse and the truck stalled and skidded to a stop, left some mean skidmarks. Then I could not start for about 5 minutes and I was starting to freak out, but it finally did start. Didn't appear to be anything wrong with it after so I dont think it caused that much damage.

*It was an 05 Silverado v6*

[Zephyr]

Say no to rental retired cars. It might look good on the outside, but imagine how many curbs it has driven over.

[n1zm0]

i will say also that buying a former 'loaner vehicle' from a dealership (i think this is what you mean with your Murano) is a nono, in 10k kms before it's sent to the used car lot, a minimum of i'd say.. 25ish different customers will drive that vehicle, and who knows how they drive, especially when its a car that's not theirs and is free to drive,

i know some people ahve the mentality that if the car is new, there is less chance for it to break down, therefore i can drive the shit out of it then give it back.

[CRX-R]

a friend of mine is the sales manager for a GM dealership and just finished telling me a couple weeks ago that most of their used stock, with most dealerships, is from former rental cars. They lease new cars to rental companies and then sell them off when they're returned as used cars, it's how they keep up a used inventory and simply call them 'lease-returns'. I'm pretty sure they don't even have to tell you where the lease was returned from, it's not like they've been written off. That said... I know how I drive rentals on the road and I wouldn't buy one... ever.

[blownz]

^ EXACTLY

Tons of people buy rental vehicles without knowing it. I work for a rental company that sells close to 1000 used rentals a year and at least 95% of them end up on dealer lots in Calgary or Edmonton. Even dealerships you wouldn't expect like MB, BMW, Infiniti, Acura all buy used rental vehicles and then pass them off as trade ins.

Used rentals typically sell for average black book prices and the dealers love it because they can mark them up big time. And rental companies always have the vehicles professionally cleaned, new windshields installed, etc so they look like they were well taken care of.

For the most part I would buy one, but not at retail prices. And since most dealers would never disclose that, most people would never know.

[rc2002]

Originally posted by A790

How did you "slam it into reverse" at highway speeds? That's damn near impossible.

Haven't you ever seen Fast and Furious 2?

[Aleks]

Wonder if this is the reason some rental companies won't rent to people under 25. :rolleyes:

[zieg]

Originally posted by A790

Hmm... I'm gonna call BS on this one. I've tried this with both manuals and auto's and have never been able to pull it off. Not only that, but Mythbusters tested it and couldn't do it either.


Sorry, I just wanted to say that I believe it, because I've done it by accident. One time in my old Camaro (auto) I was on deerfoot and slowing for a light. I had the car for like a week and I was playing with the shifter. Know how you can bump it from drive into neutral? Well somehow it went into reverse. The tires squealed and I had to peel my face off the windshield, but I got it into N right away and it was fine, thank god.

[adam c]

Originally posted by a social dsease
I would not personally buy an ex rental vehicle.


Last summer I *accidently I swear ;) * threw a company truck into reverse going about 50km/hr. It was an automatic, with the usual truck style shifter attached near the steering wheel. I just put it in reverse and the truck stalled and skidded to a stop, left some mean skidmarks. Then I could not start for about 5 minutes and I was starting to freak out, but it finally did start. Didn't appear to be anything wrong with it after so I dont think it caused that much damage.

*It was an 05 Silverado v6*

oh i did this in my friends 07 lancer.. scared the crap out of me, i dont know how but i went from hi to lo, except i went to far and into reverse.. . ive never seen a car come to a faster stop before.. the car didn't move.. i freaked she only had 500k on her car

turned the car off, waited a couple seconds then started it, drove fine but phew... lucky there were no cars around me since i had just turned off anderson onto a side road

[DonJuan]

Stay away from Budget, National/Alamo, and Hertz cars. They're drivers are not required to be above 25 (in Canada) like Avis. Not sure about Enterprise. I still work in the rental car industry, and have seen/heard horrifying things.

Neutral drops are common place, and at my company you don't get fired, only if you intentionally destroy or crash the car ie: doing something stupid.

Horrifying stuff (I've heard), brand new cars going in for their first oil change of their lives at 12-14k km. :eek: that is insanity. this combined with the normal abuse that a rental car sees and it is obvious why people who know would rather not even look at a rental car. MAYBE an Avis one... MAYBE... but I don't talk much to Avis guys.

[crazedmodder]

No, never in hell ever ever ever. We normally don't check oil levels or coolant levels or change oil on normal service intervals (as said above 12000-14000kms is normal). Us (the employees) don't give a shit about the cars, we drift, neutral drop and drive extremely aggresively and we aren't afraid to do burnouts and slide the cars around like if we're playing a game. We only really care about aesthetic damage. Customers don't give a shit either, well I'd say 50% don't care, 40% don't know shit and 10% drive like normal humans.

[Speed_69]

Originally posted by trieuth


Not everyone drives the shit out of rental cars, people don't bag the shit out of them as much as before. As cars do have computers in them, and abuse can be tracked. Why risk getting dinged for a transmission thats not even your vehicle? There is a reason why rental car companies have age restrictions...

Not sure where you are getting your information from but any mechanical/electrical problems that go wrong with the rental vehicle..the customer is not charged for it. Customers are only charged for any physical damage to the vehicle (ex. windshield cracks, dents, scratches). I have customers who return the car who even tell me they drove the shit out of it.

As for what 'crazedmodder' said..it's true about that oil changes..they skip them all the time and don't follow the normal intervals. Only thing we ever check regularly is the windshield washer fluid in the winter time.

[trieuth]

Originally posted by Speed_69


Not sure where you are getting your information from but any mechanical/electrical problems that go wrong with the rental vehicle..the customer is not charged for it. Customers are only charged for any physical damage to the vehicle (ex. windshield cracks, dents, scratches). I have customers who return the car who even tell me they drove the shit out of it.

As for what 'crazedmodder' said..it's true about that oil changes..they skip them all the time and don't follow the normal intervals. Only thing we ever check regularly is the windshield washer fluid in the winter time.

I work for a rental car company, if a customer does damage to a vehicle and it is negligence, we will charge them. Just last month I had a ram 1500 come back with under carriage damage. Took it to renfrew chrysler, they said the truck was taken offroading, and there is about 7000 dollars of undercarriage damage. You bet the customer got dinged with that one. Little crap like check engine lights, and shimmys aren't a problem. We don't ding people for those.

[Supa Dexta]

I had to sit outside the moncton airport last summer waiting for something, and it was funny how every rental car was being beat on the minute it pulled out of the parking lot. :rofl: