Hi there, I had a quick search on this board and saw the last post on this topic was in 2001 so I thought I?d ask if anything has changed since then; what are people?s opinions on buying 6 month to year old ex-rental cars?
The only reason I ask is because a friend and I are looking into trading in these vehicles and would like to know if there is still a strong stigma attached.
Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Tom
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Well...motorpoint seems to sell them - I got my car from them and it was an ex-rental. But then you don't expect much at motorpoint prices and they only turn a decent profit from stack em high, sell em cheap philosophy...
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I wouldn't have anything against an ex-rental.
I drove to London and back this week in a brand new Astra from Europcar, I did take it a little easy on the way down whilst it loosened up as it felt a bit tight, but just drove it normally on the way back as I figured it would be run in by then. The best thing about ex-rental cars is that they get so many different driving styles in the early days that they are normally very well run in by 10K.
Incidentally, the 1.6 engine in the Astra is horrible, no grunt at legal motorway speeds at all.
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I collected a load of ex renters yesterday and delivered em to a refurb centre, unusual that as i'm normally on new cars.
All seemed ok apart from one estate car that had obviously been used on building sites, mud everywhere including the boot and interior, nearly all panels damaged in some way, tailgate extensively, and i thought at the time that the person driving this obviously long term renter would have driven it with the same lack of care and consideration. It was the exception, but the others had been smart repaired and valetted before.
I would imagine this motor will look every bit as shiny as all the others in a week.
I'd be very surprised if 99% of people thought like you Blue, most would have thrashed the living daylights out of it.
Harping back, i wonder how many rental diesels will have been misfuelled.
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We've had no problems with our Merc A150:
- ex-rental, 10 month old, 6k miles = 33% off list price
from thecarpeople.co.uk
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Generally thrashed to oblivion by every other driver....
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Thanks for the replied guys, that?s pretty much what I was expecting to be honest. The only reason we?re looking into it is because my friend works for a well known rental car company at the moment.
In his experience, the majority of cars are rented to people who just need a car to get around in temporarily and have no interest in thrashing them or treating them any differently to their own. If anything people are scared of causing any form of damage because of the high excesses involved.
I freely admit that many people have a valid reason for thinking what they do about these cars though.
Thanks again for your input.
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I've bought 2 - A Vauxhall I knew was ex-rental and Mazda I did not know.
Both required gearbox rebuilds under warranty - the Astra was sold at 75K with no maint required after 6 years - I still ahve the Mazdfa after 9 years and repairs have been modest.
Moral of the strory is that if it is cheap enough then OK as you have the balance of the 3 yrs to find out major issues.
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That?s a good point and it?s exactly why we?re looking at cars that will still have 2 ? 2.5 years of manufacturers warranty left.
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I didn't think you could trash a modern car engine because of the rev limiter.
Other ways of misuse - yes. Wheel spinning, deliberate clutch slipping, handbrake turns and the like, but I don't think that counts for the majority of people who rent cars.
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Other ways of misuse - yes. Wheel spinning deliberate clutch slipping handbrake turns and the like but I don't think that counts for the majority of people who rent cars.
It certainly applies to a few of the staff though, you wouldn't believe how fast i've seen renters going over speed humps at a certain airport.
As others say so long as its much cheaper than (whatevers a normal first owner now) a one careful owner, and buyer beware not all rental cars are registered in the name of a rental company.
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My previous car was an ex rental ( Mondeo TDCI Estate ) bought at 6k mls and 7 months old. It cost 40% less than a discounted new one would have at the time. Went on to over 150k miles in my hands with no faults at all. The current one ( same model ) has so far also got up to 142k miles without any repairs being needed although it allegedly had a more civilised "childhood". I would have no worries buying another ex rental if the deal was right.
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Got to plead guilty here.
I would never be so childish as to deliberately damage a hire car but living as I do in Northhumptonshire where there are more speed bumps than there are stars in the sky I know there is a difference between me rolling over them in my car and me thumping over them when I occasionally use the office pool car.
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The only car I have made a profit on was an ex-rental.
I bought it at 6 months old with less than 6k miles on the clock, sold it 9 months later with 21k on the clock for £1300 more than I paid for it.
The car was a Nova SRi back in 1992/93.
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Shouldn't be a problem punting them on.
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A large garage chain in Scotland ask on the trade-in documents - Has the car been used as a Taxi or day rental car.
The same garage chain sold me 2058 mile car as an ex Mazda UK car - only when the documents appeared did I find out it was a day rental car - £15.5K for an ex-rental was and is a lot..
Thye will never see a £ of my money ever again.
I had previously bought an ex-rental car but I knew it was a Hertz as the saleman told me - at £8K it was some £6K off the list price with 8-9,000 and 4 mths old.
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We ran a fleet of 100 self drive cars and 200 vans and while I would consider buying an ex hire van I wouldn't consider an ex hire car - on one occasion I pulled a driver out of a car after he had screeched of the forecourt in one of my cars, as he was waiting in the traffic.
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