Exploring the Pros and Cons of Buying a Former Rental Car

When it comes to purchasing a new vehicle, you have an abundance of options available to you. You can buy from a dealership, buy from a private seller, buy from auto auction, or even buy a car from a car rental company. That’s right, when they have finished renting the vehicles out to their customers, most car rental companies will then make their cars available for sale to the general public. Of course, as with anything, there are a number of both pros and cons to purchasing a former rental vehicle.

Former rental cars are often available at a more reasonable price than a similarly equipped car from a dealership. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, car rental companies do not want to have cars sitting on their lots waiting to be sold and taking up the space of their new inventory, so are willing to offer the vehicle at a discount. Secondly, there is something of a stigma attached to buying a former rental vehicle which causes some buyers to shy away. Less demand means better pricing for interested buyers.

Because the vehicle has been owned and maintained by a professional company with a vested interest in making sure there are no issues with it, you will usually find rental cars to be extremely well maintained. Of course, you will also find that they keep complete documentation of this regular maintenance on hand – something that can be very helpful down the line.
 

A typical rental car tends to suffer much more wear and tear than a regularly owned vehicle. In no small part this is due to the fact that it has been driven by hundreds of different drivers who have no vested interest in keeping the car in good long-term health. This then leads to these drivers not treating the vehicle as well as they would their own vehicle.

You may notice that rental cars can sometimes tend to have quite high mileage when compared with a similar privately owned vehicle. Where an average 2-year-old car might have 20,000 miles on it, rental cars could potentially have 35,000 miles. This additional mileage will mean that you will have to complete maintenance tasks earlier and more often than you would on a regular vehicle.

Though former rental cars may not be the right choice for every driver, they can be an excellent option for some. If you do not mind spending some extra time maintaining your new vehicle, you can drive away with a bargain when you purchase a former rental car.