Buying a SUV marked as a Rental?

The wife and I are in the search for a family SUV. We test drove a few mid-size SUV's over the weekend and have probably narrowed it down to a Durango or Explorer.

We don't mind buying new to get the features we want. (3rd row seating, 2nd row captains chair, convenient things for the wife.)

We stumbled on a few SUV's that matched what we were looking for and noticed they were prior rentals. Most mileage ranged from 10-25k. They were also certified pre-owned as well and I believe came with the original warranty from the manufacturer.

I'm just looking to get an outside perspective. Thanks for the advice!

 

I know how I drive a rental car and I'm sure I'm not alone. I wouldn't think you'd have a problem but it's an expensive chance to take

 

do not do it


I treat all -my- vehicles with the utmost respect


rentals ? no way no how. I shift them into reverse while moving forward at 40, while stopped hit reverse and slam it into drive.
I beat on the turn signals to almost snapping them off, I pound on the dash, I jam the brakes....etc. I press myself
so far and hard back into the seat it may as well snap off the mounts. I am horrified at how I act in a rental....absolute mental breakdown and mayhem machine is what I become.
I also drive off curbs and do that little 6 inch jump if I can find a place to do it.

plus I'll throw in shit in the gas and sometimes hairspray in the tank, just because I can

vehicle looks brand new when I return it...


so yeah, get a used rental. no one ever treats them badly, ever.

 

I'm in the same boat. Just wanted to ask around.

 

if you get a rock solid warranty for cheap, why not ?

but seriously, I am Joe Citizen 24x7x365....except in a rental car. then I am hellspawn, and I surely cannot be the only one. that's because I have mental disorder and when I am in a rental it means I do not want to be there, wherever
it is, and I am dying to get the f** back home and into my own place and time.

and the rental is like wearing someone elses dirty, ratty, lice-infested, scabies inducing, bed-bug-laden stinky rotten filthy clothes. RAGE


edit: when I go to Europe, and get a rental, complete opposite effect. I treat those wicked nice.

edit: none, some, or all of what I wrote in this thread may be, or may not be, truthful.



you just don't know. same with a moldy, diseased, funky, malodorous, old clam shanty rental.

 

I've used a lot of rental vehicles (at least a couple hundred I'd guess) and while I drive them normal I sure don't take care off them like they're my own vehicle.

I'd only buy one if I had no other choice. And of the two you noted I don't think either are reliability champs to start with...

Good luck man & post pics of whatever you decide to go with...

Have you checked out a Highlander?

 

Arrived at the airport in Detroit on Thanksgiving and took the shuttle to the rental car place. Reserved car gone. Only thing left on the lot was a 12-passenger Chevy Express with 25k miles on it, took it. It was the most beat-down thing I've ever driven, front shocks blown and screaming brakes. Upon return, was told that the auction guys were there looking for and it shouldn't have gone out.
Rental use is the most unkind. I'm sure they sold that thing to someone.

 

I'll offer a different perspective.

When you buy off a used car lot, it's a very rare exception that you get service records.

But that doesn't speak to how the car was treated in the hands of the owners. Think teenage drivers in the family for example.

Yea, 'maybe' the odds are worse with a rental, but I bet it's a lot closer than you think.

Remember, you're on an enthusiast forum. That's not the real world.

To the OP. Durango or Explorer? Really? I'd take a Sienna or a Odessy over either of those all day long. Or any other number of multi passenger rides. I am curious what made those winners in your view?

 

^^ Sienna hands down imo

 

I would stay away from rentals even if they are certified pre-owned. Rentals are always mistreated by people. Save yourself the future headaches.

RJM

 

My parents own a 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe that was a rental. It has been a great car, but I cannot imagine it was hooned around either. I drove a rental Durango with the pentastar engine and drove it like a tuned sports car, was pretty fun, that said I'll never own a Chrysler product produced after 1979.

 

I drive my own truck like an asshole... imagine me in a rental, and there are more like me, that actually do rent cars...

 

Like said before I was pretty hard on the rental I had. I jammed the e brake doing 50 to see what would happen.

That's the reason I won't buy used. You don't know it's history.

 

Most rental companies do minimum maintainance, Pretty much just oil changes. The mileage your looking at is fairly low but still. Little to no maintainance, likely driven hard or off road. Resale on your end may be difficult as well. Unless the savings are substantial, I'd steer clear.

Edit: My last rental was a dodge Dakota 4x4. Saw some off road and about 15 brake stand burn outs.

 

Same here, I dont beat them because I respect other people's property, but also dont baby them like my own either. That said, my Dad bought three former rental vehicles when I was growing up and they were pretty reliable vehicles ('92 & '95 Chevy Lumina, '98 Pontiac Grand Prix), lasting about 5-7 years each, daily driven, no major issues.

 

Thanks for all the posts. I'm not leaning towards a rental I just wanted some outside perspectives on the situation. I have driven rentals in the past and like some have said, I don't jump them off of curbs but I don't baby them either.

The wife wants a 3rd row for the kids as they get older. We are both in our late 20's and had our son in December. Our daughter is 9 and we plan on having nother in a year or two. We want a car that can fit our 9 yo daughter and a friend when we take the 2 younger ones to the amusement park, camping, etc.

Her and I both will never own a minivan. She can't stand them and I wont have one parked in my garage.

We test drove a 2015 Durango (dealer didn't have 2016's yet), new 2016 Explorer (mother in law has a 2013 AWD V6 TT sport that we like so we started looking at those), and an Arcadia (this was the rental. I hated the way it drove and the 2nd row seating was such a pain to use.)

We walked into the Toyota dealership and looked at the Highlander and the 4Runner. 4Runner isn't made for a 3rd row even if it does come with it. There is no cargo room once you get the 3rd row up. The highlander felt insanely cheap to me and the wife. She didn't even want to drive it.

 

I wouldn't be too worried about a previous rental with 10k-20k miles.

I would have it inspected by an independent mechanic, which isn't expensive and can save you some stress and headaches.

Not sure why there's such a broad differentiation between used cars and used cars that were prior rentals. Either could be absolutely beat to shit for it's entire life or driven like normal. Used cars are used cars. If that's what the budget allows - which is just fine and often smarter anyway than buying new - then do your homework, spend some burn money on a thorough inspection and make sure you cover your bases up front. If something is amiss, then use your judgement and commit to the decision it leads you to. If not, then no problems.

 

You're absolutely correct.

Can't speak for others but, in my mind, it's easier for me to believe a vehicle owned by one person has been treated better overall than a rental company owned vehicle driven be who knows how many people & under what circumstances.

I guess part of that is me maybe not beating a rental as I've seen some do but still not treating it as well as I do my own.

 

Sure, in theory a single owner car is the best option - but not every used car is a single owner car, and a single owner car may have had more than the one driver. The 45 year old man might have taken good care of his car, but his high school aged kid may beat run it with his friends every weekend.

Point is, you never know anything until you do an inspection. If a budget is a budget, and a car checks out in good shape or needing minor repairs like new shocks and struts, tires, etc,. then it's no different than the car in good shape in equal condition that's been driven by an old lady for 3k miles a year.

Chances are she didn't do any maintenance either.