Considering buying a X- AVIS Rental 14' CX 5 AWD Touring

J

johnrm

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2020 CX5 AWD
Urban legend sides against buying x rental cars due to them being subject to abuse. Its a silver (preferred color) 2014 AWD touring with ~26k~. AVIS is furnishing me with a CarFax and hopefully its maintenance record. It's in service in Oakland, Ca now andi dont know if its been in service elsewhere.

Assuming the cars been in service for a year and a half or so the ~26k~ mileage figure seems kinda low compared with the edmunds GT long term test which had the car doing 25k in 10 to 12 months and driven by multiple drivers as well. The cars been serviced by AVIS as well. I guess the one thing im concerned about is how the car was driven thru its break in period. I plan on having my mechanic take a look on it before i commit. Are there any areas i should have the mechanic focus on as they go over it?
 
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I just don't feel comfortable buying rental company vehicles or even dealer loaners.
Lease turn ins to a bit lesser extent.

I even treat rentals and loaners unlike my vehicles.
 
I would have no problems if the vehicle is checked out by a mechanic and especially if you take it to a Mazda dealer for the inspection. At 26,000 miles on a touring, I expect the tires to still be good if it was not driven aggressively. I probably would stay away from Chicago or other big city vehicles though. ed
 
Had a coworker buy a rental against everyone's advice. Went for a ride with him and it had a huge bulge on the passenger floor pan where it had gone air born and landed on a rock. Later on he found out it had a new front end from a collision. You could get lucky, but not likely. All the miles on rentals are hard miles.

Also, be aware that odometer rollback has come back in a big way. Anyone can buy a odometer adjustment box from china on ebay. They are made to legitimately adjust replacement odometers, but not used that way. Biggest offenders are companies selling off lease vehicles and rentals. They make used car lot rollbacks look like small potatoes. I've seen off lease cars a Carmax with the paint worn off the key insert with 25K miles. That thing was screaming rollback.

For that reason, the only way I'd buy a used car is from an individual. One that doesn't appear techno or car savy. Always get a Carfax and make sure records indicate a steady increase in miles that agree with odometer.

Also be aware that 250,000 cars flooded in NJ hurricane are being sold across the nation. Laws in NE allow reconditioning and removal of total status from title. If car came fro NJ or NY, walk away.
 
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I would never buy a rental car, because I drive rental cars like I stole them. I've had a few rental cars that were brand new, less than 500 miles on them, and drove them hard. I'm talking hard braking, hit pot holes, running the gears as close to redline as I can, etc. I've also had rental cars that were obviously so poorly maintained that I had to swap them out. One, the brakes shook violently when I pressed them, another was infested with ants and spiders. It's like marrying a prostitute. Sure the lab tests says she's clean, but would you do it?
 
If I was offered a rental car and I was the only person who ever rented it, I wouldn't touch it. Rental company's try all the tricks to screw your wallet, so I have "fun" when I rent a car.
 
Along with the sentiment here, and the DUKES OF HAZZARD rental car driving, I agree.

In addition the cars history will be forever branded with the "previous rental vehicle". Which is just a bit nicer than "salvaged" in the eyes of most buyers.

If the car was very clean, checked over very well on a lift by a qualified mechanic, and was the exact vehicle I wanted, it would have to be priced at 25% less than an equal non rental for me to consider it worthwhile.
 
mazdaspeedmyk said:
I would never buy a rental car, because I drive rental cars like I stole them. I've had a few rental cars that were brand new, less than 500 miles on them, and drove them hard. I'm talking hard braking, hit pot holes, running the gears as close to redline as I can, etc. I've also had rental cars that were obviously so poorly maintained that I had to swap them out. One, the brakes shook violently when I pressed them, another was infested with ants and spiders. It's like marrying a prostitute. Sure the lab tests says she's clean, but would you do it?
Click to expand...

I admit... I did that as a kid and it is why I steer clear as well. That Chevy Lumina on Maui with 7 miles on it.. I feel sorry for it when I look back on it.
 
It might or might not be a good deal. I do know that the carfax is of little value with a rental. Rental companies self insure so any damage the car has seen will not be reported anywhere and will not show up on CarFax
 
Skipping rental cars is my preference for buying. I know how poorly I treat them.
 
I've bought several rentals and never had problems. Typically buy around 20k miles and trade in around 80k. drive train waranty to 50k gives piece of mind. Best deals were the ones that are certified preowned where the bumper to bumper is extended to 48k and the drivetrain to 100k. Carfax and others get crash information from police departments. With states requiring registrations every year it is easy to verify mileage. It's not for everone but at a 20% discount worse that could happen is an early trade in.
 
Good idea for rental; possibly attractive woman not included.
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Unless you are getting a hell of a deal, I am not sure why you would consider an ex-rental. I rent very often due to business travel. While I don't abuse them, I see clear evidence of abuse by others. It isn't urban legend. It is a fact that many people simply don't care about other people's property. For the few thousand you might save, it simply would not be worth it to me.
 
You can't trust a Carfax either. Someone who rented the car could have damaged it but it was still drivable after (huge dent in the bumper, scratches, etc). If that's the case, Avis or whoever could repair the car at one of their facilities without it ever being reported to Carfax and you'd never know by looking at the car.
 
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