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Smart Shopper Purchasing Rental & Program Vehicles
188 messages, Last post on May 17, 2009 at 10:54 AM
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Replying to: rroyce10 (Aug 17, 2007 6:00 pm) That always was my assumption. That a program car was one that had limited use in close association with the manufacturer or dealer. But hasn't the term also been used with former rentals? There is a local dealer who owns multiple lines who does screamer ads all the time. He touts his "program" cars while in the fine print it says "former rentals". In fact this dealer got in trouble with the NY attorney general for not disclosing that fact.
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Replying to: oldfarmer50 (Aug 18, 2007 2:05 am) There's nothing wrong with rental cars, I've bought a few myself, some costing $60,000 .. but there's a big difference between a 6,000 mile rental that's been in service for 11 months vs one that's been in service 11 months with 21,000 miles - hopefully. But you're right, the term "program car" get's used loosely ... it's like the term "Brass Hat" cars, these were (are) vehicles that are driven by the manufacturers employee's, they can even be the guy that services the copy machines in the building, whatever ... you see more of this in the Detroit/Midwest area though. The best thing a buyer can do is run a Carsmack on "any and all" vehicles before they buy them - new or used.! ..It's the best $29 insurance policy they can buy and this will tell them who the prior owner was. Terry. 
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Replying to: metro123 (Aug 17, 2007 5:20 pm) If it is a one owner that we sold new and serviced that is one thing but if it is a one owner from some one we don't know jack about then who is to say he was a good owner? Your chances are just as good or better that a car coming out of rental had all of its scheduled service performed. They are diligent about that because a broke down rental does not make them a quarter. |
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Replying to: rroyce10 (Aug 18, 2007 2:52 am) Inevitably at the end of the year I have some cheapo guy who won't buy one of the last couple of left over cars I have because, "thats just not a good enough deal for me buddy." Sometimes he, and it is always a man not a woman, won't even step up for an ex-service loaner with 4,500 miles or so and 10,000-12,000 dollars or more off of MSRP with no profit for me. At that point it is a true loser on the new car side but service gets some business. Ahh but then I get a brass hat car with 1,200 miles on it that I can sell for 15,000-18,000 dollars off MSRP and still make 3,000 dollars on the front end.   Heheheh |
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Replying to: joel0622 (Aug 18, 2007 5:04 am) I won't disagree with you, if the car has miles on it, there is always a chance it was abused, rental or not. I'd like to think though that if someone acually owned the car and made payments on it, they took some reasonable care of it. That's why I tout certified cars...they are held to higher standards. But like they said in one of those mob movies, "why take a chance?" |
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Replying to: metro123 (Aug 18, 2007 6:24 am) Exactly. A rental car may have more consistent routine maintaince but does that make up for abuse. I have a hard time seeing grandma doing doughnuts in the parking lot with her Taurus but I have seen this with rentals. Of course grandma may sit her car in the garage until all the seals dry out and forget to change the oil but I still think you have a better chance with that car. I don't ever remember driving a rental car that didn't have some strange noise or rumble to it. |
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I have been looking at the G35X and have decided it's the car for me. The first one I test drove is at a dealership that lists the online price at $28,995 (sticker at dealership is $30,977). It appears brand new with 16,469 miles on it. I found the online add after test driving and did a Carfax search which shows the car as 1-owner, which turns out to be a major rental car company. The car was used as a rental for 8 months. Can anyone offer experienced thoughts on this? I would like a pre-owned vehicle, but the rental issue has me scared. I also have no idea how long rentals are in service? I would really appreciate some guidance. Thanks.
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Replying to: musclebunny (Oct 07, 2007 1:53 pm) |
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Replying to: musclebunny (Oct 07, 2007 1:53 pm) Agent: I'm sorry, we have no mid-size available at the moment. Jerry: I don't understand, I made a reservation, do you have my reservation? Agent: Yes, we do, unfortunately we ran out of cars. Jerry: But the reservation keeps the car here. That's why you have the reservation. Agent: I know why we have reservations. Jerry: I don't think you do. If you did, I'd have a car. See, you know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to *hold* the reservation andthat's really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them. Agent: Let me, uh, speak with my supervisor. .... Agent: I'm sorry, my supervisor says there's nothing we can do. Jerry: Yeah, it looked as if you were in a real conversation over there. Agent: But we do have a compact if you would like that. Jerry: Fine. Agent: Alright. We have a blue Ford Escort for you Mr. Seinfeld. Would you like insurance? Jerry: Yeah, you better give me the insurance, because I am gonna beat the hell out of this car.
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Replying to: samtut (Oct 08, 2007 10:29 am) They dropped off a brand new Pontiac Grand Prix GT. I drove it like I stole it for 2 weeks. I got home on a Friday night and it didn't need to be dropped on until Monday morning. My house had just been built and the driveway pavement had not yet been done, so there was a good 2-3 inches from the gravel to the garage floor. Although my Toyota Tacoma had no clearance issues... the Grand Prix did. I went to pull the GT into bay #2 and heard this AWFUL grinding dragging noise. It was the Pontiac getting caught up on the floor of the garage...ooops. I figure, I'll pull out and back in, thinking the front lower spoiler was to blame. Backing in...ooops again...came very close to ripping out the entire exhaust system. Point here is, don't buy a rental...at least not the ones I've driven! 
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