Buying an ex hire car?
Discussion
Hi there, I had been looking at buying a newish car to replace my aging model. I have found a nice BMW at a BMW dealer relatively close to me. It had been up for sale for a while and seemed pretty cheap for a car that was just a year old with 12k on the clock.
Contacted the dealer and after asking about the previous owner, they told me it was a large uk car hire company.
I know there are plus and negative points on this, I think it is worth going and looking at the car.
What should I be looking out for?
The car is an auto so can’t really check the clutch. Will check pedals etc, but just wondering if there is anything else I should be looking for?
I had a 2007 Focus from 2010 to 2013. I only found out it was ex-Hertz after I'd had it about 6 months (must not have bothered looking at the V5).
Anyway I was a bit worried but in that 3 years it just needed service items and a pair of tyres. It was generally the most reliable (if boring) car I've ever owned. Your mileage might vary though!
Anyway I was a bit worried but in that 3 years it just needed service items and a pair of tyres. It was generally the most reliable (if boring) car I've ever owned. Your mileage might vary though!
A lot of people seem to get worked up about ex rental cars and prefer to buy into the usual sales spiel about it being an ex management car or other guise, I'd say at least the garage are being honest about its origins.
Just look at it like you would any other car ultimately, and buy on the condition and price, if you are happy with both then great. I think most people drive a hire car with the same care if not more than they would their personal car as they want to avoid the hire companies trying to hit them for extra charges.
Just look at it like you would any other car ultimately, and buy on the condition and price, if you are happy with both then great. I think most people drive a hire car with the same care if not more than they would their personal car as they want to avoid the hire companies trying to hit them for extra charges.
What BMW is it?
If it's pretty new, I wouldn't worry too much regardless.
With excess rates and suchlike being what they are, people don't generally rag the arse off hire cars like they used to. They just.....drive it normally.
Of course, there are some exceptions, but that's no different to any 'normal' car that's used.
Buy on condition.
If it's pretty new, I wouldn't worry too much regardless.
With excess rates and suchlike being what they are, people don't generally rag the arse off hire cars like they used to. They just.....drive it normally.
Of course, there are some exceptions, but that's no different to any 'normal' car that's used.
Buy on condition.
Hello everyone,
Thanks for your comments, your attitude towards this is similar to mine, so that is reassuring.
It is a 2018 BMW 1 Series 2.0 120d Sport with just over 12k on the clock. It is just one year old. So mileage, maybe a smidgeon over what it should be, but in immaculate condition, both keys look to be fine and scratch free. Seat is fine, no tears or issues.
The car will be used for higher mileage commuting. Around 21k per year, so just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to land myself with trouble, but as one of you said, at least this garage has been honest. I did have to ask, I asked who the last owner was.
Thanks for your comments, your attitude towards this is similar to mine, so that is reassuring.
It is a 2018 BMW 1 Series 2.0 120d Sport with just over 12k on the clock. It is just one year old. So mileage, maybe a smidgeon over what it should be, but in immaculate condition, both keys look to be fine and scratch free. Seat is fine, no tears or issues.
The car will be used for higher mileage commuting. Around 21k per year, so just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to land myself with trouble, but as one of you said, at least this garage has been honest. I did have to ask, I asked who the last owner was.
Should be fine, as mentioned most people don’t abuse rental cars and the ones that do don’t tend to pay the extra for a premium car, more the group A-C cars.
We have over 100 cars out on long term hire, basically a new car is dropped off, used for 6-9 months and swapped again.
We get the odd invoice for a wheel scuff of minor bumper scuff but nothing different to what you would find on most private cars.
We have over 100 cars out on long term hire, basically a new car is dropped off, used for 6-9 months and swapped again.
We get the odd invoice for a wheel scuff of minor bumper scuff but nothing different to what you would find on most private cars.
My dad's had a few now and never had an issue
As above I had a company car from new a few years back and treated it like crap in pretty much every imaginable way but when it was advertised a few months later by a dealer it was a 1 owner well cared for car with full service history. The ad even mentioned how well the previous owner had kept it and it had minimal wear !
I'd ignore the fact it was a hire car and just check it's condition as you would any other, as I say my dad's had a few and no issues at all.
Of course the BMW will have been expensive to hire too, way above the entry level stuff so likely hired by people who value a decent car, most firms won't rent to under 25s either so atleast it's not had some 17 year old ragging it around lok
As above I had a company car from new a few years back and treated it like crap in pretty much every imaginable way but when it was advertised a few months later by a dealer it was a 1 owner well cared for car with full service history. The ad even mentioned how well the previous owner had kept it and it had minimal wear !
I'd ignore the fact it was a hire car and just check it's condition as you would any other, as I say my dad's had a few and no issues at all.
Of course the BMW will have been expensive to hire too, way above the entry level stuff so likely hired by people who value a decent car, most firms won't rent to under 25s either so atleast it's not had some 17 year old ragging it around lok
Edited by Scottchester on Friday 3rd May 16:09
Like other posters say, look at condition, and haggle hard. Have bought 2 Golfs in similar very circumstances, and paid about 60% of new price max for 12 month 10k mileage. Never had problem with them, so they have worked out as reliable good value motoring.
Anyway OP should benefit from remaining OEM warranty to cover mechanicals. A few years later no buyer asks what a car did 3-4 years before with previous owners.
Anyway OP should benefit from remaining OEM warranty to cover mechanicals. A few years later no buyer asks what a car did 3-4 years before with previous owners.
HocusPocus said:
Like other posters say, look at condition, and haggle hard. Have bought 2 Golfs in similar very circumstances, and paid about 60% of new price max for 12 month 10k mileage. Never had problem with them, so they have worked out as reliable good value motoring.
Anyway OP should benefit from remaining OEM warranty to cover mechanicals. A few years later no buyer asks what a car did 3-4 years before with previous owners.
+1Anyway OP should benefit from remaining OEM warranty to cover mechanicals. A few years later no buyer asks what a car did 3-4 years before with previous owners.
Wholly my experience. Got a Golf and a Passat that way over the last few years and got them for around 60% of new price too.
Deep Thought said:
+1
Wholly my experience. Got a Golf and a Passat that way over the last few years and got them for around 60% of new price too.
That’s fine but I got a brand new Passat, unregistered with zero miles of course, to my exact spec and colour for 70% of list price.... Wholly my experience. Got a Golf and a Passat that way over the last few years and got them for around 60% of new price too.
Don’t judge savings by the full list price as nobody pays it.
Have you tried getting quotes on new BMW’s as there are some amazing deals out there? Have you tried TRL?
Good luck.
A900ss said:
Deep Thought said:
+1
Wholly my experience. Got a Golf and a Passat that way over the last few years and got them for around 60% of new price too.
That’s fine but I got a brand new Passat, unregistered with zero miles of course, to my exact spec and colour for 70% of list price.... Wholly my experience. Got a Golf and a Passat that way over the last few years and got them for around 60% of new price too.
Don’t judge savings by the full list price as nobody pays it.
List price was around £26,000. At the time the cheapest same car new from the brokers was around £21,000. I got mine for £15.5K ish from memory at a year old. So still a very useful £5,000+ saving.
It was to my exact spec and colour too as SE Business gave me the spec i wanted, and it was silver, which was the colour i wanted.
For white goods like a Passat i'd never go mad on the options list anyway.Seems to be similar now (2 years on) - New Passat 2.0TDI SE Business, list price £27,800, broker price £20,700, year old Franchised car price from £15,992.
https://broadspeed.com/new_cars/Volkswagen/Passat/...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Edited by Deep Thought on Sunday 5th May 12:26
Edited by Deep Thought on Sunday 5th May 12:31
Edited by Deep Thought on Sunday 5th May 16:10
A900ss said:
Have you tried getting quotes on new BMW’s as there are some amazing deals out there? Have you tried TRL?
Another vote for looking at a new BMW We got £10,250 off our £38,500 list price M140i from our local dealer, matching brokers & TRL.
Online brokers are offering big BMW discounts on some models.
https://broadspeed.com/
But certainly TRL over on babybmw.net would be a good starting point.
Another advantage of new is the incentivised finance deals. Used car APR deals with BMW are @ something like 10.9% APR
Edited by Deep Thought on Sunday 5th May 12:27
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