Are hertz car sales great for buying used cars? Should I Buy Used Rental Cars? What about this kind of car sales? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out with this hertz car sales review and guide!
and while i will focus my research and analysis on hertz, much of what i say applies broadly to buying used rental cars. Let’s see what it’s all about.
Reading: Buying a car from hertz reviews
note: this is a research-based review, which means it conveys the results of my own research-based analysis. I have no relationship with hertz and have never done business with hertz car sales.
hertz car sales review and guide
what is hertz car sales?
let me start this hertz car sales review by pointing out that hertz car sales is a unit of hertz that primarily sells used cars from their rental fleet. it is available for regular consumers like you and me.
who does it belong to?
is a registered trademark of hertz corporation, which is ultimately under the corporate umbrella of hertz global holdings, inc., a publicly traded company. you can see more on the investor relations website here. from the 2018 annual report:
Hertz Car Sales consists of a network of 80 company-operated vehicle sales locations throughout the United States. dedicated to the sale of used vehicles from our rental fleet consisting of non-program vehicles as well as program vehicles that become ineligible for manufacturer buyback or guaranteed depreciation programs. Vehicles disposed of through our outlets provide us with the opportunity to earn income from ancillary vehicle sales, such as warranty and financing, and title fees.
Overall, I think this is a good thing. you are dealing with a corporation that will likely be there for the life of your car. there is no used car salesman here who stays overnight; if you have a bad experience, there will be someone to respond or even file a claim.
how does hertz car sales work?
Pretty much what it sounds like: You buy a used car from the Hertz rental fleet. In more detail, it starts at the website, where you can get the latest information about the program and search its inventory. shows the cars, their location, mileage, exact price and other details.
once you choose a car, you can start (and maybe even finish) the buying process from home, doing things like applying for financing.
You can also go to the dealer who owns the car for a more traditional buying experience, with a few added perks like extended test drives.
test drive and rent2buy
There are two ways to test drive a car. the first is a free two-hour test drive. For the second, you can schedule a 3-day “trial rental,” where you rent the car you’re considering at a special rate. if you decide to buy the car, hertz will waive the rental fee. plus, in most states, you’ll be able to shop from your own home.
note that rent2buy does not appear to apply to all cars in inventory, although it does apply to most.
what kind of warranties and benefits do you get with these car sales?
hertz’s buy-back guarantee
Under this warranty, you can return your car within 7 days or 250 miles after purchase, whichever comes first. if you want to exchange it for a more expensive car, you can pay the price difference. otherwise, you can get a refund of the purchase price.
in either case, you’ll need to pay “a $200 cleaning and recertification fee…as well as any excess wear and tear or damage to the vehicle.”
12 month/12,000 hertz mile warranty
It’s not clear to me if this only applies to hertz certified cars (see next section), or all cars sold by hertz car sales, or just rent2buy cars. either way, this is what the warranty covers:
- “repair or replacement, less the applicable deductible, of covered parts in connection with a mechanical breakdown of the engine, transmission, or drive axle.”
- “travel breakdown protection” – “food & lodging costs up to $375 if a mechanical breakdown of a covered part occurs more than 100 miles from your home.”
- “rental car coverage” – “up to $35 per day for up to 10 days for a rental car if a mechanical failure of a covered part requires your vehicle to be repaired overnight.”
- “roadside assistance coverage”: “free roadside assistance for 1 year for emergencies such as a flat tire, being left without a key, or needing a jump start or towing.”
- protection plans up to 105,000 miles.
- gap coverage (“total loss protection”).
- prepaid maintenance.
- technological coverage.
- rental cars for sale can have anywhere from 10,000 to over 50,000 miles.
- cars are usually no more than 18 months old.
- The good thing is that most rental companies regularly maintain and inspect their cars.
- ally
- td
- pursue
- bank of america
- wells fargo
- a capital letter
- easy process and no haggling.
- decent warranty and a company that apparently “stands behind their cars” (especially if you buy a “certified” car).
- many cars are very new and will also have a manufacturer’s warranty.
- relatively low prices.
- generous test drive and rent-to-own programs.
- it’s a used rental car, so it might have been bumped or abused.
- It has probably been rented by dozens of people with no interest in the car before it got to you.
- it’s probably cheaper to buy at edmunds or elsewhere, or even haggle at a dealer.
- “I bought a car through hertz last month. Even without the rental purchase 2, you can take the car for a few hours to test drive it, take it to the mechanic, etc. the office I used encouraged me to actually do it.” (source).
- “If you’ve ever rented a car before, you probably didn’t treat it very well, be it speeding up fast or slamming doors, etc., so I’ll make sure you’re ready for that. I have witnessed many problems occur in cars that [sic] are due to wear and tear on the vehicles since 2013. Also, if the vehicle has been in any type of accident (major or minor), the rental company pays next to nothing to a body shop. he fixes the car and makes them take shortcuts to get back on the road as quickly as possible. they look for patches so that the car can earn money”. (source).
- Go with a “certified” car.
- inspect the car very, very carefully.
- if possible, have the car inspected by a mechanic (especially if you don’t choose a “certified” car).
- choose a car with little use (low mileage).
- choose a brand with a long manufacturer’s warranty.
- Decide if you will buy extras or options before you get to the dealership, to avoid being pressured there.
- always run the vin through a lookup and history report.
- buy a car that has received good reviews on all counts, including reliability.
- as always, do a lot of research and compare prices!
- carmax inspects all used cars, and they all have “carmax quality certification”. hertz, on the other hand, does not certify all of its cars.
- both hertz and carmax allow you to return a car within 7 days.
- carmax’s warranty is 90 days/4,000 miles (whichever comes first), while hertz’s is 12 months/12,000 miles.
- carmax does not focus on selling used rental cars, so the vehicles may not be as beat up or battered.
- apparently, you can’t haggle in carmax either.
this can be quite convincing, especially if your manufacturer’s warranty has expired or is close to its expiration.
what are hertz certified vehicles?
hertz-certified vehicles are those that, as hertz says, “go through a 115-point inspection and pass all requirements before being accepted by the dealer.”
as far as I can tell, the vast majority of cars in stock are not certified:
additional options
like almost all car dealerships, hertz offers a number of extras, including:
Are the cars banged up at these car sales?
That’s the big fear, right? Which cars have taken a beating across many rentals? Is there any truth to this?
The answer is that there can be. Citing consumer reports from a different company (AVIS), it is said that on average cars are rented 55-65 times a year (see video below). likewise, the same source informs us that, in general:
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so that means the worst case scenario could be a car that’s been leased about 97 times in 18 months and has over 50,000 miles on it. that, unlike a traditional used car, which may have had only one or two previous owners (who really cared for the car).
I’ll even make a confession: I eat in rental cars, but not in my own cars. I think I’m not the only one who will be less picky about a rental car than his own car.
Obviously, then, you need to be very careful when inspecting a used rental car (especially one that isn’t “certified”). it is likely that it has passed through dozens of tenants and that at least some have abused it.
Are the prices negotiable?
apparently not, according to this quora thread. I’d try anyway, but don’t expect them to give ground.
on the other hand, you can try to negotiate indirectly by negotiating the price of your trade, if you have one.
Also, some websites show coupon codes, although I don’t know if they actually work. although you may still want to try. just google coupon codes for hertz car sales to find them.
Are hertz car sales prices cheap?
let’s see. I am going to compare some cars directly at hertz car sales and edmunds. (Please note, however, that Edmunds does not sell the cars directly, but rather interacts with many dealerships.)
first car – 2019 toyota highlander le with ~13,000 miles
price in hertz (note that the car is certified in hertz): $26,587
edmunds price (certified unused): $25,940
So with Edmunds, you’re paying a few hundred bucks less, even though the car has a little more mileage and isn’t Certified Pre-Owned (although it’s probably under Toyota warranty). keep in mind that you can also go to the dealership directly (in this case hendrickson toyota) and haggle.
hertz prices for other non-certified cars are all over the map, considering mileage:
second car – 2019 bmw x3 sdrive30i with ~28,000 miles
price in hertz (certified): $32,997
edmunds price (not certified): $29,988
let’s get a carmax price too: $36,998
the one from carmax has fewer miles but doesn’t seem to be certified and is much more expensive than hertz or edmunds.
edmunds is significantly cheaper here, and the car has fewer miles than hertz’s.
third car – 2018 toyota camry le with ~35,000 miles
price in hertz (non-certified): $16,700
edmunds price (with ~22,000 miles): $15,995
See also: Best Car Scratch Removers for 2022 – CNET
carmax price: $18,998
again, edmunds is the cheapest and the car has the fewest miles.
so are hertz car sales cars cheaper?
a limited review like this will always be, well, limited. I can’t do a complete statistical study with thousands of car sales and prices. Still, with the above, you can see clear patterns emerging: Edmunds tends to be the cheapest, closely followed by Hertz Car Sales. carmax can be much more expensive than either.
However, it’s still essential to do your research when buying a car. be sure to compare prices from different sources for the particular model you want. At the very least, I would suggest getting 3 or more prices online, like I did above.
are trade-ins accepted?
yes. what apparently works is that you get a set amount of “cash” (more like credit). then use that amount to pay part of the price of a car from hertz car sales.
clearly, however, do your research before submitting your trade. have a good idea of what it’s worth so you know if you’re getting a good deal.
do you work with bad credit?
yes, to the extent that your lending partners do. As with virtually all types of car sales, Hertz Car Sales allows you to apply for credit with them and partner with well-known lenders to help you find a loan. here are some of their partners:
so I hope it’s not too different than applying for a bad credit car loan in any other situation. unfortunately, you may be denied or offered less favorable rates.
Are there additional fees?
Government fees may apply. see here.
hertz will provide vehicle maintenance records
no. however, they assure that “we encourage our customers to take the vehicle to their trusted mechanic to validate the quality of our vehicles and service technicians.”
can you pay for a car with a credit card?
no. per hertz: “…you may not use a credit or debit card to purchase the vehicle. however, we provide financing solutions for almost any budget. other acceptable forms of payment include: certified check or wire transfer. no bank checks accepted.”
hertz car sales review: pros and cons
advantages
cons
other reviews and opinions on the sale of used rental cars
although i haven’t used hertz car sales (personally leasing) myself, i collected reviews and comments from all over the internet. let’s take a look at a few:
consumer reports
a youtuber with an opinion
Interestingly, this guy suggests that many rental companies are self-insured and may have fixed the cars without going through insurance. for that reason, he says, damages and repairs may not show up on a vin search or vehicle history report.
I personally don’t know if this is the case (or even legal), but it’s just one more thing to think about when inspecting a used rental car.
hertz car sales review on video
quotes from people on reddit about rental car sales (fwiw)
advice for buying from hertz or any other rental company
car sales in hertz vs. carmax
carmax seems to be consistently more expensive, as the examples above show. still, it’s worth doing the research for the particular vehicle you’re considering.
Beyond cost, there are some similarities and differences between the two. for example:
hertz car sales review conclusion
As you can see, buying from hertz car sales (or buying used rental cars in general) has many pros and cons. I personally would be quite nervous about these types of car sales and would be more inclined if the price was very, very good.
even then, I have to assume the worst: the car took a beating. so, I would try to mitigate that as much as possible. in fact, I’d probably rent-own and take it to a reputable mechanic for a thorough inspection.
but listen, I’m not telling you not to. just to do your research and analysis carefully first, as with any other major purchase. oh! and consider the benefits of leasing (my favorite way to own cars).
good luck!
what do you think of this type of car sales? do you have a hertz car sales review?
Disclaimer: I wrote this post based on data I found online at the time of writing. always check directly with hertz car sales and other sources for the latest information.
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