Vehicles have gotten progressively more expensive as the years have gone on. This is also the case for the best used cars. Because of the rising prices, many buyers have to get creative. Luckily, there are unconventional ways to find used cars, with rental car sales being popular with some buyers. However, it’s a toss-up whether this is a good investment. 

Looking into rental car sales has many advantages

There are many reasons why people look into rental car sales. For starters, these are usually newer model vehicles. According to Lending Tree, rental companies keep their vehicles between one and three years. Additionally, you’ll typically pay less when buying a rental car than at a traditional dealership.

People also buy cars from rental companies because of the level of maintenance. These companies ensure that their fleet of cars is in pristine condition so that customers won’t have to deal with issues when they rent. Because of this, buyers who go to rental car companies can rest assured that the vehicles they drive home with have had on-time oil changes and all other forms of preventative maintenance done. 

The cars that rental companies use are often also cleaner than used cars you’d find on some dealer lots. Again, this is because rental car companies like Enterprise want their customers to have a vehicle that not only drives well but also looks the part. 

There are also downsides

Of course, pursuing rental car sales isn’t a perfect solution for used car buyers. One of the issues is that despite the cars being newer, buyers can expect them to have high mileage. Additionally, you must remember that many people driving rental cars do so for road trips. This means that in addition to having high mileage, these cars will have more wear and tear than cars around the same age. 

Still, the regular maintenance that car rental companies do on their cars should offset it. However, that’s not all. Former rental cars that companies are selling will have lower resale values. Of course, this will only matter for people who think they may sell or trade in the car somewhere down the line. These cars have lower values because many buyers don’t want former rental vehicles because they know the potential abuse they have been through. 

So, is using rental car sales the best solution for used car buyers? It just depends on what you want out of a car. If you want a recent model vehicle that may have some wear and tear, it can be a good option. However, if you are a person who might drive it on long trips, you may want to think twice as these cars will have several journeys under their belts.