So do you own a rental car?

[Bret]

So I’m taking my 4 year old daughter to daycare and as we’re walking across the parking lot she says – “Look daddy those rental cars are the same color?”

I look over to see two reddish (cranberry) sedans – a Toyota Camry next to a Mazda 6 (I think?) and say “Oh no honey, those cars may look the same but they are two different cars”. I then ask “so why do you think they’re rental cars?”

She tells me in her 4 year old logic that “they look like some of the rental cars I bring home sometimes” and then proceeds to explain that (in her view) any car with four doors and is a hard top is a “rental car”.

I had to work hard to keep from busted a nut laughing at her revelation because she was so serious about it. But then realized that it makes perfect sense because nobody in her family owns a sedan anymore. In fact we only own SUVs, Trucks and Sports Cars. So in her view anything else (like a Sedan) is a rental car.

So do you own a rental car? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

 

[1965_MGB]

I have a blue one. Currently in the shop for a third transmission (gotta love those extended warranties). The other cars are a Cougar and my B'.

I like her logic.

 

[AngliaGT]

Bret,

My Wife really drives a used rental car.
2002 Mazda Protoge.Boring,Boring,Boring!
This is the same Woman who called me when we
had a Gold Protege rental car (from the mall),
& told me that it was "stolen".
She called back a little while later,saying
that it blended into the background so badly,that
she failed to notice it!
Did I mention that this car is Boring?

- Doug

 

[Guest]

Probably like my wife's silver Accord, the one I "lost" at the airport because every car there was a silver Accord.

 

[anthony7777]

many years ago my uncle bought a new crown vic he brought me and my son about 11 years old at the time into the garage to show it off interestingly it was a blue similar to one of the lighter color healy blues, it was well appointed, very comfortable and very large but plane jane looking as they come after a while my son turns and looks over to my uncle with a confused look on his face and says "gee uncle carmen i didnt know you could by cars from the police" -- ahh come on son lets go rollerblading. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif

 

[Camshaft]

many years ago my uncle bought a new crown vic he brought me and my son about 11 years old at the time into the garage to show it off interestingly it was a blue similar to one of the lighter color healy blues, it was well appointed, very comfortable and very large but plane jane looking as they come after a while my son turns and looks over to my uncle with a confused look on his face and says "gee uncle carmen i didnt know you could by cars from the police" -- ahh come on son lets go rollerblading. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif

Nothing wrong with that, for a while I wanted an old police car in the worst way.

 

[Steve]

I drove many old police cars....when they were pretty new. Believe me, you probably wouldn't wnat to own one of those!

Nice story Bret, very cute, and yes, I agree she has perfect logic!

 

[anthony7777]

many years ago my uncle bought a new crown vic he brought me and my son about 11 years old at the time into the garage to show it off interestingly it was a blue similar to one of the lighter color healy blues, it was well appointed, very comfortable and very large but plane jane looking as they come after a while my son turns and looks over to my uncle with a confused look on his face and says "gee uncle carmen i didnt know you could by cars from the police" -- ahh come on son lets go rollerblading. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/blush.gif

Nothing wrong with that, for a while I wanted an old police car in the worst way.

ya wuz gunna go "blues brother" hay kid? - the point is that my uncle bought the car from a local Fix Or Repar Daily dealer brand new but boy did it look like a cop car. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif

 

[YankeeTR]

My wife drive a black Lincoln Continental rental car.

The others in the fleet include an F-150, A '52 Merc 2 door, a couple TR's and whatever else in "in stock"...

 

[lawguy]

I guess my Grand Am GT is a "rental car"...

I love 4 year old reasoning- but that is real, live higher level reasoning whether it leads to correct conclusions or not. It's fun as a parent to see that.

I have kids 10, 7, 3 and 2. The 10 year old especially always tried to figure things out. Now, his conclusions are getting right more often.

As an aside, our 2003 Chev. Venture was a "retired" Avis rental van. It was perfect. We got it in 2003, about 10 months old with 15,000 miles on the clock. It's got the 8 passenger option which is rare outside rental circles (which we wanted)- new, $27,000-29,000, 10 mos old- under $18,000. It has been perfect so far.

 

[Bret]

My only thoughts on actually buying a former rental car can be summed up best as follows:

Question: How do you turn a Ford Tarsus into a 4x4?

Answer: Sign a rental agreement. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif

In my line of work I rent a lot of vehicles and there’s a running joke in the field among my fellow service engineers – about “ATR’s”! – All Terrain Rentals. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smirk.gif

 

[YankeeTR]

Back in '73 my kenworth ate a cylinder liner in Boise, ID.

Another trucker and I rented a red VW bug for a week...he was waiting for a load of freight. We took the bug into the mountains, ran several off-road trails, forded a few streams and took it back to Alamo Rental after a good bath.

All that fun for $5.95 a day.

 

[wkilleffer]

Back in 2005, I was working a job that took me out on the road alot. The company would arrange for car rentals through Budget. Most of them were what you would expect. American sedans, and usually kind of bland. One was a Pontiac Grand Am that was probably about to be retired at around 30k miles. It was gray with a gray cloth interior. Not that I'm complaining, cause that car saved my life when a semi hit me up in CT and sent me into a guardrail. The driver changed his story three times while talking to the first responder.

One of the best cars I drove was a 2005 Chevrolet Impala SS. It was nearly new, gold with a yellow leather interior, fake wood trim, and alloy wheels. The AC was like a refrigerator, the radio was one of the best I've ever heard, it was comfortable and had plenty of power. I couldn't believe it was a rental. I wanted to buy it when I got back from the trip. It's got me sold on the idea of maybe owning a new Impala in the future, even though they've changed the body and a few other things since then.

We thought we were going to have to rent a car while on our recent vacation due to some car trouble along the way, and went ahead and arranged the rental with a local agency in Macon, GA. The car was a new Dodge Avenger. It was so nice that I almost hoped our new car wouldn't be ready on time.

I dislike SUVs, and don't really want to own any more foreign nameplate cars unless they're classics. The exceptions might be Volvos or Saabs, but it seems car trouble is more complicated in a BMW than it is in a Chevrolet.

I'd like to own a Police Interceptor Crown Vic, but it's going to be awhile. A friend has owned one for the last three years and really enjoyed it. It hasn't been much trouble either.

I fail to understand the allure of rental car abuse as well. I was always taught that you treated the property of other people the same as you would want them to treat your possessions. Just cause the rental company is some faceless conglomerate doesn't excuse bad behavior.

 

[AngliaGT]

I always wanted to buy an ex-CHP Mustang -
- leave it Black & White,& use it for auto-x,
hillclimbs,etc.
I did have a 4 door Mustang.It was an'85
LTD LX the mid-sized civilian version of the police
car.302 HO,posi,6 way power seat,& the all-important
20 gallon gas tank.That was a fun car.

- Doug

 

[Bret]

I fail to understand the allure of rental car abuse as well. I was always taught that you treated the property of other people the same as you would want them to treat your possessions. Just cause the rental company is some faceless conglomerate doesn't excuse bad behavior.

Wow Will?!?! I don't think thats a fair comment.

Please don’t confuse abuse with indifference. While I’ve seen blatant abuse of rental cars, most folks don’t set out to damage or mistreat these vehicles. We're just not as concerned about how we treat them as we would be if it was our own vehicle.

Don’t know how many rental cars you’ve rented in your life time but thanks to my line of work I lost count about 10 or 15 years ago and I was already in the hundreds at that time.

Now I can’t speak for everybody’s rental car experiences but while I hold no animosity towards them – I can assure you that they don’t do the customers any favors unless they know you (you’re a regular high volume renter) and even then, they’re going to treat you like the lowest common denominator when push comes to shove. Is this a justification for my indifference while behind the wheel of a rental car? No just explaining why I don’t care about anything other than putting fuel in the dang things and don’t get upset or care about hitting a speed bump a little harder than I probably would in my own personal vehicle. Trust me if you constantly damage or wreck a rental car – rental companies will banned you from ever renting again.

Likewise I might explain that for a short time about 25 years ago I actually worked in the rental car industry (yard supervisor) and can assure you that (at that time anyway) – the customer’s safety was not a top concern. I remember many occasions where a customer reported a problem of one sort or another and once they left in the shuttle bus - it was rushed to the back into service. The thought was if the wheels ain’t falling off – it goes back in service ASAP.

Then there’s the resale to the public of the cars from the rental fleet. While I understand many things have improved I would never purchase one of these vehicles. As in my experience rarely did the returned vehicles (even one’s with complaints or reported problems) received even a rudimentary inspection and was usually given a good cleaning & vacuuming it was rented out again.

Without going into too much detail – I’ve had many friends and associates purchase former rental cars and had been severely disappointed.

 

[tony barnhill]

I rent cars all the time, never abuse them, but do take liberties from time to time...not long ago, we were out near Pike's Peak - I'd never been up it....had a Chevrolet rental & decided it was then or never...when I pulled up at the gate at the bottom & the guy told me to turn off the air conditioning & have fun....I did!

When I went to turn the car back in, I was kinda concerned because it was so dirty...the Avis attendant just looked at it & said something like "Pike's Peak" nothing more...when I asked, he explained that the condition of my car was nothing compared to the folks who took their rental cars from Denver up into the mountains on skiing or hunting trips.....they expect us to use them like that!

& that's one of the reasons they sell them with so few miles on the clock....& why they do superb maintenance.

 

[jlaird]

Bought a rental Cadilac years ago. Good car, full warenty.

 

[wkilleffer]

Bought a rental Cadilac years ago. Good car, full warenty.

Not quite the same, but my parents bought an off-lease Caddy when it was maybe four years old. I've heard a few rental car-type stories about cars like that and kind of worried about it. Seems lease cars don't always get regular maintenance, but that could be just a rumor. It's now ten years old and still going strong. The Northstar V8 runs like a champ and thanks in part to Dad's care, the interior looks nearly new. It's probably one of the best cars they've ever owned.

 

[wkilleffer]

I fail to understand the allure of rental car abuse as well. I was always taught that you treated the property of other people the same as you would want them to treat your possessions. Just cause the rental company is some faceless conglomerate doesn't excuse bad behavior.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Wow Will?!?! I don't think thats a fair comment.

Please don’t confuse abuse with indifference. While I’ve seen blatant abuse of rental cars, most folks don’t set out to damage or mistreat these vehicles. We're just not as concerned about how we treat them as we would be if it was our own vehicle.

Ok, I will concede that my choice of words wasn't the best, and that I was feeling a bit tired and cranky when I made the post. Can we still be friends? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Don’t know how many rental cars you’ve rented in your life time but thanks to my line of work I lost count about 10 or 15 years ago and I was already in the hundreds at that time.

Now I can’t speak for everybody’s rental car experiences but while I hold no animosity towards them – I can assure you that they don’t do the customers any favors unless they know you (you’re a regular high volume renter) and even then, they’re going to treat you like the lowest common denominator when push comes to shove. Is this a justification for my indifference while behind the wheel of a rental car? No just explaining why I don’t care about anything other than putting fuel in the dang things and don’t get upset or care about hitting a speed bump a little harder than I probably would in my own personal vehicle. Trust me if you constantly damage or wreck a rental car – rental companies will banned you from ever renting again.[/QUOTE]

I can't remember how many cars I rented, but the company I worked for at the time was a high-volume renter, so they got some deals and I got a few nice free upgrades. I knew I was just another customer to them, though. As far as that wreck went, I was afraid that I'd end up in hot water with Budget even though it wasn't my fault. The whole experience was rather disorienting, and then my company more or less told me that I was the first employee to ever have that happen to them. Budget ended up being pretty easy to deal with, probably because the police report was pretty cut and dried. They called me a few weeks later to hear my story again because the truck driver's insurance company was fighting them about it. They made sure to tell me that they needed my story to help with the fight, and not that I was going to have to pay for the car or anything.

Now, when we were on our way to FL and had car trouble near Macon, GA, a locally owned rental car company stayed open nearly a half hour past their closing time so we could arrange a rental just in case the mechanic wasn't able to finish the repair before closing time. They only charged us $30, and said we could leave the car at the dealership and they would pick it up the following Monday. $30 seemed like cheap peace of mind and insurance that our vacation would only have minimal disruption. The car was nearly new and quite nice.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Likewise I might explain that for a short time about 25 years ago I actually worked in the rental car industry (yard supervisor) and can assure you that (at that time anyway) – the customer’s safety was not a top concern. I remember many occasions where a customer reported a problem of one sort or another and once they left in the shuttle bus - it was rushed to the back into service. The thought was if the wheels ain’t falling off – it goes back in service ASAP.

Then there’s the resale to the public of the cars from the rental fleet. While I understand many things have improved I would never purchase one of these vehicles. As in my experience rarely did the returned vehicles (even one’s with complaints or reported problems) received even a rudimentary inspection and was usually given a good cleaning & vacuuming it was rented out again.[/QUOTE]

So a customer buys one of the cars, has some kind of problem, and brings it back. Company takes it back and puts it back into circulation as a rental? That's pretty bad.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Without going into too much detail – I’ve had many friends and associates purchase former rental cars and had been severely disappointed.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, but I still wish I had been able to buy that Impala. Back when Budget had a sales lot here, I went and looked at some of the vehicles. I couldn't help but notice and be curious about the wide range of mileage on the odometers. Some cars were pushing 30k miles, and others were well less than 10k. Some of the SUVs smelled funny inside too.

 

[Bret]

Ok, I will concede that my choice of words wasn't the best, and that I was feeling a bit tired and cranky when I made the post. Can we still be friends? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

I'm a pretty easy going guy, so don't wory about it.

So a customer buys one of the cars, has some kind of problem, and brings it back. Company takes it back and puts it back into circulation as a rental? That's pretty bad.

Actually I was refering to a customer renting a car and returing it because of some complaint about it and then the company turing around and re-renting a car to another unsuspecting renter without anything more than a run through the the car wash.
But yes it was pretty bad. I still think my complaints about that practus, is what ended up getting fired. First & last time I was ever fired BTW. But that's ok I took them to court and won a few consessions over the way they let me go over the whole ordeal.