Before you buy, know the history of your car.

“Wait, it was a rental car?” Often, people are biased against rental cars. There may be a psychological distaste, for some reason, for a vehicle that was used by dozens of people over a short time, instead of just one person for a few years. But, if you do it right, buying a rental can be a great idea.

Rentals Are In Better Shape

One of the upsides of rental cars is that the rental business lives on keeping cars in tip-top shape. Minor body damage is quickly repaired, the cars are kept clean the entire time they are owned, and any recalls or other maintenance issues are quickly fixed. Also, considering people are on the hook for rental damage, they tend to treat a rental slightly better than their own car. That said, not everybody shows respect to someone else’s property, so a test drive will be essential.

What Is The Value?

Just as you should know the value of any used car, make sure you have checked the car’s exact fair market value to determine whether you are getting a good price. In some situations, you may find an attempt at a bit of a mark-up, since rentals are in better shape. Do not be fooled; fair market value should be your benchmark, no premiums attached.

What Is The History?

With any used car, you should check the history tied to its VIN number; this is usually how you discover a used car had a previous life as a rental. When you run the report, look it over for accidents and other concerns, and make a point of asking questions. Most rental companies will not put a car on the road that is unsafe for the driver, so safety issues will likely not be a major concern if you purchase a rental car. That said, if there is anything that stands out as troubling about the car, ask for more information.

Before driving off, know what you’re getting into.

Check The Warranty

Another factor you should look into with rental cars is their warranties. Like any used car, some warranties, like a general bumper-to-bumper one, will transfer between owners. Others, like the powertrain warranty, may not. When looking at a rental car, ask what warranties and other coverage may still apply.

What Is The Equipment?

Another point to consider is that rental companies are focused more on providing four wheels and an engine they can keep in good shape to renters, not on providing a model dripping with options. Rental cars are more likely to lack high-end features like in-dash navigation cameras, back-up cameras, and other features that might be available in other models. Always ask about the features of the car, and make sure to check things you assume are standard; it is not entirely unknown for rental agencies for forgo optional safety features.

Buy Through Dealerships

It seems odd advice to go through a middleman, especially when rental companies sell their used cars directly, but in this case, a dealership might be your best friend. Ideally, you will work through a dealership that offers certified pre-owned cars, meaning a mechanic has gone over the car with a lengthy checklist, testing the car point by point, finding problems and fixing them, and generally ensuring the car is in good shape. That way you will keep surprises to a minimum.

For more about buying used cars, rental or not, check out the research from CarFoundMe.