Should you buy a program car?
I get this question from readers all the time. So much, I wrote an entire blog post about it. If you have the same question, go give it a read – “Should I Buy a Rental Car.”
Program car is just a fancy name for “off-lease” or “previous rental vehicle.” In actuality, that’s where most program cars come from, previous rentals. What sounds better to you? I have this “program car” for sale, or, I have this “previous rental car” for sale?
Think about the last car you rented. How well did you treat it? How many people drove it like they stole it and just ragged it out, you’ve heard the famous quote, “Oh, it’s just a rental.”
At my dealership we would tell customers that previous rentals, I mean program cars, are well maintained because they must keep them running so the rental company can make money. The truth is these cars go well over the recommended preventative maintenance schedules, especially oil and filter changes because they get re-rented as fast as they hit the lot.
I’ve sold thousands of program cars in my dealerships over my career. Many of the low mileage used cars you see on a dealer’s lot are previous rentals. You will ultimately have to decide if you want to buy a program car.
Program cars normally have some minor interior and exterior nicks and scratches along with marks in and around the trunk area from people tossing luggage into the trunk. An AutoCheck used car vehicle history report will notify you if a vehicle was previously a rental.
As long as you review the history report and have the vehicle inspected you will increase your odds greatly from buying a bad vehicle. So if you’re in the market to buy a used car, a program car may be the right choice for you.