Used Tesla Model 3 from Hertz

[volleyballer]

Has anyone picked up one of the Tesla Model 3's from Hertz? You can get a 2022 with 35k miles for under $25k. I could manage our magi to get us the $4k tax credit for this year (but probably not anymore after this year). DW and I currently drive right proper mustachian paid off 10 year old Toyotas with about 150k miles each, and those vehicles have been good to us thus far. I drive about 20k miles per year, and half of that is reimbursable work miles that I would use the Tesla for. Apparently there's a 50kW charger a couple miles from my house that is free (yes, free), so I could get some free juice from that.

I guess I'm just curious about what the ownership experience and operation and maintenance costs would be vs owning a regular Toyota.

Assume I would buy this vehicle cash, and sell one of the Toyotas for $7-8k.

[bacchi]

Definitely get a body shop and mechanic to look over any used car from Hertz. One of the reasons that Hertz is getting rid of so many is because repair costs were higher than expected. Those things are used and abused.

[SweatingInAR]

You can get a 2017-2020 Chevy Bolt for less than $15k, and still collect the $4k tax credit if you are eligible. The range is slightly less than a model 3, but I think you will also find that the odometers are generally much lower.

[NorCal]

I have a Tesla and would recommend it.  Maintenance costs are negligible, although repair costs can be high when damaged.  Know what shape the tires are in.

I don't know current market prices, but $25k seems pretty reasonable.

I've heard that buying from rental companies is a much more reliable experience than it used to be.  But I don't have personal experience with it.

[volleyballer]

I appreciate the responses.

I have been toying around on the "a better route planner" app to see how a standard 2022 M3 would fare on my work trips. For a typical 340 mile round trip, I would need to charge 3 times for a total of 33 minutes.

I might just try to rent a Tesla for a work trip and try it out for a day or two to get the full experience.

[GilesMM]

I appreciate the responses.

I have been toying around on the "a better route planner" app to see how a standard 2022 M3 would fare on my work trips. For a typical 340 mile round trip, I would need to charge 3 times for a total of 33 minutes.

I might just try to rent a Tesla for a work trip and try it out for a day or two to get the full experience.

Hertz may let you rent the actual sale car for 3 days and comp the cost if you buy it. Just keep in mind Tesla are near the worst cars you can buy for reliability and abused rentals could be even worse.  Your Toyotas, on the other hand, have probably been trouble-free and will probably run another 100,000 miles each.

[NorCal]

I appreciate the responses.

I have been toying around on the "a better route planner" app to see how a standard 2022 M3 would fare on my work trips. For a typical 340 mile round trip, I would need to charge 3 times for a total of 33 minutes.

I might just try to rent a Tesla for a work trip and try it out for a day or two to get the full experience.

That's a good plan.  FWIW, I've found ABRP to be about 10% conservative in my non-Tesla.  Which is better than assuming you can get further than you can.

[spartana]

I've rented both a Tesla 3 and a Bolt from Hertz for several weeks each and right not they are about the lowest priced rentals available to rent - less expensive than the economy car like a ICE Spark - in my area of Calif. Hertz is selling them because, for people like me, they were too much of a hassle to deal with finding charging stations while on road trips or even for business travellers in unfamiliar locations.  So they've been sitting on the hertz lots unrented (along with the Polestar 2 and several small EVs like Niros and Konas) so they are being sold off or have discounted rental costs.

As for my experience with Hertz vehicles as longer term monthly rentals (don't own a car so rent often from hertz for road trips) I've always had great cars/Suvs.. They seem to maintain them pretty well and I've never had a problem and wouldn't have a problem buying a lightly used lower mileage hertz rent vehicle. However I don't know much about their EVs. Look at any Manager Specials on Teslas or EVs as well as their EV Specials they have now. Use a membership card for somewhere that offers hertz discounts (I use AAA).on their website and a CC that covers the damage/collision costs to reduce costs. Check out the "try before you buy" thing mentioned above but if you can rent it cheap for avweek or a month to try it out that might be better. The Tesla I rented was around $600/month (31 days) all inclusive and unlimited miles.

[Paper Chaser]

Rentals often live pretty rough lives. Tesla is not a brand synonymous with high build quality. I recently saw a video of with a Model 3 that was a former rental and it was in pretty rough shape for a 3 year old car. I'd definitely want to do a thorough inspection to make sure you're ok with any potential defects before buying.

I'm also not sure that the Hertz units are a better deal than any other used Model 3. It seems like they're selling for very similar $/mi as other Private party used Model 3s that probably weren't former rentals.

[GilesMM]

I've rented both a Tesla 3 and a Bolt from Hertz for several weeks each and right not they are about the lowest priced rentals available to rent - less expensive than the economy car like a ICE Spark - in my area of Calif. Hertz is selling them because, for people like me, they were too much of a hassle to deal with finding charging stations while on road trips or even for business travellers in unfamiliar locations.  So they've been sitting on the hertz lots unrented (along with the Polestar 2 and several small EVs like Niros and Konas) so they are being sold off or have discounted rental costs.

As for my experience with Hertz vehicles as longer term monthly rentals (don't own a car so rent often from hertz for road trips) I've always had great cars/Suvs.. They seem to maintain them pretty well and I've never had a problem and wouldn't have a problem buying a lightly used lower mileage hertz rent vehicle. However I don't know much about their EVs. Look at any Manager Specials on Teslas or EVs as well as their EV Specials they have now. Use a membership card for somewhere that offers hertz discounts (I use AAA).on their website and a CC that covers the damage/collision costs to reduce costs. Check out the "try before you buy" thing mentioned above but if you can rent it cheap for avweek or a month to try it out that might be better. The Tesla I rented was around $600/month (31 days) all inclusive and unlimited miles.

$20/day on a rental is a killer deal by any measure!  My record is closer $30.

[spartana]

Yeah during the pandemic I often was able to get rentals for around $12/day based on a monthly rate with a discount from AAA. My last rental was a Kona (not an EV) Dec 02 to Jan 02, 2024 (which was the last time I've driven a car - bike for the win lol) and it was about $400/month including all taxes and fees so still good deals. Helps if you're retired or flexible. Everything's high now due to spring break but their non-Tesla EVs like a Bolt was still the cheapest rental at around $650/month all inclusive.

ETA: My Chase Freedom card covers 31 days of the damage waiver and I have a non-car owners liability policy (approx $250/year).  I generally have had good experiences with various rental vehicles over the past 4 to 5 years of being carless but no real advice on the quality of a used rental. I'm also on the Hertz reward program so get free upgrades - which is how I got a Tesla at a Bolt price.

[spartana]

Just checked out hertz used Model 3s in the LA region and seems the average price  is approx $26k for a 2023 with 25k miles. They are certified and come with a warranty. Don't know if that's a good deal or not but seems OK to me.

[ChpBstrd]

I guess I'm just curious about what the ownership experience and operation and maintenance costs would be vs owning a regular Toyota.

Use the following tool to view the estimated 5-year total cost of ownership for various vehicles.
https://www.edmunds.com/tco.html

My numbers:
2022 Toyota Camry LE: $36,016
2022 Tesla Model 3 base: $44,216

Your numbers may vary based on the zip code entered. This is the pitfall of Teslas (not electric cars in general). They are high performance luxury cars with an extremely high cost of repairs and insurance. The cost of ownership is on par with a BMW or Mercedes. The next generation of electric vehicles will hopefully exceed the financial performance of ICE vehicles like the aforementioned Camry.

[dandarc]

A 2022 Chevy Bolt already beats the camry. Of course, that's a very different car than a model 3.

[JLee]

I guess I'm just curious about what the ownership experience and operation and maintenance costs would be vs owning a regular Toyota.

Use the following tool to view the estimated 5-year total cost of ownership for various vehicles.
https://www.edmunds.com/tco.html

My numbers:
2022 Toyota Camry LE: $36,016
2022 Tesla Model 3 base: $44,216

Your numbers may vary based on the zip code entered. This is the pitfall of Teslas (not electric cars in general). They are high performance luxury cars with an extremely high cost of repairs and insurance. The cost of ownership is on par with a BMW or Mercedes. The next generation of electric vehicles will hopefully exceed the financial performance of ICE vehicles like the aforementioned Camry.

Hard disagree - insurance varies wildly by person.  I was paying $900/yr for full coverage ($250/500k, $1k deductible collision $0 deductible comprehensive) on a Model 3 Long Range.  Total maintenance cost over 29k miles was a $60 cabin air filter that I paid Tesla to install because I was lazy.

[ChpBstrd]

I guess I'm just curious about what the ownership experience and operation and maintenance costs would be vs owning a regular Toyota.

Use the following tool to view the estimated 5-year total cost of ownership for various vehicles.
https://www.edmunds.com/tco.html

My numbers:
2022 Toyota Camry LE: $36,016
2022 Tesla Model 3 base: $44,216

Your numbers may vary based on the zip code entered. This is the pitfall of Teslas (not electric cars in general). They are high performance luxury cars with an extremely high cost of repairs and insurance. The cost of ownership is on par with a BMW or Mercedes. The next generation of electric vehicles will hopefully exceed the financial performance of ICE vehicles like the aforementioned Camry.

Hard disagree - insurance varies wildly by person.  I was paying $900/yr for full coverage ($250/500k, $1k deductible collision $0 deductible comprehensive) on a Model 3 Long Range.  Total maintenance cost over 29k miles was a $60 cabin air filter that I paid Tesla to install because I was lazy.

There is an average-person / average-mileage assumption with these numbers, but they should be roughly proportional. I.e. you would be paying less for Camry insurance too, and if you drive fewer miles you replace fewer tires.

There's also an element of chance. If you cut the sidewall on your Model 3's tires, it will cost twice as much as if you do the same to your Camry. Similar if you dent a fender. Maybe you do and maybe you don't, but that liability is still out there.

Finally, depreciation is a wildcard for Teslas because Tesla is dramatically cutting prices on brand new cars, pushing down the value of existing cars. That won't continue forever, but for the next couple of years we have no idea what a Model 3 will depreciate. Will it depreciate quickly like other used luxury cars or will the lower maintenance and fueling costs make them hold their value more like a twenty-year-old Civic? My best guess is somewhere in between, but I think Edmunds has done their homework here and has a very fair estimate.

[JLee]

I guess I'm just curious about what the ownership experience and operation and maintenance costs would be vs owning a regular Toyota.

Use the following tool to view the estimated 5-year total cost of ownership for various vehicles.
https://www.edmunds.com/tco.html

My numbers:
2022 Toyota Camry LE: $36,016
2022 Tesla Model 3 base: $44,216

Your numbers may vary based on the zip code entered. This is the pitfall of Teslas (not electric cars in general). They are high performance luxury cars with an extremely high cost of repairs and insurance. The cost of ownership is on par with a BMW or Mercedes. The next generation of electric vehicles will hopefully exceed the financial performance of ICE vehicles like the aforementioned Camry.

Hard disagree - insurance varies wildly by person.  I was paying $900/yr for full coverage ($250/500k, $1k deductible collision $0 deductible comprehensive) on a Model 3 Long Range.  Total maintenance cost over 29k miles was a $60 cabin air filter that I paid Tesla to install because I was lazy.

There is an average-person / average-mileage assumption with these numbers, but they should be roughly proportional. I.e. you would be paying less for Camry insurance too, and if you drive fewer miles you replace fewer tires.

There's also an element of chance. If you cut the sidewall on your Model 3's tires, it will cost twice as much as if you do the same to your Camry. Similar if you dent a fender. Maybe you do and maybe you don't, but that liability is still out there.

Finally, depreciation is a wildcard for Teslas because Tesla is dramatically cutting prices on brand new cars, pushing down the value of existing cars. That won't continue forever, but for the next couple of years we have no idea what a Model 3 will depreciate. Will it depreciate quickly like other used luxury cars or will the lower maintenance and fueling costs make them hold their value more like a twenty-year-old Civic? My best guess is somewhere in between, but I think Edmunds has done their homework here and has a very fair estimate.

You'd think, but it's not predictable.  I went from a Model 3 to a (more expensive) Lightning and my insurance went down. Sold that, went to a (more expensive) Rivian and insurance went down again.

All of those cars were cheaper than my 2017 Bolt was to insure when I bought it used in 2019.

[volleyballer]

Update: renting a Tesla model 3 for a week, and I'm super impressed!

My rental journey started with a kia niro ev because they were out of Teslas. The car itself was fine, but charging from 60 to 88% took almost an hour and a half on the free 50kW charger near my house. The car was only charging between 12 and 20 kW. Not sure if that was due to cold temps (32 deg F) but needless to say I spent more time charging the car than actually driving it. I took it back and swapped for a Tesla the next day.

The Tesla standard range model 3 is quite impressive. The acceleration genuinely surprised me. Supercharger lived up to its name - in the amount of time it took to get a coffee at Panera, it charged from 60 to 80 percent.

I'm planning to take it on a longer trip tomorrow. Will update!

[ChpBstrd]

I guess I'm just curious about what the ownership experience and operation and maintenance costs would be vs owning a regular Toyota.

Use the following tool to view the estimated 5-year total cost of ownership for various vehicles.
https://www.edmunds.com/tco.html

My numbers:
2022 Toyota Camry LE: $36,016
2022 Tesla Model 3 base: $44,216

Your numbers may vary based on the zip code entered. This is the pitfall of Teslas (not electric cars in general). They are high performance luxury cars with an extremely high cost of repairs and insurance. The cost of ownership is on par with a BMW or Mercedes. The next generation of electric vehicles will hopefully exceed the financial performance of ICE vehicles like the aforementioned Camry.

Hard disagree - insurance varies wildly by person.  I was paying $900/yr for full coverage ($250/500k, $1k deductible collision $0 deductible comprehensive) on a Model 3 Long Range.  Total maintenance cost over 29k miles was a $60 cabin air filter that I paid Tesla to install because I was lazy.

There is an average-person / average-mileage assumption with these numbers, but they should be roughly proportional. I.e. you would be paying less for Camry insurance too, and if you drive fewer miles you replace fewer tires.

There's also an element of chance. If you cut the sidewall on your Model 3's tires, it will cost twice as much as if you do the same to your Camry. Similar if you dent a fender. Maybe you do and maybe you don't, but that liability is still out there.

Finally, depreciation is a wildcard for Teslas because Tesla is dramatically cutting prices on brand new cars, pushing down the value of existing cars. That won't continue forever, but for the next couple of years we have no idea what a Model 3 will depreciate. Will it depreciate quickly like other used luxury cars or will the lower maintenance and fueling costs make them hold their value more like a twenty-year-old Civic? My best guess is somewhere in between, but I think Edmunds has done their homework here and has a very fair estimate.

You'd think, but it's not predictable.  I went from a Model 3 to a (more expensive) Lightning and my insurance went down. Sold that, went to a (more expensive) Rivian and insurance went down again.

All of those cars were cheaper than my 2017 Bolt was to insure when I bought it used in 2019.

That's super weird. Especially in this environment of skyrocketing car insurance rates across the board.

[JLee]

I guess I'm just curious about what the ownership experience and operation and maintenance costs would be vs owning a regular Toyota.

Use the following tool to view the estimated 5-year total cost of ownership for various vehicles.
https://www.edmunds.com/tco.html

My numbers:
2022 Toyota Camry LE: $36,016
2022 Tesla Model 3 base: $44,216

Your numbers may vary based on the zip code entered. This is the pitfall of Teslas (not electric cars in general). They are high performance luxury cars with an extremely high cost of repairs and insurance. The cost of ownership is on par with a BMW or Mercedes. The next generation of electric vehicles will hopefully exceed the financial performance of ICE vehicles like the aforementioned Camry.

Hard disagree - insurance varies wildly by person.  I was paying $900/yr for full coverage ($250/500k, $1k deductible collision $0 deductible comprehensive) on a Model 3 Long Range.  Total maintenance cost over 29k miles was a $60 cabin air filter that I paid Tesla to install because I was lazy.

There is an average-person / average-mileage assumption with these numbers, but they should be roughly proportional. I.e. you would be paying less for Camry insurance too, and if you drive fewer miles you replace fewer tires.

There's also an element of chance. If you cut the sidewall on your Model 3's tires, it will cost twice as much as if you do the same to your Camry. Similar if you dent a fender. Maybe you do and maybe you don't, but that liability is still out there.

Finally, depreciation is a wildcard for Teslas because Tesla is dramatically cutting prices on brand new cars, pushing down the value of existing cars. That won't continue forever, but for the next couple of years we have no idea what a Model 3 will depreciate. Will it depreciate quickly like other used luxury cars or will the lower maintenance and fueling costs make them hold their value more like a twenty-year-old Civic? My best guess is somewhere in between, but I think Edmunds has done their homework here and has a very fair estimate.

You'd think, but it's not predictable.  I went from a Model 3 to a (more expensive) Lightning and my insurance went down. Sold that, went to a (more expensive) Rivian and insurance went down again.

All of those cars were cheaper than my 2017 Bolt was to insure when I bought it used in 2019.

That's super weird. Especially in this environment of skyrocketing car insurance rates across the board.

Yeah, I can't explain it. My carrier (AllState) isn't even accepting new policies right now while they sort out their loss math - they've been petitioning the state to allow them to have huge (37% IIRC) increases in rates, so I expect at some point it's going to really suck.

[Bartlebooth]

Apparently there's a 50kW charger a couple miles from my house that is free (yes, free), so I could get some free juice from that.

Assuming $0.15/kWh that is $7.50 that you save per hour of sitting there charging.  Is that worth it?

[volleyballer]

Apparently there's a 50kW charger a couple miles from my house that is free (yes, free), so I could get some free juice from that.

Assuming $0.15/kWh that is $7.50 that you save per hour of sitting there charging.  Is that worth it?

No, but if I dropped off the car for a charge while I went on a 30 to 60 minute bike ride, that.could be cool

[Dave1442397]

Apparently there's a 50kW charger a couple miles from my house that is free (yes, free), so I could get some free juice from that.

Assuming $0.15/kWh that is $7.50 that you save per hour of sitting there charging.  Is that worth it?

No, but if I dropped off the car for a charge while I went on a 30 to 60 minute bike ride, that.could be cool

My friend does that. He drops his Tesla off at the free charger a mile from his house, then joins us for a three-hour group ride and picks his car up on the way home.