Author Topic: Buying a rental car  (Read 13405 times)

pegleglolita

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #50 on: January 04, 2018, 09:41:24 PM »
Ryan, it’s not the car that gets the girls...it’s the game your awesome personality.  To wit,
behold my very first car. And yes I got to take girls out on dates with it. 😂😂

Just, er, helping you out a bit h82goslw.  Girls don't get got.  :) 

I mean, everyone knew the dudes with the wagons and the VW vans were the best bet for a fun Friday night, amirite ladies?

Semantics.  As a middle aged man who has a daughter....I wholeheartedly agree with your corrections.  As a late-teens boy, my original wording was correct. 😂😂

I hear you.  I have two teenage boys of my own.  Hormones should be registered as deadly chemical weapons, and possibly blocked with some kind of drug until a basic human-respecting proficiency test of some kind can be passed lol.  The struggle is real.   

Just Joe

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #51 on: January 05, 2018, 08:20:31 AM »
Don't forget that the driver's figure into those stats. Cheap cars attract cheap owners on the maintenance side. Cheap and tiny cars probably attract a certain kind of driver as well. These stats aren't just about how well the Versa or the Rio crunch in a crash test.

I spent a couple of decades here and in Europe driving little cars and old cars that would make a modern Versa seem like a safety department Sherman tank - and never once got hurt. I've spent decades riding motorcycles too and have never gotten hurt on one.

Just objectively look at your driving skills and where you plan to operate the vehicle and make a decision.

If I was planning to be on the interstate often I might choose a car based on its safety but also on its interior noise levels. I have truly owned some noisy vehicles. The noise wears on the occupants after a while so today one of our cars is a pretty nice cruiser for out of town trips.

Our other car is truly cheap, basic and old b/c we use it for a low speed, short distance commute and anything would be comfortable and safe enough at 45 mph or less for less than 10 miles.

On a per mile basis the fatality rate of motorcycles is 35x that of cars. "I haven't been hurt in on" isn't really objectively looking at it, IMO.

There are numerous small cars safer than the Rio/Versa.

No but there are people I've known who have totaled out several cars in their driving career. They need to maximize their safety b/c I would expect them to have another accident.

The folks who have operated a vehicle or motorcycle safely for decades likely bring some skill advantages to their driving career. 

We can't just make choices on safety only using blind statistics. What you drive, where you drive it, and your own past performance figures into it too. Its not like flipping a coin where future results are independent of past performance.

Again - if I was on the interstate often, I'd buy something safer. If I was doing a slow slog across town most of the time, I wouldn't worry about a Versa. If I was frequently using those big 50 mph feeder roads with a million businesses along the edge and no divider and people darting on and off the road then I'd go back to buying safety.

Its funny that we are debating the safety of a Nissan Versa on a website that supports riding bicycles so heavily.
« Last Edit: January 05, 2018, 08:22:11 AM by Just Joe »

ketchup

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #52 on: January 05, 2018, 09:00:58 AM »
Its funny that we are debating the safety of a Nissan Versa on a website that supports riding bicycles so heavily.
Also, I'm sure that even a 2018 Versa is safer than my 2001 Volvo (stereotypical "safer" brand).  And we all love our older cars here.

Cars get so much better over time that even the "crappy" newer ones are often a lot better than the older ones in many ways (safety, power, and efficiency being the standouts, but also maintenance intervals and longevity.  Visibility tends to get worse but that's another conversation).

inline five

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #53 on: January 05, 2018, 09:09:33 AM »
Don't forget that the driver's figure into those stats. Cheap cars attract cheap owners on the maintenance side. Cheap and tiny cars probably attract a certain kind of driver as well. These stats aren't just about how well the Versa or the Rio crunch in a crash test.

I spent a couple of decades here and in Europe driving little cars and old cars that would make a modern Versa seem like a safety department Sherman tank - and never once got hurt. I've spent decades riding motorcycles too and have never gotten hurt on one.

Just objectively look at your driving skills and where you plan to operate the vehicle and make a decision.

If I was planning to be on the interstate often I might choose a car based on its safety but also on its interior noise levels. I have truly owned some noisy vehicles. The noise wears on the occupants after a while so today one of our cars is a pretty nice cruiser for out of town trips.

Our other car is truly cheap, basic and old b/c we use it for a low speed, short distance commute and anything would be comfortable and safe enough at 45 mph or less for less than 10 miles.

On a per mile basis the fatality rate of motorcycles is 35x that of cars. "I haven't been hurt in on" isn't really objectively looking at it, IMO.

There are numerous small cars safer than the Rio/Versa.

No but there are people I've known who have totaled out several cars in their driving career. They need to maximize their safety b/c I would expect them to have another accident.

The folks who have operated a vehicle or motorcycle safely for decades likely bring some skill advantages to their driving career. 

We can't just make choices on safety only using blind statistics. What you drive, where you drive it, and your own past performance figures into it too. Its not like flipping a coin where future results are independent of past performance.

Again - if I was on the interstate often, I'd buy something safer. If I was doing a slow slog across town most of the time, I wouldn't worry about a Versa. If I was frequently using those big 50 mph feeder roads with a million businesses along the edge and no divider and people darting on and off the road then I'd go back to buying safety.

Its funny that we are debating the safety of a Nissan Versa on a website that supports riding bicycles so heavily.
In my area recently a young woman driving an older compact car was killed when a drunk driver in their new S class Mercedes rear ended her at a stop light going over 50mph. The driver of the Mercedes walked away, the 14 airbags and better car saved him.

Riding a bike is fine on bike trails, doing it on the open road is foolish.

Optimiser

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #54 on: January 05, 2018, 09:51:37 AM »
In my area recently a young woman driving an older compact car was killed when a drunk driver in their new S class Mercedes rear ended her at a stop light going over 50mph. The driver of the Mercedes walked away, the 14 airbags and better car saved him.

In my area recently a young woman driving an older compact car saved a lot of money by keeping her expenses low and is on track to retire early. Meanwhile a local driver of a new S class Mercedes is feeling stressed out by their high monthly expenses and expects to work until the day they die because no one can afford to retire.

mm1970

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #55 on: January 05, 2018, 10:16:15 AM »
You can drive as defensively as you want, it doesn't mean anything if you get rear ended or hit head on from a drunk, or t boned at an intersection by not paying attention.

Yep, and we've been rear ended twice while waiting at traffic lights, and T-boned twice pulling out of our driveway (first car totaled, second care - the Civic - required $6500 in repairs).

Your point?

Optimiser

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #56 on: January 05, 2018, 10:21:07 AM »
We probably all need to spend $650,000 on a Marauder so we can have a little piece of mind as we drive around town.



/sarcasm

wageslave23

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #57 on: January 05, 2018, 10:42:20 AM »
MMM is all about optimizing your money and spending it logically.  Logically you should probably calculate the worth of the expected remaining years of your life ($5M?) and then figure out the increased chance of death relating to different modes of transportation (1%?) and then multiply to find out if the life risk is worth the increased cost ($50k in this case).

Optimiser

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #58 on: January 05, 2018, 10:48:10 AM »
MMM is all about optimizing your money and spending it logically.  Logically you should probably calculate the worth of the expected remaining years of your life ($5M?) and then figure out the increased chance of death relating to different modes of transportation (1%?) and then multiply to find out if the life risk is worth the increased cost ($50k in this case).

MMM basically did that already. http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/06/07/safety-is-an-expensive-illusion/

Cliff notes:
Quote from: Mr. Money Mustache
So the ‘safe’ SUV driver is working an extra two years, in order to extend his life by 1.5 months. That is not my idea of a good life strategy.

wageslave23

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #59 on: January 05, 2018, 10:52:01 AM »
the odds of dying in a car accident are about .15%.  So under the most liberal calculations you could probably say that the most unsafe car could increase your chance of death by 1%.  You pay a lot more than $50k over your life to drive a very safe vehicle compared to a very unsafe vehicle.  So unless you value your life higher than $5M, which is definitely possible, it doesn't mathematically make sense to spend more money just for safety.  Another confounding factor is who is regularly riding in your vehicle and what you value their lives at.  Kids ($10M each?).  LOL, only a frugal accounting nerd would calculate out the value of children's lives.  Maybe that's why I'm still single ;)

Apple_Tango

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #60 on: January 05, 2018, 11:11:31 AM »
I would say I value my life at more than 5 million. However I think the real MMM answer is to bike, walk, run, or swim everywhere and use the car as little as possible. Even if you are driving the car with the worst safety ratings in 2017, if you only drive once per month you are not likely to get hurt in it.


wageslave23

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #61 on: January 05, 2018, 11:15:38 AM »
I would agree with the walking more and less commuting.  And MMM's calculations are a little simplistic, I don't consider working the same as being dead.   If someone told me I could increase my life by 1.5 months if I work for an extra 6 months, I would.  When you are working you still have your nights and weekends, plus some parts of work hours are enjoyable.

Dancin'Dog

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #62 on: January 06, 2018, 11:58:58 AM »
Sitting on the couch, drinking coffee, surfing the MMM forum is way safer than even riding a bike.  I'm staying on the couch!!

If you want to double the safety of any vehicle, just buy a second vehicle.  That automatically decreases the chance of being in an accident of either of them, because you're driving "the other one" half the time.  Do the math.  ;)

According to an earlier post I'll need to buy 34 more motorcycles....


Just Joe

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #63 on: January 08, 2018, 02:19:41 PM »
Want to worry?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada's_Worst_Driver

Its on Netflix right now (two seasons).

No idea how much of that show is scripted and how much is legit. There are some truly scary people on that show. I'm never visiting Canada! ;)

If everyone here will just move to the stereotypical small town as seen in all the date movies, you'll all be safe because nobody drives over 20 mph and everyone is in a 40 year old pickup truck w/o seatbelts.

For real, if I had a a heavy traffic commute across a major metro area then nothing short of the Marauder/Velociraptor would make me feel safe.
« Last Edit: January 08, 2018, 02:22:06 PM by Just Joe »

Samuel

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #64 on: January 08, 2018, 03:18:34 PM »
I bought a dealership service loaner, so basically a rental car. A certified pre-owned Civic with 6k miles, a few scuffs, and an even longer warranty than the new model (the styling of which I liked less anyways). Saved thousands and haven't had any abuse related issues surface in the 6 years since. Also got to skip that "OMG someone scratched my new car!" moment of frustration, which was nice.

I get that a woman shouldn't judge a person by their car but I think until you get to know a person it could subconsciously say there is something wrong with this guy.  I know I would assume that if a 30 something had a cheap little car that they either had money problems or didnt make much money.  I don't want to be penny wise and pound foolish, saving $500 a year for a few year but costing myself a potential soulmate.  Any thoughts?

If having a cheap but clean and well running car is a deal breaker then good, it wasn't going to work out anyways, given your values. If you think it could be an unspoken source of hesitation then just casually drop in some "I'm not really a car person, I just need a way to get around" or "I'm allergic to car payments, I'd rather do other things with my money" type phrases in your early conversations to communicate that it's a choice and not driven by necessity. That should allay her concerns enough to continue the getting to know you process, and once you let slip those "other things" are saving and investing and not alimony, child support, or court ordered restitution you're golden! The potential liability has become an asset.

nemesis

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #65 on: January 08, 2018, 05:13:03 PM »
Thank god there are people who buy rental cars!!!

Our family had 3 rental cars... all horrible pieces of crap.  I've also been a frequent renter (Hertz President's Circle and other rental car company elite memberships).  There's no way I'd touch a rental car with a 10 foot pole.

Glad it's worked so well for those in this thread...you've been extremely lucky.

For me, I look for used one or two owner cars on Craigslist / Autotrader, look at their maintenance logs / receipts, get it fully inspected by a mechanic, and never had an issue.

To buy a rental car is to play Russian Roulette with a half loaded pistol..not for me, lol.

inline five

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #66 on: January 08, 2018, 08:25:01 PM »
So reading the responses everyone who has bought a former rental car has positive things to say, and those who have never done it are the ones saying don't do it.

eaknet

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #67 on: January 08, 2018, 09:05:40 PM »
So reading the responses everyone who has bought a former rental car has positive things to say, and those who have never done it are the ones saying don't do it.
My thought exactly. It’s hard to argue with so much experience by fearmongerimg and doomsday preaching.

Not saying CL is a bad idea (got my present commuter there), but it’s not the only way by a long shot.


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Zamboni

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #68 on: January 08, 2018, 09:36:05 PM »
Ryan, it’s not the car that gets the girls...it’s the game.  To wit,
behold my very first car. And yes I got girls with it. 😂😂

That's a total sex-mobile with a back seat that folds flat! What's not to love?

nemesis

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #69 on: January 09, 2018, 08:43:00 AM »
So reading the responses everyone who has bought a former rental car has positive things to say, and those who have never done it are the ones saying don't do it.
er...except for the person who posted bright above you.
LOL glad you saw that!!

My family bought 3 rental cars over the course of 10 years.   Transmission leak issues, sudden broken drive belts, weird suspension issues, exhaust issues, odd engine idle issues, you name it, we've experienced it over the course of 3 purchased rental cars. 

Most people treat rental cars like trash.  They'll start it up and drive it down the block, without warming up the engine at all.  They'll drive rental cars off-road, they'll do all kinds of stuff you'd never do to your own car.  I shudder to think of the crap people do in the inside of rental cars on top of that (including various kinds of unmentionable fluids, literally dog crap when they bring their dogs, etc, and then wipe off before returning them). 

We will never touch or buy a rental car ever again.  I'm glad others are far luckier, but it's truly a huge risk to buy a rental car, imho.
« Last Edit: January 09, 2018, 08:45:26 AM by nemesis »

nereo

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #70 on: January 09, 2018, 08:50:04 AM »

Please do not buy a Versa. They are a horrible insulting piece of garbage. Cars are supposed to be lovely shaply kinetic art, or at least extremely good at something (Prius). The Versa is nothing but repellent. If you buy one please throw it in the ocean and make an artificial reef. They'll all end up there anyway, just accelerate the process.

Acroy - can you articulate a bit more why you hate the Versa so much?  I recently rented one for a week and my impression was "ho-hum".  Not the greatest car I've driven but not a horrible experience either - fuel efficiency was very good and it had decent headroom and plenty of space for 2 large suitcases in a compact package. My only real complaints were that it was a bit loud and not particularly powerful, but those seem like minor inconveniences for a tool that's supposed to get you from A to B.

PDXTabs

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #71 on: January 09, 2018, 10:40:58 AM »
Ryancanderson23,

As a slight diversion: I'm 34 and I've driven the Versa as a rental. If I were you I would check out a 2012+ Ford Focus. I purchased a 2014 Focus SE hatchback with a manual transmission and I love it. I am much happier than I would have been in the Versa. With that said, there are class action lawsuits against the "automatic" transmission and the Microsoft Sync infotainment system. However, my base model has neither of those "features."

Zamboni

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #72 on: January 09, 2018, 11:10:23 AM »
We probably all need to spend $650,000 on a Marauder so we can have a little piece of mind as we drive around town.



/sarcasm

Oh dear baby Jesus, please don't let my teenage son see that thing! He's getting a used Impala, possibly one coming off a stint as a rental. Once he sees the Marauder, though, he will never be quite satisfied with the Impala even if I let him pick the color. Put that thing AWAY, I SAY!

Dancin'Dog

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #73 on: January 09, 2018, 01:06:13 PM »
So reading the responses everyone who has bought a former rental car has positive things to say, and those who have never done it are the ones saying don't do it.
er...except for the person who posted bright above you.
LOL glad you saw that!!

My family bought 3 rental cars over the course of 10 years.   Transmission leak issues, sudden broken drive belts, weird suspension issues, exhaust issues, odd engine idle issues, you name it, we've experienced it over the course of 3 purchased rental cars. 

Most people treat rental cars like trash.  They'll start it up and drive it down the block, without warming up the engine at all.  They'll drive rental cars off-road, they'll do all kinds of stuff you'd never do to your own car.  I shudder to think of the crap people do in the inside of rental cars on top of that (including various kinds of unmentionable fluids, literally dog crap when they bring their dogs, etc, and then wipe off before returning them). 

We will never touch or buy a rental car ever again.  I'm glad others are far luckier, but it's truly a huge risk to buy a rental car, imho.


Sorry to hear you had such bad luck.  Why did you buy the second rental?  What about the third one?  Glutton for punishment or slow learner?  ;)

Did you buy for the same rental company each time?

We all realized it was a risk, but we've all been happy with our cars.  I wonder why you had such bad luck?


katsiki

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #74 on: January 09, 2018, 02:17:20 PM »
By the way, if you go the rental route, you can usually add the mfr warranty.  I was able to get a discounted Ford plan from an online Ford dealership who specializes in that.  It gave me some extra piece of mind.  It was only used one for air compressor replacement.  It was probably a bit more expensive than if I paid out of pocket.  After 7 years, I would say the car worked out great for me.  It's still trucking.

Just Joe

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #75 on: January 09, 2018, 02:22:36 PM »
Ryancanderson23,

As a slight diversion: I'm 34 and I've driven the Versa as a rental. If I were you I would check out a 2012+ Ford Focus. I purchased a 2014 Focus SE hatchback with a manual transmission and I love it. I am much happier than I would have been in the Versa. With that said, there are class action lawsuits against the "automatic" transmission and the Microsoft Sync infotainment system. However, my base model has neither of those "features."

"Ford PowerShift Transmission Settlement". CW is dealing with this in some form.

nemesis

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #76 on: January 09, 2018, 05:32:07 PM »
Sorry to hear you had such bad luck.  Why did you buy the second rental?  What about the third one?  Glutton for punishment or slow learner?  ;)

Did you buy for the same rental company each time?

We all realized it was a risk, but we've all been happy with our cars.  I wonder why you had such bad luck?
It's because my dad is cheap and thinks rental cars are a great deal.  They chalk all of the issues as "normal" car issues. Cars were from different popular car rental agencies.

I on the other hand buy gently used 1 owner cars, and have had zero problems with my used cars.
« Last Edit: January 09, 2018, 05:35:26 PM by nemesis »

Dancin'Dog

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #77 on: January 09, 2018, 08:25:26 PM »
Sorry to hear you had such bad luck.  Why did you buy the second rental?  What about the third one?  Glutton for punishment or slow learner?  ;)

Did you buy for the same rental company each time?

We all realized it was a risk, but we've all been happy with our cars.  I wonder why you had such bad luck?
It's because my dad is cheap and thinks rental cars are a great deal.  They chalk all of the issues as "normal" car issues. Cars were from different popular car rental agencies.

I on the other hand buy gently used 1 owner cars, and have had zero problems with my used cars.

I've got a dad like that. 

coopdog

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Re: Buying a rental car
« Reply #78 on: January 10, 2018, 05:25:49 AM »
I bought a rental Toyota Camry 15 years ago. I put 100,000 miles on it then sold it to my brother. He still drives it today. No telling how many miles are on it essentially trouble free.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!