28th Jan 2013, 17:52
I have no doubt that rental cars would receive the adequate scheduled maintenance, but what I'm saying is how the people who rent them (or some, anyway) abuse the crap out of them, because it's simply "not theirs". But yes, there are people such as businessmen who do use them for their correct purpose, but unfortunately not everyone is like that. Stuff like door creaks and the car pulling to the left can certainly be a sign of abuse.
1st Jan 2013, 08:50
I rent cars throughout the year. I agree it is a great way to test drive a car. It is not cheap, but a weekend rental is cheap, and if you pick out two or three cars and do it over a few weeks, it can be a great way to check MPG in actual driving and discover things you might otherwise miss.
My only suggestion is to try to get the lowest mileage cars, as abuse by other renters and deferred maintenance... i.e. out of balance ties, warped rotors, etc can give a negative impression of an otherwise fine car. On the flip side, though, higher mileage rentals may give an indication of interior wear and tear, and mechanical durability.