Vibe rental cars

[vibe owner]

Saw two other Vibes in Telluride CO, both with Michigan plates. Asked the lady driving one and found out they were rentals. I was unaware the Vibe had sunk to rental status. Anyhow, she said most of the cars in the lot (Enterprise?) had Michigan plates -- strange they are in Colorado.

[ragingfish]

The enterprise corporate HQ could be in michigan...perhaps they title and register the cars there and then drive/ship them to their destination office?Ironically, was stuck behind a NY enterprise rental tonight...though it was some ford...

[Kari]

I've seen several Enterprise Vibes around here as well. It's a versatile car...I'm sure it makes a great all-purpose rental. Comfortable to travel in, yet has lots of cargo space and gets great gas mileage.

[aggie_vibe]

Actually it makes a great rental car. I don't think we'll see too many of these outside of the mountains or the North. Rental car companies can buy Ford Foci, Dodge Neons, and Chevy Cavaliers for much much less. Enterprise once ran out of full-size cars here at a location near my work, and I was given a Land Rover Discovery. Go figure.

[drunkenmaxx]

maybe the rentals are repos? there are a lot cars getting repoed because everyone gets credit right now, so then some hoosier buys a car for $500 a month and has it a month or so, then it's gone

[disneydj]

It's actually the most popular rental here in Central Florida. Especially since Disney, Enterprise and GMC have a close working relationship. I had a Vibe as a rental when mine was in the shop...

[aggie_vibe]

I'm surprised - I rent a bunch for work (not vacation area) and have never seen a Vibe. Maybe I'll request one next time!

[Savoy]

Actually...my Vibe's "Previous Owner" was Enterprise.I bought my vibe with just under 7,000 miles on it.-Savoy-

[yank dini]

oh yeah when I got my second one back in April, enterprise already had one. A guy that use to work here told me when I was turning in their rental. He point at the end of the lot.They should even have the 04 Grand Prix by now.

[snowman]

As an ex-enterprise employee, their HQ is in St. Louis but all the cars are registered and plated at the local regional offices. And they buy all types of cars-generally whatever the local market needs/wants. You can get H2s in L.A., convertibles in FLorida, BMWs and Benzs in Germany, etc. Its awesome you can get vibes now--convince more buyers by renting and realistically using for a few days then a five minute test drive at the dealer.....

[VibeR8Lava2Tone]

I actually live in Colorado and I just bought my Vibe about a month ago and its previous owner was Budget Rental car...I'm loving my Vibe, had about 18,400 miles on it and was kept in good condition.

[joatmon]

snowman and VibeR8Lava2Tone, welcome to genvibe!

[joatmon]

quote:I actually live in Colorado and I just bought my Vibe about a month ago and its previous owner was Budget Rental car...I'm loving my Vibe, had about 18,400 miles on it and was kept in good condition.What kind of deal did you get from Budget? Also since your from Boulder, can you help ragingfish out with his question in the CO forum about winter driving out there? It's http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=5800 Thanks

[huy397]

Like everyone else said, Vibe makes a great rental car.I'd certainly rent one from Enterprise when I travel without my Vibe, not necessarily because I already drive one but because it's a great travel companion.I wouldn't say that the Vibe has "sunk" to be a rental car though.

[MrMke]

Confirmed!Seen a Vibe rental pulling out of the Hertz lot at the Atlanta airport today.Also saw a couple of Azteks on the National lot where I was.

[QUIKAG]

Guys/Gals,Just to give a little insight into Enterprise. They actually purchase their cars, rent them for a period of time and then resell them. My roommate works at Enterprise and they actually try to take care of their vehicles as the manager's bonuses and whatnot are tied into many things including the value cars are resold for. So, obviously the Vibe is going to hold value much better than a Cavalier, Sunfire, or Neon, so it only makes sense for Enterprise to buy Vibes as required.

[VibeR8Lava2Tone]

quote:What kind of deal did you get from Budget? Also since your from Boulder, can you help ragingfish out with his question in the CO forum about winter driving out there? It's http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=5800 ThanksReally wasnt much of a "deal"...they claimed that it was worth 19,995.00 new (auto, power package, air bags, etc) and then because it was used they brought it down to 17,990.00 and then furhter discounted it to 17,777.00 and with my 205K Honda Accord trade in for 1000 i got it down to 16,777.00 financed for 4.9 percent and no money down. I could have waited a bit longer and found a better price, but my Honda was crapping out, so I really wanted a car that weekend, lol.Oh, and I've only recently moved to Colorado this past Summer, so I cant really give good Winter driving tips...although i've heard that vibes will do very well even in snowy conditions in Denver....

[shenandoah24]

I rented a vibe over a year ago before I bought mine. We couldn't decide what kind of car to get, so a few weekends we rented different cars. I knew I wanted a vibe the first time I saw one, but with an investment that loses as much value as a car--we put a lot of research in to it.

[AKLGT]

being a military brat, i can tell you that AWD is preferable due to the strange weather in CO. one day it's beautiful and sunny, the next a blizzard and 5" snow! if you have FWD, then I'd suggest some good snow tires of some sort, studded or not. can't remember if you can have studs there... sorry. roads get really icey in winter so be careful!

[Reynoma]

Over the past two days, I've seen two rental vibes (both Base two-tones) going south on I-95 near Philadelphia Airport. One was Salsa and one was satelite. They were both 2004's - due to the lower cladding. The silver one was being used by a younger family (mom, dad and baby). The dad appeared to be having a good time driving. I went past the other one too quickly to see who was driving.Maybe two future Vibers?

[Faultline]

[QUOT I was unaware the Vibe had sunk to rental status. [/QUOTE]why "sunk"? the last time I rented a car, a Jaguar S-type was all they had left at Hertz.....They had to twist my arm, but I finally said "ok, I'll take it"

[VibeR8Lava2Tone]

I just found out my Vibe was manufactured in Janurary 2003...that thing got a great deal of driving as a rental car, I bought it with 18,400 miles on it...Seems to be a very popular rental car, I think its a good thing to have the vibe as a rental car because its basically a test drive for whoever rents it, plus it gets more vibes out on the road so its marketing for the Vibe.I've just passed the one month ownership of my new Vibe, still loving it, put on just under 2,000 miles already!!! Thats what I get for my 25 mile one way commute to work I guess...

[ajconover]

I'm still in my "shopping for a vibe" stage and stumbled across this old thread since I have a family connection for a pretty good deal on '06 Hertz rental Vibe (or even an '07 if I wait a few months). Since this thread is old -- and those that might have purchased former rentals have had a couple years to evaluate their decisions -- I thought I'd try resurrect it.So how do any "former rental" purchasers feel about there decision after a few years? Any seemingly undo problems or regrets? (This question actually applies to any make/model anyone may have purchased.)To the comment about the vibe having "sunk" to rental status: To an auto manufacturer, rentals actually serve as great marketing for their vehicles; as it's a good way to get them on the road for people to see... or even "test drive" for extended periods.Edmunds.com also has a little article (http://www.edmunds.com/advice/....html) on the wisdom of purchasing former rentals.Anyway... any thoughts form anyone who has actually gone the former rental route?

[Vibr8tr]

The whole reason I got my Vibe was cause I had a rental and it broke down mid trip, and Enterprise gave me a Vibe for the rest of my Travels. I drove it from Southern Indiana to Northern Michiga, and back... plus all the driving in the middle, and I fell in love with it. I do fear that I car is becoming like the Stratus, and moving twards the "fleet" line.... but as long as I can still get parts, I am happy. I love my Vibe I don't care what you all say However you people are crazy for buying an EX-rental.... I have rented Many a cars, and seen alot of people drive rentals.... they get the "H-E-double-hockey-stick" drove out of them.

[ramenboy...]

Quote, originally posted by Vibr8tr »... have rented Many a cars, and seen alot of people drive rentals.... they get the "H-E-double-hockey-stick" drove out of them.some of them. but because they're driven, te rental company always follows the maintenance schedules and maybe goes beyond.

[ajconover]

Quote »but because they're driven, the rental company always follows the maintenance schedules and maybe goes beyond. This was my hope. Many people seem to feel that good/regular maintenance trumps the few drivers that might have really been pushing the engine hard and/or bouncing right though pot-holes simply because they didn't care. (I'm sure there are other that drive rentals ultra conservatively for fear of being accused of causing any damage... i generally fall into that category.) Plus the some of the cars might only have 10,000 miles on them. And if they have well maintained and have no body damage, how bad could they be?My family connection can get cars from Hertz, which does 12 or even 6 month GM leases. From my searching around the net, Hertz apparently has a good reputation for maintenance... and they don't rent to the "under 25" crowd.... No offense to the "youngins" out there ...but I do remember how I drove when I was younger (16-20's) compared to now (mid 30's). I've rented from Enterprise before and have had cars that were not well maintained.... I once had one where the radial belts were actually starting to show through the edges of the front tires! Unfortunately I didn't notice this until I pulled over in a severe rain storm because I couldn't keep the car under control. Once the rain let up I looked at the tires and noticed the near zero front tread. So obviously no alignment or safety inspection had been done for quite a while. That experience (and several others) have turned me away from Enterprise for good.Anyway... I'm still curious to hear from anyone who has ever purchased a former rental and to know how things turned out a few years down the road?

[Vibr8tr]

It is a toss up, it also depends on the kind of car. Usually the more "expensive" rental cars are rented by older people who drive more.... "conservative", so they arne't really treated poorly. I just personally wouldn't want to take the risk, but I imagine you can find some good deals, and they are cars that have been maintained.

[Tubaryan12]

My Vibe was a formal rental. I bought it at 23,000 miles. Now at 42,000 and change. No problems so far

[GrayFox]

Quote, originally posted by Tubaryan12 »My Vibe was a formal rental. I bought it at 23,000 miles. Now at 42,000 and change. No problems so farsame here except I bought mine at 26,000 miles and am now at 52,000

[ramenboy...]

i bought mine with like 21k. and i'm at 88k now.

[chemrebel]

got mine at 33k, up to 44k now and things are hunky-dory.

[hellbender]

mine was a hertz out of ohio, bought at 24k, everything is great so far

[ajconover]

Thanks to everyone for the replies. I'm feeling a bit better now about the prospect of picking up an ex-rental... though I'm still a bit apprehensive. Every car I've ever owned, I have purchased used from someone I knew personally who was the original owner. But this has always meant taking what I could get (but knowing its full history -- my good friends and family have always "babied" their cars). I'm at point now where I really want the car of my choice (a Vibe!) but I can't justify the cash for a new one off the lot. (I have a philosophical problem with paying some salesman's commission just to sell me what I already know I want.)I guess in the grand scheme of things, buying an ex-rental or a used one of a dealer lot is the same gamble... Some people (with more money than me, for sure) really do have the "throwaway car" attitude... pick up a new one every couple of years and trade in the old one before major depreciation sets in. So, who knows how well a "newish" used one was really treated, anyhow.Anyway... thanks again for the replies.

[Conspiracy of One]

I just purchased an 06 Vibe from Hertz. It is the 3rd Hertz rental I have purchased. Hertz only sells the top 5-10% of their fleet; the others go to auction. I have never had an issue with a Hertz vehicle.Ray