Ford S-Max - ex-rental vs poor service history
Discussion
I'm on the market for an S-max and have narrowed it does to two cars.
Car 1 - 2020 plate with 36k miles, full service history but is ex-rental
Car 2 - 69 plate with 28k miles but only 2 services done after 6k miles in 2021 and 28k miles in 2025.
Taking buddget out the equationas theyre relatively similar price, which would you plump for assuming both in good visual condition?!
Car 1 - 2020 plate with 36k miles, full service history but is ex-rental
Car 2 - 69 plate with 28k miles but only 2 services done after 6k miles in 2021 and 28k miles in 2025.
Taking buddget out the equationas theyre relatively similar price, which would you plump for assuming both in good visual condition?!
Bruski82 said:
Hugo Stiglitz said:
I wouldn't touch an ex rental plus what is full service history.
Have you seen the history?
I consider it as annually, or every 12k miles, whichever comes first. It's through dealership who'd confirmed dates/mileage etcHave you seen the history?
paul_c123 said:
Bruski82 said:
Time not on my side with 3rd child on way in few weeks, been looking at momth or two now ?
I know the Autotrader website is a bit laggy now, but two months to find a Ford S-Max?Ex-rental all day long.
It will have been serviced on time and let’s face it, it’s a car you hire to get from A to B for stressed out families and salespeople who simply want ‘car’. Yep, a few will have ragged it but that in itself is no bad thing - the old Italian tuneup can be a good thing!
These days you get hammered if you return a car with damage so people tend to be a bit more sensible and responsible with their hire cars than in days of old lest they lose their hefty excess.
I bought an ex-rental Focus some years back and it was trouble free motoring. Do your usual checks in actually look at the service history, check for signs of damage and poor repair and use the fact it’s an ex-rental as a negotiation tool. When I traded it in a few years later I got book price for it with no reduction due to its original owner, in fact they couldn’t have cared less.
It will have been serviced on time and let’s face it, it’s a car you hire to get from A to B for stressed out families and salespeople who simply want ‘car’. Yep, a few will have ragged it but that in itself is no bad thing - the old Italian tuneup can be a good thing!
These days you get hammered if you return a car with damage so people tend to be a bit more sensible and responsible with their hire cars than in days of old lest they lose their hefty excess.
I bought an ex-rental Focus some years back and it was trouble free motoring. Do your usual checks in actually look at the service history, check for signs of damage and poor repair and use the fact it’s an ex-rental as a negotiation tool. When I traded it in a few years later I got book price for it with no reduction due to its original owner, in fact they couldn’t have cared less.
What opposing views on here! I m in the rental OK camp. I ve had a few and they been OK, or as OK as any used car.They are moved on at low mileage and a poster who had worked with a big name rental company said that they were serviced. A privately owned one could have a meticulous ( unlikely) or very vague record. Just re-read the entire thread and I stand by my original vote for car 1. However, if you really like a particular used car, but worry about the service history, you can always have an immediate full service at your favoured independent workshop.
Edited by Lester H on Sunday 6th July 09:14
The current GF of ADJimbo is the Regional Director of a big-branded car and van rental national high street business. Her thought process is simple…
We’re in the 1% of petrol-heads / renters on PH that want to test the vehicle. The other 99% of renters really can’t be harrised with it. They’ll drop a Motor for Maureen, the School Cook, to go on a training course somewhere and then collect it the day after next. Vehicles are not abused other than cosmetical scrapes and knocks. Usual stuff.
That said, when she started vehicles would be defleeted before their first-service and be on a branded pitch as ‘approved used’, ‘ex-demo’, ex-management’ but Covid changed all of that owing to supply, they now keep vehicles for much longer now which means they have to service them which causes issues for downtime and utilisation, but ultimately makes them more money in the longer run. They’re using fast-fit places for servicing which can be hit-and-miss in her experience.
Her view is simple, there’s nothing wrong with an ex-rental.
We’re in the 1% of petrol-heads / renters on PH that want to test the vehicle. The other 99% of renters really can’t be harrised with it. They’ll drop a Motor for Maureen, the School Cook, to go on a training course somewhere and then collect it the day after next. Vehicles are not abused other than cosmetical scrapes and knocks. Usual stuff.
That said, when she started vehicles would be defleeted before their first-service and be on a branded pitch as ‘approved used’, ‘ex-demo’, ex-management’ but Covid changed all of that owing to supply, they now keep vehicles for much longer now which means they have to service them which causes issues for downtime and utilisation, but ultimately makes them more money in the longer run. They’re using fast-fit places for servicing which can be hit-and-miss in her experience.
Her view is simple, there’s nothing wrong with an ex-rental.
What colour is each of them?
The mileage would not make much difference.
A rental car might have had a better life, being rented for longer trips?
Or it might have crawled around London its whole life.
28k miles in 6 years sounds like school runs for this kind of car, not ideal, more so with oil changes being missed?
The mileage would not make much difference.
A rental car might have had a better life, being rented for longer trips?
Or it might have crawled around London its whole life.
28k miles in 6 years sounds like school runs for this kind of car, not ideal, more so with oil changes being missed?
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