It might sound a bit weird that you’re able to rent a vehicle and consequently buy it, but the ability to rent a car or a van for a few days and take it on a test drive before you choose whether or not to buy it, could be the future of used car purchases.
If you’re looking to buy a car in the near future, this is definitely an option that you should look into (as well as regular online directories and ads in the local paper).
Companies like Hertz.co.uk offer a huge variety of nearly new and used vehicles, with excellent options regarding mileage and warranties, there’s virtually a car for everyone; with them you know that you are dealing with a company you can trust in, and it’s guaranteed that they will be 100% transparent in pricing and requirements – meaning there are no nasty surprises.
When looking at the vehicles for sale you should ask for at least a 10 days’ rental period, to determine whether the car or van suits you. After your test drive period, if you chose to purchase the vehicle, the rental fees are obviously waived, and you won’t even need to return the car as all the relevant paperwork is posted to you.
As with all methods of purchasing a new car, there pros and cons. Although you’re not put under pressure to purchase the vehicle you have been test driving, many people may feel the obligation to do it, which is something to consider when you decide to use this particular method – always try to make your decision wisely, and avoid “hearty” decisions. It is also worth considering that this may end up being more expensive due to the APR in place, and with most companies the price is not negotiable – this means no bargaining at all, even if the price is slightly over your budget. Also, if for some reason you decide that the car isn’t for you, you will still need to pay for the renting cost…
On the other hand, when test driving the vehicle you’ll know how it handles, how comfortable it is, and whether it’s suitable for your needs, not to mention how long is still left on the warranty and how high or low the mileage is, among other aspects.
As you can see, this might sound like a great option (and it probably is), but you should be extra careful not to make any precipitated decisions; as always, choose with your head and not with your heart, read all the contract lines carefully, get a calculator and do your maths before making the final buy (or not) decision.
