24th Jan 2007, 18:20

It's hard to believe anyone would advocate buying a late model luxury car from an INDIVIDUAL as opposed to a rental car agency. You get ZERO guarantee that the car has not been abused by the owner's children (or friends, or whoever), you have ZERO recourse if you do encounter problems, and in case you didn't know it, the kids doing oil changes at the dealerships are no different from the kids doing it at Jiffy Lube. I also was not aware that gas came in "high quality" and "low quality" like champagne. I think someone's been a bit misinformed about some things automotive.

25th Jan 2007, 11:50

Really, so when you go to the pump you never noticed those three grades of gas? And you really think the gas that is in, say, a Mobile station, vs. Joe's gas is the same? You probably even think ethanol and E85 is the same as regular gas as far as affecting the engine.

And, once again, I would rather have a SINGLE owner than hundreds of owners. Yes, used car buying in America is buyer beware unless the seller outright lied, but from a reliability standpoint it works.

You'll also have to tell us why you think maintenance for a Hyundai is the same as a premium car such as a CTS or Jaguar (which rentals companies sell). Because that's how they are treated by the 20 year old underpaid mechanic at Enterprise.

26th Jan 2007, 05:19

Yeah the Z06 Corvette may be an "icon" with its 500 HP and cool looks, but the new GTO is no slouch at 400 HP and 400 ft/lbs torque... and with gas mileage over 20 MPG's around town, it's very reliable too!

26th Jan 2007, 16:43

I can't help but be amused when I see such silly myths put forward as I am reading on here regarding the purchase of used LUXURY vehicles from rental companies. There is no greater misconception than that rental cars are "cheap", "low quality" or "abused". First of all, when a rental car agency orders cars, they are shipped cars from the VERY SAME STOCK that the dealerships get. They are not somehow culled from "rejects" or "misfits" cast aside by the manufacturer!! That idea is ludicrous!! They are EXACTLY THE SAME as the ones the dealers sell. As for equipment, the high end cars are always fully equipped. There are NO "stripper" CTS's!! As for cheap gas, THERE IS NO SUCH THING. ALL gas sold in the U.S. has to meet VERY exacting standards, whether it is "Joe's gas" or Mobile. That is a fact. Most of it actually comes from the SAME refineries. As for octane rating, the CTS V-6 engines (BOTH of them) are DESIGNED TO USE REGULAR 87 OCTANE GAS!! It does not require higher octane and running 87 octane is certainly NOT going to hurt it. The other myth that just cracks me up is the idea that car makers like Hyundai use lesser skilled or qualified technicians than Cadillac. That is LAUGHABLE!! I AM A MECHANIC, and I have friends who have worked for both Lincoln and Kia. Does that mean they somehow become less competent when working at KIA?? In the first 20,000 to 30,000 miles of use there IS NO REQUIRED service anyway except OIL CHANGES. That involves screwing out a drain plug and a filter and screwing another one in. That hardly requires a doctorate in automotive technology!! Finally, one of my three current vehicles IS a former rental fleet vehicle. I bought it to use as a "third car" and have been so pleased with it that I have begun to use it more than my other vehicle. It had 30,000 miles on it when purchased, has power windows, power locks, CD player, power seats, power mirrors, power trunk opener, electronic traction control, and every other option I would have wanted if I'd bought it new. It was in absolute MINT condition, and in the 4 years I've driven it I have had not one single problem of any kind with it. Of course I immediately switched it to full synthetic oil and installed a K&N air filter, but other than that I haven't touched it. As for how many drivers it had, I could care less, as obviously if it had a million none of them did it a bit of harm. I bought the car for about HALF of what it sold for new. I regard it as the best value in a used car I have ever gotten. I know of several other people who have purchased used rental cars and could not be happier with their cars. A nephew of mine currently has a Buick that was a former rental car, and it has gone over 200,000 miles without a hitch. Please do a bit of research before encouraging people to pass up an excellent opportunity to get a great car at a great price, as well as the peace of mind of a warranty and a recourse in the event of a problem.

26th Jan 2007, 18:07

<<ALL gas sold in the U.S. has to meet VERY exacting standards, whether it is "Joe's gas" or Mobile. That is a fact.>.

Only in your head. I was forced to buy gas at an off brand gas station for my BMW 325e. It ruined the engine. My friend did the same thing with his BMW 318is.

26th Jan 2007, 18:10

Suggest you get on a site for the BMW car club, the Mercedes car club, the Porsche car club or any other club of luxury cars. Ask them if "all oil changes are the same" and "all gas is the same". Ask them if they trust somebody who works on Kias is to be trusted with their vehicles.

Ever wonder why it costs over $2,000 for a Ferrari oil change? Why a BMW oil change is $70 or more? There is a reason, and it's not gouging the customer.

26th Jan 2007, 18:15

What warranty? Do you really think a rental car company is going to bend over backwards to fix a $5K engine repair due to poor gas? Please, not in this world.

And I find it funny that you think all gas is the same yet suddenly when you get a car you put synthetic oil in it. Now, if all gas is the same isn't all oil the same?

You've blown your own argument.

27th Jan 2007, 13:37

I'm having to pick myself up off the FLOOR from laughing out loud at these ludicrous comments about (of all things!!) OIL CHANGES!!! Anyone who pays $70 to have someone screw out an oil plug and filter and screw in another one needs to take a brief course in auto maintenance.

Also, I hate to break the news to you, but my friend who owns a Ferrari does his own oil changes. It involves (GUESS WHAT??) unscrewing the drain plug and filter and screwing in another one!! When I told him someone suggested he pay 2 grand to have a price-gouging dealer do it he laughed riotously for 5 minutes!! It is truly amazing how car makers can so easily brainwash people. Oh, and in 35 years of working on all kinds of cars, I've never even HEARD of an engine being damaged by "bad gas" (whatever the heck that is supposed to be!!).

Gas is gas. Even watered down gas will NOT ruin an engine. That is pure fantasy, probably a myth started by some oil company.