2009 Subaru Legacy - is this a good deal?

[Throwmeabone]

There's a 2009 Legacy with about 34,000 miles on it selling for $14,000. The catch is that it's a former rental car and it has a bunch of scratches on the paint. The hood has some vertical scratches, the top of the trunk has a ding with some paint missing and a few shallow dents, and the front two doors have some scratches/creases with the passenger side in worse shape. Similar mileage and year Legacies near me (12110) on Autotrader are going for around $18k. I figure if I get this car and spend $1000 fixing it up I'd still get a good deal but it's kind of a bummer to have to fix up a car so new.

 

[jpeyton]

Former rental = that car got abused

 

[brblx]

34k? in rental miles that's more like 70k of wear and tear. and it's probably had about two oil changes.

 

[CptCrunch]

the last time I had a rental, I dont remember how many times I floored it to redline... oh right, it was ALOT

I'd always be leary of rental cars. But, you can find some that are taken care of, and those that have had 1 oil change in 34k of usage. You also have to think about brakes and tires soon, since rental companies do their best so sell their cars before they have to do any regular maintenance.

 

[halik]

It's fugly and it's a rental... pass.

 

[krunchykrome]

Former rental = that car got abused

i agree.....people push the hell out of rentals

Don't want to go with a new Legacy? I think they start at $19k

 

[NutBucket]

Or just go back a couple more years. Same car, less abuse, same price?

 

[chin311]

lol rentals. i mean some people might drive them "normally" but speaking for myself, i've had anything from a corolla to a pt cruiser to a kia optima, everyone of them got their "WORKOUT", that being hard shifts from park to drive & regular redlines.

my favorite are the rentals with the tiptronic trans

 

[Saga]

That seems extremely high when I got a DD Legacy GT 2008 with 18k miles for 11.5k.. and it wasn't an abused fleet vehicle, either..

 

[StageLeft]

Who cares about the paint. You'd scratch it yourself and now need not worry about it. Former fleet cars are fine, I would not worry about that.

You've got the typical responses here about people racing rentals but if you actually poll people who have bought fleet cars you'll find their experiences just fine. I'm one of them. Until you become one you just won't believe anybody on it. Most rental cars are driven by adults and most adults simply don't find enjoyment in constantly flooring a banal vehicle and especially if it's on the highway it can't possibly be bad.

If you can get this certified pre-owned with more warranty that, of course, cannot hurt.

 

[brblx]

go work for a rental company.

shit is abused. not necessarily by 'racing,' but by the idiocy of customers and employees alike. plus a near-complete lack of maintenance and poorly done collision repairs. if it can be fixed with zip ties instead of buying a part, that's what's gonna happen.

 

[alphatarget1]

The legacy is too fun of a car to not be abused as a rental. Poor subie

 

[StageLeft]

The legacy is too fun of a car to not be abused as a rental. Poor subie

Is it, though? I don't think this is a legacy GT.

It's a shame these places never keep records (I don't think), but if the car truly is 18k elsewhere and 14k here just because of scratches and fact it was a rental I would buy it. You must understand it would take some terrible luck to go through that 4k in repairs on the thing and heck you still have factory warranty left. Really though if at all possible to get CPO do it, but probably it's not in this case. Don't bother with third party warranty.

 

[EightySix Four]

*drunken post in wrong thread*