Buying a Car From Enterprise: What to Know
- Most vehicles are priced below market value.
- Vehicles are inspected and come with a 12 month/12,000 mile powertrain warranty.
- You’re not limited to the vehicles at your local dealership. You can get a car delivered from national inventory to a location close to you.
If you’re looking for a used car, consider buying a used rental car from Enterprise. You may be able to get below-market pricing and save money compared to a used car lot.
However, the vehicle may have higher mileage for the model year compared to other choices available in the market. You can search Enterprise’s vast online inventory of used cars, vans, SUVs and pickup trucks from the Enterprise rental fleet, as well as trade-ins and auction vehicles.
Is buying a car from Enterprise a good idea?
Enterprise offers no-haggle pricing, and more than 75% of the vehicles are priced below the Kelley Blue Book typical listing price. Every vehicle comes with a free CARFAX Vehicle History Report detailing the car’s background.
Each vehicle undergoes a rigorous inspection to become Enterprise Certified, which means it comes with a 12-month/12,000-mile limited powertrain warranty and a 7-day Buyback guarantee. That means you can return an Enterprise vehicle within seven days or 1,000 miles for free, minus a $200 restocking fee.
Still, most Enterprise cars for sale are fleet vehicles, which means they were previously owned by a rental car business and driven by an unknown number of drivers. Rental fleets typically consider a vehicle too old for rental purposes once it is one to three years old.
Pros and cons of buying a rental car from Enterprise
Pros
- Below-market pricing
- Comes with 7-day (or 1,000-mile) Buyback return policy
- 12-month, 12,000-mile powertrain warranty
- Comes with one year of roadside assistance
Cons
- May have high mileage and be close to end of warranty
- Unknown history of drivers
- May be geographic limitations
- Limited selection of vehicles
- Returns may come with $200 restocking fee
If you’re looking to save money, you’ll be pleased to know that 75% of Enterprise’s vehicles are listed below the Kelley Blue Book® car value. Each car Enterprise sells is given a thorough inspection — a service you likely won’t get from a private party seller.
Aside from that, these cars come with a 12-month, 12,000-mile powertrain warranty and unlimited roadside assistance for 12 months. The car may also have the manufacturer’s warranty based on the model year or mileage.
Unhappy customers can return their Enterprise vehicle within seven days or 1,000 miles, whichever comes first. If you return your vehicle, though, keep in mind that you may be out $200 due to a restocking fee.
On the other hand, while Enterprise provides the car history report, due to it being a former rental, you won’t have complete insight as to previous drivers and how they treated the car. You’re also limited to Enterprise’s inventory, which may not have the make, model or trim level that you’d like to buy.
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How to buy a used rental car from Enterprise
Buying a car from Enterprise is a bit different than buying from a traditional dealership. The main difference is that you won’t have to work with a used car salesperson to iron out the sale price. However, your options for make and model may also be limited compared to a nonfleet purchase.
Search for a car online
You’ll start by searching Enterprise Car Sales and narrowing results from over half a million makes and models by vehicle model, dealership location and other details. For each car, you can see photos and videos, mileage, features and trim options. You can also shop in person at one of the more than 160 Enterprise Car Sales locations nationwide.
Use online resources like Kelley Blue Book or J.D. Power to research the car’s value at Enterprise with similar vehicles for sale.
During your search, you can also check if a vehicle fits your budget by using a calculator in Enterprise’s inventory database to estimate your car payments. Configure your payments by plugging in your expected down payment, repayment term and estimated annual percentage rate (APR) based on your credit score. You can also do this with LendingTree’s auto loan calculator.
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Get preapproved
Even if you think you’re going to go through with your Enterprise purchase, it’s a good idea to shop around and compare auto loans. You can do this by getting preapproved car loans and comparing the prices, rates, terms and fees to Enterprise.
Contact the dealership
Once you’ve determined where your car of choice is located, you’ll need to get in touch with the dealership. You can do this online or by phone, email or chat. If the car is outside of your area, you may be able to arrange for delivery to a nearby Enterprise dealership. You may have to pay an additional transfer fee to have the car moved to the closest dealership. If you buy a car already in your town, there’s no transfer fee.
You can also work with the dealership to set up financing if needed. When you contact the dealer, consider these questions to ask when buying a car.
Take the car for a test drive
When the car arrives at the dealership closest to you, you can take the car for a test drive before you finalize the purchase. Take the car on both highways and city streets, and look for visible damage and signs of wear and tear. This can help you avoid issues and repairs to the car down the road.
Get an inspection
Ideally, you’ll want to take the vehicle to a mechanic for a car inspection or bring a mechanic to the dealership with you. If you’re unable to make this arrangement, schedule a time within the seven-day return window to get the car inspected.
Review the vehicle history report
Each vehicle comes with a free CARFAX report that will detail its history. Be sure to closely read the report to learn more about the vehicle. Look out for accidents and maintenance history, and be sure to check for recalls.
A closer look at Enterprise auto loans
Enterprise does not issue its own loans — instead, it connects buyers to financing partners, like Chase, as well as other banks and credit unions. To apply, you’ll need to provide the following information:
- Personal information, including your contact information
- Income and employment information
- Information about your car loan cosigner, if you have one
- Vehicle information, as well as details about your trade-in car, if you have one
Some financial institutions, including Bank of America, Patelco Credit Union and Golden 1 Credit Union, specify that they offer lending for Enterprise purchases. While credit requirements and loan terms will vary depending on the lender, Patelco and Golden 1 offer a 1.00% APR discount if you use their credit union auto loans to purchase an Enterprise used car.
Alternatives to buying a car from Enterprise
There’s more than one place buyers can go to buy rental or other used cars. Each seller offers something different, so it’s worth shopping around before making a decision.
Enterprise vs. Hertz
There are a lot of similarities between Enterprise and Hertz when it comes to buying a rental vehicle. Hertz fleet sales also include no-haggle pricing, a free vehicle history report and financing through partner lenders. Hertz also covers car purchases under a 12-month/12,000-mile warranty, the same coverage as Enterprise.
Though Enterprise offers test drives and delivery to your local dealership, Hertz offers delivery to your home, office or other location for a fee.
You can also take advantage of the Hertz Rent2Buy program, which allows you to rent a car you’re interested in buying at a reduced price for three days. If you choose to buy at the end of the three days, your rental fees will be waived.
Both Enterprise and Hertz offer seven-day returns on purchases; however, while Enterprise allows you to put up to 1,000 miles on the car before you return it, Hertz only allows up to 250 miles. Both charge a $200 fee if you return the car.
Enterprise vs. CarMax
CarMax isn’t a rental dealership, but it is one of the largest used car retailers in the U.S. Like Enterprise, you’ll get no-haggle pricing and a free vehicle history report. Both companies ship your vehicle of choice to a store or dealer near you.
While Enterprise only offers seven days to return your car, CarMax has a 10-day return policy. You can manage cars you’re interested in and even hold one for up to seven days.
The biggest drawback in comparison to Enterprise is the CarMax warranty, which only covers 90 days or 4,000 miles, whichever comes first. Enterprise also outshines CarMax with its 12-month complimentary roadside assistance.
Frequently asked questions
If you fall in love with the car you’re renting, contact your local Enterprise dealership or branch to find a similar make and model.
Enterprise has a no-haggle car-buying policy. If you want to pay a lower price for a car, you’ll either need to find a different car or look for a vehicle elsewhere.
Enterprise offers a 12-month, 12,000-mile powertrain warranty on its used car sales. It also provides unlimited roadside assistance for 12 months if your vehicle breaks down.
Since Enterprise partners with different auto loan lenders to fund purchases, credit requirements will vary depending on the lender. If you’re unable to qualify for a car loan through one of Enterprise’s partners, you can apply for a bad-credit auto loan on your own and use it to purchase an Enterprise vehicle.
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