If you are shopping for a used car and have landed on Hertz Car Sales, the used-car arm of the car rental company Hertz, you are weighing one question. Is a former rental car a smart buy, or a slow-motion repair bill? Hertz sells its own off-rental vehicles to ordinary shoppers, mostly late-model cars and SUVs, usually cheaper than CarMax and usually a little dearer than the cheapest private listings.
The trade-off is baked into the product: these cars were driven by dozens of strangers who had no stake in their condition. This review covers how Hertz Car Sales works today. It explains what the warranty and return policy say, what the fees look like, and where the real risk sits. A tool further down helps you size up any ex-rental car.
Note: This is a research-based review, meaning that it conveys the results of my own research-based analysis. I have no relationship with Hertz and have never done business with Hertz Car Sales.
Hertz Car Sales at a glance
| Buying from Hertz Car Sales at a glance | |
|---|---|
| What it is | The used-car arm of the car rental company Hertz, selling former rental cars online and from 37 stores |
| Two ways to buy | Hertz Certified, bought direct, or TestDrive+, where you take the car home for up to three days first |
| Haggling | None. Prices are fixed and listed up front, and Hertz does not negotiate |
| Warranty | 3 years or 100,000 miles on eligible gas and hybrid cars; 12 months or 12,000 miles on electric cars |
| Return window | 7 days or 250 miles on Hertz Certified and TestDrive+ cars, less a $200 cleaning and recertification fee |
| Trade-ins | Yes, with a free appraisal |
| The catch | Ex-rental cars driven by many strangers, one set of keys, and service records only on request, which Hertz’s own pages disagree about |
What is Hertz Car Sales?
Hertz Car Sales is the retail used-car operation of The Hertz Corporation, part of the publicly traded Hertz Global Holdings. It sells former rental cars to the public, online and from 37 stores, according to its own location directory. They run across the continental United States and Honolulu. TestDrive+ cars can also be collected at more than 300 Hertz neighborhood rental locations. That is down from the 80 company-operated locations Hertz described in its 2018 annual report, and below the 45 CNBC counted in September 2025: the footprint has shrunk even as the online side has grown.
Two facts stand out. The first is no-haggle pricing, a fixed price with no negotiation: the number on the window is the number. The second is that Hertz is the whole chain behind the car. You buy from the outfit that rented it, maintained it and now warrants it, not a corner lot that picked it up at auction last week.
Where the cars come from, and why that matters
Most of the inventory comes from the rental fleets of Hertz and its sister brands Dollar, Thrifty and Donlen, though the company is open that it also sells customer trade-ins and cars bought from dealers, private sellers and auctions.
Hertz describes its retail stock as near-new and typically about a year old, and the wider numbers agree. When Hertz gave CNBC a look at its operations in September 2025, the company had about 560,000 vehicles on the road, roughly 80 percent of them less than a year old. Less than 10 percent went to wholesale auction. A sedan that left the rental line at twelve months old is a different proposition from a tired, high-mileage ex-fleet taxi.
The electric-car chapter
The electric-car side explains a class of cars you may well see on the lot. Hertz announced in October 2021 that it had ordered 100,000 Tesla vehicles by the end of 2022, alongside 65,000 Polestar electrics over five years. By January 2024 the company was selling about 20,000 electric vehicles out of its United States fleet and putting gas-powered cars back in their place, citing higher collision and damage costs and expecting roughly $245 million in depreciation charges. Some of those electrics turned up in the retail inventory as the fleet shrank, and they still carry a shorter warranty than the gas cars.
How buying a car from Hertz works
You start the way you would anywhere else: browse the listings showing each car’s location, mileage and exact price. Then the process goes online. Hertz lets you arrange financing, settle a trade-in and complete the paperwork from home in most states, and you can collect the car at a store or have it delivered. A handful of states still require you to sign at a licensed Hertz office.
Financing runs through a panel of lenders rather than Hertz itself, and the company says it works with buyers across a range of credit profiles. Pre-qualification uses a soft credit inquiry, so it does not ding your score; a hard check happens when a lender finalizes a loan. There is no published minimum credit score. How any lender reads your file is that lender’s business.
TestDrive+: the three-day try before you buy
The most interesting thing Hertz does is TestDrive+, its extended test-drive program, called Rent2Buy until October 2026. Rather than circle the block with a salesperson, you reserve the exact car, pay a special daily drive fee and live with it for up to three days. Buy it and Hertz waives the fee; decline and you hand it back and pay for the days you had it.
Gently disguising the rental business as a showroom is the whole idea, and it is a good one. The program has grown fast: Hertz reported it in more than 100 cities in August 2025 and in more than 300 Hertz neighborhood rental locations by October 2026. Most TestDrive+ cars are 2025 or 2026 models.
The minimum rental age is generally 25, or 21 with an Age Differential Charge that runs about $15 a day for most car classes and $25 for higher-end ones. And because TestDrive+ cars may still be out earning money, you cannot always inspect the vehicle before reserving; the reservation is the appointment.
The warranty, and what changed there
Warranty coverage is where the current program quietly parts company with what buyers found a few years ago. Under the banner 100K Mile Protection, Hertz includes a limited powertrain warranty of 3 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, on eligible gas and hybrid vehicles, at no extra charge. That is a real extension from the 12 months or 12,000 miles that applied on older terms.
- What is covered: specified major components of the engine, transmission and transaxle, and drive axle. It is a powertrain warranty, not bumper-to-bumper.
- Eligibility: generally five model years old or newer, and fewer than 75,000 miles at sale.
- Deductible: $100 per covered repair visit.
- Extras: rental car reimbursement, towing reimbursement, and travel breakdown reimbursement on certain covered breakdowns.
- Transferring it: not transferable if you sell the car later.
Electric cars sit on the older, shorter tier: a 12-month or 12,000-mile limited warranty, again with roadside assistance and travel breakdown coverage. Separately, Hertz sells protection plans at three coverage levels, including gap-style total loss protection, prepaid maintenance, and technology coverage for driver-assistance and audio systems. Those are optional and priced apart.
What “Hertz Certified” actually means
On this lot, Hertz Certified is a specific program. The car passes a 122-point inspection that Hertz describes in detail. A vehicle history report is checked for open service recalls. A road test covers more than two dozen performance items, such as transmission operation. Safety items include brake pad wear and tire tread. Then come the frame, underbody and engine components, and finally a sweep of exterior and interior matters. A satisfactory rating on all 122 points is what makes a car Certified.
Certified vehicles carry the three-year warranty described above and the same buy-back guarantee. Certified and TestDrive+ cars differ mainly in how you buy: Certified cars you purchase outright on the spot, while TestDrive+ cars you take home first.
The buy-back guarantee: 7 days or 250 miles
Hertz Car Sales will take a Hertz Certified or TestDrive+ car back within 7 days or 250 miles of your purchase, whichever comes first. Its own FAQ is looser than its buy-back page, saying that many purchases include the guarantee and that terms vary by transaction, so confirm yours before you sign. You can swap up to a more expensive vehicle and pay the difference, or walk away for a refund.
It is not a clean refund. Hertz deducts a $200 cleaning and recertification fee unless state law forbids it, plus anything it bills for excess wear or damage.
Fees and how you pay
The advertised price is the price, but not the total. You still owe state taxes and title and registration fees, estimated at sale and trued up by your motor vehicle agency afterwards. Documentation fees vary by state. Hertz’s Certified page says the fee is included in the advertised price in some states. It then lists 25 states where it is payable on top, from $85 in California to as much as $999 in Florida. Ask for your state’s figure in writing.
At select locations Hertz lets you put up to $3,000 of the down payment on a credit or debit card; the rest is financed, certified check or wire transfer, and bank draft checks are not accepted. Hertz’s customer FAQ also notes that cars come with just one set of keys. As for service history, Hertz’s own pages are not wholly in step. The Hertz Certified FAQ says the company is not currently providing copies of maintenance records. Its warranty page says records can be provided on request. Ask at the store, and read the inspection sheet and history report on offer.
The real question: are the cars beaten up?
This is the fear that hangs over every ex-rental car, and it deserves an honest answer. Consumer Reports, the nonprofit testing organization, used figures Avis has published: a rental car is rented 55 to 65 times a year on average. Its reporting puts typical rental mileage at about 10,000 to over 50,000 miles, notes that most cars are no more than 18 months old at de-fleet, and credits the trade with inspecting and servicing cars regularly.
Set against that: people treat a rental car differently from their own, and I am one of them. I will eat in a rental car and not in my own. Nobody is gentle with a car they are handing back at the airport. So the mileage is usually modest, the age is young, the servicing is systematic, and the driving is careless. Both sides of that trade are real.
Which is why the handling is the same whatever badge sits on the seller. Consumer Reports has long recommended pulling an independent vehicle history report and having your own mechanic inspect the car first. Hertz is comfortable with that instinct; its own materials encourage buyers to bring a vehicle to their mechanic of trust, and TestDrive+ is built on giving you the time to do exactly that.
Rental-fleet car reality check
Enter a car’s age, mileage, price and remaining warranty to see what to inspect closely and what room exists to negotiate. Tap or click to open.
Duty profile
What to inspect closely
What room there is to negotiate
Questions to put to the seller
Built for estimating inspection effort and negotiation room on a resale car. It covers inspection and negotiation only; financing, taxes and insurance are outside it, and no output is a prediction about any particular car.
Are Hertz prices good? Where they sat in practice
I priced three comparable cars against Edmunds, the pricing and research site, and CarMax, the national no-haggle used-car chain, and the pattern was consistent. Edmunds was the cheapest of the three on every car. Hertz sat a step behind it. CarMax was the expensive end of the range.
The first was a 2019 Toyota Highlander LE carrying about 13,000 miles. Hertz wanted $26,587 for it Certified. Edmunds listed an uncertified one with a little more mileage at $25,940, and a franchise dealer had the same offer with room for haggling. The second was a 2019 BMW X3 at about 28,000 miles: $32,997 Certified at Hertz, $29,988 on Edmunds, $36,998 at CarMax. The third was a 2018 Toyota Camry LE: $16,700 at Hertz, uncertified and showing about 35,000 miles, against $15,995 on Edmunds for a car with about 22,000 miles, and $18,998 at CarMax.
Those were the numbers when I looked them up, and they have aged. Cox Automotive, which tracks used-car listings, reported an average listing price of $27,239 in August 2026. That was the highest since December 2022 and up 7 percent on the year, as stock under $15,000 thinned. Do not read those prices as today’s quotes. The ranking of the three sellers is the durable part, and it is worth testing on the exact car you want.
Hertz Car Sales versus CarMax
The two chains rhyme in a couple of ways and diverge in others. Both price up front and neither will haggle. But their core products are different creatures.
- Inspection. Every CarMax car is inspected and sold as CarMax Certified. At Hertz, the 122-point inspection is the hallmark of the Hertz Certified program, and not every car on the list carries it.
- Return policy. CarMax advertises a 10-day Money Back Guarantee. Hertz gives 7 days or 250 miles on Hertz Certified and TestDrive+ cars and takes $200 off the refund.
- Warranty. The wide gap. CarMax’s standard limited warranty is 30 days for most buyers, 60 to 90 in a few states. Hertz gives 3 years or 100,000 miles on eligible gas and hybrid cars. Longer cover from CarMax means buying its MaxCare service plan, up to 5 years, at extra cost.
- What the car lived through. CarMax does not specialize in ex-rental stock. If you would rather not buy a car that was driven by forty strangers, that difference is the whole comparison.
Ten things to do before you commit
- Prefer a Hertz Certified car over uncertified stock where the prices are close.
- Take the time to inspect properly, and give real weight to anything a mechanic surfaces.
- Use TestDrive+ where it is offered. Three days of your own commute tells you more than any conversation on the lot.
- Run the VIN yourself through the national recall check at nhtsa.gov/recalls and read a history report.
- Favor lower mileage per model year over a cheap sticker with high mileage.
- Ask how much of the manufacturer’s warranty is still live on that VIN, and how to confirm it.
- Decide about protection plans before you arrive, so the decision is not made in the finance office.
- Check tire tread depth and brake pad thickness yourself. Wear items are the first bill.
- Price the same car at Edmunds, CarMax and a local franchise dealer before you commit.
- Count the documentation fee for your state against the total, not just the sticker.
A candid verdict
I would be nervous about the life history of an ex-rental car, and I would want the price to be really, really good to go ahead. Against that nervousness, Hertz puts a long list on the other side of the ledger: young inventory, a genuinely long warranty, a real return window, fixed published prices, and a three-day TestDrive+. Hertz says that last one sets it apart among major used-car retailers.
The sweet spot is a low-mileage, late-model, Hertz Certified car taken out on the three-day program and put in front of a mechanic before any money moves. If a comparable car from a private seller or a franchise dealer comes in meaningfully cheaper once the doc fee is counted, the ex-rental badge is not buying you enough.
This article is for general information and entertainment, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is Hertz Car Sales?
Hertz Car Sales is the used-car arm of the car rental company Hertz. It sells former rental vehicles, and some trade-ins and auction stock, online and from 37 stores across the United States, at fixed, non-negotiable prices.
Is buying a former rental car a good idea?
It can be, because fleet cars are usually young, lightly worn by mileage and systematically serviced. The trade-off is that many different drivers have used one car without much care. Consumer Reports, the nonprofit consumer testing organization, recommends a vehicle history report and an independent mechanic’s inspection on any ex-rental car.
Does Hertz Car Sales negotiate on price?
No. Hertz Car Sales uses no-haggle pricing, so the listed price is the price. What you can usually move instead is your trade-in appraisal, and any optional extras being added at the point of sale.
How long is the warranty that comes with a Hertz car?
Eligible gas and hybrid vehicles include a 3-year or 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty at no extra charge, with a $100 deductible per covered repair visit. Eligible Hertz electric vehicles include a shorter 12-month or 12,000-mile limited warranty instead. Exact coverage is set out in the warranty agreement you receive.
Can I return a car I bought from Hertz Car Sales?
On a Hertz Certified or TestDrive+ car, yes: within 7 days or 250 miles of the purchase, whichever comes first, with terms varying by transaction. Hertz deducts a $200 cleaning and recertification fee unless the law forbids it, plus any amount charged for excess wear or damage.
What is Rent2Buy, and what is it called now?
Rent2Buy was the name of Hertz Car Sales’ program for renting the exact car you were considering before you bought it, at a discounted daily rate that was waived on purchase. It is now called TestDrive+, and it runs to more than 300 participating Hertz neighborhood rental locations, giving you up to three days with the vehicle.
Sources and further reading
Hertz’s own pages and filings
- Hertz Car Sales. “Hertz Car Sales | Largest Used Car Selection.” https://www.hertzcarsales.com/
- Hertz Car Sales. “Hertz Certified | Used Rental Cars for Sale.” https://www.hertzcarsales.com/hertz-certified.htm
- Hertz Car Sales. “TestDrive+ | Take a Car Home for 3 Days.” https://www.hertzcarsales.com/rent2buy.htm
- Hertz Car Sales. “Hertz Warranty | 3-Year / 100K Mile Protection.” https://www.hertzcarsales.com/hertz-warranty.htm
- Hertz Car Sales. “Hertz Buy Back Guarantee.” https://www.hertzcarsales.com/hertz-buy-back-guarantee.htm
- Hertz Car Sales. “Hertz Car Sales Frequently Asked Questions.” https://www.hertzcarsales.com/frequently-asked-questions.htm
- Hertz Car Sales. “Locations.” https://www.hertzcarsales.com/locations/index.htm
- The Hertz Corporation. “Annual Report on Form 10-K for 2018.” U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/47129/000165785319000005/hghthc201810-k.htm
News, market data and comparisons
- Business Wire. “Hertz Car Sales is Redefining the Test Drive and Expanding its Rent2Buy Program to 100+ Cities Nationwide.” August 14, 2025. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250814267724/en/Hertz-Car-Sales-is-Redefining-the-Test-Drive-and-Expanding-its-Rent2Buy-Program-to-More-Than-100-Cities
- Business Wire. “Hertz Car Sales Introduces 100K Mile Protection, Raising the Bar for Confidence in Used Vehicle Ownership.” August 25, 2026. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260825691956/en/Hertz-Car-Sales-Introduces-100K-Mile-Protection-Raising-the-Bar-for-Confidence-in-Used-Vehicle-Ownership
- Business Wire. “Hertz Car Sales Expands Three-Day Test-Drive Experience to 300+ Hertz Locations Nationwide.” October 15, 2026. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261015752606/en/Hertz-Car-Sales-Expands-Three-Day-Test-Drive-Experience-to-300-Hertz-Locations-Nationwide
- CNBC. Robert Ferris. “Exclusive: Hertz Takes All of Used Car Sales Process Online.” September 30, 2025. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/30/hertz-used-cars-online.html
- Reuters. “Rental Giant Hertz Dumps EVs, Including Teslas, for Gas Cars.” January 11, 2024. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/hertz-sell-about-20000-evs-us-fleet-2024-01-11/
- Cox Automotive. “Used-Vehicle Prices Reach Highest Level Since 2022 as Inventory Tightens in August.” September 11, 2026. https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights/used-vehicle-inventory-august-2026/
- Cox Automotive. “Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index: Mid-October 2026 Trends.” October 19, 2026. https://www.coxautoinc.com/insights/manheim-used-vehicle-value-index-mid-october-2026-trends/
- Consumer Reports, via WISC-TV Channel 3000. “Consumer Reports: Beware Buying a Used Rental Car.” https://www.channel3000.com/features/consumer-reports-beware-buying-a-used-rental-car/article_8eff76bb-d260-5950-9d3f-56b5624359fc.html
- CarMax. “Warranties and MaxCare.” https://www.carmax.com/car-buying-process/maxcare-service-plans
- CarMax. “What is CarMax’s Return Policy?” https://www.carmax.com/faq/warranties/what_is_CarMax_return_policy
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Recalls.” https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
You might also like our look at how to save money on car repairs, our tips on maintaining an electric car, and our case for leasing your next car.
Updated October 2026 by Richie with the help of modern digital tools.
I’m probably due for a new-used car one of these days, Miguel. Thanks for the review. It sounds like an interesting program. Tom
Thanks Tom,
It is; and may be the right choice for some, especially if the car is in very good condition.
Here’s my experience
I’ve bought through Hertz Car Sales twice and will do so in the next week or two.
Prices at Hertz, like dealers fluctuate so if one has time, compare prices like in the article, but also do it over some time.
I’ve noticed that Hertz will put a bunch of the same make/model online for sale at the same time and then not post any more for a month or so. Avis is typically putting them on their web site, every few days or every week. If vehicles don’t move, they do drop prices on their web site, just like a dealer does.
Even if you see the same make/model/trim/year on Hertz, you can see a wide range of prices depending on color, drive train, mileage and the Hertz sales office that is selling the car.
I’m currently looking for a 2019 RAV4 LE, AWD (1 yr old) and Hertz has them from $19K – $24K. Dealerships and online sales are typically $22K or more.
As the article states, Hertz doesn’t haggle, but they do have this discount (from their web site): AAA members receive $325 off the purchase price of any used vehicle at any of the 46 U.S. Hertz Car Sales locations
Hi Rich,
Thank you, this is super informative! š
Cheers,
Miguel
I worked for Enterprise Rent A Car. Sometimes the maintenance got done on time, sometimes we went 8000 miles between an oild change. In general, the cheap cars got ragged on pretty badly. The luxury cars were better taken care of by customers.
What the āsalesā and āsales managerā wonāt tell you is that there is likely no second key fob. Key FOBs are relatively high cost. AND they wonāt disclose the $450 ādocument feeā until the last signatures. This fee applies whether one finances or pays cash. Example: advertised at $21,400, final cost was $$22,925.65! Iāll go to a dealer next time. Not sure why the agents are called āsalesā, as that is not the case.