High Mileage Vehicles
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: SFO/DTW
Programs: DL PM 0.5MM, Hyatt Globalist, HHonors Gold, SPG Plat, Marriott Gold, Avis PC, National EE, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,988
High Mileage Vehicles
Just out of curiosity, how high does Avis run their vehicles up to before they sell them?
Seems like many of my past rentals these past few weeks have been 32k miles or higher. Got an Altima several weeks ago that was 40k miles. Maybe its just my luck at SLC?
Seems like many of my past rentals these past few weeks have been 32k miles or higher. Got an Altima several weeks ago that was 40k miles. Maybe its just my luck at SLC?
#2
Moderator: Avis and Rental Cars
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,025
Really depends on the vehicle and how AvisBudget has the ownership setup. They have 3 categories for corporate fleet vehicles, if I remember correctly (noted by a letter on the key chain in the blue stripe:
1. Risk: Avis owns outright and will sell when they determine it's time.
2. Tier: They have the vehicle for several tiers of time/mileage. Could be 6 months/12k miles, 12 months/24k miles or whatever Avis/manufacturer determines. If they go over the first tier, they immediately keep it for the remainder of the 2nd tier. If it goes past the last tier, then it becomes a Risk car & is bought by Avis.
3. Flat: Avis will own the vehicle for a specific amount of time, mileage or time & mileage. If the vehicle goes over the tier, then Avis buys it & it's a Risk car.
Seems like newer cars are more frequent in the fall, so I wouldn't be surprised if they're higher mileage for summer travel.
1. Risk: Avis owns outright and will sell when they determine it's time.
2. Tier: They have the vehicle for several tiers of time/mileage. Could be 6 months/12k miles, 12 months/24k miles or whatever Avis/manufacturer determines. If they go over the first tier, they immediately keep it for the remainder of the 2nd tier. If it goes past the last tier, then it becomes a Risk car & is bought by Avis.
3. Flat: Avis will own the vehicle for a specific amount of time, mileage or time & mileage. If the vehicle goes over the tier, then Avis buys it & it's a Risk car.
Seems like newer cars are more frequent in the fall, so I wouldn't be surprised if they're higher mileage for summer travel.
Last edited by IAHtraveler; Jun 8, 2016 at 6:57 am Reason: added wording for corporate fleet vehicles
#5
Moderator: Avis and Rental Cars
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,025
Good point! The local franchises handle their own fleet separately. In the two franchises that I know of (MDT and the former eastern NC region that includes ILM/OAJ/EWN): they owned all of their own cars and made their own decisions on when to sell/trade vehicles and buy new.
#6
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
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Posts: 14,620
Just got assigned a Ford Fusion with 50,731 miles by a corporate location. Previous personal record was around 33K with Hertz. So much for Preferred Plus especially when the lot had two dozen vehicles.
#7
Join Date: Oct 2016
Posts: 3,676
#8
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: PDX
Programs: DL Plat, UA Plat 1MM, AS MVP, Hyatt Discoverist, Avis Presidents Club, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 3,938
Not Avis-specific but I had a 64K mile Toyota Sienna from Hertz a few weeks ago -- smashing my previous record of 40K miles -- but so far I've been under 30K on all my Avis rentals this year, I don't expect this to last.
#9
Moderator: Avis and Rental Cars
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,025
I've had 3 vehicles with over 40k in the past 10 days... As a Chairman! I've swapped some for much lower mileage/newer vehicles.
Speaking to am east coast station manager (after seeing a Honda Accord with a "Honda Certified" front license plate and a dealer sticker on the back), he said they are buying many used cars to meet demand. But they're seeing bookings drop quickly and he thinks they'll be selling vehicles after Labor Day.
Speaking to am east coast station manager (after seeing a Honda Accord with a "Honda Certified" front license plate and a dealer sticker on the back), he said they are buying many used cars to meet demand. But they're seeing bookings drop quickly and he thinks they'll be selling vehicles after Labor Day.
#11
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New York suburbs
Posts: 4,206
Why are bookings dropping quickly after Labor Day, to the point of selling cars again, even while chip shortages continue? Covid fear? Cars approaching such high mileage they need to be sold before serious mechanical problems develop and cause a bad customer experience? If high demand continued, worn cars needed to be replaced, but new inventory remained unavailable, how would it be handled?
#12
Moderator: Avis and Rental Cars
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,025
Why are bookings dropping quickly after Labor Day, to the point of selling cars again, even while chip shortages continue? Covid fear? Cars approaching such high mileage they need to be sold before serious mechanical problems develop and cause a bad customer experience? If high demand continued, worn cars needed to be replaced, but new inventory remained unavailable, how would it be handled?
Signs are pointing toward a travel slowdown (for example, AA is giving elite status if you hit easy thresholds between Sept and Nov so they are seeing a fall-off). Seems travel is being done by leisure travelers, who will inevitably slow down drastically when kids go back to school. This seems to be reiterated by the Avis manager.
#13
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP; Avis PC; Hertz PC; Marriott LT Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,122
Recently had a 65K+ SUV with hand controls in RDU. Was told that the hand control vehicles are the last to be replaced due to the cost of installing hand controls. Vehicle had a cracked windshield washer reservoir (was empty so I filled it and suddenly noticed a puddle under the car), nearly bald tires, and was badly in need of alignment as it shimmied hard over 50 mph. Avis couldn't care less when I complained. So much for being PC.
#14
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,123
I had 34,000 on a 4Runner I was originally given. There was a weird noise from the front end and the NY inspection was expired. The latter was a non-starter because I was taking the car through NY, so I ended up with a much lower mileage Sorrento. I noticed a "PM needed" sticker on the 4Runner fob when I was returning it.