Should You Consider Buying a Loaner Car?

When shopping for used cars, your first priority is to find something that meets your needs and budget. Beyond that, you are looking for a recent model with low mileage and minimal wear and tear. In short, you are looking for as close to a new car as possible. Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicles are one step to consider. And within the CPO inventory may be another, which is the rarest and most like-new of them all. These are dealer demonstrators, loaner cars, and, if the manufacturer has a presence in the area, program cars. Subaru of Rochester offers some info and advice on these unusual models in the used car market. 

Demonstrators, Loaner Cars, and Program Cars

Loaner and demonstrator cars have likely been owned only by the dealer. The demonstrators have been used for test drives. Loaner cars are offered to service customers if their car will be in service for a few days. Program cars were often used by the manufacturer as company cars for an employee in the area before being sold to the dealer. Loaners and Demonstrators are often sold before they reach 10,000 miles; finding them with as little as 3,000 miles is common. Program cars may have higher mileage. In all cases, the mileage will be too high to be considered new. So, they are like-new and have low mileage. Is there a downside?

The biggest concern with these vehicles is that they were driven primarily by people who don’t own them, a bit like vehicles from a rental fleet. Demonstrators probably had their acceleration and possibly brakes exercised. Service loaner cars likely had normal operation as their drivers went about their daily routines. It is likely these cars have been well-maintained. Demonstrators are expected to make a good impression. Service loaners have a similar role as an example of the manufacturer’s current product to a potential future customer. Obviously, it is in the dealer’s interest that these cars are in the best condition.

The Branded Title

Dealer and manufacturer cars will often have what is known as a “branded title.” Also given to cars from loaner fleets, this simply indicates the car’s history is other than to a private individual. A branded title isn’t a black mark but is intended to inform the buyer that the car’s previous use was for something other than private owner use. 

Are They Right For You?

A loaner car will likely be the closest thing to purchasing a new vehicle for a used vehicle price. Considering such a vehicle means you must be comfortable that multiple people have driven the car in the past, knowing it was not their own. However, its welfare was important to its owner, which is most likely the dealer, which would be Subaru of Rochester for vehicles in our inventory.

A challenge in seeking a loaner car is that they usually aren’t immediately identified as such. You will likely find them in the CPO inventory. They will probably be of recent, if not the current model year, and have relatively low mileage. Subaru of Rochester’s online inventory listing makes filtering to show just CPO models easy, and a look at the CarFax will inform you of the type of the previous owner. Our dealer sales staff can often point you to a loaner car as well, as it may be a car they know from having been around the dealership. 

Of course, as a Subaru CPO vehicle, it will have the following features:

• Factory-backed 7-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage, $0 deductible
• Additional coverage available
• 152-Point Inspection
• 24/7 Roadside Assistance
• $500 Owner Loyalty Coupon
• CARFAX Vehicle History Report
• SiriusXM 3-Month Trial Subscription
• One-year Trial Subscription to STARLINK Safety Plus Package with Automatic Collision Notification

We invite you to look at our online used car inventory and/or visit Subaru of Rochester to see all our CPO choices. If you encounter a loaner, demonstrator, or program car, hopefully, you can better understand what it means.