Buying a 2016 C one - Pre-purchase-inspection

After shopping around for a used car for a while, I'm thinking about buying a 2016 C one from Hertz rent2buy at 30k miles. I am going to pick up the car tomorrow morning for a three day test rental. I can then decide if I want to buy the car or not.

Even though the big rental companies probably take care of their fleet in terms of maintance and repairs, I am planning to take the car to a mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection to make sure there are no hidden issues.

Would it be best to go to a Toyota dealer or can I trust any reputable local mechanic to take a look? My concern would be that a hybrid is considerably more complex than a regular car and I don't even know if a regular auto shop would have the tools to run a proper diagnostic. On the other hand, it would be great to develop a relationship with a trusted mechanic nearby.

What can I expect to pay for the inspection and would a dealer charge more? Will the Toyota people lecture me about buying a former rental and not one of their own used cars?

I'm not only new to the Prius but also to car ownership, so this will be an adventure. I will keep this thread updated with my experience. Located in Queens, NY.

 

This was pretty much the answer I anticipated, but not the one I was asking for.

I am aware of the risks of buying a retired rental -- which is I want it checked out by a mechanic before making a decision. The question is: Worth going to a Toyota dealer for a check up or can I use someone nearby?

It makes sense that rental companies would want to keep their cars in circulation as much as possible. But isn't a broken-down car and an unhappy customer who needs a replacement more expensive than doing regular oil changes / tire rotations / software updates? Because I do not own a car I use rentals a lot and never had any issues more serious than a dirty floor mat.

The car was first titled in CA and I'm in another CARB state (NY). It's under the 10 yr / 150k miles battery warranty and the manufacturer warranties are all transferable.

Can you elaborate on that last point? I'm by no means an unexperienced driver. Living in the city, I just never owned a car myself.

 

Update: I decided to buy the car!

We went to a shop that works with a lot of hybrids and focuses on Toyotas. The mechanic gave the car a clean bill of health and said it was in excellent condition. The only issue is that the tires are almost due for replacement, but it looks like I can get Hertz to take care of that for free.

I then test-drove the car for two days (mostly city driving on Saturday and an 80 mile trip Sunday).

Here's what convinced me:
- Excellent in the city where 80+% of my driving will be! I guess that's what the C is built for, after all. I love how quiet the car is, even when the ICE is running. Despite what I read in some reviews, I also really like how the car handles. Visibility is good too.
- The seats are great with plenty of lumbar support.
- The geek in me likes the tech and observing what the dual system does. I assume that will get old eventually
- FE, obviously.

My wife and I were concerned about space, initially, but we did a Costco haul and transported some other stuff without even having to take down the back seat. The other concern was that it does feel very sluggish on the highway, especially going uphill, but the car did technically keep up with traffic. I never felt unsafe, and for the occasional road-trip that's good enough.

 

Yeah, they thoughtfully(?) gave me the car with an almost empty tank. I filled it up when the fuel light came on and will see how many actual miles I can go on that. Will take me a while to use up a tank of gas though

 

Yes, that's the one. I'll check if it lights up when you first start the car. Once the gas pump icon came on I put in 8.11 gallons.

 

Sorry for the delay. I got Hertz to throw in a set of new tires, which took a few days for whatever reason. I'm still really happy with the car.

Turns out the orange fuel light is on the display on the right, but it does not come on when I turn on the car like the other indicator lights.

 

They gave me General Altimax RT43s. These are not LRR. I didn't drive with either set of tires long enough to really compare mpg. Some other people reviewed the RT43 here and mostly liked them:

Tires - General Altimax RT43 - All season. | PriusChat

So far, they feel like new tires, but otherwise okay. They held up well in a rain storm last weekend. Tire pressure was a little low when I got them. I now use 40 front, 36 rear.

Either way, I won't complain about a free new set of tires.