Would you buy a former press fleet car?

Wondering if it makes sense if you could get a 10-15% discount versus other used comparable models on the market. What if it still had some warranty life and you could buy an extended warranty from the dealer?

 

I'd want more than that off the MSRP. Here are just two reasons:

As for buying a press car, I'll be honest: We hammer them. We have seven days to put it through everything you'll do in seven years. And most car reviewers think every car is a performance car and drive it accordingly. I've had over 1,100 of them in my hands over the years and can tell you we get those great action photos and video by driving with, shall we say, vigor. That's a lot of hard driving in a car's first year, or less, and I'd be concerned about it not receiving a proper break-in period, having higher than normal interior wear (we jam all kinds of cameras and gear in them) and suffering from generally higher wear and tear compared to other cars of similar mileage. That said, press cars retire young, and the balance of a factory warranty will cover a lot of sins.

Also bear in mind that press cars are often early production vehicles, potentially missing some engineering changes done later in the model year as problems arise.

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/should-you-buy-a-car-roadshow-has-driven/
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If you’ve ever experienced driving with the press at a mfg. press event this wouldn’t be a question. Trust me.
No matter the ‘discount’.

 

I certainly agree with others here. That said, I once bought a press car and had zero problems. YMMV.

 

Discussed recently if you'd like more input:

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/buying-a-press-car.676470/

 

Thanks!

 

I would date one, either.