re: Thoughts on buying used rental car from hertz

I applaud the Mazda3 choice, they are built in Japan.

I agree with others here that buying a rental car can be a shaky proposition.

Might I suggest a Certified Pre-Owned unit from Mazda?

LINK

You need to do your research* on these cars, some can be rental returns, some are service loaner vehicles, some are lease returns and some are just plain trade-ins.

I would personally go up one class of car for a kid to a mid-size Accord or Camry. I wouldn't recommend a Mazda6 as the Toyota and Honda offerings are much better.

*The Car Fax will state what kind of title was issued for the vehicle, lease, rental, commercial or private owner and whether there was any repair claim against the VIN.