Budget Used Cars
Budget Used Cars (operating as Avis Car Sales and Budget Car Sales) is the consumer retail division of Avis Budget Group, selling certified, later-model former rental vehicles through 13 dealerships across six U.S. states. It targets value-conscious individual buyers with no-haggle pricing below KBB, a complimentary warranty, and credit-union-backed financing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersKnoxville (Alcoa), United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Budget Used Cars does
Budget Used Cars is the consumer-facing retail brand of Avis Budget Group's used vehicle sales division, marketed to consumers under the trade names "Avis Car Sales" and "Budget Car Sales." The core product is a portfolio of later-model (typically 2–3 year-old) certified used vehicles sourced from the Avis and Budget rental fleets and resold through 13 company-owned retail dealerships across six U.S. states (California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Texas). Each vehicle goes through a proprietary bumper-to-bumper certification process and is delivered with a complimentary 12-month/12,000-mile warranty, transparent pricing set below Kelley Blue Book value, and a no-haggle purchase model intended to differentiate against traditional franchise and independent used car dealers.
The company sells to value-conscious individual consumers seeking reliable, modern-feature vehicles without negotiation friction, and it deliberately segments inventory by price point (under $20K), monthly payment (under $300/month), powertrain (hybrid/EV), and provenance (Carfax one-owner). Supporting services around the sale include a KBB-powered trade-in valuation tool, digital retailing with payment personalization, multi-lender financing through a network of local credit unions and lending partners that serve subprime credit profiles, pickup/delivery logistics, and post-sale service and parts.
Revenue is generated primarily through one-time transactions on used vehicle sales, supplemented by partnership-based financing arrangements. The business model is structurally dependent on the parent Avis Budget Group's fleet replacement cycle for vehicle supply, which constitutes both its principal cost advantage and the single largest supply-side concentration in the operation.
Budget Used Cars firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Budget Used Cars
- Legal name
- Avis Car Sales
- Website
- https://budgetcarsales.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Budget Used Cars (operating as Avis Car Sales and Budget Car Sales) is the consumer retail division of Avis Budget Group, selling certified, later-model former rental vehicles through 13 dealerships across six U.S. states. It targets value-conscious individual buyers with no-haggle pricing below KBB, a complimentary warranty, and credit-union-backed financing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Budget Used Cars industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Used Car Retail
- NAICS
- Used Car Dealers (441120)
- SIC
- Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fleet OEM Captive Buyback & Guaranteed Future Value (GFV) Programs (TLABAKAC)
Keywords
Where Budget Used Cars is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Knoxville (Alcoa)
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices13 records
Markets served
Budget Used Cars business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Used Vehicle Sales: One-time purchase revenue from selling certified used vehicles. Vehicles are former Avis/Budget rental fleet cars, typically 2-3 years old, sold at prices below Kelley Blue Book value. Revenue is generated through individual vehicle transactions with transparent pricing.
- Financing Services: Partnership-based financing services through a network of lending partners and credit unions. The company facilitates financing arrangements for customers, generating revenue through interest or fees from financing partnerships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard used vehicle pricing - below market value |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Budget Used Cars product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Budget Used Cars (operating as Avis Car Sales) sells certified former Avis/Budget rental fleet vehicles that are typically 2-3 years old through 13 retail dealerships and an online storefront. Vehicles are priced below Kelley Blue Book value with no-haggle transparent pricing and are sold with a complimentary 12-month/12,000-mile warranty. The company also facilitates financing through credit unions and lending partners and offers trade-in valuation, pickup/delivery, and service and parts.
Product overview
Avis Car Sales operates a single-platform used car sales business selling certified former rental vehicles from the Budget and Avis fleets. The core product is the Budget Rental Cars for Sale program, featuring later-model vehicles (2-3 years old) with single-owner history, professional maintenance, and a bumper-to-bumper certification process. Vehicles are sold with complimentary 12-month/12,000-mile warranty and no-haggle pricing below KBB value. Supporting products include specialized vehicle categories (Cars Under $20K, Hybrid & Electric Vehicles, Carfax One Owner Vehicles), value-added services (Value Your Trade, Personalize Your Payment/Digital Retailing, Financing Services), and convenience features (Pickup & Delivery, Returns & Warranty, Service & Parts). The portfolio is unified under Avis Car Sales with Budget positioning the affordable/rental heritage angle.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Certified Used Vehicles from Avis/Budget Fleet (Budget Rental Cars for Sale)
Quantifiable outcome
- Vehicles priced below Kelley Blue Book (KBB) value
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Budget Used Cars
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Budget Used Cars technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Budget Used Cars partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Budget Used Cars competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CarMax: Largest U.S. used car retailer with national footprint and standardized no-haggle pricing model. Highly comparable in customer experience, transparent pricing, and broad financing partnerships, though inventory is sourced from auctions and trade-ins rather than rental fleets.
- Enterprise Car Sales: Rental-fleet sibling operation of Enterprise Holdings that sells former Enterprise rental vehicles to consumers. Most directly comparable peer because it shares the same fleet remarketing model, single-owner value proposition, and certified pre-owned positioning.
- Carvana: Pure-play online used car retailer with home-delivery model and national reach. Competes directly for the same value-conscious used car buyer through a digital-first experience and offers vehicle pick-up/delivery services that overlap with the subject company's pickup and delivery capability.
- Vroom: Online used car retailer operating a national ecommerce platform with home delivery. Directly comparable digital retailing model targeting similar value-conscious buyers, though with a less mature reconditioning and logistics footprint than CarMax or Carvana.
- Hertz (Used Car Sales / Rent2Buy): Direct competitor rental-fleet remarketing channel selling ex-Hertz vehicles through Hertz Car Sales. Identical business model - selling late-model former rental fleet vehicles with documented single-owner history - making it the closest operational analogue.
Emerging players
- Shift: Earlier-stage online used car platform (now part of CarShop / Lithia). Directly comparable digital used car retail model; relevance is partial given the company's reduced scale post-acquisition but historically competed for the same online used car buyer.
Broad incumbents
- Penske Automotive Group: International automotive retailer with new vehicle franchises and commercial truck operations. Includes used vehicle retail at scale with diversified F&I and service revenue streams, comparable in customer financing focus but operating primarily a franchised-dealer model.
- AutoNation: Largest U.S. auto retailer operating new and used vehicle franchises across multiple states with significant used car operations and finance, insurance, and parts/service annuity streams. Overlaps with the subject company in used vehicle retail and F&I offerings but at much larger scale and with broader product lines.
- Sonic Automotive: Diversified auto retailer with franchised dealerships and EchoPark used car standalone stores. EchoPark is the most directly comparable used-car-only format targeting similar value-conscious buyers with a no-haggle model.
- Lithia Motors: Large publicly traded auto dealer group with growing used vehicle and digital retailing operations (Driveway). Comparable used car retail strategy and omnichannel approach but with a franchise dealer business model and significantly larger geographic and revenue scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks2 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Budget Used Cars social profiles
Digital presenceBudget Used Cars compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Budget Used Cars financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Budget Used Cars leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Budget Used Cars funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Budget Used Cars M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Budget Used Cars
What does Budget Used Cars do?
Budget Used Cars (operating as Avis Car Sales) sells certified former Avis/Budget rental fleet vehicles that are typically 2-3 years old through 13 retail dealerships and an online storefront. Vehicles are priced below Kelley Blue Book value with no-haggle transparent pricing and are sold with a complimentary 12-month/12,000-mile warranty. The company also facilitates financing through credit unions and lending partners and offers trade-in valuation, pickup/delivery, and service and parts.
Is Budget Used Cars a public or private company?
Budget Used Cars is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Budget Used Cars founded?
Budget Used Cars was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Budget Used Cars based?
Budget Used Cars is headquartered in Knoxville (Alcoa), United States, in the North America region.
How does Budget Used Cars make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Used Vehicle Sales are the primary driver. The others are financing Services.
Who are Budget Used Cars's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CarMax, Enterprise Car Sales, Carvana, Vroom and Hertz (Used Car Sales / Rent2Buy). Shift is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Penske Automotive Group, AutoNation, Sonic Automotive and Lithia Motors.
Does Budget Used Cars have an API?
No public API is recorded for Budget Used Cars.
What industry is Budget Used Cars in?
Budget Used Cars's product category is Used Car Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABAKAC, Fleet OEM Captive Buyback & Guaranteed Future Value (GFV) Programs. Its NAICS code is 441120 and its SIC code is 6141.