Hertz unloads Maserati rentals in luxury fire sale

Following the pandemic, the automotive market boomed to high demand as inventory levels tumbled the opposite way due to the shortage of semiconductors pertinent for vehicles to function. Fast forward to now, and it’s possible to find dealers with full lots with units to sell.

At the same time, EV demand has plummeted and carmakers are backtracking commitments to EVs in favor of hybrids and plug-in hybrids because having a gasoline backup doesn’t hurt anybody. This ultimately comes down to buying costs and charging infrastructure.

Related: Hertz hosting a fire sale on Tesla rental fleet

Hertz's recent fire sale affects Maseratis too

It also means rental companies tend to play with fire despite no guaranteed returns. In 2021, Hertz famously spent $4.2 billion for 100,000 Tesla units so it could offer an electric option in its fleet. Now it’s trying to offload them for cheap. However, it seems EVs aren’t the only cars not immune to heavy depreciation. Perhaps surprisingly to no one, Maserati values have been affected too.

Through Hertz, the Maserati Grecale is losing money faster than Bitcoin investors. A 2024 GT model carries a base MSRP of $69,900 so imagine our surprise when used examples are showing up on the Hertz classifieds with a $30,000 discount.

Yep, a 2024 Maserati Grecale GT is on sale right now for $40,227. The mileage? Just 4,060 on the odometer. No damage is mentioned and the vehicle history report reveals no accidents. And it’s not alone. There are a number of Grecales for sale right now, with a lot of them showing less than 10,000 miles. These are basically brand-new cars with titles that do not appear to be lemons.

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What is causing such a rapid inventory clearout?

So what’s going on here? One answer may lie with the manufacturer, whose reputation is not great when it comes to reliability. However, a quick glance through the Autotrader classifieds of near-new Grecales that have been certified pre-owned through Maserati dealers shows them to carry a selling price in the $50,000 range. So it might reflect the blowback Hertz faced for buying too many Teslas and hurting the company's value.

This is all pure speculation. I’ve reached out to the representative in my state for insight and as of this writing, they have yet to reply. If we hear back, this story will be updated accordingly.

The Maserati Grecale is the latest model to wear the trident badge. It is a compact crossover designed to compete against the likes of the BMW X3 and Porsche Macan. The GT trim utilizes a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 with mild hybrid assist that's connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission. This delivers power to all four corners through an all-wheel-drive system.

Final thoughts

Let’s leave this on a positive note: you have the chance to nab a Maserati for the price of a top-end Toyota RAV4. Hertz shows Grecales listed with low miles in different US states so it’s always a good idea to clarify warranty information before purchasing, as coverage on a used vehicle may reflect differently depending on the state.

There’s also the risk that these were abused to a greater extent as rentals than what you may typically find on a used car so it’s a good idea to drive it yourself to ensure that’s not the case. To be fair, these are advisable steps to approach any pre-owned vehicle, not just reflected on a specific brand like Maserati.

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