My VX220T was ex-demo - only had one issue and that was nothing to do with its history.
And our Focus was ex-demo - no probs whatsoever.
One of my mechanic mates says the riskiest motors are ex-hire cars. Possibly being a bit broad there because no doubt some look after them better than others (regardless of how badly the cars are treated by hirees).
I wouldn't buy an ex-hire though. Those cars ARE ragged mercilessly.
Not all hire car users abuse the cars in the way you do - I'd imagine the majority of their use is similar to what I saw when they were provided for transport use at the company I used to work for. People who want to get somewhere and have no particular interest in finding out the limits of another boring Astra, lots of steady motorway mileage.
In winter I wait until the car has warmed up and all windows are clear. I don't get going with some windows clear and the rest are sorted 'on the move'
I get off my lazy arse and scrape the windows before starting the car. It's a lot quicker and is better for your car.
When idling the oil pressure is low. So not only is your car not warming up quickly and you are wasting fuel, but you are letting it run without much oil lubricating it.
FWIW I bought my Prius ex-demo but that garage had a reasonably long test route, it's near a dual carriageway, and if any car's not going to get thrashed on a test drive it's a Prius 
Ex demo would be fine... Ex lease, hire or company car definitely not.
Ex demo would be fine... Ex lease, hire or company car definitely not.
my ex company car has use gone back to lease company, £2k of extra's, serviced by dealer per schedule with every single inspection sheet done at 10k, valeted every year and mainly driven motorway miles, it's a minter and would make a great purchase and the fact that it's still worth £10K with three years 90K on the clock proves there's a market for them.
Most hire cars are sold before their first service and washed every hire, bodywork checked, wouldn't put me off for the right price.
The most troublesome car I had was an Audi A6, three engines in 10 months and 42,000 miles, was a heap of shit to say the least. Some cars are pigs regardless of who was the first to drive it or what brand it is.
I get off my lazy arse and scrape the windows before starting the car. It's a lot quicker and is better for your car.
Personal preference is to wait or lukewarm water and wipers on full if I'm in a hurry 
geordiemick00I tend to agree with you as when you are with one car for a longtime driving a fair few miles you get to learn the car and fall into a 'routine' i.e. become smooth.
As I see it after owning a car for a certain amount of time you become more relaxed and as such drive smoother. Only exception to this 'one owner' thinking*
I still wouldn't go anywhere near an ex-hire car. Many many people driving it, many people getting to grips driving it differently, with no interest in the car for what could be a multitude of different uses and journeys. In addition there are pricks like me who learned to left footbrake, toe-n-heel, handbrake, drive-a-manual-like-an-auto and not slowing down for any speed bumps.
After all, as long as you don't dent the car any visual inspections back at the hire yard mean absolutely **** all to a future purchaser.
*Possibly an ex-mobility car either.
Did we not have a huge thread a while ago about whether or not pouring warm water on a cold windscreen was a good idea?
Having seen someone do it with boiling water, I'm not sure I'd risk it full stop.
Interesting noise though
I've always used lukewarm- not tap hot and definitely not kettle hot.
Just tepid enough that on a sweep its not freezing before the blade comes round.
VERY fast clear still with the wipers on full 
I've always used lukewarm- not tap hot and definitely not kettle hot.Just tepid enough that on a sweep its not freezing before the blade comes round.
VERY fast clear still with the wipers on full
Me too, turns a 5 minute job into a 10 second one.
I've got an ex demo Leon FR (A Seat Golf Gti). Its a hot hatch a little ragging does it good!
As another Demo-for-my-company-car driver, IME the majority of demo's are trundled through traffic to work in the same way as any other car. the driver is responsible for the fuel and condition of the car and most high performance models are static demos (not taken home) as no-one wants to pay the Co. car tax on them. They can be really good value if you are a (true) cash purchaser, but if you pay monthly the chances are it will work out pretty close to a new one taking into account manufacturer's offer at the mo.
It's not scientific but I had an ex-police car with 80k miles on it when 2 years old that last another 137K Miles (217K in total) before being crashed into and it still worked perfectly, only things replaced were normal consumables. It did need a bloody good clean though.
The next car I bought was an ex-hertz rental car (80K miles after 3 years) with a modern diesel engine and we are at 110K ~3 years later and it's still working perfectly except for the front side light (which is a bugger to get to).
Mind you I also use those Hope Ti QR skewers that are supposed to be leathal and have 3 pairs of well working Pace forks so I'm obviously the exception that proves the rule...
My first car was an ex-learner car. A car I learned in and passed in 
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