PARSIPPANY, N.J. -

With consumer demand for used vehicles riding high, Avis Budget Group launched a new program on Wednesday that sells late-model off-rental units directly to the public.

Avis Budget has teamed up with AutoNation for the “Ultimate Test Drive” initiative, which lets consumers use the AutoNation Direct sales channel to purchase off-rental Avis and Budget units.

Previously, Avis Budget had conducted the resale process mostly through wholesale channels.

"Vehicle sales have always been an important part of the car rental industry,” said Michael Schmidt, senior vice president of fleet services at Avis Budget. “Until now, our vehicle resale program has been largely a wholesale operation, but AutoNation Direct will allow us to make vehicles available for resale, direct to consumers in a cost-effective and convenient way.”

As most likely know, AutoNation Direct is a subsidiary of the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. retail giant. It serves as an alternative sales channel whereby AutoNation aims to meet the needs of affinity groups, credit unions and other specialty organizations. In essence, it provides a different option to the traditional route of buying a car at a dealership.

“‘Car sales’ is one of the most often-searched terms at Avis.com and Budget.com. This is one of the many indications that there is demand in the marketplace for our used vehicles,” stated Tom Gartland, Avis Budget’s president for North America.

“We’re proud to launch the Ultimate Test Drive program and provide car buyers access to a wide selection of the many makes and models we offer Avis and Budget renters. Consumers can find value and savings on a high-quality vehicle from the comfort of their home,” he added.

The Ultimate Test Drive is currently offered in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida and Nevada. It is expected to roll out in more states over the next few months.

Here is how it is designed to work: A customer visits www.avis.com or www.budget.com and schedules a test drive of his or her selected vehicle. If the test drives is two hours or less, it is free.

The customer can choose to make the test drive last as much as three days “for a nominal rental fee,” officials said.

After taking the vehicle for a spin, if the consumer chooses to buy, he or she will get reimbursed the fee once purchase is completed via AutoNation Direct.

More than 75 makes and models are included in the program, which features both domestic and import automakers. Customers can also meet with AutoNation Direct representatives to ask about financing, trade-in options, available warranties and related services before completing the deal.

“Consumers looking for value and price will find this program is perfect for them," said Ron Frey, president of AutoNation Direct. “Working with Avis Budget Group, we can provide consumers with a quality used car that best meets their needs.”