Just finished my year lease with Smart Lease. Fantastic experience from start to finish. The car worked perfectly without a single issue. I would do again. read more

I rented a car from Smartlease for 6 months while being a college student in the bay area. For a business that is geared towards "helping out" young professionals and students (people who are often new to car rentals, car ownership, and car insurance), I'm surprised at the consequences I faced for this lease. I'm deeply disappointed in this experience: one that was marketed as low-frills and economical and how Mohamad was polite and reasonable until the time for the car return came. I understand the pressure of our current economy, but cannot condone taking advantage and emotionally manipulating the exact group of customers that would vulnerable to this. The cars at Smartlease are old and delicate and any minor scuffs or scratches that inevitably happen during your lease are not considered "normal wear and tear." If you are looking to rent from Smartlease, you'd hope you can keep the condition of the car 100% perfect or you would have to pay thousands of dollars in damages out-of-pocket (that amount to over 25% of the rental car's value) or pay deductibles through your insurance which significantly increases your premium for years. In my case, I got trapped in Clause 19 of the lease agreement: "If you have not had the repairs made before the Vehicle is returned at the scheduled end of this lease, you will pay the estimated costs of such repairs, even if the repairs are not made prior to Holder's sale of the Vehicle." I had returned the car already, so Mohamad proxied for me at an auto shop (he told me last minute that there were repairs to be made). He gave me the quote that the auto shop deemed, a quote that was much higher than if I had looked to repair these myself (especially since for some damages, I wouldn't have repaired if it were my own car). Then when I asked for a receipt from the auto shop to make sure my money was actually going towards repairing the car, he sent me Clause 19, making clear that it wouldn't be. Instead, the money would be pocketed by Smartlease. This money is equivalent to the price to rent this particular car for 5 more months, nearly as long as I had the car for. As a student, it was difficult for me to find the funds to pay for the upcharged cost and it caused me a great deal of worry. I felt absolutely exploited. In the final communications with him about the repairs, he gaslighted me and would often say that he's been in this industry for a long time, so these processes are industry standard. He used his position of power, knowing I am a student and have little experience, though I can research and have parents and friends who have more experience with cars to validate his claims. When I asked if I could go to the auto shop with him, so we could speak in person and I could be part of the conversation with the auto shop, he called my request weird and unheard of. He said that it's difficult for a first-timer to speak to an auto shop, implying that I don't know how to speak to an auto shop, then threatened that if I wanted to meet him at the auto shop, he doesn't want to come; instead, I would have to handle all of this by myself. But at that time, I was flying home in a week since school had ended and I still needed a proxy. Ultimately, he did not speak to me kindly. The amount of money I have spent for this lease in total could have bought a used car of similar value to the car I had rented. But if I had chosen to buy a used car, I could have resold it.  If you still want to make a short term car lease, I would strongly recommend to avoid Smartlease and the financial, emotional, and temporal cost and search somewhere else. read more

Really mixed feelings about working with Smartlease. I moved to the Bay Area from Canada back in 2020 because of a six month contract job. SmartLease seemed like my only option for short term leasing, so I signed up. Mohamad is very prompt and professional in his communications, and he was very flexible when my contract got extended and I wanted to lease the car an additional 4 months. Always polite. What was frustrating was how strict he could be about the condition of the car upon return. It really has to be "just like new". The vehicle I leased had damages in three locations that I thought would be covered under "wear and tear". Well... it turns out that even some light scuff marks on the bumper are not "wear and tear", and Mohamad insisted I file an insurance claim to get the vehicle repaired. Two of the three damages were issues I would not have repaired had I owned the car (I don't mind a scuff marked bumper), but because Mohamad insisted, I went through the tedious process of submitting claims. These minor repairs added up. After all the claims had been processed, my insurance company quadrupled my premium! I was informed that it will remain at this high rate for at least five years. Those bumper scrapes are going to cost me thousands of dollars over the next five years. Why couldn't Mohamad have given me the option of paying for repairs out of pocket (which would've been cheaper and less tedious in the long run)? Why can't a scuff marks be considered "wear and tear"? In retrospect, the amount of money I have spent as a result of this lease could have bought a used car, which I could have resold at the end of my time in the Bay Area. Doing so would've been much less of a financial and time drain. I realize that you have limited options if you're in the Bay Area and need a short term car lease. Still, consider carefully. read more

My experience with SmartLease was awesome. I moved to the area from Canada and wanted to get a short term lease vehicle while I settled in and figured out what I wanted to do moving forward. Mohamed was great and very easy to work with from the first email inquiry. He worked with me on my budget goals to help me find something that worked with my goals. During my entire lease, Mohamed was always a phone call away and ready to jump in and help out. Unfortunately my car had some 12V battery issues (even though Mohamed replaced it with a fresh one before I leased the vehicle). It turned out that we got a bad battery, and Mohamed quickly directed me where to go to get it fixed so that he could take care of it. Soon enough, my problems were gone and the vehicle was running smoothly again. If you're interning in the area and want a short term vehicle, this is also a great place to start! Mohamed's family has been through internship programs as well where they have 4 short months in various areas. That's what gave him the idea to start this portion of the business, and he wants to help out the students while they're here. He has a wide range of vehicles to choose from. I chose a "well used" vehicle, but all you need is 4 wheels and a working engine to get around. Thanks Mohamed! read more

SmartLease was the perfect solution for my daughter's short-term car needs for her summer internship. We live on the east coast and didn't want to drive or transport a car across the country for the summer. Mohamad was very helpful with the whole process and flexible with pick up and drop off. I definitely recommend SmartLease! read more

Mohamad was very helpful and professional. I had a great experience renting for the summer as a college student. He was great working with my unpredictable schedule for dropping off the car. Highly recommend! read more

I just graduated from grad school and moved to the area, and decided to take a short term lease for a '09 toyota from "Smart Lease" The price was cheaper than a rental agency (e.g. Hertz) and so it makes a lot of sense. After my car stopped working because of a faulty gas gauge, they helped with subsidizing a rental. They always reply fast to emails and phones, and provide effective communication. read more

SmartLease, leasing the car, is a brilliant idea. Instead of renting the car, leasing the car save my 400$ monthly insurance premium!!!. If you don't have us driving license which is not older than 2 years or if you buy insurance policy for rental car, its cost can be more than car rental price itself. Hertz was asked me to pay nearly $500 monthly premium just for insurance, but I've got my insurance policy from a local company from $100 for my leased car. And my rental with SmartLease also was a great experience. read more

If you are coming to Sillicon Valley for a couple of months, and you are not sure whether to buy or rent a car, SmartLease (a.k.a. Best Buy Autos Inc.) may be your best bet. Their leasing options are way cheaper than what rental companies have to offer and you still get the peace of mind, since the cars offered are relatively new and low mileage. My experience with Best Buy Autos was totally worry-free. Mohamad was a great person to do business with - honest, very patient answering questions and dependable. Honestly, the car I leased was in a better shape than the ones I often rented from Enterprise. Another plus of this company are no hidden fees and taxes, like with the car rental companies. Everything is pretty straightforward - you pay only DMV fees and tax extra. You need to get the insurance by yourself, but it's not a big deal. I would definitely lease from them again. read more

Tried to change the return date, but no way. So the best is to lease or for 3 month (minimum) and then I'd you want to keep it longer, tell him in the list minute. After giving the company 1 star this I got a very friendly and nice treatment from the company although the policy did not change. So I guess it helps to use Yelp. read more

Very happy with Mohamad's service! I needed a short term lease for work and found the best prices with SmartLease. He was very helpful and friendly. Very good communication. The one thing that was sort of annoying was having to find insurance, but he did give me recommendations so that was good. I got the Toyota Prius and was very happy with the car! He made the whole process very easy and pain-free. read more

My experience with Smart Lease was not good! I was told that I could only drive 700 miles every month and if I drove more I have to pay. Mohamad lied and said he had vehicles and then said he did not after I inquired about whether or not they had an actual written policy about the mileage limitation and the additional fee. read more

My rental with SmartLease was a great experience. I needed a 5 month lease and this was by far the best deal I could find. It was much less money than going through a standard rental car company and didn't come with the commitment of a full lease. The car never had any problems. Mohamad was really easy to deal with. He was not a stickler when I handed in my car and I received my full deposit back. The only reason I gave a 4 instead of a 5 is because the payments could not be done online if you did not have Bank of America. Would have been great to do an online payment or paypal. read more

It is the second time that we rented a car from SmartLease (a.k.a. Best Buy Autos Inc.). Needless to say that the experience is fantastic, not only because of the best prices but also the best service! I would definitely recommend SmartLease and Mohamad to anyone looking for a medium to long term rental. read more

Excellent service and convenient. Mohamad was friendly and helpful. Easy return, overall good experience.

Having recently relocated to the Bay Area from Australia with a young family, I needed to find a long term car rental that would suffice until we had enough of a credit rating to purchase a car. Searching around the internet, I found that what traditional rental companies were charging was incredibly high and was quickly coming to a dead end. That's when I found SmartLease and got in contact with Mohamad. From the start he was always quick to respond, and more importantly he responses were in depth and detailed enough that it showed he genuinely was willing to help out. Whilst the vehicles might not be as new as a traditional rental car company, the Nissan Versa we rented was in great condition and I had no concerns in safety concerns. If you're looking for a luxury vehicle then this isn't the place for you, but if you're just looking for something to get you from A to B until you're ready to purchase your own car, this is definitely the best of the options I've come across for those that are relocating from overseas. My experience with Mohamad has been fantastic. Whilst he is running a business, it is clear that he's not just there to make a quick dollar from customers, and he is enthusiastic, genuine and honest in everything that he does. I would without a doubt recommend SmartLease and Mohamad to anyone looking for a medium to long term rental. This is definitely a great idea which appears to be a niche in the market. read more

Mohamed was a pleasant person to do business with. He made sure I get the right car, drive safe, and enjoy the ride at a reasonable price. The car I leased from him was good, and I really enjoyed driving it. If you are looking for short-term lease, this is the place you should consider :) read more

SmartLease is the absolute BEST option for anyone who would like to long term lease a vehicle in the Bay Area. All the vehicles are in excellent condition and very affordable. Mohamad is incredibly helpful, understanding and professional - he is very quick to respond to customers and my overall experience was a perfect 10/10. Highly recommend! read more

I had such a wonderful experience leasing a Mazda2 from Mohamad. After I was in a traumatic car accident and my car was totaled and I was finally able to drive again and grew tired of taking Lyft & Uber everywhere, I started looking for a car I could use for a few months before I moved closer to my job where I wouldn't need a car. After seeing how expensive monthly rates were at car rental places and the lack of reasonable options available to lease a car short term/monthly, I was so grateful to come across SmartLease. Mohamad made the process fast and easy and within minutes I had a car. Throughout the 4 months I had leased the car, he was always available whenever I had any questions and made the monthly payment process easy. He even let me extend my return date by a week when my plans changed last minute. And on the last day when I returned the car and I had a long journey back home on the train he was kind enough to give me a ride to the train station even though I insisted on calling a car. For me, he turned my helpless experience into a hopeful one. I would definitely recommend SmartLease to anyone looking into a hassle-free short term car lease option and I will be a returning customer should I need to lease a car short term again. read more

My fiance and I moved to California from Europe about six months ago and were not sure if we were going to stay here or not. We looked at renting a car but the cost vs the level of car offered was not very attractive. Fortunately we found Mohamad and he leased us a great late-model sedan for almost half what a rental would have been for three months. Because of our schedule, after we decided to stay in California we still had not had a chance to purchase another vehicle. Mohamad extended our lease for another month with no problem and even offered to help find us a car. I had modest expectations when I leased this car and Best Buy Auto exceeded them all, I would recommend them to anyone looking for a short term lease, we were very pleased! read more

Rented the car for 6 months (KIA Optima 2009). Car worked fine and I had no issues at all. I was even able to extend the rental period by a week on very short notice, which was also no problem. Price is cheaper than any big rental company (enterprise, alamo, avis, etc.). I would rent again for short terms. read more

Best Buy Autos provided a very affordable and accommodating experience for me while I was an intern in Silicon Valley. Their prices are the absolute lowest and as far as I could find, cannot be beat. If you're in the bay area, Public transit is very slow if you need to get anywhere so I would say that having a car is almost a must. The owner deals with you personally when you go to rent a car and the whole process was very friendly and professional. The car that I had was a 2009 Nissan Versa and it was in excellent condition. I don't really have any complaints about the service and highly recommend it to any students looking to rent a car for a few months. read more

Rent car from them for my internship in the valley. Good car, good service, resonable price. I will rent from them when I am back to the Si valley. read more

I rented a 2009 Kia Spectra during my Fall 2011 internship, for 4 months. It has been a very convincing experience. The formalities are very simple and they have pretty good cars with a good mileage allowance (1200 miles per month). I even had an accident in between (a lady hit me from behind), which Best Buy Autos helped sort out easily. The return process was also smooth and got back my advance on time. Overall, a 5* experience. Would recommend it to any one and would use it myself if I need to. read more