"In terms of collections, at least you have an asset that can be recovered"
Unfortuantely, though, you don't know exactly what you'll be recovering!
Some people, knowing that the repo guy is coming, will go out their way to insure the car isn't worth the rubber it's sitting on.
After repoing, you need to contact local law enforcement to inform them. This way if the car is reported stolen, they will know it wasn't.
Plus, you have to store the car and give the borrower the opportunity to make good on the loan.
You have to clean out personal effects, and make a detailed list of what you recovered. The borrower has to recover those effects and sign off on the list. ("What happened to my IPad?")
It's a legal nightmare. Plus, if they totally default, you have the costs of repairs and reconditioning to make the car saleable again.