Certified pre-owned (
CPO) cars are fantastic options for people who want a newer
car with a warranty, but don't necessarily want to pay the new
car price. Manufacturers all have their programs, but some are better than others.
Luxury car brands in particular have great offerings, but there are a few non-luxury brands that are great options as well.
So how does a car earn the CPO qualification? Well, it has to meet the specific manufacturer's requirements. Most manufacturers require the car to be within a certain number of miles, be under a certain age and pass an inspection process. The actual numbers vary depending on the manufacturer. Here are the CPO programs that are worth considering:
Porsche's CPO program is among the best because vehicles are still eligible until they're eight years old. Cars are required to have fewer than 100,000 miles to be eligible, plus they must pass Porsche's 111-point inspection. The warranty also gets extended two years past the original warranty coverage/date of sale. This means you can get a near eight-year-old Porsche with a two-year warranty and unlimited miles. That's some serious peace of mind for an older and relatively cheap Porsche.
We grouped these two together because they're the same in almost every way. If we were to give the edge to one, it would be Hyundai because you could end up with the remainder of the car's five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Kia only gives you the powertrain warranty plus one year of "Platinum" coverage post-purchase, which is comparable but not entirely bumper-to-bumper. Both brands require the car to be less than five years old with fewer than 60,000 miles.
To qualify for Honda's CPO program the vehicle has to be less than six years old and have fewer than 80,000 miles. These stats are actually better than Hyundai's, but the ultimate warranty you get is a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty instead of Hyundai's 10 years. Something people may value even more than Hyundai's program is a one-year/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty Honda provides no matter the age of the vehicle.
Lexus offers an outstanding CPO program. It extends the four-year/50,000 mile warranty another two years beyond that with unlimited miles. The vehicle must be less than six years old with fewer than 70,000 miles to qualify. That means you can buy an almost six-year-old Lexus and put as many miles as you want on it in the next two years worry-free. Lexus is known for reliability, but this deal certainly offers peace of mind for years after buying a used car.
Mazda's program is a lot like Honda's, which means it's excellent for a non-luxury car brand. Similar to Honda, Mazda gives you the rest of the original seven-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, along with a one-year/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. In order to qualify, the car in question needs to be less than six years old and have fewer than 80,000 miles.
Here's the rest of our top 10:
6. Volvo
7. GM (Chevrolet, GMC, Buick)
8. Jaguar/Land Rover
9. Acura
10. Infiniti
Related Video:
So how does a car earn the CPO qualification? Well, it has to meet the specific manufacturer's requirements. Most manufacturers require the car to be within a certain number of miles, be under a certain age and pass an inspection process. The actual numbers vary depending on the manufacturer. Here are the CPO programs that are worth considering:
1. Porsche
Porsche's CPO program is among the best because vehicles are still eligible until they're eight years old. Cars are required to have fewer than 100,000 miles to be eligible, plus they must pass Porsche's 111-point inspection. The warranty also gets extended two years past the original warranty coverage/date of sale. This means you can get a near eight-year-old Porsche with a two-year warranty and unlimited miles. That's some serious peace of mind for an older and relatively cheap Porsche.
2. Hyundai/Kia
We grouped these two together because they're the same in almost every way. If we were to give the edge to one, it would be Hyundai because you could end up with the remainder of the car's five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Kia only gives you the powertrain warranty plus one year of "Platinum" coverage post-purchase, which is comparable but not entirely bumper-to-bumper. Both brands require the car to be less than five years old with fewer than 60,000 miles.
3. Honda
To qualify for Honda's CPO program the vehicle has to be less than six years old and have fewer than 80,000 miles. These stats are actually better than Hyundai's, but the ultimate warranty you get is a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty instead of Hyundai's 10 years. Something people may value even more than Hyundai's program is a one-year/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty Honda provides no matter the age of the vehicle.
4. Lexus
Lexus offers an outstanding CPO program. It extends the four-year/50,000 mile warranty another two years beyond that with unlimited miles. The vehicle must be less than six years old with fewer than 70,000 miles to qualify. That means you can buy an almost six-year-old Lexus and put as many miles as you want on it in the next two years worry-free. Lexus is known for reliability, but this deal certainly offers peace of mind for years after buying a used car.
5. Mazda
Mazda's program is a lot like Honda's, which means it's excellent for a non-luxury car brand. Similar to Honda, Mazda gives you the rest of the original seven-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, along with a one-year/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. In order to qualify, the car in question needs to be less than six years old and have fewer than 80,000 miles.
Here's the rest of our top 10:
6. Volvo
7. GM (Chevrolet, GMC, Buick)
8. Jaguar/Land Rover
9. Acura
10. Infiniti
Related Video:
