Benefits of Buying Certified Pre-Owned Cars

Certified pre-owned cars (CPO for short) are certainly something that you may want to look into if you are out and about shopping for a new vehicle. Selling certified pre-owned cars has become quite popular at dealerships of late because of the demand that consumers have had for them. The good thing is that most dealerships have certified pre-owned vehicles that are made by their manufacturer. For example, a Toyota dealership would have certified pre-owned Toyota Corollas, Toyota Camry’s, etc. Having certified pre-owned cars on the lot that were made by their manufacturer allows the dealership to sell these cars at a little bit of a higher price. Along with the higher price comes things such as a warranty on the vehicle as well as the peace of mind that it was well inspected before it became certified.
So how does a pre-owned car become certified? Well, the answer is quite simple. In short, the vehicle is inspected, in and out, in an effort to detect if there is anything wrong with the car. If something is detected, it is promptly repaired by the dealership. One drawback to this is that there is no standard for certifying a pre-owned car. In other words, each dealership can have their own criteria when it comes to detecting, and repairing, any problems. Most of the time though, if a car is in poor condition mechanically or cosmetically, dealerships usually auction them off instead of certifying them. But in order to give yourself peace of mind it is a wise idea to ask the sales team questions. Make sure to inquire exactly what went into the process of certification. Also, you may want to ask if there were any problems with the vehicle at the time of the certification. Ask for a copy of CPO certification checklist the mechanic filled out! Be sure to get detailed information with your warranty too. Find out exactly how long the warranty will last in terms of miles and months, as well as what all it covers. Obviously, the more a warranty covers, and the longer it is good for, the better.
A big benefit of buying a certified pre-owned vehicle is that you may be able to get more bang for your buck. You may not be able to afford a brand new BMW 535 but you may be able to afford a certified pre-owned one that is just a few years old with low miles. Keep this in mind when shopping around. If you are willing to sacrifice a few years and miles then you may be able to get a car that you like in your price range. The tradeoff is that you get a car that looks and smells new for a reasonable price that is still backed by a warranty. Isn’t that what we are all after anyway?
The goal of the dealerships is to give the customer confidence and peace of mind and of course to make some money by betting on the fact that their CPO cars are still practically new and well-built and that nothing major will break on them that they will new to repair. By certifying the vehicle they are saying that they have inspected it and are willing to stand behind it with a warranty. If you buy a used car from a private party or a used car lot you will not be getting the assurance that the car has been well taken care of. That is why those cars are cheaper. Chances are if a person is willing to sell their Mazda 3 at a price that is well below market value then there may be something wrong with it.
If you are willing to take the chance on a few year old pre-owned automobile that is not certified then you could be playing with fire. There would be nothing worse than buying a new car and having it break down on you in a few months time. The money you spend fixing it would have easily been spent up-front on a car that is certified. Having peace of mind is worth the extra money. It is much easier to take a car that is under warranty back to the dealership to get fixed than it is to take it to a mechanic that is not familiar with the specific make and model.
A good certified pre-owned car can sometimes be hard to find. It is important to be patient and stay current with the inventory that is flowing into your local dealerships. If you develop a good relationship with a salesperson, and let them know exactly what you are looking for, they will notify you when they have something that fits your needs. Your job is to be ready to head up to the dealership and close the deal.