Peace of mind.
It鈥檚 often the thing shoppers want most when considering a used (pre-owned) vehicle, whether they鈥檙e purchasing from a franchised dealership or some other seller.
The solution for at least 2.3 million last year was dealership certified pre-owned, or CPO, programs.
With certified pre-owned, manufacturers continue to stand by their products.
That may not seem like a lot compared to the nearly 40 million used cars sold last year, but it represented the highest percentage since CPO programs were introduced, according to a recent report at edmunds.com, and it鈥檚 a number that鈥檚 growing year to year.
But finding the best among the 40 programs reported by Cars.com can be intimidating, when you鈥檙e looking at age/mileage, inspection details, return/exchange policies, warranties and other factors.
鈥淎 certified pre-owned vehicle can be a great option for car shoppers looking for the amenities of a new car on a used car budget,鈥� said Autotrader.com. 鈥淗owever, the terms of CPO programs vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, making cross shopping a challenge.鈥�
Autotrader editors have stepped in to try to make shopping CPO programs a little less stressful.
The best certified pre-owned programs, listed at the Autotrader website, are, in order, Porsche, Lexus, Volvo, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, Jaguar, Land Rover, MINI and Mitsubishi. The website also selected another ten 鈥渉onorable mention鈥� CPO programs that were listed in alphabetical order 鈥� Acura, Audi, BMW, Honda, Infiniti, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota.
To determine which programs stood above the rest, Autotrader editors took into account:
Length of warranty 鈥� 鈥淭he longer, the better,鈥� according to Brian Moody, Autotrader site editor. 鈥淢any of the best CPO programs offer coverage up to 100,000 miles.鈥�
Transferability of warranty 鈥� Autotrader said warranties transferrable to the next owner are desirable, improving a car鈥檚 resale value and underscoring a manufacturer鈥檚 confidence in the vehicle鈥檚 quality.
Little or no deductible 鈥� The best programs have no deductible for covered repairs, but Autotrader included some that were otherwise compelling if they had a small deductible (less than $100).
Of the honorable mentions, Moody explained: 鈥淭hese programs are still above average, but they are very similar in what they offer, which is why they鈥檙e unranked.鈥�
But if you need more to achieve that peace of mind, you still can look at the 40 programs at Cars.com. Or check out the tool at Kelley Blue Book, which allows shoppers to select up to three manufacturers at a time to compare with each other and with the sponsored (No. 2) Lexus CPO program.
Ultimately, said Moody, 鈥淲hen shopping for a CPO vehicle, it鈥檚 important to understand the details of what the program offers and make sure the benefits offered fit your lifestyle.鈥�
And that鈥檚 what we call peace of mind.
