With most manufacturer certified pre-owned programs you can still get all the benefits of a new car (warranty, inspected for high quality) all the while enjoying the aroma of that nearly new car scent. Most vehicles that come under the heading of certified pre-owned are vehicles that have been returned after a lease. Thankfully in the inspection most mechanics are able to discern if this vehicle was well taken care of by the lessee and if tires or brakes are highly worn past a certain point they are replaced. Certified Pre-Owned vehicles also have a huge profit margin inherent in their sale prices so don’t be afraid to haggle over the purchase price.

Certified Pre-Owned vehicles are, simply put, used cars that have been inspected and guaranteed to be better than other used cars. Certified pre-owned vehicles must be under a certain mileage (usually 60,000) and have to be in tip top shape. They are also guaranteed to never have been salvaged or written off. But to be safe always ask to see a Carfax report.

While buying a certified pre-owned vehicle is more expensive, automakers usually extend the warranty anywhere from 1-3 extra years. While the inclusivity of a Certified Pre-Owned program varies (some will change your oil and brakes if they feel they are under 50% evaluated life left), each and every program offers some sort of multi-point inspection to varying degrees. And while the multi-point inspection is nice to have had done, it is in the warranty extension that Certified Pre-Owned programs finally demonstrate their true value.

The specific terms of a certified pre-owned program varies from car maker to car maker. For example, BMW gives its Certified Pre-Owned (or CPO) buyers a warranty coverage extension for a total of 6 years/100,000 miles from the initial date of purchase. As an added bonus, BMW never stops honoring the original 4 year/50,000 mile free servicing even If you are the second owner.

While German cross-town rival Audi offers a CPO program with near identical terms to that of BMW, Mercedes Benz is far less generous. As an example of how these programs can differ in value, Mercedes only extends the warranty on their Certified Pre-Owned for an extra year or 12,000 miles. If you have your heart set on something with the three pointed star on the hood use this fact as a bargaining tool to lower the price. Nothing upsets a Mercedes dealer like saying you are going over to an Audi dealership.

So how do you find the certified pre-owned vehicle you really want? Most every manufacturer website lists all of their certified pre-owned vehicles within a certain distance from your house. So essentially all you would have to do if you wanted a slightly used Audi A4 would be to click on their Find CPO Cars section and set the search radius. It will then tell you how many used CPO A4s there are within a 30 mile radius. See how easy that is? Never before has it been easier to pick up a high quality, lightly used piece of automotive delight.