Free preview · from the dealership side of the desk
Certified pre-owned (CPO) is the used-car department’s best product and its most misunderstood one. On the lot, ‘certified’ means three different things: a manufacturer CPO program, a dealer’s in-house label, and a third-party warranty stapled to a car with a sticker. Only the first is what most buyers think they are paying for. The premium for a real CPO car is typically $1,000–$2,500 over the same car sold as-is, and whether that is worth it depends on which program, which car and how long you will keep it.
Here is what certification covers, what it does not, and how we decide whether to pay for it. Every number below is an example; programs change and vary by brand.
Members read the rest · 5 more sections
In the full guide
- What a manufacturer CPO program actually is
- What ‘dealer certified’ means
- When the premium pays
- When it does not
- The negotiation
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