Certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles are more popular than ever. An increasing number of cars, SUVs and trucks are coming off leases, which increases dealer inventory and shopper options. The benefits of a CPO car are also certainly not lost on savvy shoppers.
However, those benefits are not uniform across every brand. We've already helped answer whether you should buy a certified pre-owned car as well as what to realistically expect from one. We've also shared that you can lease a CPO car. Now it's time to take a look at individual programs to determine which provide CPO benefits that exceed the industry norm. To be clear, that norm includes a multipoint inspection, a maximum age and mileage limit and some degree of warranty coverage — be it a continuation of the original new-car factory warranty and/or additional CPO-specific coverage.
So, who goes above and beyond?
1) Hyundai
Cars Considered: Up to 5 years old and 60,000 or fewer miles
Warranty: Remainder of original five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty
Roadside Assistance: 10 years/unlimited miles
Deductible for Warranty Repairs: $50
Transferable to Private Party Buyer: Yes
Extras: Three-month subscription of Sirius/XM Satellite Radio
Edmunds Says: A typical non-luxury CPO car only has seven years of powertrain coverage from the original date of purchase: Hyundai betters that by three years. The bumper-to-bumper coverage is also better by a year on average, and the roadside assistance term is exceptional. In other words, apart from corporate partner Kia, no company has a better CPO warranty than Hyundai. It is worth noting that Hyundai's original new-car warranty is not transferable, so buying CPO is the only way to get it when buying a used Elantra, Sonata, Tucson or other Hyundai vehicle.
2) Kia
Cars Considered: Up to 5 years old and 60,000 or fewer miles
Warranty: Remainder of original 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. One year/12,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage from date of used-car purchase.
Roadside Assistance: 10 years/unlimited miles
Deductible for Warranty Repairs: $50
Transferable to Private Party Buyer: Yes
Edmunds Says: Kia offers the same powertrain warranty coverage as Hyundai, meaning that most of the car's really expensive oily bits will be covered for a really long time. It differs in that there's only one year of coverage for everything else on the car, but that's actually typical for non-luxury CPO programs.
3) Lexus
Cars Considered: Up to 6 years old and 70,000 or fewer miles
Warranty: Three-year/100,000-total-mile warranty covering most vehicle components from the date of the CPO vehicle's purchase.
Roadside Assistance: Same as warranty length
Deductible for Warranty Repairs: None
Transferable to Private Party Buyer: No
Extras: Lexus loaner car provided for warranty repairs needing longer than eight hours
Edmunds Says: Every other carmaker's warranty starts when the car is purchased new or, if it's out of its original factory warranty, is limited to only a year or two of coverage. Lexus betters both of those options with its three-year warranty, which starts when you buy the CPO car (the warranty will end when the car's odometer exceeds 100,000 miles). This is especially important for older CPO cars. There is also no deductible for repairs, and as with other luxury brands, a Lexus dealer will provide a free loaner car in certain instances. The lone downside is that the warranty cannot be transferred to the next owner.
4) Volvo
Cars Considered: Up to 5 years old and 80,000 or fewer miles
Warranty: Seven-year/100,000-mile warranty covering most vehicle components from the car's original date of purchase.
Roadside Assistance: Same as warranty length
Deductible for Warranty Repairs: No
Transferable to Private Party Buyer: Yes
Extras: Three-month subscription to Sirius/XM Satellite Radio
Edmunds Says: Most luxury brands offer six years or 100,000 miles of warranty coverage from the car's original purchase date, but Volvo goes one year further. Plus, given that Volvo's new-car warranty covers four years, it's possible to buy a CPO car with a longer warranty than you'd get with a new car. At the same time, if you are interested in a Volvo from a more recent model year, the carmaker's coverage is actually equal to or better than that offered by Lexus.
5) Honda and Mazda (tie)
Cars Considered: Up to 6 years old and 80,000 or fewer miles
Warranty: Seven-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty from the car's original purchase date. One-year/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage on top of whatever is left of the original three-year/36,000-mile coverage.
Roadside Assistance: Same as warranty length
Deductible for Warranty Repairs: No
Transferable to Private Party Buyer: Yes
Extras: Three-month subscription to Sirius/XM Satellite Radio
Edmunds Says: Honda and Mazda's CPO benefits are essentially identical and just a bit better than the industry average. The seven years of powertrain coverage is longer than what is offered by most luxury brands. Its one year of bumper-to-bumper coverage is better than that offered by Nissan and Subaru, for instance, which offer nothing on top of whatever is left of the original warranty. Honda and Mazda also have CPO roadside assistance that lasts the length of the warranty, putting them ahead of Toyota, which offers only one year in its otherwise comparable CPO program. And, finally, there are no deductibles. That puts them ahead of Ford's CPO program, which requires a hefty $100 deductible per warranty repair.
7) Porsche
Cars Considered: Up to 8 years old and 100,000 miles or fewer (for purchased vehicles). Up to 5 years old (for leased vehicles).
Warranty: Six-year/100,000-total-mile warranty covering most vehicle components from original purchase date. If there is no original warranty left, two-year/50,000-mile from the time of used-car purchase or lease (not to exceed 100,000 total miles).
Roadside Assistance: Same as warranty length
Deductible for Warranty Repairs: No
Transferable to Private Party Buyer: Yes
Edmunds Says: Porsche's CPO warranty is pretty similar to that offered by most luxury brands, with six years of coverage for most vehicle components starting from the original date of purchase. Should there be no factory warranty left, you'll get two years and 50,000 miles of coverage. Again, that's not unique. However, Porsche stands out by certifying cars that are as old as 8 years, meaning you can get a reasonably old car with a two-year Porsche warranty. This becomes even more appealing when you realize that the mileage of Porsche sports cars tends to be much lower than average.
8) Jaguar and Land Rover (tie)
Cars Considered: Up to 5 years old and 60,000 or fewer miles
Warranty: Six-year/100,000-mile warranty covering most vehicle components from the car's original purchase date.
Roadside Assistance: Same as warranty length
Deductible for Warranty Repairs: No
Transferable to Private Party Buyer: Yes
Edmunds Says: For the most part, the CPO coverage provided by sister brands Jaguar and Land Rover is equal to what is offered by other luxury brands, including Audi, BMW, Infiniti and Lincoln. There is one key difference, however: There is no deductible for warranty repairs.
10) Buick
Cars Considered: Up to 5 years old and 75,000 or fewer miles
Warranty: Six-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty from original date of purchase for 2013 and newer models (five years/100,000 miles for older cars). One-year/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage from date of used-car purchase.
Roadside Assistance: Same as warranty length
Deductible for Warranty Repairs: No
Transferable to Private Party Buyer: Yes
Extras: Two-year/24,000-mile complimentary service plan covering four scheduled service visits. Three-month subscriptions to Sirius/XM Satellite Radio and GM's OnStar service. A three-day/150-mile exchange policy.
Edmunds Says: Admittedly, the warranty coverage is unremarkable and only appealing for those Buicks from 2013 or later. This plan is all about Buick's CPO extras. Your first four scheduled service visits are complimentary, as are three months of satellite radio and OnStar. Plus, should you regret your purchase, you can exchange your car within three days and 150 miles for something of equal value.
