Certified Pre Owned v. used

[hogman14]

Really worth it to dish out the extra $$$ for C. Pre Owned? Looking to buy something used...most used at dealers come w/decent warranty anyways...can anyone shed some light on the subject?

thanks in advance.

 

[Simply In The Red]

That's a tough call on deciding between certified pre-owned or used. It has a lot to do with the dealer that is selling the car. I have seen newly purchased certified cars that still had issues with them. I even pointed out some repaired bodywork on a Acura to one lady that was looking at a certified car and the dealer didn't even mention a thing about it. I would be more interested in looking at the service history of the vehicle than knowing the dealer gave a quick certifed checkover. :cursin:

BTW, Carfax can be tricked so it's not the only thing should use in your decision. You should have a trusted mechanic look the car over for you.

Do you have any make of vehicle in mind?

 

[hogman14]

simply,

I'm looking at the 4runner, as well as the acura rl...staying with hondas/toyotas. in high school had an 85 camry, and you could just beat the shyte out of the thing, and it kept on going...just starting to look around..thanks for the info

 

[Simply In The Red]

Hogman,

What year range of 4Runner are you looking at? I'm partial to the 6cyl. models but both of them are pretty much bullet proof. The RL has been essentially the same car from '96 to '04 with just a few slight changes. They are also rock solid.

Those choices seem to be on both sides of the sprectrum in terms of car styles. What does your daily commute look like?

 

[spang]

I would lean strongly to a CPO, especially on the higher end vehicles where repairs can empty a wallet fast. Most CPO's pass through a more rigorous set of standards and are much less likely to be a problem down the road. With a CPO you are much more assured of receiving a vehicle that has been very well maintained by its previous owner, and most programs offer greater warranty coverage, from the dealer.

Sure it cost more, but it certainly has its merits.

 

[yyz]

All CPO does, is add $500 to the price of the car. From what I can tell, it's a joke. (Maybe it depends on the dealer.)

 

[Simply In The Red]

All CPO does, is add $500 to the price of the car. From what I can tell, it's a joke. (Maybe it depends on the dealer.)

From personal experience, I'm gonna have to agree with yyz on this one. :scared

 

[hogman14]

I talked to a friend of mine who sells cars, he says to CPO a car costs the dealer about 1000 to their own shop so they can stand behind their warranty. My commute is maybe 20 miles R/T, so I'm not so concerned about the gas guzzling. For under 20K, they have many 4runners available w/50K miles or less...