ATLANTA – A certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle offers some of the advantages of both new and used cars. CPO is a pre-owned car, meaning a lower price for shoppers, and the car is also certified, which means it’s gone through a thorough inspection and comes with a manufacturer’s warranty and often a few other perks. Nearly every carmaker offers a CPO program, making it difficult to know which CPO programs are the best. To save a little time and energy during the car shopping process, the editors at Autotrader evaluated all of the available certified offerings on the market and picked the best CPO programs for 2020 in both the non-luxury and luxury categories.

The bottom line is that both Lexus and Hyundai offer the kind of program and the kind of cars you can count on for many years to come.

“Today, car shoppers are really focused on value and affordability. For those who have decided a new car is too expensive but are unsure of the long-term prospect of buying a used car, certified pre-owned vehicles are an excellent alternative,” said Brian Moody, executive editor of Autotrader. “We selected Hyundai and Lexus CPO programs due to their outstanding model availability, incentives offered, long powertrain warranty, good bumper-to-bumper coverage and a few other ownership perks. The bottom line is that both Lexus and Hyundai offer the kind of program and the kind of cars you can count on for many years to come.”

Best Non-Luxury CPO Program for 2020 – Hyundai

Best Luxury CPO Program for 2020 – Lexus L/Certified

Autotrader selected the Lexus CPO program as the best among luxury carmakers. Among luxury brands, L/Certified checks nearly all the boxes of what a CPO program should offer. To the remaining balance of the original 4-year or 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper new-car warranty (which includes powertrain coverage), the CPO warranty adds 2 years and unlimited mileage. That works out to a total of six years with unlimited mileage. Its unlimited mileage puts L/Certified over the top in our voting. Other programs have unlimited mileage but the time cap is usually around 2 years. In this case, Lexus knows they have a quality product and stand behind it with unlimited mileage AND a long warranty period. Unlimited mileage is a real advantage, particularly for anyone who does a lot of driving. Lexus doesn't require a deductible for covered repairs and provides a complimentary loaner car during those repairs estimated to take more than eight hours.

Hyundai continues to standout as the top pick for the non-luxury CPO program. Hyundai's CPO program advantage is built upon its 10-year/100,000 mile new-vehicle powertrain warranty. Hyundai's CPO program reinstates the full term of the original powertrain warranty. Hybrid and electric CPO cars also qualify for a 10-year or 100,000-mile battery warranty. Whatever remains of the original 5-year or 60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited new-car warranty also transfers to the CPO vehicle. Other CPO benefits include full transferability if you sell your CPO car to a private buyer, a $35 per day rental-car allowance during covered repairs, complimentary 24/7 roadside assistance and trip-interruption benefits when covered repairs are required more than 150 miles from home.

CPO vehicles come with manufacturer-backed warranties and additional extras, such as roadside assistance and free trial subscriptions to satellite radio, over a typical used car. All CPO cars undergo extensive, manufacturer-required, multi-point inspections and repairs, as needed, to restore all functions back to factory settings. This gives the buyer peace of mind that they are buying the best the brand has to offer when it comes to a pre-owned vehicle. The CPOs will have extended warranties that provide protection for additional years, and in many cases unlimited mileage, during the time the second buyer has the car.

The 2020 Best Non-Luxury and Best Luxury CPO Programs were identified based on a series of factors, including powertrain warranty length (with a minimum of six years or 100,000 miles of coverage from the original sale date), available inventory, bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage and transferability to future vehicle owners, special financing terms, highest volume and broadest possible spectrum of CPO vehicle types and price ranges currently listed for sale, and ease of understanding warranty overall.

To learn more about the Best Non-Luxury and Best Luxury Certified Pre-Owned Programs from Autotrader’s expert editors, including full coverage and available inventory, visit https://www.autotrader.com/car-shopping/best-cpo-programs-of-2020. 

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