We all have heard the terms in popular car dealerships, used car and pre-owned cars. If that puzzles you, then here we are to talk about the main differences that lie between the used and certified pre-owned cars.
Warranty
To start with, it is the warranty and the type of inspection that makes all the difference. But every dealership will offer a different value for their own certified pre-owned vehicles. In general, the Standard pre-owned cars are used vehicles that are not given a full 150-point after they get inspected by a particular dealership and is not categorized under a dealership warranty.
While well-established dealerships like the Ford Baton Rouge would provide a proper Vehicle History Report for all of their cars, whether certified, pre-owned, standard or used. It is the job of the dealership to guide in determining how well a pre-owned vehicle might hold up.
Reliability
Reliability is the other factor that demarcates a used car from a pre-owned one. Though there would be their own share of pros and cons to any choice you make, but when it comes to reliability between the Ford certified pre-owned vs its used ones, the pros count more towards the certified pre-owned cars.
Price
It has always been observed that there is a price difference between the used cars and that of the certified pre-owned cars. In some dealerships, the prices on the certified cars are kept somewhat higher than the normal used cars because generally the certified cars are approved by standard authorities and pre-tested by the dealership.
Age and Miles Driven
A Certified Pre-Owned car is the one that is previously owned and has usually driven not more than 60,000 to 80,000 miles and not any older than five to seven years. However, the age of the car and the mileage warranties do vary from one manufacturer to other. In general the Certified Pre-Owned cars are supported by the original manufacturer, and are subjected to a multi-point, rigorous, inspection along with an extended warranty issued from the original date of its service.
How does a car qualify for certification?
When any car dealer acquires a used car, through either a trade-in deal or as a lease return, they will make the car go through a rigorous program of inspection that would be typically administered by a factory certified mechanic. If the car properly meets all the CPO qualifications set by the manufacturer, it is offered as a CPO vehicle for sale. The factors that play the most important roles for qualifying a car as a CPO are
- Excellent Condition,
- Being Mechanically and Cosmetically Sound
- Low Mileage
If a car cannot meet the criteria as per the CPO program requirements, it would be either marked as rejected from the program or would be fixed to the required status. As each automaker would have a different set of criteria, the bottom line of identifying CPO vehicles is going with the highest quality available among the used cars. Thus, if you plan to buy a used car, the best to buy it would be from a professional dealership like Baton Rouge Ford who keeps good records and is able to provide you with the relevant pieces of information, helping you to make the best possible purchase decision.