BEST IN SHOW: BUYING A CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED CHEVY

Chevrolet prides itself on its CPO program, going so far as to claim it’s a “better kind of used vehicle.” In examining the strict guidelines Chevrolet has put into place, it’s easy to see why. To be certified, a Chevrolet must meet a series of requirements.

• Newer Models Only: Chevrolet requires all their certified models are less than six years old.
• Guaranteed Low Mileage: While Chevrolet cars are known for their reliability and capability to go that extra mile, all certified models have less than 75,000 miles of wear and tear.
• Passing Grade: A certified Chevrolet must have a clean title and have a spot-free CARFAX vehicle history report. (Chevrolet provides this for free, and as a consumer, you have a right to see the history of any car you purchase.)
• Comprehensive Coverage: Chevrolet understands the stigma that comes with buying a used car. The warranty that Chevrolet equips its certified vehicles with two warranties that put their customers’ best interests first. A 6 year/100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty is accompanied by 12-month/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage.
• Not the Same Old Routine: Staying on top of routine maintenance is important for the longevity of your automobile. All Certified Chevrolets come with the CPO Scheduled Maintenance Program. This allows for two maintenance visits, which is the most offered by any other manufacturer.
• Don’t Like It? Bring it Back: If you bring your Certified Chevrolet home and realize that gem in your driveway is actually an eyesore, bring it back within the first three days or 150 miles. We’ll gladly exchange it for another Chevrolet or GM vehicle.

While these guidelines that Chevrolet has laid out for its CPO program are impressive, you might be thinking that their competitors offer incentives that are equal to or greater to Chevrolet. Just like any other business, the automotive industry is competitive. Chevrolet has taken the necessary steps to ensure that their program leads the industry as one of, if not the very best.

Take Toyota, for example. Continually surpassing many in the sheer volume of yearly sales, their CPO program doesn’t come close to achieving the same results that you get from Chevrolet. While Toyota inspects their vehicles before certification, they aren’t as thorough as Chevrolet. Toyota’s 160-point inspection falls short of Chevrolet’s detailed checklist of 172 items. While 12 might not seem like a high number, those are 12 areas that go unchecked and could possibly cause you a problem. Toyota has a cap of 85,000 miles in order to qualify for certification, which is 10,000 miles more than Chevys. While this may not seem like much, 10,000 miles is a lot of wear to put on the components of a vehicle. Toyota also doesn’t cover your first two maintenance visits like Chevrolet does. This means you’ll be paying for them out of pocket and may incur surcharges for exclusive Toyota parts.

For decades, the debate has raged on – Ford vs Chevrolet, the Camaro vs the Mustang. If comparing both companies’ CPO programs is any indication of a winner, it looks like this is a victory for Chevrolet. Ford actually has two options for labeling a vehicle as a “certified” model, so you are going to have to pay close attention to which of these two programs the vehicle you are looking at falls into. If it is a Gold Certified vehicle, you will find it has pretty average coverage, an age limit of six years, and a mileage cap of 80,000 miles. However, if you are looking at a vehicle that is Blue Certified, you are looking at an age limit of ten years and a maximum mileage of 120,000 miles. That’s a large difference, and the warranty coverage is minimal with only a 90-day/4,000-mile comprehensive limited warranty. That’s barely worth paying even a little bit extra for that Blue Certification distinction.

While Nissan as a brand has been reliable over the years, its CPO program is almost shameful. Comparing what Nissan offers to Chevrolet is barely a contest, but it’s important to see how Chevrolet has placed emphasis on a program that’s beneficial to their customers. First and foremost, Nissan doesn’t offer any kind of a bumper-to-bumper warranty. While Nissan has continued to be a high-selling brand of automobile, the lack of a comprehensive warranty with their CPO program comes across as a “red flag.” A warranty is a statement from the manufacturer that they have confidence in the product that they are selling and have a vested interest in customer satisfaction, and it just seems to us that Nissan isn’t fully stepping up to the plate with what they are offering.

Of all the CPO programs that are provided by manufacturers, Volkswagen seems to be the most disappointing. In the past few years, Volkswagen has been implementing major changes when it comes to the production of EV’s, going so far as to eventually have the electric vehicle replace their gasoline-powered fleet at some point in the distant future. While they have their finger on the pulse of eco-friendly engineering, their CPO program is a different story.

First and foremost, the coverage of their warranties is different from year to year, with older ones having the longest periods. The specifics of their CPO program are somewhat vague, as the limited warranty coverage is model-specific, so the term it is valid for is short. For example, 2020 and newer models only come with coverage for 2 years/24,000 miles, but models from 2018 and 2019 are only covered for 1-year/12,000 miles. While they offer 24/7 roadside assistance for two years, conspicuous by its absence is a checklist for the inspection process. It should also be noted that while most manufacturers follow an inspection with approximately 170 steps (give or take), Volkswagen’s process only covers about 100 points.

While the make and model of what vehicle you purchase are entirely up to you, it’s encouraged that you do as much research and consideration as possible before deciding. Because we live in a consumer-based economy where goods and services are exchanged for money, the purchase of an automobile is one of the most important things a person can make. When deciding on purchasing a certified pre-owned vehicle, take into consideration the coverage that each manufacturer offers and ask to see a detailed history of any car you plan on buying.

Although all car companies want to sell you a vehicle, few are willing to go that extra mile to ensure your purchase is protected and that you stay safe. Chevrolet is investing in the future with their customers as much as they are preparing their CPO fleet for the sales floor. When you buy a certified pre-owned Chevy, you can trust that you are getting one of the best CPO vehicle plans around.