Buying Certified Pre-Owned vs. Used Cars

If you’re looking for your next ride in the Kansas City area and want high quality at affordable prices, consider a used vehicle from Lee’s Summit Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram! We’re proud to offer a wide variety of pre-owned vehicles at like-new quality, from plenty of popular automakers like Kia, Chevy, Chrysler, Jeep, and Ford. When you’re shopping for a pre-owned vehicle, one of the first things you have to decide is whether you want a traditional used car or a certified pre-owned car. So, what’s the difference between used vs. CPO vehicles? The team at Lee’s Summit Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram has everything you need to know in the guide below!

Certified Pre-Owned vs. Used: The Basics of Used Vehicles

Traditional used cars have been owned before, and they tend to vary greatly when it comes to mileage, quality, and model year. This makes them much more affordable than new and CPO vehicles, but it also makes them a bit riskier to buy. If you’re on a strict budget, Lee’s Summit Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram offers used cars priced under $10k, so you can save even more!

Used cars typically have a lot of mileage on the odometer, but this isn’t necessarily a negative. A car with 100,000 miles or more might sound like a risk you don’t want to take, but the truth is that mileage ultimately matters less than maintenance. A properly-maintained car with high mileage tends to be a much better choice than a low-mileage car with a poor service record.

While shopping for a used car in Blue Springs, keep the following in mind:

• You can either buy used cars from a dealership or from a private seller. OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) don’t require that used cars be inspected before being put up for sale, which makes private sales a bit riskier than buying from a dealership with an established reputation.
• Be sure to bring up any visible issues that you see with a used car before you commit to a purchase. If you buy the car anyway without disclosing that you’ve noticed a problem, it’s your responsibility to find and pay for a repair. However, if you bring it up beforehand, the dealership may get it fixed before you make the purchase.
• As we discussed above, high-mileage used cars can be a great choice if they’ve been properly maintained. Cars with high mileage also tend to be more affordable than their low-mileage counterparts, so they make sense for drivers on a budget.

Certified Pre-Owned vs. Used: The Basics of CPO Vehicles

Certified pre-owned vehicles (CPO) have also had previous owners, but they differ from traditional used cars in a lot of ways. Every automaker has a different set of requirements for CPO models, but they all tend to prioritize newer, low-mileage, well-maintained cars. CPO vehicles get rigorously inspected before being put up for sale and are backed by robust warranties that continue after the new vehicle warranty expires.

CPO vehicles are a good middle ground for drivers that want a step up in quality from a traditional used car but still want something more affordable than buying new. Here are the CPO requirements for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and RAM vehicles:

• Less than 5 years old
• Fewer than 70,000 miles on the odometer
• Must pass a 125-point inspection
• Must have a clean vehicle history report
• Bumper-to-bumper limited warranty: 3 months / 3,000 miles
• CPO powertrain warranty: 7 years / 100,000 miles

Find Your Next Pre-Owned Ride at Lee’s Summit Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram

Now that we’ve compared buying certified pre-owned vs. used cars on paper, you might want to see how some of our vehicles handle on the road! Contact our office or stop by our dealership to set up a test drive around Independence, and we’ll get you behind the wheel in no time. You can also contact us with any questions or for more information about our inventory, and a member of our team will be happy to help you!