Best Certified Pre-Owned Programs of 2019

The Best Mix of Protection and Perks for Used Car Buyers

There’s no getting around the fact that new cars are expensive. The average price of a new car is over $35,000, with no sign of a decrease in sight. New car prices are so high, in part, because consumers are demanding cars with more advanced safety and infotainment features. Consumers are also willing to pay a premium for new cars because of their dependability and warranty protection.

While most used cars can’t compete with new cars when it comes to technology, dependability, or warranty coverage, there is a group of used cars that can: Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. CPO cars come with inspections and warranty coverage from the automaker, and many CPO programs include perks, like loaner cars, 24-hour roadside assistance, and free maintenance, that are comparable to what you get with new cars.

CPO cars are usually three to five years old, which means many of them have the same features new models have, as they’re often in the same generation as their new counterparts. With a CPO car, you not only save on price while getting some warranty protection; you also have a pretty good shot at getting the same desirable tech you would get in a new model.

Though CPO cars, trucks, and SUVs tend to be more expensive than used cars, car companies often provide financing deals on their CPO models. These deals typically have much lower rates than a used car loan, and the difference can make up for the CPO model’s higher price tag.

While CPO vehicles can be a great option for many consumers, not all CPO programs are created equal. In fact, warranty coverage and perks can vary widely. To help you find the right CPO program, we’ve combed through data on the warranties and extras each company offers and created this list of the best CPO programs.

Once you’ve seen which car companies offer the best CPO programs, make sure to check out our best CPO deals and CPO car listings.

Read on to see the best CPO programs on the market today.

Best CPO Program: L Certified by Lexus

For the second consecutive year, L Certified by Lexus is the Best CPO Program. No other CPO program offers the kind of protection and perks that Lexus’ CPO program offers.

What’s Included: Lexus distinguishes itself with excellent warranty coverage for up to eight years from when the car was new, or mileage of up to 100,000. The L Certified by Lexus program gives you perks like 24-hour roadside assistance, a free loaner car, and trip interruption coverage, which will cover meals and lodging for you for up to three days if your car breaks down while you’re away from home. Once you purchase a CPO Lexus, you also get free maintenance for two years or 20,000 miles from the CPO purchase date. In fact, the only perk Lexus doesn’t offer in its CPO program is a transferable warranty – the vehicle warranty cannot be transferred to another owner. That said, with these kinds of protections, you’re probably not going to want to sell your CPO Lexus for quite some time.

Reliability: While all of those protections are great, what clinched the Best CPO program award for Lexus is the fact that you may never need to use them. As a brand, Lexus has one of the highest dependability ratings in the industry, earning a score of five out of five from J.D. Power.

Eligibility: Pre-owned Lexus models that are six years old or younger and have 70,000 miles or fewer are eligible for the Lexus CPO program.

CPO Deals: Some Lexus CPO deals include interest rates as low as 0.9 percent.

• Read the 2013 Lexus ES Full Review
• See 2013 Lexus ES Photos
• See Luxury Midsize Cars Rankings

Recommended Pick, Luxury CPO: Volvo

Volvo has a reputation for safety, and their CPO program takes care of buyers as well as their cars do.

What’s Included: The Volvo CPO program, Certified by Volvo, includes a comprehensive warranty for seven years (from when the car was new) or 100,00 miles. Volvo also provides buyers with a service loaner, and CPO buyers get whatever free maintenance visits are left from when the car was new. As an added benefit, if you sell your CPO Volvo, all the CPO warranties transfer to the new owner – giving them the same peace of mind you’ve enjoyed.

Reliability: Volvo has a brand dependability rating of 3.5 out of 5 from J.D. Power, which is slightly above average.

Eligibility: Volvo models that are six years old or younger and have fewer than 80,000 miles are eligible for the Volvo CPO program.

CPO Deals: Volvo doesn’t usually offer CPO deals.

• Read the 2013 Volvo S60 Full Review
• See 2013 Volvo S60 Photos
• See Luxury Small Cars Rankings

Recommended Pick, Luxury CPO: Porsche

Porsche often tops surveys of consumer satisfaction and brand dependability. With Porsche’s CPO program, Porsche Approved, you can get behind the wheel of an extremely dependable Porsche sports car, SUV or passenger car with the backing of a Porsche warranty and a rigorous inspection.

What’s Included: Porsche Approved vehicles come with warranty coverage for up to 10 years from when the vehicle was new, or 100,000 miles. This excellent warranty is also transferrable to anyone you sell your CPO Porsche to. Porsche also offers 24-hour roadside assistance.

Reliability: Porsche has a top dependability score of five out of five from J.D. Power, so as great as the Porsche CPO warranty is, you may never need it.

Eligibility: In order to make it into the Porsche Approve program, a Porsche needs to be less than eight years old and have fewer than 100,000 miles.

CPO Deals: Porsche offers financing on its CPO models but rarely advertises CPO deals.

• Read the 2016 Porsche Cayman Full Review
• See 2016 Porsche Cayman Photos
• See Luxury Sports Cars Rankings

Recommended Pick, Affordable CPO: Buick

You don’t need to spring for a Porsche to get a CPO car with good benefits. There are some excellent CPO programs among more mainstream brands. Buick has one of the best.

What’s Included: CPO Buick models come with a six-year/100,000-mile transferable warranty, dated from when the vehicle was new. Buick also includes roadside assistance, a service loaner, and free maintenance.

Reliability: Buick has a brand dependability rating of five out of five from J.D. Power. That’s the same rating Porsche and Lexus get.

Eligibility: Certified pre-owned vehicles from Buick must be younger than five years old and have less than 75,000 miles.

CPO Deals: Buick offers CPO deals on some models, with financing rates as low as 1.9 percent.

• Read the 2016 Buick LaCrosse Full Review
• See 2016 Buick LaCrosse Photos
• See Large Cars Rankings

Recommended Pick, Affordable CPO: Kia

CPO vehicles from Kia are an excellent option for buyers looking for an almost-new car with plenty of protections.

What’s Included: Certified pre-owned Kia models come with six-year/72,000-mile comprehensive warranty, dated from when the car was new, and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Those warranties are transferable.

Reliability: J.D. Power rates Kia’s brand dependability at 4.5 out of five, which is well above average.

Eligibility: All Kia CPO models must be less than five old and have fewer than 60,000 miles.

CPO Deals: Kia doesn’t always offer CPO deals, but it’s worth checking to see if there’s low-interest financing available on a CPO Kia.

• Read the 2015 Kia Sorento Full Review
• See 2015 Kia Sorento Photos
• See Midsize SUVs Rankings

Recommended Pick, Affordable CPO: Mitsubishi

With a growing lineup of SUVs, Mitsubishi is expanding its presence in the U.S. market – and a CPO Mitsubishi can be an affordable way to check the brand out.

What’s Included: CPO Mitsubishi models offer limited warranty coverage for five years or 60,000 miles from when the vehicle was new, as well as a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. There is 24-hour roadside assistance for the duration of the limited warranty.

Reliability: As a brand, Mitsubishi earns a 3.5 out of 5 from J.D. Power for dependability, which is slightly above average.

Eligibility: All certified pre-owned Mitsubishi models are younger than five years old and have fewer than 60,000 miles.

CPO Deals: There aren’t always CPO deals for Mitsubishi models, but it’s worth checking to be sure.

• Read the 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer Full Review
• See 2016 Mitsubishi Lancer Photos
• See Compact Cars Rankings

Award Methodology

To find the Best CPO Program, we looked at 19 different data points from 34 CPO programs. The winning program has the best combination of brand dependability, warranty coverage, and program benefits, such as roadside assistance, loaner cars, and free maintenance.

More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report

If you’re interested in a certified pre-owned car, check out our used car rankings to find the car that best meets your needs. You can search for the CPO vehicles near you in our used car listings and use our best used car deals to find CPO financing offers from carmakers.

Best Certified Pre-Owned Programs

• Best CPO Program: L Certified by Lexus
• Recommended Pick, Luxury CPO: Volvo
• Recommended Pick, Luxury CPO: Porsche
• Recommended Pick, Affordable CPO: Buick
• Recommended Pick, Affordable CPO: Kia
• Recommended Pick, Affordable CPO: Mitsubishi