How to Negotiate on a Certified Pre-Owned Car
Certified pre-owned cars (CPOs) are usually a bit pricier than their non-CPO counterparts because they're typically lower in mileage than regular used vehicles and come backed by a warranty. Of course, you're probably considering buying a used car to save money, so it's not uncommon to want to negotiate the pricing of a certified pre-owned car.
If you know what's worth negotiating and how to do it, you might be able to snag a lower price for your CPO vehicle or at least get a few extras out of the deal.
Understanding what you're buying when you get a certified pre-owned car is essential. These vehicles are usually well-maintained and have at least some warranty coverage left on them. Therefore, your purchasing risk is lower buying a CPO car than a regular used vehicle.
Those benefits are worth their cost, but that doesn't mean you can't try to negotiate a better offer. These suggestions can help you score an excellent deal.
Make Sure It's Actually Certified Pre-Owned (and Check the Details)
It's possible for a dealership to stick a sign on a car saying it's certified pre-owned without it being so. For real CPO cars, you'll be able to read all the details about the certification on its window label. If you're ever in doubt about a vehicle's legitimacy as a CPO car, you should ask the dealership to furnish proof, such as dates of inspections of the certified parts.
Either a dealership or the car's manufacturer can certify it as a CPO vehicle. Both are valid, but a manufacturer's certification tends to hold the higher ground simply because you'll have more leeway when choosing a place to service your vehicle. With a dealership certification, you're usually limited only to servicing your car at that dealership or its affiliates. You can leverage this for a better price.
