what's the difference of Certified pre owned vs. non certified pre owned and is it not recommended to purchase if not CPO?

2011 MB is fairly new- certified just means that the dealer had one of their mechanics inspect it and couldn't find anything wrong- depending on the dealer, the "certification" may carry some kind of implied warranty, like a 90 day guarantee, or somethin'- or not- you have to ask- basically, on a car that new, "certified" doesn't mean much- it is mostly a marketing effort to move the machinery off the lot- at a premium price- although a person COULD stumble into a 2011 Benz that has been abused- I would find greater comfort purchasing directly from the original owner- going for a ride with him driving, seeing all the receipts for maintenance, talking to the owner over coffee- that is the only way to be sure when buying a USED car- "pre-owned" as the dealer-speak has it-

The above answer has no merit, certified pre-owned from dealerships give you extensions on manufacturers warranties and actually are run through a very extensive inspection to bring the vehicle as close to new as possible. Most vehicle value estimate tools add value to certified pre- owned because of this fact.

Agreed. The first answer has no merit. A mercedes dealer will often offer a perfectly good vehicle without. CPO designation to keep their potential costs down. This however gives the buyer a great bargaining tool to get a lower price. Insist the dealer include the CPO inspection as part of the deal. MB usually charges $125 or so for this. If the inspection finds any issues then you know what possible repairs may be needed. If a MB is for sale at an MB dealer it is usually safe to assume that it will pass a CPO inspection. Do not be fooled, however, unlike most other dealer's, a MB CPO warranty is only good for 12 months or 12,000 miles. Hope this helps you.

Thank you for information. What if the ML350 has 28,000 miles, immaculate but is a rear wheel drive?

paul hess- "run through a very extensive inspection to bring the vehicle as close to new as possible" How does an "inspection" bring a vehicle back to new? A wave of the MB magic wand? I think you are blowin' it out your hat. And bobkat- you think that "If a MB is for sale at a MB dealer it is safe to assume that it will pass" My goodness! You think it is "safe" to assume ANYTHING at a dealership?! They will sell an abused car just like any other dealer- or is the 3-pointed star a holy grail that means we can just part with our tens of thousands of dollars and never question what we are getting? News for you guys: "pre- owned" is just a marketing gimmick to get you to forget that someone else's butt has farted in your driver's seat- it is a USED car and you have no idea if it was owned by a psychotic rich boy who liked to go 4- wheelin' in it- you two seem to ENJOY buying into the dealer's propaganda- if you think it is better to buy from a dealer who will NEVER give you service receipts OR tell you who owned it before you- than from the original owner- reexamine the "merits" of your advice

It appears Chambliss has had some previous bad experiences. To bad. Most new car dealers are honest and reliable. But it is true, some act like crooks. Most MB are rear wheel drive, while some are AWD. A properly maintained MB could last a Very long time. It's all the electronic gadgets that usually cause the repairs. If you like the car and the price is right, go for it.

It appears that Jamnblues just chooses to carry on with, "his" own opinion instead of proper research. And after the "inspection" they fix what is found to be necessary to pass their certification process (didn't think I needed to write it out in crayon). Enjoy your car shopping msantia

"my" own opinion comes from working in dealerships, in service departments- and seeing what goes on back in the mechanics' bays- where do your opinions come from- TV commercials? Keep on researchin' school boy

And don't get me started on the Mercedes Benz pseudo-mystical illusion of "quality"- the Teutonic claim to superiority is a tiresome mantra which has been dis-proven time and time again-

I'm wondering which century your experience draws from? ;-)

I come from a century when, in public, a person showed respect for their peers, and would refrain from criticism such as "he has no merit"- if you guys have some information to add, just add it without passing judgement on other gurus' answers-