what is the difference between certified and just used? what is the cost difefrence between the two if the cars are the same?

65

Asked by BrianA Jul 09, 2012 at 02:05 PM about the 2011 GMC Terrain SLE1

Question type: Shopping & Pricing

6 Answers

120

CERTIFIED CARS ARE BROUGHT UP TO FACTORY SPECS @ INCLUDE AT LEAST AN EXTENDED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY-THE COVERAGE DIFFERS FROM ONE MANUFACTURER TO ANOTHER-SOME OFFER A WRAP-A-ROUND AT +COST

22,815

you don't gain much for the extra 1000-1500 that you pay for certified- the car already has 3 years/36000 bumper to bumper and 5 years/100000 powertrain with roadside assistance- if you want longer coverage get a good extended warranty with a reputable company- you can usually get more coverage for the extra you would spend for certified. I hope this helps.

1 people found this helpful.
20

Richard.......The following is how I understand it. Lets use Kia as an example. A new car buyer gets 5year 60K in coverage bumper to bumper and a 10 year 100K limited powertrain. Pretty much the power train involves anything that is necessary to get the vehicle to go forward. Examples would be, air conditioning is not part of the power train because the car can still drive without it so the air conditioning ends at 60K. A covered powertrain example would be broken motor mounts. The motor mounts if broken can cause problems with the vehicle being able to run properly so is a covered item until 100K. If you buy the car used you only get the 5 year 60K bumper to bumper. If you buy the car used but Certified Pre Owned, then you get the powertrain limited warranty to 100K too. Lets say you buy a Kia with 40K miles. You get 20K bumper to bumper and then powertrain until the odometer reaches 100K.

20

By the way, IF I AM WRONG, i would like a detailed explanation as to what I am wrong about. People throw numbers around and do not clarify if the warranty they are talking about is from when they take possession or what the odometer reads or will read or if it is the original new car warranty you are now getting or something different. I have done a lot of reading on the net trying to find out what exactly CPO mean and the above post is my understanding but I admit virtually every explanation I have read lacks clarity and have several generalizations so I admit, I could be wrong too.

22,815

we can only speak from our experience (in my case GM)- Hyundai and Kia would not apply because they don't continue that long warranty to the second buyer or beyond like GM does (it follows the car, not the buyer). I stand by what I said on the extended warranty part- see how much extended warranty you could buy for how much extra the certified car costs (typically 1500 to 2000 more- then make your decision.

20

I don't dispute your "what you get for the money" scenario, it is a fair conclusion. The only thing I am trying to understand is what does a CPO mean. From what you say, I guess it means different things depending on the car brand.

Your Answer:

Terrain

Looking for a Used Terrain in your area?

CarGurus has 2,440 nationwide Terrain listings starting at $3,800.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Richard Schroer
    Reputation
    7,590
  • #2
    John Carson
    Reputation
    3,700
  • #3
    GuruNSHPJ
    Reputation
    1,980
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used GMC Acadia
28 Great Deals out of 677 listings starting at $3,949
Used Chevrolet Equinox
73 Great Deals out of 2,795 listings starting at $3,888
Used Chevrolet Traverse
38 Great Deals out of 693 listings starting at $4,950
Used GMC Yukon
18 Great Deals out of 728 listings starting at $5,998
Used Ford Explorer
84 Great Deals out of 1,992 listings starting at $2,999
Used Toyota RAV4
77 Great Deals out of 2,040 listings starting at $3,499
Used Ford Edge
82 Great Deals out of 2,289 listings starting at $1,790
Used Ford Escape
145 Great Deals out of 4,510 listings starting at $2,995
Used Honda CR-V
84 Great Deals out of 3,824 listings starting at $1,995
Used Jeep Grand Cherokee
107 Great Deals out of 3,250 listings starting at $4,995
Used Chevrolet Silverado 1500
212 Great Deals out of 5,937 listings starting at $3,995
Used GMC Sierra 1500
131 Great Deals out of 6,882 listings starting at $3,975
Used Chevrolet Tahoe
15 Great Deals out of 714 listings starting at $5,995
Used Nissan Rogue
115 Great Deals out of 4,768 listings starting at $3,500

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.