Certification Eases Used Car Buying

Top Sellers
"Generally, our strongest certified used brands are also our strongest new vehicle sales brands," GM's Heichel said, "with Chevrolet setting the pace," led by the Silverado.


The "most popular by a long shot is the Jeep Grand Cherokee," said Keith Helfridge, Chrysler's director of vehicle remarketing. Upper-end minivans and the Dodge Intrepid sedan also are popular as certified vehicles.


Peace of mind doesn't come cheaply. Those who bought a certified luxury car had said they would be willing to pay $1,594 extra for a certified model, according to J.D. Power, while non-luxury buyers would pay $1,029. What the luxury buyers actually paid was a $2,838 premium. Non-luxury buyers paid $1,007 extra. For many late-model vehicles (especially year-olds)—notably import-brand luxury models known to hold their value well—the price of a certified used model may come surprisingly close to the price of a new one. So, before accepting any price for a late-model used vehicle, it would be prudent to check the price of a comparable new model. If the difference is substantial, take the used one, but if not, consider the new model.


Naturally, dealers and automakers benefit from certification. "Economists have been very upfront and vocal about stressing the value of certified vehicles," Kontos said at the National Remarketing Conference. It's "helping generate demand for used cars [and] it's a win-win situation all around."