Unless you’re buying something listed “as is,” when you buy a used car from a professional dealership you can expect a certain level of quality and reliability. But when you buy a car from a certified pre-owned program, you’re buying something that’s hardly a step away from being brand new. And with a name as reliable as Honda, you can be sure your certified pre-owned car will have many more years and well over 100,000 miles from the moment you buy it.
The Requirements
To be a part of the Honda Certified Pre-Owned Program, a vehicle has to meet certain minimum standards. It has to:
- Be less than six years old
- Have fewer than 80,000 miles on the odometer
- Pass a comprehensive 182-point inspection
Many vehicles in Honda’s CPO program are old lease cars since the company has strict rules about making sure the car gets regular inspections and doesn’t go over too many miles per year. That means you can count on your local Honda dealership having a few good CPO vehicles on the lot at any given time.
The Warranty
Aside from the guaranteed minimum quality, the main benefit to buying a car in Honda’s Certified Pre-Owned Program is the manufacturer warranty. Normally the new-car warranty expires as soon as the vehicle trades hands, but under the CPO program you can get up to four years and 48,000 miles of bumper-to-bumper coverage starting from the original sale date. And if it’s been more than three years since then, you’re still guaranteed to get one year and 12,000 miles of full warranty coverage.
As for the powertrain, Honda covers that with a separate warranty that covers seven years and 100,000 miles from the original sale. And since CPO vehicles can’t be more than six years old, that means you’ll have at least a year of coverage and probably get even more.
The Perks
Aside from the warranty and the quality, Honda offers a few extras with its Certified Pre-Owned Program. If the vehicle you buy has access to satellite radio, you’ll get a complimentary three-month trial of SiriusXM Radio. Normally when you buy a used car you either have to get a subscription or just ignore that feature on your radio.
Something else you can get is the available Honda Care extended coverage. The program gives you:
- 24/7 roadside assistance for things like towing, replacement tires, and fuel delivery
- Warranty coverage on components that extends past the bumper-to-bumper coverage and includes more than the powertrain
- Concierge emergency services that give you someone to call when you need help
As a company, Honda offers some of the most reliable vehicles on the road, and if you take care of yours, you can keep it running for a decade or more without having to worry that it will fall apart at any second. That’s why used Honda vehicles don’t lose their value as fast as other manufacturers, and it’s why the Honda Certified Pre-Owned Program is able to sell vehicles with a practically new level of quality.
Image “Honda” by Ian Muttoo, used under CC BY-SA 2.0
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