Kia Motors America achieved their 16th straight month of record certified pre-owned vehicle sales in May. Certified pre-owned vehicle programs have become very popular with car buyers. If you aren't aware of them, it's time to learn about the benefits they offer.
Kia's CPO Success Story
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Kia achieved their 16th consecutive month of record certified pre-owned (CPO) car sales in May, achieving a 10.2% increase in sales over a year earlier. The automaker sold 7,008 certified used cars in May, led by the Optima sedan (1,657 sold) and the Sorento crossover (1,486 sold).
According to Autodata's May 2017 CPO Retail Sales report, Kia is outpacing the industry with a 13.2% increase in CPO sales, so far, in 2017. Autodata's numbers show that while nearly every manufacturer has increased their CPO sales in recent years, Kia is currently leading pack.
Value, quality, and reliability are just a few of the reasons why Kia believes their certified used car program has become so popular with consumers.
Reasons to Consider CPO Vehicles
Results like Kia's show that consumers are increasingly turning to CPO cars. A big reason: they're a good option for many consumers because they offer some of the benefits of both new and used cars.
If you aren't aware of what a CPO vehicle is, you aren't alone. While they are gaining in popularity in recent years, many consumers are still unfamiliar with them.
CPO cars are not just used cars — they typically represent the best of the best pre-owned vehicles. Here is how a manufacturer generally goes about certifying a used vehicle:
- First, it has to meet established age and mileage restrictions (in many cases, the car cannot have undergone any major body work, either). For example, Kia's CPO program requires vehicles to be five years old or newer with fewer than 60,000 miles on the odometer.
- Then, manufacturer-certified technicians perform an inspection of the vehicle and its major systems. In this instance, Kia puts every vehicle through a 150-point "Quality Assurance" inspection.
- Any parts that don’t meet certified standards (i.e. broken, defective or worn) outlined by the manufacturer are usually replaced or refurbished.
- Finally, the automaker adds some type of factory-backed warranty or service contract to the vehicle. These policies sometimes include perks such as roadside assistance. Kia's CPO vehicles, for example, come with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and a 12-month/12,000-mile "Platinum Coverage" plan that covers just about everything except "wear and tear" items.
These benefits give added peace of mind. Buyers know that in order to be labeled "certified" by a manufacturer, certified pre-owned vehicles must meet certain standards set by the manufacturer.
Of course, what truly makes CPO vehicles such a good choice is that they aren't as expensive as their new-car counterparts. At the same time, they also feature several perks that normally only come with new cars.
The Bottom Line
Certified pre-owned vehicles offer new-car-like peace of mind along with used-car-like pricing. This allows them to be a viable choice for a wide-range of consumers, even those working with tighter budgets. If you're looking for some of the best of both new and used vehicles, they are certainly worth checking out the next time you need a car.
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