With all the stress of the season, people may feel there’s no worse time to buy a new vehicle than during the holidays. Surprisingly, the holidays make a perfect time for car shopping, and for taking advantage of some of the best deals of the year – especially on certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles.
What Makes a Car Certified Pre-Owned?
Cars are typically considered CPO when they’ve met certain manufacturer certification requirements (sometimes called “factory” certification). The process varies, but usually includes an inspection by a brand-certified mechanic, after which any necessary refurbishments are made. In addition, these cars usually have manufacturer-backed service contacts.
Make sure the vehicles you’re looking at are certified by the manufacturer, however, not just the dealer. Dealer-certification doesn’t carry the same standards, and these types of cars may only carry a limited warranty for that particular dealership, or have none at all.
In order to be CPO, vehicles must meet certain age and mileage requirements, too. These cars carry a higher price than non-CPO used vehicles, but most people feel the peace of mind that comes with the factory certification is worth the higher price.
CPOs Combine Quality and Affordability
CPO’s make a great choice for credit-challenged people who are in need of a vehicle. They often keep their reliability and value at an affordable price because they’ve typically already seen their steepest drop in depreciation. Even though these cars carry higher prices than non-certified used vehicles, they’re still cheaper than buying new.
The Right Time to Buy
The holidays make a great time to purchase because this is when dealerships are often trying to make room for new model year vehicles. You’re more likely to run into end-of-year clearance sales and model year-end deals during this time (December). Historically, holiday weekends, and month- or year-end usually offer the best deals for car buyers.
Locating Lenders that Can Help
If you’re looking for the value of a used car and the peace of mind that comes from a full inspection and a manufacturer warranty, a certified pre-owned vehicle may be right for you. Now is a great time of year to look for deals, but if you’re afraid of your credit issues getting in the way, it can be a frustrating time as well. You won’t have to stress about it if you turn to Auto Credit Express.
We work with a nationwide network of special finance dealers that have lending resources to help people with bad credit, no credit, or even bankruptcy. Let us point you toward a local dealer. Just fill out our free online auto loan request form to get started today!
