10 Best Certified Pre-Owned Car Programs

Certified pre-owned (CPO) cars are more popular than ever. And there's an abundance of cars just returned from leases that car dealerships and carmakers are eager to offload. Combine the two and you have an opportunity to score a great deal on a lightly worn, factory-backed pre-owned car.

We've helped answer whether you should buy a certified pre-owned car and explained what to realistically expect from one. We've also shown you how to lease a CPO car. And because CPO perks are not uniform across every brand, it's time to take a look at individual programs to determine which offer benefits that exceed the industry norm.

First, a quick refresher:

In order to be considered a CPO car and not just a used one, a vehicle must meet a particular set of requirements. It must be under a certain age, not exceed a specific number of miles, and undergo a multipoint inspection. Each carmaker establishes these requirements, and they can vary from brand to brand.

The length of warranty coverage, allowed miles and additional perks are also determined by each individual carmaker. These benefits will vary.

So which CPO programs stand out? We think these 10 are best. Also, we divided the list into luxury and non-luxury programs so you can compare more easily.

Best Non-Luxury CPO Programs

1) Hyundai

Warranty: Remainder of the original five-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
To make the cut: The vehicle has to be less than 5 years old, have less than 60,000 miles and must have a clean AutoCheck vehicle history report. It's subject to a 150-point inspection.

Extras:

Roadside assistance: 10 years/unlimited miles
Deductible for warranty repairs: $50
Non-transferable
Three-month subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio
Trip interruption reimbursement

Edmunds says: A typical non-luxury CPO car has only seven years of powertrain coverage from the original date of purchase. Hyundai betters that by three years. The bumper-to-bumper coverage is also better by a year on average, and the roadside assistance term is exceptional. Apart from Hyundai's corporate partner, Kia, no company has a better CPO warranty than Hyundai.

2) Kia

Warranty: Remainder of the original 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. One year/12,000 miles of what Kia calls "Platinum" coverage. Kia describes this coverage as a plan that will apply to "almost all assemblies in your vehicle." This coverage starts the day you purchase your CPO Kia.
To make the cut: The vehicle has to be less than 5 years old, have less than 60,000 miles and must pass a 164-point inspection and have a clean AutoCheck vehicle history report.

Extras:

Roadside assistance: 10 years/unlimited miles
Deductible for warranty repairs: $50
Transferable to private-party buyer
Trip interruption reimbursement

Edmunds says: Kia offers the same powertrain warranty coverage as Hyundai, meaning that most of the car's really expensive oily bits will be covered for a really long time. It differs from Hyundai in two ways: There's only one year of coverage for everything else on the car, but that's actually typical for non-luxury CPO programs. The other difference is the Kia has a 164-point inspection, compared to Hyundai's 150-point.

3) Honda and Mazda (tie)

Warranty: Seven-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty from the car's original purchase date. One-year/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage on top of whatever is left of the original three-year/36,000-mile coverage.
To make the cut: The vehicle has to be less than 6 years old, have less than 80,000 miles, and must pass a 182-point inspection for Honda and a 160-point inspection for Mazda.

Extras:

Roadside assistance: same as warranty length
No deductible for warranty repairs
Transferable to private-party buyer

Edmunds says: The benefits of the Honda and Mazda CPO programs are essentially identical. The seven years of powertrain coverage is longer than what is offered by most luxury brands. With a year of bumper-to-bumper coverage, Honda and Mazda do better than some other brands in this price range, which add nothing on top of whatever is left of the original warranty.

Honda and Mazda also have CPO roadside assistance that lasts the length of the warranty, putting them ahead of Toyota, which offers only one year in its otherwise comparable CPO program. And, finally, there are no deductibles.

5) GM Brands (Buick, Chevrolet and GMC)

Warranty: Six-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty from the original date of purchase. One-year/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage from the date of a used-car purchase.
To make the cut: The vehicle has to be less than 5 years old, have less than 75,000 miles and must pass GM's 172-point inspection.

Extras:

Roadside assistance: same as warranty length
No deductible for warranty repairs
Transferable to private-party buyer
Two-year/24,000-mile complimentary service plan covering two scheduled service visits
Three-month subscriptions to SiriusXM satellite radio and GM's OnStar service
Alternate transportation if your covered CPO vehicle needs repairs. This means the dealership will either issue you a loaner vehicle or you'll be reimbursed for the cost of a rental.

Edmunds says: Admittedly, GM's warranty coverage is shorter than that of many competitors, which offer seven years of coverage compared to GM's six years. But there's a CPO perk we think is notable: Should you regret your purchase, you can exchange your car within three days and 150 miles for something of equal value.

Luxury CPO Programs

1) Porsche

Warranty: Two-year/unlimited-miles warranty coverage after the expiration of the new-vehicle limited warranty or from the date of sale, if the new-vehicle limited warranty has expired. Porsche says the scope of this warranty is at the same level as a new-car warranty.
To make the cut: The vehicle has to be less than 8 years old (up to 5 years old for leased vehicles) and have less than 100,000 miles for purchased vehicles. It's subject to a 111-point inspection.

Extras:

Roadside assistance: same as warranty length
No deductible for warranty repairs
Transferable to private-party buyer

Edmunds says: Porsche's CPO warranty is pretty similar to that offered by most luxury brands, with six years of coverage for most vehicle components starting at the original date of purchase. Should there be no factory warranty left, you'll get two years and unlimited miles of coverage. Porsche stands out by certifying cars that are as old as 8 years, meaning you can get a reasonably old car with a two-year Porsche warranty. This coverage becomes even more appealing when you realize that the mileage of Porsche sports cars tends to be much lower than average.

2) Lexus

Warranty: Valid for a minimum of two years after the expiration of the four-year/50,000-mile new-vehicle basic warranty or two years from the purchase or lease date, whichever occurs later. Mileage is unlimited. This means you could buy a 6-year-old Lexus with 70,000 miles and be covered for two years with unlimited miles.
To make the cut: The vehicle has to be less than 6 years old and have less than 70,000 miles. It's subject to a 161-point inspection.

Extras:

Roadside assistance: same as warranty length
No deductible for warranty repairs
Trip interruption reimbursement: up to $200 per night, up to three nights
Lexus loaner vehicle provided if CPO vehicle requires warranty repairs that will exceed 8 hours
Complimentary maintenance for two years or 20,000 miles, whichever comes first

Edmunds says: Every other carmaker's warranty starts when the car is purchased new or, if it's past its original factory warranty, is limited to only a year or two of coverage, along with mileage limitations (usually 100,000 total miles or less).Unlimited miles are sure to give a shopper an extra bit of confidence.

3) Volvo

Warranty: Seven-year/100,000-mile warranty covering most vehicle components from the car's original date of purchase.
To make the cut: The vehicle has to be less than 5 years old, have less than 80,000 miles, must pass a 130-point inspection and have a clean AutoCheck report.

Extras:

Roadside assistance: same as warranty length
No deductible for warranty repairs
Trip interruption reimbursement
Transferable to private-party buyer
Three-month subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio

Edmunds says: Most luxury brands offer six years or 100,000 miles of warranty coverage from the car's original purchase date, but Volvo goes one year further. Plus, given that Volvo's new-car warranty covers four years, it's possible to buy a CPO car with a longer warranty than you'd get with a new car. Additionally, Volvo covers things such as brakes, electrical components and air conditioning, usually not covered under the seven-year/100,000-mile warranties offered under other CPO programs.

4) Jaguar and Land Rover (tie)

Warranty: Up to seven years/10,000 miles. The warranty will cover most vehicle components from the car's original purchase date.
To make the cut: The vehicle has to be less than 5 years old and have less than 60,000 miles. Both brands are subject to a 165-point inspection.

Extras:

Roadside assistance: same as warranty length
No deductible for warranty repairs
Transferable to private-party buyer
Trip interruption reimbursement (Land Rover)

Edmunds says: Many warranties cover the powertrain for seven years and 100,000 miles. Jaguar and Land Rover cover electrical failure as well.