Luxury For Less Auto Sales

Description

Leasing has had another positive effect for used car buyers as well. It has put auto manufacturers into the used car business. They don't necessarily want to be in the used car business, but those who have a finance division end up owning thousands of used cars each year when leases expire. They have to sell these vehicles on the used-car market to meet their profit goals. And those who don't have a captive finance arm still are vitally concerned with the used-car market because used-car values help determine their new-car lease rates. Because of this many car manufacturers have put together special programs to add value to their used car offerings in the form of certified used car programs. While plans differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, virtually all of them have strict criteria for what vehicles may be included. Those vehicles are then thoroughly inspected, brought up to specs and backed by a warranty that mimics new-car warranty coverage.

Well, if you think a certified used car is for you, there are a couple ways to proceed. One is as simple as logging onto the manufacturer Web site on your computer. Most manufacturers with certified programs will give you detailed information and a dealer locator right on the Web. Some manufacturers will even list their certified used car vehicle inventory, so you can let your mouse clicks help your shopping process. Of course, another way to proceed is to call local dealers and ask them if they offer manufacturer-certified used cars.

As you can see from the plans, the coverage mimics that of the original new-car warranty, so if you fear buying somebody else's troubles, these plans and others like them from a wide variety of manufacturers should alleviate that worry. A key item to remember here is that you should look for factory-backed certified vehicle programs. Because the word "certified" has gained cachet as a sales tool, a number of new and used car dealers are referring to some of their used cars as "certified." Generally, that term has little or no meaning unless it is backed by an auto manufacturer program.

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