Used, Better than New

In the time of a dwindling economy and rising taxes many people feel as if they will be stuck with the old outdated car sitting in their garage. Certainly the purchase of a new BMW is out of the question seeing that many tend to be a bit pricier than most a willing to pay given today's economy. Now of course as you can probably imagine most car dealerships are having trouble steering people away from their used car lots and onto the showroom floor, however, BMW cant complain about their buyers points of interest.

In the past two years the market for used cars has nearly doubled that of new cars and it isn't slowing up either. This means that obviously there is a large demand for used cars but some individuals, such as myself, are a bit skeptical about who was the first to sit in the drivers seat. Certified Pro-Owned (CPO) cars give you the piece of mind that the car was not abused in any way, meets all safety standards, and performs beautifully. Many car companies do not operate any sort of division that deals with the resale of there automobiles, BMW has chosen otherwise. BMW's CPO program is rated the best on the planet in terms of quality and overall reliability (Edmunds.com).

First of all the vehicle must be a BMW in order to qualify to be a BMW CPO car, but this doesn't mean that just any old Bimmer that rolls on to the lot has a chance to wear the CPO badge. The vehicle must also have no less than 6,000 miles and no more than 60,000 miles to be considered. The cars are then put through many rigorous tests to evaluate the cars worthiness. It must have had all maintenance done on time and recorded at BMW or at a BMW certified garage, the wheels and tires must meet perfect specifications as they did when they were new, the "fit and finish" of the vehicle must be pristine, and the car must be in proper working order mechanically (BMW USA). There is a master checklist to account for all of the information as well as four signatures to be had by the head technician, head service manager, CPO manager, and of course the customer.

The overall benefit of buying a CPO BMW is the assurance that the used car you a buying is reliable and most importantly, safe. There is, however, one more added benefit to buying a CPO BMW and that is the extended warranty. A CPO BMW's warranty is good up to 6 yrs./ 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. Note: "the CPO warranty is not an extension of the original New Car Warranty; the CPO warranty simply takes over after the New Car Warranty expires" (BMW USA). The CPO warranty covers everything from the engine and transmission to the suspension and ABS brakes, as well as the cooling and electrical systems; as you can see all major mechanical parts are covered. However, one should know that, same as the warranty with a new BMW, the CPO warranty is voided when "aftermarket" parts are put on the car.

BMW has given the economical car buyer the assurance that the used vehicle they purchased will not turn into a bottomless money pit as some used cars do. People can now buy the "Ultimate Driving Machine" for an affordable price, in a time of a less than favorable market, and still make it out with some change left in their pockets.