What Is the Lexus CPO Program?
Toyota’s luxury brand offers a certification for many of its pre-loved vehicles.
Lexus
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If you’re in the market for a used luxury vehicle, you might find yourself looking at a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) model. While CPO programs are ubiquitous among high-end brands, that doesn’t mean they’re all the same. Here’s what the L/Certified Lexus CPO program offers.
What Sets L/Certified by Lexus Apart?
Each L/Certified by Lexus vehicle undergoes a 161-point inspection by a Lexus Master Technician, comes with a passing Carfax vehicle history report, and (if necessary) is repaired or reconditioned using only genuine Lexus parts.
Every Lexus CPO model has a limited warranty spanning two years and unlimited mileage. This warranty kicks in after the new-vehicle basic warranty and runs for four years or 50,000 miles. Vehicle components covered include the engine, transmission, steering, brakes, and heating/ventilation/air conditioning. If something needs fixing, there is no deductible to pay, a significant advantage over some other CPO programs.
Any scheduled maintenance for up to four factory-specified services or 20,000 miles is also included. And suppose you’re on a road trip. In that case, the warranty offers a complimentary loaner car, roadside assistance, and trip interruption coverage that takes care of meals and lodging for three days, up to $200/day, and a rental car for up to $50/day for five days while your used Lexus is being repaired.
Which Models are Eligible for L/Certified by Lexus?
The L/Certified by Lexus program includes any six-year-old or newer Lexus vehicle with fewer than 80,000 miles on the odometer. So if you have your eye on one of the many popular SUVs offered by Toyota’s luxury brand, including the Lexus RX, Lexus UX, or Lexus NX, you may be in luck. Or maybe you’re more of an executive-class individual, so you should check out the L/Certified by Lexus inventory for a pre-loved Lexus LS sedan, Lexus LC coupe, or Lexus LX SUV.
Does L/Certified by Lexus Represent a Smart Investment?
The debate here is as old as the first-ever used car transaction in the history of the business: Should you take your chances buying privately or from a dealer that offers the security of a CPO program?
A quick search on Edmunds for a 2020 Lexus ES 300h with between 15,000 and 25,000 miles on the clock shows an upfront price premium for cars listed under the L/Certified by Lexus program. For that specification of car, you should expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 more for a factory-certified model.
So, how much do you value having your used Lexus certified by a factory-trained technician? Or being protected by some form of warranty? As complex as recent-model vehicles can be, you may risk a lot by driving any out-of-warranty car, even one with a stellar reputation for quality, such as Lexus.
