Settling the Debate: New vs Certified Pre-Owned

What inspired your search for a Certified Pre-Owned dealership? Are you looking to stretch your hard-earned dollar without lowering your quality standards or your expectations of warranty coverage? You’re not alone. Many customers come to us looking for Certified Pre-Owned models only to discover that their money is far better invested in a new vehicle. How is this possible? We’re here to settle the debate and show you why shopping for a new car, truck, or SUV is a wiser investment than spending extra for the Certified Pre-Owned badge.

Why It Comes Down to Warranty Coverage

How much do you value having confidence in your purchase and peace of mind when you’re on the road? In the automotive industry, this level of confidence and peace of mind are rooted in factory-backed warranty coverage that protects you when the unthinkable happens. This coverage often saves you thousands of dollars when your engine overheats and is beyond repair, leaving you stranded on the side of the road. It can also mean the difference between spending the family’s vacation fund on powertrain repair or an actual vacation.

So, do new or Certified Pre-Owned models have the advantage? Does the Certified Pre-Owned sticker immediately mean it’s a better deal? You might be surprised by the answer.

Certified Pre-Owned Warranties

Every Certified Pre-Owned Jeep and Chrysler comes with two factory-backed warranties. The seven-year or 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty looks enticing until you read the fine print. The coverage starts on the date the Jeep or Chrysler was initially sold. Why does this matter?

For a Jeep or Chrysler to earn its certified badge, it must be less than five years old and have fewer than 75,000 miles on the odometer. Now, think about how many miles you drive each year and the likelihood of finding a relatively new model with less than 20,000 miles on the odometer. The chances are slim, which means by the time you purchase the Certified Pre-Owned model, there’s little time and mileage left on the powertrain limited warranty.

Jeep and Chrysler soften the blow by offering a three-month or 3,000-mile Maximum Care Warranty with every Certified Pre-Owned vehicle. This coverage starts when you purchase the car or at the end of the Basic New Vehicle Warranty. While this plan covers over 5,000 vital components, your deductible will vary depending on the repair and part. It’s also an incredibly short warranty, giving you brief peace of mind when behind the wheel.

Depending on how much you’re willing to spend, you can extend the Certified Pre-Owned warranty coverage with what’s known as a Certified Upgrade Plan. These three plans include Powertrain Care, Added Care Plus, and Maximum Care, each of which adds a significant amount to your total purchase price and can lead to higher monthly payments. So, what do the plans offer? They provide everything from first-day rental coverage and car rental allowance to a $100 deductible, trip interruption coverage, towing, roadside assistance, and road hazard tire and wheel protection.

New Vehicle Warranties

When you purchase a new Chrysler or Jeep, you become part of the Mopar family, a name renowned in the automotive industry for its high-quality parts and exceptional service standards. Under the Mopar program, your new Jeep or Chrysler comes with a five-year or 60,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and a Mopar Basic Limited Warranty that runs for two years with no mileage limitations. Unlike a Certified Pre-Owned warranty, this coverage starts at the time of purchase, which means you have coverage for the entire five years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first. In other words, you’re not driving on borrowed time.

Mopar’s warranty coverage also gives you access to 24-hour Roadside Assistance Service at no cost to you. This service provides you access to help when you need it most, whether you need a battery jumpstart, fuel delivery, a flat tire change, or a tow to the nearest Jeep or Chrysler dealer. Mopar has you covered wherever you are.

When your Jeep or Chrysler needs repair, you can also rest easy knowing that you have the option to use genuine Mopar parts for the repair. Why is this important? Many of the parts and accessories in Mopar’s extensive catalog are covered by separate warranties.

For example, original and remanufactured Mopar powertrains are backed by a three-year or 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, with the same coverage offered on the Mopar HEMI crate engine kits. In addition, Mopar collision replacement parts come with a lifetime limited warranty, and most Mopar batteries come with a limited warranty that covers free replacement for defective batteries. Additional Mopar components that come with extra coverage beyond the Basic Limited Warranty include catalytic converters, gaskets and seals, diesel parts, performance parts, brake pads, brake shoes, shocks and struts, mufflers, alternators, starters, and water pumps.

A Network of Coverage

Another significant advantage that a new Jeep or Chrysler has over a Certified Pre-Owned model is the exceptional network of coverage you have at your disposal. Mopar lives up to its reputation and gives you the opportunity to complement your new vehicle warranty coverage with Mopar Vehicle Protection. Supported by dealerships throughout North America, this coverage guarantees your Jeep or Chrysler is in good hands, the hands of certified technicians. It also ensures that your vehicle is repaired using genuine Mopar parts, which, as you’ve seen, means additional coverage and peace of mind.

New vs Certified Pre-Owned: Breaking the Tie

You can’t put a price on having confidence in your purchase or peace of mind when you’re behind the wheel, especially when taking your Jeep beyond the pavement or traveling across state lines in a Chrysler minivan with your family on board. Shopping for a new Jeep or Chrysler doesn’t require you to sacrifice this confidence or settle for less. Why? Because every new Jeep and Chrysler comes with comprehensive warranty coverage and roadside assistance that prove Mopar has you covered from the moment you say “yes” on our lot.

Shopping for a Certified Pre-Owned model may seem like a wise financial investment, but don’t be fooled by the fancy name or the ‘additional’ warranty coverage. You’re spending far more money on a used vehicle and getting less coverage than what’s advertised. Instead of spending thousands of dollars more on extended coverage, you could get behind the wheel of a new model.

But what else helps break the tie? Beyond warranty coverage, several factors help settle the new vs Certified Pre-Owned debate. A Certified Pre-Owned vehicle is still a used vehicle, and while Jeep and Chrysler hold their Certified Pre-Owned models to higher quality standards, you’re not getting the newest that Jeep or Chrysler has to offer. Instead, you’re paying extra for the Certified Pre-Owned badge and the work the manufacturer puts into the vehicles to guarantee their quality. So, why not put your money to work elsewhere? Why not buy a vehicle that’s likely more efficient and better equipped with the latest features?

New Never Looked So Good

Shopping for a new Jeep or Chrysler means confidently saying “yes” to your future on the road. It means joining the Mopar family and knowing, without a doubt, that Mopar and dealerships across the country have you covered. You have a network of support, whether you’re exploring the best off-road trails throughout Colorado or heading east with the family to look at potential colleges for your upcoming senior. Jeep, Chrysler, Mopar, and Faricy Chrysler Jeep are alongside you for every journey in your new vehicle.