(May 25, 2018) ATLANTA — Shoppers interested in buying a new car may discover their top picks are outside their budget, and purchasing a used car is an option, but the vehicle's reliability and potentially high maintenance costs could be a concern. As a good compromise, buyers should take a closer look at shopping a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) vehicle, which is a lightly used model with a manufacturer-backed warranty, and often comes with a big discount from the new price.

CPO programs typically offer extra perks, including a thorough mechanical inspection, complimentary roadside assistance, and more, but some programs are simply better than others.

The experts at Autotrader researched them all, identifying the 10 Best Non-Luxury CPO Programs and 10 Best Luxury CPO Programs for 2018, which recognizes the standouts car shoppers should consider.

"Beyond being budget friendly, buying a certified vehicle provides an extra level of comfort, knowing your car has been through a rigorous inspection and is backed by the manufacturer for an extended length of time. Sometimes, that warranty is longer than you get with a new car and is certainly better than with a non-certified used car." said Brian Moody, executive editor for Autotrader.

"If you're shopping for a mainstream vehicle, look at Hyundai, it has one of the best warranties in the entire automotive industry, while Lexus is the top pick on the luxury side with perks like an unlimited mileage warranty and pricing that is perfect for real luxury on a budget."

Hyundai's Certified Pre-Owned program is highly impressive. Not only does its factory warranty extend back to its original five years of 60,000 miles for bumper-to-bumper coverage, and 10 years or 100,000 miles of powertrain coverage, which is better than a new-car purchase, the coverage is fully transferable to subsequent owners, which will add value to the vehicle if an owner does sell before the warranty expires.

On the luxury side, Lexus offers an unrivaled six years of bumper-to-bumper coverage from the original sales date and no mileage limit, which shows the brand's confidence in its vehicles. In addition, Lexus offers free maintenance for the next four services (two years or 20,000 miles) and a loaner car program, which is icing on the cake. There are a variety of Lexus cars and SUVs available.

The 2018 10 Best Non-Luxury and Luxury CPO Programs were identified based on a series of factors, including powertrain warranty length (with a minimum of six years or 100,000 miles of coverage from the original sale date), available inventory, bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage, deductible amount, and transferability to future vehicle owners.