A longer warranty is just one of the perks.
2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS
After a seven-year hiatus, the Chevrolet Camaro reappeared for 2010 sporting a slightly retro but mostly modern superhero outfit and an up-to-date chassis with an independent rear suspension. It’s heavier than we would like, and its sightlines were sacrificed on the altar of expediency, but the Camaro is quick and fun, if you’re the type who enjoys bareback rides on greased boars. For these reasons, and also because a convertible followed the coupe in 2011, American buyers made the Camaro the class sales leader for 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Those who didn’t pick one up when it was new have a second shot in the used-car market. One of the best ways to do this is through Chevrolet’s Certified Pre-Owned program. Chevy’s CPO cars undergo a 172-point inspection, and brake pads and tires that are more than half worn are routinely replaced. The idea is for the cars to essentially look and drive as new.
CAR (EXAMPLES)
PRICE: 
LOW 
AVERAGE 
HIGH
2010 V-6 (41)
$19,000
$23,363
$26,999
2010 V-8 (47)
$24,777
$29,345
$36,750
2011 V-6 (25)
$19,771
$23,091
$26,000
2011 V-8 (16)
$26,500
$31,211
$34,995
2011 V-6 conv. (5)
$25,995
$29,794
$31,995
2011 V-8 conv. (11)
$24,877
$32,009
$37,649
2012 V-6 (31)
$21,900
$25,050
$28,988
2012 V-8 (5)
$28,000
$31,174
$32,990
2012 V-6 conv. (4)
$29,991
$31,114
$33,845
2012 V-8 conv. (9)
$33,380
$35,727
$40,995
To provide peace of mind, CPO cars with less than 36,000 miles and still within the warranty period get one year and 12,000 miles tacked on to the original three-year, 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. Cars outside of warranty get a one-year/12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty starting from the day owners take delivery. Plus, CPO Chevys come with free, three-month trials of Sirius and OnStar services as well as a two-year, 30,000-mile maintenance plan that provides free scheduled oil changes, tire rotations, and inspections. For 2013, the least expensive new Camaro LS stickers for $24,245, while the SS starts at $33,535. By comparison, the average 2010 CPO V-6 price of $23,363 might not seem like much of a bargain, but it isn’t possible to discern what options that price includes. That’s because the CPO website doesn’t list the options in the descriptions of the cars. But otherwise it’s a decent tool, as you can search the CPO listings by distance from ZIP Code, price range, transmission type, and model.
In any case, when a new, loaded SS can easily top $40K, the CPO market provides the opportunity to save plenty of dollars while preserving some warranty protection and adding free maintenance.
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