In purchasing a used car, it is best to choose a dealer with Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) used car program. These programs, which are operated jointly by the manufacturer and the dealer, guarantee the vehicle's quality, condition, and future long life of the car, pickup, crossover, or sport utility you like.

AOL Autos has provided salient considerations in choosing a used car:

Inspection and warranty
Although the content and extent of each brand's certified pre-owned program varies, one of the constants is the complete vehicle inspection offered by every program. Though the number of items - or points - inspected on the vehicle varies from 100 to 300, as a consumer you should feel comfortable knowing that everything important on the car was inspected by the dealer, under the guidelines of the manufacturer, and the worn or bad parts were replaced, if necessary, before the vehicle was put into the program.

Aside from the inspections, the length and coverage of the certified-vehicle warranty also varies from program to program, and the buyer should make absolutely sure that the original manufacturer is offering the warranty, as opposed to a third-party or extended-warranty company. Depending on a vehicle's age, condition and mileage, it may in fact be cheaper to buy an uncertified used car from a dealer and then purchase a separate extended warranty for the vehicle.

The CPO bumper-to-bumper warranties can be a bit complicated so be sure to do your homework and become familiar with all the ins-and-outs.

You also get perks
Beyond the usual vehicle inspection thoroughness and the length of the certified-vehicle warranty, the various manufacturers and dealers offer a large menu of extras on their certified pre-owned vehicles as enticements to a deal.

Is it worth it?
Due to the costs involved in the inspection, certification and warranties process, a certified used car will almost always be more expensive than a normal used car or one from a private party out of the classifieds. How much more? From 2-8% higher, according to Kelley Blue Book research.

Actually, you can have the best used car deal with all the perks and significant auto features and offers at a much cheaper price. Just do your homework.

[credit: CNN]