The additional peace of mind that comes with buying a certified pre-owned vehicle doesn't come free, as CPO cars typically cost more than non-CPO cars. On average, they cost around $1,083 more, according to the Cars.com article "How Much Does Certification Cost?" and data from CNW Marketing Research. Price hikes aren't created equal, however; CPO luxury cars have the highest premium, of $3,371 on average.

Vehicles that go through an automaker's certified pre-owned program are considered the upper echelon of used cars. Factory-backed programs put the vehicle through a thorough inspection process. They also get a longer warranty and, first off, have to fall within a certain mileage and year requirement to even be considered for a CPO program.

See the chart below for the average additional cost of CPO vehicles by segment:

Vehicle Segment — Premium — Average Increase

• Budget — $333 — 3.5%
• Small — $461 — 4.2%
• Low Midsize — $883 — 7.3%
• Core Midsize — $1,192 — 8.0%
• Upper Midsize — $1,723 — 9.1%
• Near Luxury — $1,806 — 8.2%
• Luxury — $3,371 — 7.7%
• Sports Car — $592 — 3.3%
• Compact Pickup — $322 — 3.0%
• Full-Size Pickup — $857 — 3.8% 
• Minivan — $692 — 3.7%
• Full-Size Van — $792 — 3.0%
• Small SUV— $611 — 4.5% 
• Compact SUV — $925 — 4.8%
• Full-Size SUV — $1,792 — 6.3%
• Luxury SUV — $2,597 — 6.0%
• Weighted Average — $1,083 — 6.3%

Source: CNW Marketing Research

Learn more

• How Much Does Certification Cost? (Cars.com)
• CPO Advice Section (Cars.com)
• Certified Pre-Owned Incentives (Cars.com)