Honda becomes first automaker to add non-CPO used cars to its website

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Honda is going 'used' in a new way. The Japanese automaker has long marketed its dealer network's certified pre-owned (CPO) models on its HondaCertified.com website, but now, it's expanding those offerings to non-certified, pre-owned vehicles, too. The company claims it's the first mass-market automaker to take this step. The move is part of an effort to better target young and first-time buyers who are facing rising new-vehicle prices and looking for alternatives. According to Dan Rodriguez, National Auto Remarketing Manager Certified Pre-Owned at Honda, the automaker sees "...the used-vehicle marketplace as a great opportunity to create new relationships for the Honda brand and our dealers. It also helps that the reputation of Honda for quality and reliability makes our vehicles more prized in the used-vehicle market."

HondaTrue Certified vehicles are all late-model vehicles that have been inspected, cleaned and given a warranty (7 years/100,000 miles for the powertrain and up to 5 years/86,000 miles for non-powertrain coverage) along with other benefits including roadside assistance and concierge service. Conversely, these 'regular' used cars, trucks and SUVs are being added to Honda's website inventory without going through that vetting and certification process, and they can be older -- up to 10 previous model years. The upside, of course, is that such vehicles should be cheaper to purchase than their CPO equivalents.

Shoppers won't be able to buy these vehicles online, but the automaker says that the brand's buying tool will let customers "complete most of the purchase process... in a digital fashion." This follows the auto industry's trend toward enabling consumers to complete more of the vehicle selection and buying process digitally -- a progression that has dramatically accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic to facilitate safer, more comfortable buying experiences.

Only Honda-brand used vehicles are eligible for these listings and dealers have to already maintain their CPO listings on the website in order to add their regular, uncertified inventory. According to Rodriguez, there are no additional fees or costs associated for dealers or consumers and all franchise partners involved in Honda's CPO program are automatically able to participate. The first of these non-CPO listings went live last week.

The idea of searching for a non-certified Accord, Civic, CR-V or Ridgeline on a website called "HondaCertified.com" is counterintuitive, but Honda has taken steps to counter potential confusion by differentiating listings via filters and callouts. Rodriguez says, "... this will evolve and be streamlined as the program progresses." The website presently defaults to display CPO vehicle listings, but shoppers can isolate for uncertified used vehicles separately, as well.

As for shopping for non-CPO models from Honda's luxury brand, Acura, Honda's Rodriguez tells Roadshow, "We're currently focusing on the launch of used vehicles for the Honda brand... but Acura will be following the same path in the coming weeks."