I’ve bought many used cars in my time, but I wouldn’t even consider a purchase commitment without a careful, extensive in-person inspection and a test drive. I’m always amazed that purchasers will commit to a used car sight unseen - CPO or not. I’ve walked a Tesla service center storage lot of trades that eventually will be CPO’ed. Saw them as they were traded. Maybe one in 10 was in really nice condition and 3 or 4 in 10 were rough or very rough.
Much of the “reconditioning” done to these cars can look good on a quick inspection but will not hold up well over time. Spot spray and blend paint on panels, quick respray of bumpers, spray dye worn seats, etc. These cars will look tired again in a few months, regardless of how careful the next owner is.
I looked at about a dozen Model S over a couple months before finding mine. Some private party, some from independent dealer.
I try to find dealer trades before “reconditioning” to really see how they were previously treated. I’m looking for the car that was truly babied by the previous owner - they are out there but relatively rare.
My S85 was traded to a dealer the day before I saw it. Nothing had been done to it, not even washed. But it was very near flawless and needed absolutely nothing. It had 18 months of original warrenty remaining, 19K miles, and was $45K less than new. Bought it on the spot and have been totally pleased with it for two years.
I understand that some buyers don’t have the time and inclination to shop like I do. And maybe they are not as picky about condition. But if you take your time and are willing to put some effort into it, you can find really pristine used cars.
