GM Gives Free XM Trial to Certified Used Buyers

There’s no question the certified used-car business is booming. Today, General Motors announced a new-car-like incentive for certified used vehicles: a free three-month trial of XM Satellite Radio. Any GM car or truck, including Cadillacs and Hummers, equipped with an XM stereo will be part of the program. That means more than 115,000 certified used vehicles will be eligible, with that number growing to 168,000 in 2008. 

The free trial is a nice bonus, but considering an XM subscription costs about $13 a month, the three-month trial probably won’t sway any buyers. It does, however, signal that automakers are paying more attention to certified used sales than ever before.

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Comments

I personally think that buying slightly used cars make a whole lot more sense than spending thousands extra for a brand new one. This especially holds true for Toyotas and Hondas, which are starting to get overpriced... a nice certified model a year to 3 years old will save you thousands and its still a Toyota/Honda.

I agree with you Happymantis, but actually it makes even more sense to buy used if you are NOT buying a Toyota or Honda. Those two brands hold their resale value much better than pretty much any other brand, and so the difference between the new and used price is much less than say for Lincoln (which, as I recall, depreciates fastest of any brand). And there are many brands out there with long warranties now, so if it's repairs you're worried about, they're free anyway, as long as you buy something like 1-3 years old.