Depending on the dealership, CPO may or may not come with an extended warranty. When I bought my 09 Z about two weeks ago, it automatically came with a lifetime warranty and mine wasn't CPO.

If it needs to be CPO for the extended warranty to tag along, then absolutely. But CPO typically just states that the car has been inspected prior to sale, which the dealership should check the vehicle anyway.

As far as Nissan is concerned, CPO doesn't vary by dealer. The terms are set by Nissan so coverage should be consistent among all authorized Nissan dealers.

CPO does come with extended warranty, but it isn't bumper to bumper. CPO cars usually receive more maintenance/inspection before resale, and they are usually in pretty good condition.

Just curious what the lifetime warranty is for in your case?

I'd say save a bit more and get it new! You never know what the used car has been through. If that's not an option, go for a low mileage one. And there's hardly a difference between 2010~current model. 2009 and early 2010 were the guinea pigs so there are some few minor issues with these group......but nothing major.

As for your concern regards to the engine and transmission, it's pretty bullet proof. 99% of the people will never come across engine or tranny failures (unless they start turbo charge it or drive it in a improper manner). If you're planning to get manual, be cautious about the CSC. These guys are known to fail.

And I wouldn't bother with the extended warranty. The Z is very reliable that needs minimal service.

CPO standards do vary by dealerships, as some dealerships have different criteria as far as what they look at prior to certifying used cars. Also, what if you buy a pre-owned Nissan at a non-Nissan dealership?

CPO may or may not come with extended warranty. When you look at used cars, it'll have that form on the window with either "Warranty" or "As Is - No Warranty" checked. If all CPO vehicles came with warranties, the finance manager (the dude that tries to sell you extended warranties, GAP, etc.) wouldn't make any money off of you.

My lifetime warranty is powertrain warranty.

I traded a '11 up to a '14 for several reasons being Nav, exterior color, and hellova deal being a Nissan employee. Yea, it is essentially cosmetics but the new rims and front bumper with LEDs look better in a dumpster than on a new Z.

Like it's been said, get the one with the options you want first time around with the best bang for the buck.