They both have their advantages.

Certified has a decent inspection done and an extra 12yr/12K mile warranty, but you have to get it from a dealer which means a few grand more on the price.

Private Seller is often cheaper but if you're away from home you don't have your regular mechanic to give it a look over.

I'm leaning towards CPO only because I don't mind driving a couple hundred miles to get a good car. I drove 3 1/2 hrs, one way, to get my Suburban because it was a much better deal than I could get up here in Michigan.

So which way would you go if you had to get one used? I know many of you purchased new...

Thanks,
-Bob

I'd probably find one that was being given up by an enthusiast due to a hardship.
Not only would I be helping out a fellow brother, I'd be getting a car from someone who shares a passion for making sure the car was taken care of.
They wouldn't give me a sales pitch.
Instead, they be telling me things I need to hear in a langauge I can understand and relate to.

That doesn't answer your question exactly but I guess you could put me in the category of private seller.
A select private seller.

Yeah, I s'pose you have a point. There's some on Autotrader.com that look pretty good, one guy even says he can't afford the car anymore after being laid off work.

-Bob

bought mine from a member of this board, he was in a pinch wanted to sell quick i had cash. deposit friday, paid monday, title got to me wednesday, flew out friday night, picked it up and drove it back from denver Saturday. I felt very confident buying my car from someone that people knew on this board. plus my payment was being sent direct to his bank. saved a bunch since the local dealer wanted and still wants $29,000 for any g8 they have on the lot. ended up friends on facebook i give him regular updates on the mods the car has now.

I'm in the same boat. Not have much luck finding a G8 GT anywhere close to me for what I want to spend. I look everyday. Only a few that are certfied that are around $21-22K. These are all 300-500 miles away. I'm picky about how a car has been maintaned and most of the G8's that are at dealers are rough with no service history. I hate dealing with salesmen... Oh I work at a GM dealer and can't get a good deal. Go figure.

I would have to lean towards a private seller, preferably one that you can trust and can get some good information on the car from. A dealer is usually selliing hundreds of different models and has limited information on a G8. A private seller that has service records and information on the vehicle is much more valuable than a dealer just looking for a sale. IMO most G8 owners take great pride/care of there car and a forum such as this is a great start to find the G8 you are looking for...so I would have to lean toward the private sale...plus you're likely saving a couple thousand dollars over most dealer sales! Good Luck!