If you’re in the market for a new car, you are no doubt considering a lot of the perks that come with getting a vehicle that has had no prior owners. Your unused ride should smell factory fresh, have minimal miles, and be at the onset of a manufacturer-backed warranty. That last item?the warranty?is often a key selling point for automakers when marketing new cars and trucks. In car commercials, quick-talking voice-overs promise warranties that are bumper to bumper, lifetime, or even “America’s Best.” But what does it all mean"
Put simply, a warranty is an agreement between the consumer and manufacturer, with the latter saying it has faith in the product it has built?for at least its first few years of use. For automakers, it can also be a key part of their marketing. Hyundai launched a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty in 1998 to combat negative perceptions about the quality of its cars. That warranty still exists today. Chrysler, not always known to be a bastion of quality, launched a lifetime powertrain warranty in 2007 but scrapped it a couple of years later. What?s important to remember is that every automaker has its own definition not only of “warranty” but of the different kinds of warranties they include with new vehicles. Focusing here on new-vehicle, manufacturer-backed warranties, these are some terms you should be familiar with before you shop:

Bumper to Bumper
Most automakers offer “bumper to bumper” warranti...