When Test Driving Cars..........

[Import_Boy]

What should you do when you take a car for a test drive? With the salesman in it at dealerships, and by yourself with private sellers?

I've taken cars for test drives before, but always am afraid to test the car out with the salesman inside. Should you find some empty street and accelerate from 0-60 and see how it feels?

Should you test out the braking by just hitting the brakes? Should you take tight corners?

what do you guys normally do?

[Matthew_McNally]

I always use two different techniques.

The first one is to "play" with the car - push it, have fun - see what it can do.

Maybe push it a bit harder than I would push my own - after all, its not your car you're thrashing the nuts off B)

But then I spend most of the test drive driving the car in exactly the manner I normally drive, in a variety of circumstances (motorway, local roads etc).

If it is a car you are seriously considering buying, then you need to drive it exactly how you would normally to see if you will enjoy it on a day to day basis.

[zeta]

matt's got the general idea of a test drive that covers what most want out of a car (since we are on a car discussion forum) lol :D

but if it's from a private seller, i may not want to push it that hard if you're considering buying that exact one you're test driving. since it's the only car the private seller has, if you push it too hard, it may hurt the car and thus get the guy mad at you. just a thought. :)

[Lexus_Rex]

drive it like you stole it!

[Matthew_McNally]

matt's got the general idea of a test drive that covers what most want out of a car (since we are on a car discussion forum) lol :D

but if it's from a private seller, i may not want to push it that hard if you're considering buying that exact one you're test driving. since it's the only car the private seller has, if you push it too hard, it may hurt the car and thus get the guy mad at you. just a thought. :)

Good point zeta.

I have only ever bought brand new cars ( B) ) - so I am always driving the dealers demonstrator, which I will not be buying.

So therefore, I "enjoy" the car to it's fullest, safe in the knowledge that if I buy it, a shiny new one will be delivered on a trailer. :D

Clearly, if you are buying a used car, then you will want to treat it with more respect.

1 - you don't want to do any damage to a car you may be buying

2 - the owner may not be too impressed with you treating their car that way.

[Supra-chargedIS340]

drive it how you would drive it normally, try to take it on routes you know and test the esentials, brakes.......lightly and from speed.

always try to see the car started from cold.....smoke and rattles

and try to find a hill so you can labor the car, and listen for bottom end knocks and rattles

try to get the car on a ramp, so you can see underneath it, many people will clean the outside and in, but the underside will show how the cars been treated, is it covered in mud and oil, is there damage

[Import_Boy]

But from a dealership, do they normally let you take the car for a while to do all those things? By yourself? Maybe it's because i'm only 18, but all the time the sales people sit with me and tell me where to go. That's why i don't know what to do in those situations

[Matthew_McNally]

Can't really comment too much Import_Boy - as I am in the UK.

But over hear, I have never had any problem getting an unaccompanied test drive - in fact have never been out with a dealer in the car.

I suppose some of that might be age / type of car you drive related.

When I test drove the IS for the first time - Lexus gave me the car for nearly all day, unaccompanied - no problems at all.

[steviej]

Ask to take the car overnight and drive it as you would your own.

If the dealer is serious about selling the car and they feel you are serious about buying the car, then yes they will let you take a demo overnight (at least my dealer did). I explained that Iwanted to experience the car at night as well as in the daylight. Visibility and blind spots change with lighting. A car that rides and drives well in daylight may be a total terror at night.

You never know until you ask.

Steviej

[Nabeel]

I would do the same thing others have mentioned- drive the hell outta the car, but also drive it in the same manner you normally do. Driving a car hard will sometimes reveal things/problems which you may not notice during normal driving. And of course, normal driving will give you a feel of how the car will perform during ummmm.....normal condiions. :P

[AWJ]

drive it like you stole it!

I have to agree with this one. Hit it hard everywhere you can think of. If it holds up - buy it.

I go balls out everywhere. But know the limits, eh?

[SW03ES]

I agree with Stevie, take the car overnight or for a weekend.

The reason they wont allow you to drive it alone Import Boy is because you're under 21. Most dealerships state that a customer must be 18 in order to drive at all, and must be 21 before the insurance will cover them. If you were under 21 and wrecked, the dealership and the manufacturer would have no coverage on the car.

That said, dealers do sometimes make exceptions.

[zeta]

dang... that put 5 more years on the clock for me. but only 2 more to test drive accompanied...

[zee007]

I generally drive it like I would if I were to own it.... take it easy round town and put my foot down a little on the open roads. I also fiddle around lots with the gadgets..... always fun! :D

[zeta]

beautiful IS, Zee... :)

[zee007]

beautiful IS, Zee... :)

Thank you very much Zeta....... Glad you like it....! B)