No Test Drive?

[pj8708]

I don't know about you, but until recently, I would have said that no one, regardles of the price or make, would buy a car without a test drive. Well, last week a good friend of mine said he and his wife had been looking for a Toyota High Lander. They had found one they liked and were going to closed the deal in a few days.

I asked him how it handeled on the highway........well, we haven't really driven it yet. he said.

This article is written for these customers. Pass it on to those teens looking for their first car.

Paul

http://autos.aol.com/article/one-in-six-car-shoppers-skip-the-test-drive-when-buying-a-car/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl16%7Csec3_lnk4%26pLid%3D472270

[13IS250C]

Guilty as charged. As I have mentioned before, my car was buried deep on the showroom floor, so I just test drove a non F-sport IS-C. I knew that the F-Sport would have a stiffer ride, which I would want, but I still should have driven my car before I signed on the line. Kinda stupid on my part since I had never driven a Lexus before. I have no regrets though.

My favorite kind of test drive is like when I bought my 370Z. The salesman just let my daughter and I take off in it. I drove to the house and told my hubby to follow me to the Nissan dealership. Teeheehee.....what a great guy.

[LEX-SV]

I always test drive before with a few rare exceptions involving 4 different cars.

Guilty in these cases:

1. 1998 Porsche Boxster (purchased slightly used from a reputable dealership, still under factory warranty, 1st time driving a Boxster was drive home after buying it)

2. 2004 Porsche Boxster S (purchased new, traded-in the 98 Porsche Boxster, 1st drive in this car was driving it home after buying)

No surprises, these 2 Porsches drove exactly as I expected.

3. 2002 Toyota Highlander Ltd. - test drove another one a couple weeks before I bought this new one.

4. 2013 Mazda CX-5 GT - test drove another Touring version a week before I bought this new one.

[13IS250C]

You are like me Lex, you buy with your heart....not brain. I don't have too many regrets. I guess my Z-car was a bad move. I only kept it a year and a half. I hate to say I was too old for it, but it rode so hard and had so much road noise that you couldn't hear the stereo, even after I installed some sound deadening material. I also do too much stop and go driving for a manual transmission. I love shifting and the feel of a clutch engaging, but not 5 times from 20 traffic lights. Not fun.

[LEX-SV]

To some degree, yes.

But I do the research and read multiple road tests and reviews and reach my own conclusions prior to any auto purchase. A vast majority of cars that I've purchased involved actual test drives, but I did point out a few exceptions above. And after the fact, I found the 4 vehicles noted performed exactly as I expected.