Test Driving a Car What to Look For
May 24th, 2010 by adminTest Driving a Car: What to Look For
Test driving a car is a sign you are close to making a commitment to buy the vehicle, so dealers will be encouraged by you requesting one. Nevertheless, you should not allow yourself to be distracted by the car or the sales representative because this is your opportunity to find out how the car performs for real and make a decision on whether this will be the vehicle you will enjoy using and which will serve the important everyday purpose of transporting you and your family.
The first step is to schedule the test drive and it is recommended that you do this by telephone or email instead of personally attending the dealership. The reason for this is it will provide you with some idea of the sales style of the dealership – a pushy dealer will try to have you do the test drive there and then, a more professional approach will be to discuss when it will be convenient and best for you.
Try to perform the test drive with the exact same car you are interested in (if is a new car you are buying). Contact the dealer to see if they have a vehicle in the same color and interior as the car you are interested in, so you can get the feel of what the car you will buy is going to feel like. It is probably best to do this by emailing the dealerships until you get the best fit for the car you are going to buy.
One hint here is to try to deal with internet manager instead of the car sales representative. The sales representative will typically start out by offering a price on the car which is high but given in anticipation of being reduced in the negotiations. The internet management will usually give you the lowest price available there and then.
The test drive itself should be conducted in as close to the normal conditions of your daily driving life as it is possible to get. If you spend a lot of time in commuter traffic, that is where you should spend the test drive so you see how the car handles and reacts; if you are on the highways a lot, drive on the highways; in the town, test drive in the town and so on.
Get in and out of the car a number of times so you see how it feels and whether there is anything uncomfortable such as catching your knee on the dash or straining yourself with a low seat. Drive the car over bumps and varying gradients, and make sure you see how the car reacts to acceleration and braking, but be careful that this is conducted in a safe place.
After the test drive there will come a moment of reflection where a car sales representative will try to get you to buy the car there and then. As soon as the test drive is over, leave the lot at once – don’t hang around to engage in chatter. This will ensure you are left with time to consider what you felt and how you feel about the car. If you are considering several cars, arrange the test drives on the same day so you can uncover differences between them which otherwise would not show if you space the time between them out.
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