Tell me: how do you genuinely test drive a car!!

[Peter...]

I took a Focus XR5 for a drive a few months back - told them I worked for the airforce. Not a bad car either, but dull compared to what I was expecting. Shedloads of torque though, for a hatchback.

[MickyD]

When I was ordering the Astra, the dealer asks "What color do you want?", I say "Black", he asks, "Cool, now what's your 2nd preference", I say "umm... Black". for fucks sake, I want what I want, I'm the one who can walk away here, so don't try and act like you're doing me a favor.

buying the mini was a much more pleasant experience.

[Peter...]

Might I suggest that someone who is looking at either a Titty or an Elise doesn't really know what they want? Fair bit of difference, depending on whether he likes buying shoes every weekend with the girls or wants to wear a flameproof suit and helmet for his sunday drives.

[jesus]

Chrysler were particularly bad

i got the feeling the guy had been selling the same old product (jeep wrangler) for the last 20 years and FINALY had something new in his showroom that people actually wanted to buy and thought he was top shit

[Q]

my question is, how on earth do you genuinely take it for a test ride to see how they handle and feel.... all dealers ask you is "when do you intend to make a decision" and if your answer is anything less then a few weeks, they tell you to bugger off... how the hell are you supposed to get a feel of the car if no-one is allowing you to touch it......

The answer is simple.
He doesn't need to test drive 6 months before he is buying it..... :knock:

When he has cash / loan approved, all he needs to do is walk in and say:
I am ready to buy this week.
I am deciding between A, B & C
I want to drive one.

Simple.....

[rj_astra]

It always amuses me the people who say they are going to buy a car in 7 months time and they'd like a test drive. They will probably change their minds 1/2 dozen times by then. When your friend has the money go test drive the cars. The eagerness to geta car will then be apparent to the salesman.

[jesus]

It always amuses me the people who say they are going to buy a car in 7 months time and they'd like a test drive. They will probably change their minds 1/2 dozen times by then. When your friend has the money go test drive the cars. The eagerness to geta car will then be apparent to the salesman.

when i used to have the rx7 i used to hang at the workshop a lot, the shop did paint, kits, and stereos. there was this kid, he was 15 and he used to ride in on his pushbike once a week and continue to spec up a 20k stereo and 10k paint, kit and rice mods for his lancer he was gunna get just as soon as he was 18. this kid used to come in every week, and continue to chop and change his imaginary car, right down to what color stereo lead he was going to use and where it was going to be put. We used to always laugh our ass's off but there was one sales guy who would take the time to talk to him every week. this when on for three years and we would sit out the back and laugh our ass's off every week. anyway on his 18th birthday he rocked up in a brand new lancer and 30k in $50 bills, no one laughed at him that day.

[phat-turbo]

i would have laughed... 25k lancer + 30k in paint/stereo.. fuck that i would of just taken the evo option and listened to the turbo spool instead of the sik subwoofa uleh

[|555|]

I have only ever been knocked back on one test drive (for a Gallardo - but I expected not to even come close)

I was at Porsche Melbourne the other day with my mate looking at the new Boxster S's and Caymans we were ignored for ages..some couple came in and they pounced on them, eventually someone came over to me and asked if I was OK..I pretty much yelled out - I WOULD BE GREAT IF SOMEONE WOULD ACTUALLY OFFER ME SOME DECENT SERVICE IN HERE!

The bloke apologied and within 5 mins we were on our way for a 2hr test drive (just me and my mate)...

You just have to be confident and tell them what they want to hear.

[carazy]

Call before you go down, don't just rock up.
Be confident and serious, ask a few questions and then drive it.

Every time I've test driven a car I've just said I will take it myself or I have just thrashed it with the dealer in the car.. what the hell are they going to do about it? Who pays the excess if it gets crashed?

I still havn't made up my mind what I will be buying (and I won't be buying for another 4 months minimum) but when I do go to buy I'll be taking a car home over night to really check the handling.

[Jay_G]

I managed to take a drive of an Evo 9 from A Gosford dealer, I went in a few weeks earlier and old mate said he didnt have a demonstator at the time so i rang back in a few weeks and booked a drive.
I drove down from Newy, was clean shaven and had my missus with me and i just dressed in nice casual gear and the dealer just chucked me the keys and said take it for a 30-60 min drive come back and let me know what you think and i think i was only 21 at the time.

That same week i also took a WRX, VX Monaro, Rx8 and Gti Golf for a drive, the funny thing is the holden dealer wanted to come in the car with us and it was the cheapest one we drove.

[smellytofu]

do: dress your usual clothes and be yourself, and when you get your test drive be respectful to the car, dont be an asshole and flog the fuck out of it, give it a small push if you must but advise the dealer sitting next to you before you do, if you drive it like a human being and not like a fuckwit usually the dealer will encourage you to get up it

Well spoken!

[sejanus]

akuma i think spending 70k you should have no prob, heck honda let my old man take a shitty 40 odd k accord for a whole weekend to decide

[muttaburra]

akuma i think spending 70k you should have no prob, heck honda let my old man take a shitty 40 odd k accord for a whole weekend to decide

the old lost puppy trick. did ur old man fall for it?


some real wankers out there in car yards. i went into toyota for a new ute, after they had been advertised in the paper. was a runout model. dealer told me there was none left and tried to sign me up for one at full price. no discount. went home got the missus to ring the next closest dealer (hrs drive sth) said he just been reading the paper and said he would ring back. rang back the next day said he had 3 he could get. told him i wanted a quick drive. said he had a customer who had one so organised a test drive for me. drove it for 10mins, told him to sign me up. didnt bother ringing the local dealer to tell them they were wankers. but they missed out on a $22k sale, and probably a $40k sale when the missus decides on a new car. was the nicest car salesman i had ever met.