11 Tips for taking a Test Drive

By Farzana Chaumoo

Test driving a car is one of the fundamental parts of the car-buying process. Here’s our advice on how to make the most of a test drive.

There’s one experience of shopping for a car that online cannot replace, and that is the test drive. The importance of test drives are often overlooked and most often skipped. Many times a vehicle looks great but doesn’t perform as expected, and then leaves a buyer feeling very disappointed about their purchase. That is why it is always suggested to test drive a new car before purchasing.

Here are some tips on what to do when taking a test drive:

Prepare

The average consumer visits over 20 websites, looking at pictures, reading reviews, watching videos and spending around 12 hours shopping for a car online before stepping foot in an actual dealership.

Once you’ve found a car you’re relatively interested in, contact the dealership and schedule an appointment for a test drive. A dealership interested in the sale will prepare accordingly for your arrival.

Know which vehicle you want to test drive

Know exactly which vehicle you want to test drive. If it’s a new vehicle, knowing what trim level you also want is significantly beneficial. You shouldn’t assume that all the trim levels drive the same. If after seeing different trim options that you are intrigued about, you should test drive those as well.

Get to know the vehicle

Before getting in to the chosen vehicle for a test drive, the sales person will do a walkaround presentation on the car. Listen carefully as he/she will mention all the features fitted on the car, there may be some that you want that are missing or something extra. Do not hesitate to ask any questions about it.

When you get into the car, adjust the seats and all the mirrors as you normally would, check where the headlight and windshield wiper controls are, check out the ease of use of the infotainment system and climate control functions, look at storage space around the car - like the glove compartment, center console, and door panels.

It’s best to fidget around with all of these functions before driving off, so when you’re on the road you can fully-focus on the vehicle itself.

Fit for the whole family?

When car shopping, and if alone, keep the rest of your family members in mind when checking out the car. Things to consider include how is the passenger seat for your spouse, how is the rear passenger space for your kids, will booster seats for smaller children fit safely?

It’s usually best to have the whole family with you when shopping as they all can experience the potential new car and give their insights.

Take a Friend

If your family members are unable to accompany you, or if you’re a single person, then take a friend with you when you go car shopping. Getting another’s opinion on the driving dynamics, noise levels, and ride quality is always helpful. They may also remember things you’ve previously mentioned about wanting/not wanting in a car that you may have forgotten about now that you’re in the dealership.

Turn off the Radio

When test driving the vehicle it’s better to turn off the radio and keep the cabin as quiet as possible. This way you can hear the engine and listen to the smoothness of the gearbox. You’ll also be able to hear wind noise better if the cabin is quiet.

If you’re happy with what you hear then you can turn up the radio and test the sound system. Better yet, test the sound system when the car is stagnant as to not take away the few mins you have with the car on the road.

Similarly, don’t forget to test the hooter/horn so you know what it sounds like too.

Duplicate Your Everyday Driving

Ensure you test drive a car in conditions similar to what you experience on a daily basis. Example if you spend an hour on the freeway driving to and fro from work everyday then you’d want to test drive the car on the freeway.

If you drive on dirt roads on a daily basis, ask the salesperson to direct you to somewhere where you can test the car similarly. This ensure you get a real feel for the car and see how it fits in your daily life.

All-round and Blind Spot Visibility

Visibility around the car from the driver’s seat is very important to note. Don’t rely on someone else’s opinion of it because everyone sits at different heights and with different seat and steering wheel adjustments. Check where the blind spots are on the car and ensure you are comfortable with the vision from the driver’s seat.

Check the Brakes

Test the brakes in the parking lot or on a quiet stretch of road. Accelerate to a legal speed and then hit the brakes. Make a mental note of how it reacts to your pressure, it shouldn’t be over sensitive or sticky. Even with moderate pressure, the braking should be smooth.

Parking and Turning Radius

When nearing the end of your test drive, try parallel parking to test out the turning radius of the steering wheel. Is it easy to maneuver?

Test Comparable Models The Same Day

If you are planning on test driving several vehicles before deciding on the final one, then it’s best to do all the test drives in one day, if it’s possible. The reason for this is you will be able to easily differentiate between the vehicles and make an informed decision on which car best suits you.