How long should you test drive a car?

Test driving a car is one of the most important things you need to do when buying a car. Signing the deal without test driving is a brave move that verges on silly. You will get the most information about the car from that test drive, especially if you're buying used, and the length of time that you spend behind the wheel is critical in getting an understanding of the car.

Related: 11 Tips for taking a Test Drive

Call me strange or unconventional, but I believe that cars have characters, personalities if you like, that can only present themselves once you're spent a bit of time with them. As much as two cars could be made on the same production line at the same factory, there are small nuances that creep through. Taking a car for a proper test drive will help you identify these nuances, so even if you're familiar with that make and model, a test drive can only hurt in one instance; when a test drive of your dream car disappoints you. Trust me, you'd rather watch your dog run away.

But how much is enough? Will a spin around the block tell you what you need to know or does it require a long weekend? Let's see how it differs between new and used cars and what you should be looking for.

 

New cars

One would think that a new car does what it says on the box, right? You'll be surprised. While test driving a new car isn't so much about finding faults and checking that everything works, it can tell you things that are just as important as its reliability.

When driving a new car, you want to check that the ergonomics are right for you, that the controls are in a place that feels logical to you or at least in a place that you can get accustomed to (Renault, we're looking at you and your cruise controls and audio controls). We don't recommend tinkering with the infotainment system and other features that may distract you from the actual drive. Spend your time wisely and pay attention to things like brake pedal feel, steering weight, primary and secondary ride*, as well as things like NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) levels to see if they are acceptable.

 

If the model is unfamiliar to you, you will want to feel what it feels like in traffic to get a feel for the gearbox and brakes. You will also want to take it on the open road where you can get up to speed and try overtaking, to assess what sort of power reserves the vehicle offers.

In order to do this, you will want to spend at least 20-minutes behind the wheel. Some dealerships are closer to highways than others so you'll be able to get to the high-speed stuff quicker. Let the salesperson know your intentions and inform them of what you would like to do and why you want to do it. Many dealerships will say that they have insurance limitations on the distance you may drive, but covering 10-15km on a test drive should still be within their boundaries.

 

*Primary ride is high amplitude, low-frequency events such as a speed bump or road joint. Ordinarily, you are able to visibly see an undulation that would affect the primary ride. The suspension is the largest contributor to primary ride quality.

Secondary ride is the low amplitude, high-frequency events that are not typically visible to the driver. These are things like road surfaces, small cracks that send small vibrations through the suspension and be felt by the occupants of the vehicle. While the suspension is critical here, poor secondary ride is most often as a result of wheel and tyre combinations with low-profile tyres and large wheels transmitting the majority of secondary ride events.

 

Used cars 

The test drive of a used car is far more important than that of a new car because a service history can only tell you so much. The more time you spend behind the wheel of a used car, the more it will start to reveal. The older the car, the more there is to reveal. Idiosyncracies creep in over time and these can sometimes be rather well hidden, only presenting themselves under the right circumstances.

While it's nearly impossible to test drive a car in all conditions, dry, wet, hot, cold, in traffic, on the open road, during the day, and at night (amongst others), a substantial test drive will still be able to tell you a lot about the vehicle. You will want a mix of both traffic and the open road and with a used car you will be wanting to drive it long enough for it to be able to get up to temperature and have an opportunity to present an overheating issue (if there happens to be one hiding in the shadows).

 

Be wary of salespersons that will only allow you to drive the vehicle around the block. They could be trying to hide something. If they're avoiding highways or specific traffic conditions you need to ask yourself why.

Once again, be upfront and clear with your intentions before heading out onto the road, explaining that you are wanting to be 100% certain of the vehicle you intend to buy. 

If you are in the early stages of shopping and are just looking to get the feel of a particular make/model, then a short test drive will quickly tell you if the car agrees with you or not. Once you've narrowed it down to your final three, that's when you need to take the long test drive.

Your used car test drive should be anywhere from 20-30-minutes but if you managed to get a slightly longer one, that is even better.