Getting test drives at dealers

[ChipsAndCheese]

hoppo4.2 said:

ive been in this situation a few times. its esp bad if your looking for a prestige brand and your a younger buyer.

Depends on the brand. Being 27 at the time, I was expecting to be laughed out of the showroom when I went to Porsche and told them I was currently driving a 52 plate Vauxhall Astra 1.6 and that I would be looking to p/x that, but found that they were more than accommodating. They asked if I'd driven a Cayman S yet, I said I had but only on a short test drive with an indie, and they just said "Well we have to get you in one asap then" and arranged for me to drive one the next day.

That is a top drawer sales team IMO. - never under estimate a potential customer.

[y2blade]

topboss said:

A lot of dealers will request the deal is concluded subject to test drive before allowing a test drive to take place.

did you make that up?

I think so

[plg]

y2blade said:

topboss said:

A lot of dealers will request the deal is concluded subject to test drive before allowing a test drive to take place.

did you make that up?

I think so

I think he is right - a lot of unhelpful, unfriendly dealers will request that the deal is done.

And a lot of dealers lose customers and get told that they aren't getting that....

[y2blade]

doogz said:

y2blade said:

topboss said:

A lot of dealers will request the deal is concluded subject to test drive before allowing a test drive to take place.

did you make that up?

I think so

No i have heard this before, "We'll only let you drive it if you agree to buy it."

oh ok, fair enough

sorry topboss, I stand corrected

[CampDavid]

ChipsAndCheese said:

hoppo4.2 said:

ive been in this situation a few times. its esp bad if your looking for a prestige brand and your a younger buyer.

Depends on the brand. Being 27 at the time, I was expecting to be laughed out of the showroom when I went to Porsche and told them I was currently driving a 52 plate Vauxhall Astra 1.6 and that I would be looking to p/x that, but found that they were more than accommodating. They asked if I'd driven a Cayman S yet, I said I had but only on a short test drive with an indie, and they just said "Well we have to get you in one asap then" and arranged for me to drive one the next day.

That is a top drawer sales team IMO. - never under estimate a potential customer.

I had a similar experience with Lotus Silverstone.

Rocked up in a 1994 Metro in the snow of last winter with my girlfriend to check on the viability of an Elise as our only car. They were more than happy to chuck the keys to an Elise SC at us to see what the car was like (they didn't have an NA one available but on ice and snow you'd never use the power anyway, apparently)

Fun though it would have been we said no to a drive as you can't learn a fat lot from a road test in silly conditions and Helen didn't want a go anyway.

[BluePurpleRed]

doogz said:

y2blade said:

topboss said:

A lot of dealers will request the deal is concluded subject to test drive before allowing a test drive to take place.

did you make that up?

I think so

No i have heard this before, "We'll only let you drive it if you agree to buy it."

How would that ever work?

There are so many places to buy cars from that I would just laugh, shrug and walk out. That's the very point of the dealership right? Letting people at the cars? Even if it doesn't end in a sale sometimes I can't see why a brand would pay ££££ for Rally, F1, Sunday Times, Car magazine adv. spreads to promote themselves and garner positive sentiment and then blow their own foot off like that? Stupid.

I guess it is just the dealer franchise but people will come back to a brand that treats them well. My Mum had a Vauxhall calibra but the dealer was awful so she went Mazda 323 and now MX5 and is looking to stick with Mazda for the next. Unlucky Vauxhall.

I will admit I am not in the market for a new car, but if an indie can take me out for a deal on a 2nd hand car the dealer sure as well can!

[epom]

thats like marrying a girl and..........

[daemon]

jamoor said:

Apply on their websites for tests. Then the manufacturer knows about it and they know the maker knows.

The o/p is talking about used cars. Can't see the manufacturer caring too much

[DanL]

Soovy said:

Call an make an appointment.

As has been said, this. I've never had a problem getting a test drive of any car I've been serious about buying - call mid-week telling them that you're interested in car X they have for sale, ask questions about it's history, spec, number of owners, etc. and if you like what you hear arrange to arrive and test drive it on such and such a day at a given time.

This ensures they're expecting you, and that the car's out and available to drive rather than stranded at the back of the lot.

Dealers get a lot of people dropping in of a weekend whilst bored, and looking to kill some time by test driving a car they've no intention of buying. Calling ahead avoids you looking like one of these people, and will get you all of the test drives you require.

[Lucas North]

Turning up in a car with a similar value and greater performance than the cars I was looking at:

VW woman told me they had no demonstrators, even though there was one sat outside, put a brochure in my hand and told me she'd ring me when one came in. Never did get called back.

Same story with Audi.

Same story with one Ford dealer, the other I walked in and was completely ignored.

Honda gave me an unaccompanied test drive, told me to go enjoy myself. But were calling me after 25mins wondering where I was as the temp insurance only lasts half an hour. Why didn't you tell me that?

BMW couldn't have been better. Nice long accompanied drive, encouraged to push it.

These things all have a lasting impression.

[Jimbo_vx]

i'm very suprised at this thread.

It used to be the case that keys just got thrown at you, nowadays some test drives are accompanied most aren't though. No issue with it anyway.

i should know - around 500 test drives in 11 years of motoring. Mostly concentrated between 1999 and 2004

[markmullen]

Jimbo_vx said:

i'm very suprised at this thread.

It used to be the case that keys just got thrown at you, nowadays some test drives are accompanied most aren't though. No issue with it anyway.

i should know - around 500 test drives in 11 years of motoring. Mostly concentrated between 1999 and 2004

Did you buy a commensurate number of cars from those 500 test drives?

[TXWRX]

haven't had a problem and i was shopping for the scoob when i was 22, those that have repeated issues the common factor between all the dealers you've visited is you, so be honest with the way you are handling it, what are you doing wrong?

[anonymous-user]

I've always been offered a test drive if I wanted one at a dealer, although these were on average used cars.

The only time I've not been offered a test drive was with my most recent car when I bought privatly (he was most likely worried about my age, which is fair enough) so he drove instead.

My dad seems to get test cars thrown at him whenever he goes to landrover, even when he is only in there for a service. But then they've got him to upgrade doing this before so they probably know he is an easy target!

[Jimbo_vx]

markmullen said:

Jimbo_vx said:

i'm very suprised at this thread.

It used to be the case that keys just got thrown at you, nowadays some test drives are accompanied most aren't though. No issue with it anyway.

i should know - around 500 test drives in 11 years of motoring. Mostly concentrated between 1999 and 2004

Did you buy a commensurate number of cars from those 500 test drives?

Well truthfully, no. So yes, likely i wasted one of two (or a few more) people's time.

I bought a few though.

Edited by Jimbo_vx on Thursday 6th January 14:24

[markmullen]

Jimbo_vx said:

markmullen said:

Jimbo_vx said:

i'm very suprised at this thread.

It used to be the case that keys just got thrown at you, nowadays some test drives are accompanied most aren't though. No issue with it anyway.

i should know - around 500 test drives in 11 years of motoring. Mostly concentrated between 1999 and 2004

Did you buy a commensurate number of cars from those 500 test drives?

Well truthfully, no. So yes, likely i wasted one of two (or a few more) people's time.

I bought a few though.

To the OP, Jimbo vx here is the man you want to be blaming for the lack of test drives.

[Jimbo_vx]

Probably very fair.

[plg]

Jimbo_vx said:

i'm very suprised at this thread.

It used to be the case that keys just got thrown at you, nowadays some test drives are accompanied most aren't though. No issue with it anyway.

i should know - around 500 test drives in 11 years of motoring. Mostly concentrated between 1999 and 2004

500???

Thats almost one a week for those 11 years. Or 2 per week for the 5 year period you highlight.

Whilst I think anyone should be able to get a test drive, I sadly think that you define "tyre kicker"...

What DIDN'T you test??

[Platinum]

DanL said:

Soovy said:

Call an make an appointment.

As has been said, this. I've never had a problem getting a test drive of any car I've been serious about buying - call mid-week telling them that you're interested in car X they have for sale, ask questions about it's history, spec, number of owners, etc. and if you like what you hear arrange to arrive and test drive it on such and such a day at a given time.

This ensures they're expecting you, and that the car's out and available to drive rather than stranded at the back of the lot.

Dealers get a lot of people dropping in of a weekend whilst bored, and looking to kill some time by test driving a car they've no intention of buying. Calling ahead avoids you looking like one of these people, and will get you all of the test drives you require.

Perhaps slightly different to making an actual appointment, but calling ahead is not guarenteed to work. I spoke to one dealer before making the journey to see a car, only to be told "we don't do test drives" (or something similar.) But we could go next week and have a passenger ride...

[Soovy]

Platinum said:

DanL said:

Soovy said:

Call an make an appointment.

As has been said, this. I've never had a problem getting a test drive of any car I've been serious about buying - call mid-week telling them that you're interested in car X they have for sale, ask questions about it's history, spec, number of owners, etc. and if you like what you hear arrange to arrive and test drive it on such and such a day at a given time.

This ensures they're expecting you, and that the car's out and available to drive rather than stranded at the back of the lot.

Dealers get a lot of people dropping in of a weekend whilst bored, and looking to kill some time by test driving a car they've no intention of buying. Calling ahead avoids you looking like one of these people, and will get you all of the test drives you require.

Perhaps slightly different to making an actual appointment, but calling ahead is not guarenteed to work. I spoke to one dealer before making the journey to see a car, only to be told "we don't do test drives" (or something similar.) But we could go next week and have a passenger ride...

I hope you told them not to bother.