Test drive etiquette
Discussion
Chris1255 said:
I'd actually be pretty happy with the idea of hire before you buy because you'd get a decent length of time to decide if you like the car.
I wonder if high end customers have less to lose if they don't like the car. A new Range Rover could be a drop in the ocean to a millionaire. For someone else a £1000 shed could wipe out their savings so is actually a much bigger decision for them.
Well let me tell you, I recently bought a new Range Rover Vogue and as I find it difficult to get comfy in cars there is not a hope in hell I would have bought the car from them if they hadn't let me try it first. And if I am dropping a big chunk of cash you can forget about insulting me with advising me to get a hire car to try out. No thank you, I expect to be treated right. And they did, they brought the car to my house to help fit my schedule and guess what... I made the purchase. The last generation Vogue did actually make my back uncomfortable and so I bought the Sport. However, I tried out 3 or 4 different cars from the 1 dealer (LR main dealer) until I found the right combo of model variant and engine for me.I wonder if high end customers have less to lose if they don't like the car. A new Range Rover could be a drop in the ocean to a millionaire. For someone else a £1000 shed could wipe out their savings so is actually a much bigger decision for them.
When it came to the new car I wanted the Vogue and luckily it worked for me first time. But I can assure you I would not have gone around HIRING 3 or 4 different Range Rover models trying to find the right one. What a joke.
I don't know what million pound cars this guy is selling, but if he told me to go and hire one I would certainly take my bag of gold to another place. Being treated right is important, and if I am purchasing a car I expect to be offered a test drive on a platter as the salesman is eager for me to give it a go and make sure I buy the car I like, because guess what... his job is to sell the product and driving the car is actually a big part of the purchase decision.
I really don't think this guy is for real. If you want a longer test drive ask the dealership to accommodate, you don't need to go and hire one.
Edited by sealtt on Thursday 21st May 21:58
sealtt said:
Well let me tell you, I recently bought a new Range Rover Vogue and as I find it difficult to get comfy in cars there is not a hope in hell I would have bought the car from them if they hadn't let me try it first. And if I am dropping that sort of cash you can forget about insulting me with arranging a hire car for me to try out. No thank you, I expect the test drive equivalent of the red carpet. And they did, they brought the car to my house & treated me right and guess what... I made the purchase. The last generation Vogue did actually make my back uncomfortable and so I bought the Sport. However, I tried out 3 or 4 different cars from the 1 dealer (LR main dealer) until I found the right combo of model variant and engine for me.
When it came to the new car I wanted the Vogue and luckily it worked for me first time. But I can assure you I would not have gone around HIRING 3 or 4 different Range Rover models trying to find the right one. What a joke.
I don't know what million pound cars this guy is selling, but if he told me to go and hire one I would certainly take my bag of gold to another place. Being treated right is important, and if I am purchasing a car I expect to be offered a test drive on a platter as the salesman is eager for me to give it a go and make sure I buy the car I like, because guess what... his job is to sell the product and driving the car is actually a big part of the purchase decision.
I really don't think this guy is for real.
First of all I think you're full of sWhen it came to the new car I wanted the Vogue and luckily it worked for me first time. But I can assure you I would not have gone around HIRING 3 or 4 different Range Rover models trying to find the right one. What a joke.
I don't know what million pound cars this guy is selling, but if he told me to go and hire one I would certainly take my bag of gold to another place. Being treated right is important, and if I am purchasing a car I expect to be offered a test drive on a platter as the salesman is eager for me to give it a go and make sure I buy the car I like, because guess what... his job is to sell the product and driving the car is actually a big part of the purchase decision.
I really don't think this guy is for real.
t... secondly you're confusing Mark with mesealtt said:
Well let me tell you, I recently bought a new Range Rover Vogue and as I find it difficult to get comfy in cars there is not a hope in hell I would have bought the car from them if they hadn't let me try it first. And if I am dropping that sort of cash you can forget about insulting me with arranging a hire car for me to try out. No thank you, I expect the test drive equivalent of the red carpet. And they did, they brought the car to my house & treated me right and guess what... I made the purchase. The last generation Vogue did actually make my back uncomfortable and so I bought the Sport. However, I tried out 3 or 4 different cars from the 1 dealer (LR main dealer) until I found the right combo of model variant and engine for me.
When it came to the new car I wanted the Vogue and luckily it worked for me first time. But I can assure you I would not have gone around HIRING 3 or 4 different Range Rover models trying to find the right one. What a joke.
I don't know what million pound cars this guy is selling, but if he told me to go and hire one I would certainly take my bag of gold to another place. Being treated right is important, and if I am purchasing a car I expect to be offered a test drive on a platter as the salesman is eager for me to give it a go and make sure I buy the car I like, because guess what... his job is to sell the product and driving the car is actually a big part of the purchase decision.
I really don't think this guy is for real. If you want a longer test drive ask the dealership to accommodate, you don't need to go and hire one.
Suppose you had no intention of buying the RR though and were choosing between an X5 & a Cayenne, do you think it would still be ok to go and test the RR, because that's the subject of the OP here?When it came to the new car I wanted the Vogue and luckily it worked for me first time. But I can assure you I would not have gone around HIRING 3 or 4 different Range Rover models trying to find the right one. What a joke.
I don't know what million pound cars this guy is selling, but if he told me to go and hire one I would certainly take my bag of gold to another place. Being treated right is important, and if I am purchasing a car I expect to be offered a test drive on a platter as the salesman is eager for me to give it a go and make sure I buy the car I like, because guess what... his job is to sell the product and driving the car is actually a big part of the purchase decision.
I really don't think this guy is for real. If you want a longer test drive ask the dealership to accommodate, you don't need to go and hire one.
twing said:
First of all I think you're full of st... secondly you're confusing Mark with me
Not sure why you think that, if you are able to pick one car, one model variant and one engine spec and be sure that's the one for you - pending your day long test drive - then that's great. But I like to try a few variants to make sure I get what suits me best and I really do not have the patience to go hire a fleet of vehicles to see what I want.t... secondly you're confusing Mark with meI have no idea who this 'Mark' you are talking about is, but I am certainly not confusing anyone with him, or you. I don't know anyone on here so confusing one person for another would be difficult. I'm making general points.
Centurion07 said:
Suppose you had no intention of buying the RR though and were choosing between an X5 & a Cayenne, do you think it would still be ok to go and test the RR, because that's the subject of the OP here?
To me I would say that is fine, I'm sure Land Rover would rather you at least have a look at the car, give it a chance to prove itself and win you over, than not look at all.The dealer can just throw the keys to the demo car at you and leave you with it if he doesn't want to give you his time.
I think it's a bit different if at an indie dealer where the stock obviously costs the guy directly and he doesn't have the luxury of demo vehicles to rely on.
sealtt said:
To me I would say that is fine, I'm sure Land Rover would rather you at least have a look at the car, give it a chance to prove itself and win you over, than not look at all.
The dealer can just throw the keys to the demo car at you and leave you with it if he doesn't want to give you his time.
I think it's a bit different if at an indie dealer where the stock obviously costs the guy directly and he doesn't have the luxury of demo vehicles to rely on.
Well, surely you cannot expect that level of service from a used car dealer or for cars a fraction of the cost of your RR? In your case, with your back problems I can understand the benefit of trying our a few cars before you buy and it is fair. The dealer can just throw the keys to the demo car at you and leave you with it if he doesn't want to give you his time.
I think it's a bit different if at an indie dealer where the stock obviously costs the guy directly and he doesn't have the luxury of demo vehicles to rely on.
On the other hand...,it's only a car, nothing particularly exotic or unique. Sure try away before you spend but the question here is regarding time wasters... Like you said you have no time to go around and hire cars, etc and I agree that is a poor suggestion but do you advocate just trying the cars for the sake of driving them?
Maybe I am different, I actually don't like being treated like a VIP, much more straightforward kind of guy. Certainly don't need the treatment... It's all fake and it is actually worse. Have a few friends that like all that crap tho...
sealtt said:
Well let me tell you, I recently bought a new Range Rover Vogue and as I find it difficult to get comfy in cars there is not a hope in hell I would have bought the car from them if they hadn't let me try it first. And if I am dropping a big chunk of cash you can forget about insulting me with advising me to get a hire car to try out. No thank you, I expect to be treated right. And they did, they brought the car to my house to help fit my schedule and guess what... I made the purchase. The last generation Vogue did actually make my back uncomfortable and so I bought the Sport. However, I tried out 3 or 4 different cars from the 1 dealer (LR main dealer) until I found the right combo of model variant and engine for me.
When it came to the new car I wanted the Vogue and luckily it worked for me first time. But I can assure you I would not have gone around HIRING 3 or 4 different Range Rover models trying to find the right one. What a joke.
Which thereby proves the point.When it came to the new car I wanted the Vogue and luckily it worked for me first time. But I can assure you I would not have gone around HIRING 3 or 4 different Range Rover models trying to find the right one. What a joke.
Edited by sealtt on Thursday 21st May 21:58
If you're a serious buyer the dealer will go that extra mile and help you out.
If you're a timewaster they won't.
Not sure why you had to come across as a complete knob in your post though.
CrgT16 said:
Well, surely you cannot expect that level of service from a used car dealer or for cars a fraction of the cost of your RR? In your case, with your back problems I can understand the benefit of trying our a few cars before you buy and it is fair.
On the other hand...,it's only a car, nothing particularly exotic or unique. Sure try away before you spend but the question here is regarding time wasters... Like you said you have no time to go around and hire cars, etc and I agree that is a poor suggestion but do you advocate just trying the cars for the sake of driving them?
Maybe I am different, I actually don't like being treated like a VIP, much more straightforward kind of guy. Certainly don't need the treatment... It's all fake and it is actually worse. Have a few friends that like all that crap tho...
Yeah for sure, that's a point I wanted to make. I would actually be really unlikely to try a car at an indie dealer if I didn't think that if I liked the car I'd probably buy it. Main dealers are built up around being able to offer test drives, even to people who don't buy, so I think that's fine to go to them for.On the other hand...,it's only a car, nothing particularly exotic or unique. Sure try away before you spend but the question here is regarding time wasters... Like you said you have no time to go around and hire cars, etc and I agree that is a poor suggestion but do you advocate just trying the cars for the sake of driving them?
Maybe I am different, I actually don't like being treated like a VIP, much more straightforward kind of guy. Certainly don't need the treatment... It's all fake and it is actually worse. Have a few friends that like all that crap tho...
Yes, I didn't mean to say treated like a VIP, just helping me out with what I need. So getting me a few different cars to test drive to find the one that's right for me, working around my schedule and bringing one over (as I often work 12+ hour days so hard for me to get out the office for very long for test drives), and so on. Just the personal touch which helps me out to be a customer and help me to buy from them! I would hope that even if it was a new VW UP! I was buying the dealer would still do his best to help me out so I can get what I need to proceed. But as I say, that's main dealer. I'd never expect that from indie as it's a very different business.
Roo said:
Which thereby proves the point.
If you're a serious buyer the dealer will go that extra mile and help you out.
If you're a timewaster they won't.
Not sure why you had to come across as a complete knob in your post though.
I have been to dealerships as just a 'window shopper' and ended up being converted by a good car & a 'special deal'. Does happen or maybe I'm just a sucker.If you're a serious buyer the dealer will go that extra mile and help you out.
If you're a timewaster they won't.
Not sure why you had to come across as a complete knob in your post though.
Ha, cut me some slack! It's too easy to come across as a knob online when multi-tasking, I'm not too good at the more british way of talking anyway. (damn american influence)
sealtt said:
Ha, cut me some slack! It's too easy to come across as a knob online when multi-tasking, I'm not too good at the more british way of talking anyway. (damn american influence)
I live in America and I rarely encounter the level of knobishness displayed by you. I'd suggest it's a you thing rather than a cultural thing.Mark on the other hand is a first class chap and a gentleman.
sealtt said:
I don't know what million pound cars this guy is selling, but if he told me to go and hire one I would certainly take my bag of gold to another place. Being treated right is important, and if I am purchasing a car I expect to be offered a test drive on a platter as the salesman is eager for me to give it a go and make sure I buy the car I like, because guess what... his job is to sell the product and driving the car is actually a big part of the purchase decision.
I really don't think this guy is for real. If you want a longer test drive ask the dealership to accommodate, you don't need to go and hire one.
I do actually agree that no test drive=no sale however at the bottom end of the market taking it away for a day isn't going to be realistic most of the time.I really don't think this guy is for real. If you want a longer test drive ask the dealership to accommodate, you don't need to go and hire one.
Having been shed shopping recently for my own car and a friend I've found most traders pretty accommodating with test drives in a throw the keys at you kind of way. That's my favourite kind of test because you can throw it about a bit then stop to have a good poke and test everything in your own time. Either proves nothing is broken or gives you ammunition to negotiate.
Well at the bottom end i guess it's kind of a test to make sure it works. But for a slightly emotional purchase, i.e. paying more than you 'need to' for a car... it's got to make you feel good too right? And the only way you can tell that is by driving it yourself, and that can involve a few different cars trying to find the right one.
unrepentant said:
I live in America and I rarely encounter the level of knobishness displayed by you. I'd suggest it's a you thing rather than a cultural thing.
Mark on the other hand is a first class chap and a gentleman.
I really hope you don't live in LA, that would not bode well for me....!Mark on the other hand is a first class chap and a gentleman.
sealtt said:
Not sure why you think that, if you are able to pick one car, one model variant and one engine spec and be sure that's the one for you - pending your day long test drive - then that's great. But I like to try a few variants to make sure I get what suits me best and I really do not have the patience to go hire a fleet of vehicles to see what I want.
I have no idea who this 'Mark' you are talking about is, but I am certainly not confusing anyone with him, or you. I don't know anyone on here so confusing one person for another would be difficult. I'm making general points.
Mark is the chap that YOU remarked on with the 5 million pound cars in your previous nobbish postI have no idea who this 'Mark' you are talking about is, but I am certainly not confusing anyone with him, or you. I don't know anyone on here so confusing one person for another would be difficult. I'm making general points.
Never had a problem with test drives, always seem to find I'm fending them off rather than asking for them. Engage with the sales bod, talk honestly about the decision making process I'm going through and how their car fits into that. Normally they're falling over themselves to get you in a car, show some controlled buying signals and they make the offer. Never lie, just be smart.
twing said:
sealtt said:
Not sure why you think that, if you are able to pick one car, one model variant and one engine spec and be sure that's the one for you - pending your day long test drive - then that's great. But I like to try a few variants to make sure I get what suits me best and I really do not have the patience to go hire a fleet of vehicles to see what I want.
I have no idea who this 'Mark' you are talking about is, but I am certainly not confusing anyone with him, or you. I don't know anyone on here so confusing one person for another would be difficult. I'm making general points.
Mark is the chap that YOU remarked on with the 5 million pound cars in your previous nobbish postI have no idea who this 'Mark' you are talking about is, but I am certainly not confusing anyone with him, or you. I don't know anyone on here so confusing one person for another would be difficult. I'm making general points.
For new cars if the dealer would hire me one instead of a test drive I think that's not a bad idea at all. If I had to hire it myself then that would be no good at all and I'd look elsewhere.
Of course IMHO buying new cars is a mugs game. When looking at used cars the test drive is more to see if the particular example under consideration is in good condition and fault-free than whether you like the model. I would never buy a used car without having driven it, another of the same model would not do.
Of course IMHO buying new cars is a mugs game. When looking at used cars the test drive is more to see if the particular example under consideration is in good condition and fault-free than whether you like the model. I would never buy a used car without having driven it, another of the same model would not do.
TurboHatchback said:
Of course IMHO buying new cars is a mugs game.
A car is like a woman. You don't share and you don't want anyone's sloppy seconds. (Classics excepted). Your Audi was probably abused by Ronnie Rep before you got it.
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