Test driving before leasing from elsewhere?

[EGBM87]

I'm planning on getting a lease car shortly, but it's highly likely to come from some random area of the country no where near me.

I don't really understand the relationship between car dealers and the manufacturers in general but say if I'm going to lease a Volvo, or a VW or whatever from timbuktu, can I ask to test drive one from my local main dealer or would this be putting them out?

Thanks

[S9JTO]

It would be putting them out, but just do so regardless.

[kambites]

Given that you'll presumably end up getting it serviced there I'd say its fair enough.

[OGR4M]

When I was looking to buy my current car, I’d never driven an automatic, so in order to figure out if it was for me, I went to a dealer of the same make, asked to test drive, explained the situation, then thanked them and parted ways.

They were polite and only slightly pushed for a sale - dealers of all shapes and sizes must get it all the time. What’s the worst they’ll say?

ETA: as above, I’m about to get my car serviced there, and probably buy a service plan, so a test drive is actually going to make them a bit of money.

[Buster73]

Clearly it would be putting them out if you use them but to be fair that’s part of their job , I’d say get a road test but give them the opportunity to at least quote you or your company for the lease deal.

Why wouldn’t you ?

[PixelpeepS3]

go test drive the car, pretend you're thinking of buying, from them.. go through the motions.

if you like the car, get it from where is cheapest.

Salesmen hate people like you (us) so if you tell them before you test drive they will be completely disinterested in helping you.

there are only one brand of people worse than us leasers.. thats the company car buyers lol

[hostyle]

kambites said:

Given that you'll presumably end up getting it serviced there I'd say its fair enough.

I did exactly this. Went to my local dealer and test drove a couple of contenders. But I was always up front about it being a leased company car and that I had little to no say in where it would be purchased but that I would have it serviced at the visited dealer.
Not one dealer made an issue of it, some even gave me a lease quote so I could see if my company's preferred supplier could match it. One Peugeot dealer even arranged to have a car brought to their premises from another dealership in the group so I could drive it. I just couldn't get along with the 308GT and it's fake V8 noise over the speakers...

[Gad-Westy]

Definitely give them a chance to quote. You might as well be quite honest about what figures they're competing against. If they can get close, it might save you quite a bit of hassle to go direct to them.

[nickfrog]

Gad-Westy said:

Definitely give them a chance to quote. You might as well be quite honest about what figures they're competing against. If they can get close, it might save you quite a bit of hassle to go direct to them.

Exactly this - dealers have been slow to react against lease brokers but the landscape is slowly changing and some dealers will be quite competitive vs brokers.