Test drives in 'performance cars'
Discussion
As per my last thread, I'm currently looking for a gt86 replacement. Something more refined, but still fun.
I've started encountering dealers refusing test drives in 'Performace' cars it seems patchy
Jaguar let me drive the XE, Alfa the Guilia, BMW a 440i, Kia a stinger (with a 5k excess!!)
One Hyundai dealer has said no to an i30n the next closest let me take one out without question.
Renault have just said no to taking out any of the RS models. This is from an RS dealer owned by Renault itself!
How on earth are you supposed to work out what a car will be like to live with if you can't drive the damn things! We may well be in this situation for a while are some dealers just not planning on selling their performance models?
I'm 37 and don't look like I'm there to just kick the tyres!
I've started encountering dealers refusing test drives in 'Performace' cars it seems patchy
Jaguar let me drive the XE, Alfa the Guilia, BMW a 440i, Kia a stinger (with a 5k excess!!)
One Hyundai dealer has said no to an i30n the next closest let me take one out without question.
Renault have just said no to taking out any of the RS models. This is from an RS dealer owned by Renault itself!
How on earth are you supposed to work out what a car will be like to live with if you can't drive the damn things! We may well be in this situation for a while are some dealers just not planning on selling their performance models?
I'm 37 and don't look like I'm there to just kick the tyres!
Butter Face said:
Strange. We’re letting people take unaccompanied test drives in anything.
I did let a good customer of mine, who's family have had 4 cars from me over recent rears, take out the Megane Trophy by himself recently, he ordered a 280, I had to then subsequently refund his deposit a week later after finding out, they cannot be ordered.HTP99 said:
Butter Face said:
Strange. We’re letting people take unaccompanied test drives in anything.
I did let a good customer of mine, who's family have had 4 cars from me over recent rears, take out the Megane Trophy by himself recently, he ordered a 280, I had to then subsequently refund his deposit a week later after finding out, they cannot be ordered.We’ve got 3 ex demo trophy’s, he can buy one of those?!
It's a shame neither of you are my local dealers!
As I understand it the sport and cup chassis are unchanged. But cup pack will no longer be an option.
So it will be sport or trophy(cup) both with the same engine. I suspect for me the sweet spot would be sport with a LSD which I don't think will be an option. The main improvement from reading will hopefully be the infotainment screen.
If the car felt right I'd wait to order.
As I understand it the sport and cup chassis are unchanged. But cup pack will no longer be an option.
So it will be sport or trophy(cup) both with the same engine. I suspect for me the sweet spot would be sport with a LSD which I don't think will be an option. The main improvement from reading will hopefully be the infotainment screen.
If the car felt right I'd wait to order.
Althalus said:
It's a shame neither of you are my local dealers!
As I understand it the sport and cup chassis are unchanged. But cup pack will no longer be an option.
So it will be sport or trophy(cup) both with the same engine. I suspect for me the sweet spot would be sport with a LSD which I don't think will be an option. The main improvement from reading will hopefully be the infotainment screen.
If the car felt right I'd wait to order.
You’ve never been able to have an LSD with a normal chassis, LSD has always come with ‘cup’ and I can’t see that changing.As I understand it the sport and cup chassis are unchanged. But cup pack will no longer be an option.
So it will be sport or trophy(cup) both with the same engine. I suspect for me the sweet spot would be sport with a LSD which I don't think will be an option. The main improvement from reading will hopefully be the infotainment screen.
If the car felt right I'd wait to order.
Trophy is a great bit of kit to be frank. EDC is the one.
Butter Face said:
Althalus said:
It's a shame neither of you are my local dealers!
As I understand it the sport and cup chassis are unchanged. But cup pack will no longer be an option.
So it will be sport or trophy(cup) both with the same engine. I suspect for me the sweet spot would be sport with a LSD which I don't think will be an option. The main improvement from reading will hopefully be the infotainment screen.
If the car felt right I'd wait to order.
You’ve never been able to have an LSD with a normal chassis, LSD has always come with ‘cup’ and I can’t see that changing.As I understand it the sport and cup chassis are unchanged. But cup pack will no longer be an option.
So it will be sport or trophy(cup) both with the same engine. I suspect for me the sweet spot would be sport with a LSD which I don't think will be an option. The main improvement from reading will hopefully be the infotainment screen.
If the car felt right I'd wait to order.
Trophy is a great bit of kit to be frank. EDC is the one.
It's interesting you like the EDC as it would probably be my choice!
I think I must be the minority as I haven't test driven anything I've bought for over 20 years. I just rely on magazine reviews and I haven't been disappointed yet.
Tried to test drive a Mercedes in 2005 and a BMW in 2011, and both times was told it wasn't possible as I was a company car driver!
Tried to test drive a Mercedes in 2005 and a BMW in 2011, and both times was told it wasn't possible as I was a company car driver!
Camelot1971 said:
I had a test drive in a nearly new V8 Camaro with no issues - just had to be a certain age for insurance.
Yep and a bit like a high excess on a solo test tribe that seems reasonable! I was just a bit suprised to be told no when it was an RS and a i30. I guess they attract a certain type of driver.Althalus said:
Butter Face said:
Althalus said:
It's a shame neither of you are my local dealers!
As I understand it the sport and cup chassis are unchanged. But cup pack will no longer be an option.
So it will be sport or trophy(cup) both with the same engine. I suspect for me the sweet spot would be sport with a LSD which I don't think will be an option. The main improvement from reading will hopefully be the infotainment screen.
If the car felt right I'd wait to order.
You’ve never been able to have an LSD with a normal chassis, LSD has always come with ‘cup’ and I can’t see that changing.As I understand it the sport and cup chassis are unchanged. But cup pack will no longer be an option.
So it will be sport or trophy(cup) both with the same engine. I suspect for me the sweet spot would be sport with a LSD which I don't think will be an option. The main improvement from reading will hopefully be the infotainment screen.
If the car felt right I'd wait to order.
Trophy is a great bit of kit to be frank. EDC is the one.
It's interesting you like the EDC as it would probably be my choice!
I do have a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that come the face lift, the RS will be no more!
HTP99 said:
It's the way forward, our Trophy EDC ex demo is an amazing bit of kit.
I do have a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that come the face lift, the RS will be no more!
I realise Renault is on shakey ground, but I really hope that's not the case, loosing RS cars would be a sad day. I do have a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that come the face lift, the RS will be no more!
I think you need to test drive performance cars quite hard to get what they are all about. That obviously comes with problems. But if it's a big dealership then surely they can just get you to agree an insurance excess or something?
My experiences of test drives have been very mixed over the years.
Current car, BMW 325i E92. The dealer have me the keys and said bring it back when you're done. It meant I could properly test it, give it the beans and enjoy that lovely 3.0 straight 6. I bought the car.
Clio rs200. An overweight salesman drive me to a quiet industrial estate so I could 'get used to the car' before driving it back to the garage. All the way he kept going on about not revving it because the mpg will suffer. Didn't buy it!
Fiesta ST. Salesman took me on a long run (me driving) on a great local b road. Encouraged me to give it some. I would have bought it but the price was a bit too high. Great car.
Last week I drove a 208gti. Drove unaccompanied but had to follow the salesman in his car. Local roads, not exceeding 30mph. It was enough to know the car drove fine but I couldn't really get the feel of it. Just seemed like any other shopping hatch.
For me, the test drive makes a huge difference. A good experience is likely to get my cash.
My experiences of test drives have been very mixed over the years.
Current car, BMW 325i E92. The dealer have me the keys and said bring it back when you're done. It meant I could properly test it, give it the beans and enjoy that lovely 3.0 straight 6. I bought the car.
Clio rs200. An overweight salesman drive me to a quiet industrial estate so I could 'get used to the car' before driving it back to the garage. All the way he kept going on about not revving it because the mpg will suffer. Didn't buy it!
Fiesta ST. Salesman took me on a long run (me driving) on a great local b road. Encouraged me to give it some. I would have bought it but the price was a bit too high. Great car.
Last week I drove a 208gti. Drove unaccompanied but had to follow the salesman in his car. Local roads, not exceeding 30mph. It was enough to know the car drove fine but I couldn't really get the feel of it. Just seemed like any other shopping hatch.
For me, the test drive makes a huge difference. A good experience is likely to get my cash.
It's so variable.
For my birthday in 2014 I booked a test drive in a GT86 at my local Toyota dealer, but spent longer looking at their stock, brochures and discussing finance options than actually driving the car. Although to be fair the salesman who accompanied me didn't have any issues with me driving it as Toyota intended, albeit briefly!
Then last Autumn I went to an independent dealer a mile from home to look at a BMW Z4M Coupe that someone on a forum was thinking of buying and the dealer fired it up, took the stickers out of the screen and said he'd see me in a while. Maybe turning up in my 3.0Si Z4 Coupe and being old made a difference?
Still it worked in a way because I bought one privately last December.
For my birthday in 2014 I booked a test drive in a GT86 at my local Toyota dealer, but spent longer looking at their stock, brochures and discussing finance options than actually driving the car. Although to be fair the salesman who accompanied me didn't have any issues with me driving it as Toyota intended, albeit briefly!
Then last Autumn I went to an independent dealer a mile from home to look at a BMW Z4M Coupe that someone on a forum was thinking of buying and the dealer fired it up, took the stickers out of the screen and said he'd see me in a while. Maybe turning up in my 3.0Si Z4 Coupe and being old made a difference?
Still it worked in a way because I bought one privately last December.
It all depends on who you get to speak to and when you visit, an un-booked visit asking to take an M3 for 24 hours is never going to fill a dealer with confidence.
Always try book before, mention your intentions as it might save you a wasted trip and do them the courtesy of listening to the s
t sales speech they have to do so their boss can see they've done their job.
Always try book before, mention your intentions as it might save you a wasted trip and do them the courtesy of listening to the s
t sales speech they have to do so their boss can see they've done their job.Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff