Paying for a test drive?
Discussion
I’ve got the feelers out for a replacement car, but I want to avoid any sellers remorse by test driving the potential replacement before selling my current.
Don’t feel good wasting dealers time by test driving a car id have little intention of buying. Without any other way to get behind the wheel, has anyone ever paid a dealer some fuel money in exchange for a test drive?
Don’t feel good wasting dealers time by test driving a car id have little intention of buying. Without any other way to get behind the wheel, has anyone ever paid a dealer some fuel money in exchange for a test drive?
Just choose a big company like cazoo or car people they have a lot of stock in. Always a good selection will allow you to compare various cars back to back. As long as you've got genuine intentions of buying at some point. I don't see a problem. You never know you might find someone you'd completely overlooked
Ste372 said:
Just choose a big company like cazoo or car people they have a lot of stock in. Always a good selection will allow you to compare various cars back to back. As long as you've got genuine intentions of buying at some point. I don't see a problem. You never know you might find someone you'd completely overlooked
Cazoo is the one place that strictly doesn't offer any test drives at all!If you are testing a potential replacement why would you have little intention of buying it?
Just book a test drive so you know whether it's what you really want.
I was thinking about a certain car in 2014 and a local trader had one for sale. I went to see it and had a test drive but I didn't like the spec, wasn't happy with it having two run-flat tyres and two non-runflats and it seemed expensive for what it was.
I loved the car though so I found a much better one on Autotrader for less money!
But don't start offering to pay for test drives FFS. The next thing you know they will start charging for them.
Just book a test drive so you know whether it's what you really want.
I was thinking about a certain car in 2014 and a local trader had one for sale. I went to see it and had a test drive but I didn't like the spec, wasn't happy with it having two run-flat tyres and two non-runflats and it seemed expensive for what it was.
I loved the car though so I found a much better one on Autotrader for less money!
But don't start offering to pay for test drives FFS. The next thing you know they will start charging for them.
Mr Tidy said:
If you are testing a potential replacement why would you have little intention of buying it?
Just book a test drive so you know whether it's what you really want.
I was thinking about a certain car in 2014 and a local trader had one for sale. I went to see it and had a test drive but I didn't like the spec, wasn't happy with it having two run-flat tyres and two non-runflats and it seemed expensive for what it was.
I loved the car though so I found a much better one on Autotrader for less money!
But don't start offering to pay for test drives FFS. The next thing you know they will start charging for them.
Because I would need to sell my current car to purchase it, which I’d do privately rather than PX. So whilst I could end up buying the car I test drive eventually, in all likelihood it wouldn’t happen and I’d want to try other examples anyway.Just book a test drive so you know whether it's what you really want.
I was thinking about a certain car in 2014 and a local trader had one for sale. I went to see it and had a test drive but I didn't like the spec, wasn't happy with it having two run-flat tyres and two non-runflats and it seemed expensive for what it was.
I loved the car though so I found a much better one on Autotrader for less money!
But don't start offering to pay for test drives FFS. The next thing you know they will start charging for them.
Ultimately I’m just trying to find a way to drive one and see if it’s something I really want to pursue.
Actually, I like the idea.
I want to try an XYZ GT3, to see if it would be OK for me or if the suspension is too hard etc.
I pay a nominal amount, 50GBP and take the car for an hour.
It could be an additional income stream for the dealer.
The dealer could discount the sale price if you go on to buy his car, but otherwise, we would both get something out of it.
I want to try an XYZ GT3, to see if it would be OK for me or if the suspension is too hard etc.
I pay a nominal amount, 50GBP and take the car for an hour.
It could be an additional income stream for the dealer.
The dealer could discount the sale price if you go on to buy his car, but otherwise, we would both get something out of it.
BOR said:
Actually, I like the idea.
I want to try an XYZ GT3, to see if it would be OK for me or if the suspension is too hard etc.
I pay a nominal amount, 50GBP and take the car for an hour.
It could be an additional income stream for the dealer.
The dealer could discount the sale price if you go on to buy his car, but otherwise, we would both get something out of it.
I can see why they dont, what if you shredded the rear tyres and just dumped it back on the forecourt?I want to try an XYZ GT3, to see if it would be OK for me or if the suspension is too hard etc.
I pay a nominal amount, 50GBP and take the car for an hour.
It could be an additional income stream for the dealer.
The dealer could discount the sale price if you go on to buy his car, but otherwise, we would both get something out of it.
Plus many other scenarios.
Ive not driven the last 2 cars ive bought privately, different i know but a lot do it.
Not sure how old the car you're looking for would be, but the easiest way to deal with your concerns is to test drive an example at a franchised main dealer. That way you'll know if the model of car is for you. Once you've got that nailed, you can then go and look for the actual car you want to buy. The plus point is that you should have experience of driving a decent example to benchmark it against.
BOR said:
Actually, I like the idea.
I want to try an XYZ GT3, to see if it would be OK for me or if the suspension is too hard etc.
I pay a nominal amount, 50GBP and take the car for an hour.
It could be an additional income stream for the dealer.
The dealer could discount the sale price if you go on to buy his car, but otherwise, we would both get something out of it.
It has some attractions. after all if you're serious it's £200 to test 4 cars, which at 30k+ level is nothing. Only if the deal means I can arrive-drive-leave without the excess patter. I want to try an XYZ GT3, to see if it would be OK for me or if the suspension is too hard etc.
I pay a nominal amount, 50GBP and take the car for an hour.
It could be an additional income stream for the dealer.
The dealer could discount the sale price if you go on to buy his car, but otherwise, we would both get something out of it.
the one problem is that then some folk would see it as licence to thoroughly abuse the car as they've paid for the drive.
Overall though it would put some genuine buyers off but not some test jockeys with no intent to buy.
CABC said:
It has some attractions. after all if you're serious it's £200 to test 4 cars, which at 30k+ level is nothing. Only if the deal means I can arrive-drive-leave without the excess patter.
the one problem is that then some folk would see it as licence to thoroughly abuse the car as they've paid for the drive.
Overall though it would put some genuine buyers off but not some test jockeys with no intent to buy.
Ignoring how much I hate the whole idea, £50 for a test drive would be unlikely to cover much. The test drives are probably going to be accompanied, so that takes up some of sales person's time. Then there's the issue of having productised the drive and therefore having to take a more rigid approach to what's being offered and no doubt an increase in paperwork and general hassle. the one problem is that then some folk would see it as licence to thoroughly abuse the car as they've paid for the drive.
Overall though it would put some genuine buyers off but not some test jockeys with no intent to buy.
OP seems to be lost and confused, it's not uncommon to test drive a car and to want to private sale your current vehicle rather than PX it. If there's a genuine interest in the car and if you're open to at least hearing what the PC value may be then I see no reason not to just go book the test drive as normal. For all you know it could end up being a £500 difference and well worth the saving of extra aggravation of a private sale. If they can't make you an attractive offer then that's their problem.
Some years ago I wanted an extended test drive in a Renault Scenic (I know!) for the wife who was very fussy on seats because of her bad back.
I asked the Dealer if they would rent me one for a day - I said I may not be buying from them.
They wouldn't.
But did give me the keys to a new one for a day.
We did buy one from the Dealer....but only after hard haggle.
I asked the Dealer if they would rent me one for a day - I said I may not be buying from them.
They wouldn't.
But did give me the keys to a new one for a day.
We did buy one from the Dealer....but only after hard haggle.
A quick browse of a*totrader shows a lot of M3s of that vintage for sale with trade sellers rather than private.
To reassure the OP it’s really not a big deal to test drive one and then not make a purchase immediately, I am sure 99% of dealers will understand this, especially with a specialist purchase like this.
To reassure the OP it’s really not a big deal to test drive one and then not make a purchase immediately, I am sure 99% of dealers will understand this, especially with a specialist purchase like this.
I'm clearly picking the wrong kind of dealers to test drive. Last time I needed a car I narrowed down the requirements but being a family car really needed a test drive to be sure it would be suitable. Went to several dealers to take a look at likely alternatives and despite ringing ahead to ensure it was available, when I got there it was either off site or the battery was dead.
Of course not! Unless you are looking at exotics, or are a youth, just get yourself to the local independent. Establish that you are reasonably serious, and most of them let you have a decent drive, often unaccompanied. If you don’t go ahead, if you stay polite and diplomatic, they will welcome you again when you see something else there.
YorksLS18 said:
I'd take an educated guess that there'd be big legal obstacles around paying to test drive a vehicle.
Rather than being part of a pre-purchase inspection, I assume it'd be classed as hiring out a vehicle for financial or commercial gain, which is a different ballgame.
Dealers would need different liability cover, legal contracts, consumer rights legislation and other legal stuff for the two different scenarios.
If you genuinely want to buy that kind of vehicle in the near future, just be honest and upfront with the dealer: "I've had my eye on one of these for a while and I'd like to buy through a dealer like this one.
"But I'm not in a position to buy just yet, so I won't test drive it today unless you're OK with that."
That's what I did.
Then I drove it and ended up buying it anyway
Rather than being part of a pre-purchase inspection, I assume it'd be classed as hiring out a vehicle for financial or commercial gain, which is a different ballgame.
Dealers would need different liability cover, legal contracts, consumer rights legislation and other legal stuff for the two different scenarios.
If you genuinely want to buy that kind of vehicle in the near future, just be honest and upfront with the dealer: "I've had my eye on one of these for a while and I'd like to buy through a dealer like this one.
"But I'm not in a position to buy just yet, so I won't test drive it today unless you're OK with that."
That's what I did.
Then I drove it and ended up buying it anyway
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