Now you can track-test before buying
Comparative testing of all your chosen cars
The days of trying to choose a new car on the basis of a few minutes behind the wheel on unchallenging but unfamiliar roads may be behind us. A new company, Driving Seat, allows you to go to a track and, for a fee, try out any number of machines on the circuit. When you buy, the fee you paid is deducted from the price. And it's all due to new European legislation.
You can try out a selection of different makes and models in a controlled, no-pressure environment, without being hassled by car salesmen. The company says it has already secured agreements with a number of the leading prestige automotive retailing groups. Between them they hold over 30 different automotive franchises nationwide, including Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Jeep, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche, Saab, Volkswagen and Volvo.
In contrast to individual dealerships, the range of franchises owned by each of these groups means that, unlike the car makers, they don’t mind which make of car you ultimately choose. Once the buyer has decided which car to buy, it is supplied and delivered by a franchised dealer belonging to one of these groups, complete with all the manufacturer’s guarantees and service benefits.
Sandy Muir, the founder of Driving Seat, explains, “The limitations of traditional car retailing practices are legendary. They stem from the inability of the consumer to obtain independent advice from the single franchise system - which is designed to serve the needs of the car makers rather than their customers.”
The revisions to European Block Exemption legislation, which govern the contracts between manufacturers and their dealers and which has its first anniversary this month, is opening the way for new approaches to car retailing.
Sandy Muir added: “We have sought to eliminate the major negatives in the buying process, in favour of a format that is both positive and fun. In creating the model for driving seat, we have tried to offer the equivalent of a modern retail experience – range, service, convenience, and value. In doing so we bring together two key moments in the car buyer’s decision-making process. The first is making a choice between competitive products and the second is using a product for the first time to judge its effectiveness and value.”
Central to the driving seat offering is its Web site where potential buyers can choose the cars they wish to compare from a range of categories, select a preferred track location together with a convenient date, and book a test drive.
The inaugural driving seat event takes place on 27 November at Longcross, the former Ministry of Defence test track, near Chertsey, Surrey.
More details here: www.driving-seat.com
I imagine the second most ordered package is S typeR, RS6, M5 and E55 -- any other packages they should put together?
rico said:
But what if I try the four cars and think they are all shit?
It would be like a non-refundable deposit!
but then you haven't wasted money buying a car you wouldn't like
No, but I'd have wasted £250 that I wouldn't have spent just going around the dealers for a test drive!
That's like 3 tanks of Optimax!
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