Extended Test Drives

[sjg]

Maybe I'm spectacularly unfussy, I didn't test drive my last two cars. They've both been fine. How bad would dash illumination have to be to put you off?

[RB Will]

I would have been happy with 2 hours!

Couple of weeks back I arranged a test drive of the SEAT Leon Cupra 300 estate. I have an Octavia VRS at the moment but get frustrated with the lack of traction being fwd with a lot of low down torque.

I asked 2 dealers if I could take the car away, even if just for the morning / afternoon so I could try it on local roads where I can make a valid comparison. Neither would let me have it giving the excuse that its the high performance version and people just want joyrides.
Arranged for a test drive with one of them anyway as I still wanted to know what the car is like as its one of a very short list of cars I'm interested in replacing the VRS with.

20 mile drive to the dealer. He wouldn't ever entertain letting me out in the car until we had discussed figures and he had tried to sell me the demo.
Eventually got out in the car and was allowed to drive it for 10 mins in traffic along a ring road with salesman for company. Trying to sell me the demo all the time which I had told him I didn't want, and especially so once I was in it as its clear the salesmen abuse it, it was filthy inside and out and had warnings on the dash for low fluids!

Anyway it was about the most boring drive I have ever had to the point it has almost put me right off the car.
At least I was able to cheer myself up taking the windy way home in my 500bhp Impreza. Driving there in that probably made the SEAT seem all the more boring. Will take the VRS when I organise a test drive at the other dealer.

When buying the Impreza (which was near standard at the time) the dealer let me take it away for the week!

[egomeister]

300bhp/ton said:

To support this view. Just think how many threads there are on here with people saying hey don't actually like the car they have bought. Maybe if people spent a little more time deciding, there would be more satisfied owners. Rather than people wanting to change and swap vehicles after only a handful of months.

Exactly. If I'd have had a longer test drive I wouldn't have bought my current diesel as I'd have realised that it was soulless and torque does not equal character.

[PixelpeepS3]

300bhp/ton said:

HTP99 said:

What possible information about the way the Golf R drives can you not gain in a 2hr unaccompanied test drive as opposed to say a 12 or 24hr test drive?

Quite a lot in many ways. For example it might give you chance to do the daily commute. As well as have a drive in it. Really evaluate how it drives under different conditions.

As well as giving you chance to see how it drives at night. Are the lights any good. Does the dash illuminate well for you.

And you'll have enough time to play with all the features and toys and flick through the owners manual.

To support this view. Just think how many threads there are on here with people saying hey don't actually like the car they have bought. Maybe if people spent a little more time deciding, there would be more satisfied owners. Rather than people wanting to change and swap vehicles after only a handful of months.

Good post - tbh, when we had the i3 for a week it allowed us to trial it in all the situations it was likely to face, we did the commute, we picked up the in-laws from the beck theater in middlesex and drove them back to Islington, we did a tip run (boot not very big bit inside is 'tall) we also did the McDonalds and sit in the car n eat test - cup holders and flat surfaces passed the test.

we also ordered it when we returned, in exactly the same spec as the demonstrator we had.

[The Moose]

PixelpeepS3 said:

300bhp/ton said:

HTP99 said:

What possible information about the way the Golf R drives can you not gain in a 2hr unaccompanied test drive as opposed to say a 12 or 24hr test drive?

Quite a lot in many ways. For example it might give you chance to do the daily commute. As well as have a drive in it. Really evaluate how it drives under different conditions.

As well as giving you chance to see how it drives at night. Are the lights any good. Does the dash illuminate well for you.

And you'll have enough time to play with all the features and toys and flick through the owners manual.

To support this view. Just think how many threads there are on here with people saying hey don't actually like the car they have bought. Maybe if people spent a little more time deciding, there would be more satisfied owners. Rather than people wanting to change and swap vehicles after only a handful of months.

Good post - tbh, when we had the i3 for a week it allowed us to trial it in all the situations it was likely to face, we did the commute, we picked up the in-laws from the beck theater in middlesex and drove them back to Islington, we did a tip run (boot not very big bit inside is 'tall) we also did the McDonalds and sit in the car n eat test - cup holders and flat surfaces passed the test.

we also ordered it when we returned, in exactly the same spec as the demonstrator we had.

The i3 is a totally different prospect and situation to a Golf R. Estate.

The i3 is a new concept of car that people can't get their head around. By readily offering extended test drives, BMW are saying that they know that in a 10 mile/15 min test drive with a salesman, people won't be able to understand that they actually could live with the car.

Everyone has concerns with electric vehicles' range - this allows you, the customer, to go ahead and challenge that preconception without any outlay.

[limpsfield]

300bhp/ton said:

Rather than people wanting to change and swap vehicles after only a handful of months.

And the car dealers/manufacturers should of course be bending over themselves to stop "people wanting to change and swap vehicles after only a handful of months"

i guess you don't work in the commercial world.

[48k]

M-SportMatt said:

SpeckledJim said:

The dealer has a handful of people every week who want a high performance car free for the weekend.

They want it to go joy-riding. Now, you want the same thing, but you want it for sensible purchase-related reasons.

How is the dealer to tell the difference? If they let everyone who asks borrow a car, then it won't be there for you to have the 2 hours. And it'll probably get pranged every other weekend.

Put yourself in their shoes. How can they win?

By developing the skills to separate the wheat from the chaff and sell to genuine customers, they are in Sales after all, if they can be bluffed by joyriding scrotes then i suggest they may not be that good......but to be fair i haven't given them the chance yet as I haven't met them.

Perhaps they are better at sales then you give them credit for and you failed their attitude test over the phone?

[limpsfield]

sjg said:

Maybe I'm spectacularly unfussy, I didn't test drive my last two cars. They've both been fine. How bad would dash illumination have to be to put you off?

Me too. Last two cars, bought undriven. It is just a car. I would not like to be a car salesman.

[M-SportMatt]

48k said:

Perhaps they are better at sales then you give them credit for and you failed their attitude test over the phone?

Not really seeing as I have cash waiting to buy the right car.....I don't exist to buy cars, they exist to sell them.

[Rawwr]

M-SportMatt said:

Not really seeing as I have cash waiting to buy the right car.....I don't exist to buy cars, they exist to sell them.

I can't understand why anyone would refuse you anything.

[Shaw Tarse]

M-SportMatt said:

48k said:

Perhaps they are better at sales then you give them credit for and you failed their attitude test over the phone?

Not really seeing as I have cash waiting to buy the right car.....I don't exist to buy cars, they exist to sell them.

Generally dealers don't want cash.

[limpsfield]

M-SportMatt said:

48k said:

Perhaps they are better at sales then you give them credit for and you failed their attitude test over the phone?

Not really seeing as I have cash waiting to buy the right car.....I don't exist to buy cars, they exist to sell them.

Just buy the car!

For a car enthusiasts website, this place is full of people who seem to love fannying about!

[egomeister]

limpsfield said:

And the car dealers/manufacturers should of course be bending over themselves to stop "people wanting to change and swap vehicles after only a handful of months"

i guess you don't work in the commercial world.

That's very short term thinking - I don't tend to repeat purchase products I'm disappointed with.

[M-SportMatt]

Shaw Tarse said:

Generally dealers don't want cash.

Figure of speech....I have the means to purchase the car.

[limpsfield]

egomeister said:

That's very short term thinking - I don't tend to repeat purchase products I'm disappointed with.

Given the growth in car sales over the past number of years, I think the car industry knows more about flogging cars than either me or you

[M-SportMatt]

Rawwr said:

I can't understand why anyone would refuse you anything.

Are you retarded....the dealers exist to sell cars, I actively want to buy one and have the means. In what parallel universe wouldn't the dealer want to sell me a car when new car sales are falling on their arse for the first time in 5 years......

[egomeister]

limpsfield said:

Given the growth in car sales over the past number of years, I think the car industry knows more about flogging cars than either me or you

Arguably they know more about flogging finance products than cars...

[SpeckledJim]

M-SportMatt said:

Rawwr said:

I can't understand why anyone would refuse you anything.

Are you retarded....the dealers exist to sell cars, I actively want to buy one and have the means. In what parallel universe wouldn't the dealer want to sell me a car when new car sales are falling on their arse for the first time in 5 years......

He's gently suggesting you are awkward and fussy and haughty and rude, and that, faced with the clearly golden opportunity to welcome you as a customer, he might think twice.

Not all deals are good deals.

Edited by SpeckledJim on Thursday 13th July 15:29

[limpsfield]

egomeister said:

limpsfield said:

Given the growth in car sales over the past number of years, I think the car industry knows more about flogging cars than either me or you

Arguably they know more about flogging finance products than cars...

Achieves the same objective. Metal out the door - I think a 2 hour unaccompanied test drive is more than enough. This bloke is never going to buy a car, like a lot on here.

[MrBarry123]

Rawwr said:

I can't understand why anyone would refuse you anything.

OP - it's a Golf R estate. It's a quick and practical small estate car. It'll do everything your 320d currently does whilst being faster, but will use more fuel doing so.