Extended Test Drives

[M-SportMatt]

I've recently been thinking of changing my daily (320d touring) to something a little more frisky and have almost settled on a Golf R estate, however i am somewhat put off by the constant referrals to it being a little dull so with this in mind i approached my local VW dealer about an extended test drive over a weekend.

They replied in the negative and will only give me a slot of two hours to 'Drive it my Way'. No sale then i'm afraid.

Are there any other manufacturers who make a hottish estate of similar size who DO do extended test drives?

Cheers

[Rawwr]

I think most dealers will be very wary of any requests for extended test drives, especially on performance models, because they do tend to stink of joyrides and/or free hire cars.

Then again, I'm not sure what you're hoping to discover about the car that you couldn't discover in 2 hours with it?

[sjg]

It's less dull than a 320d. Hope this helps in light of VW dealers not giving out free weekend cars.

[lewishollings]

Rawwr said:

I think most dealers will be very wary of any requests for extended test drives, especially on performance models, because they do tend to stink of joyrides and/or free hire cars.

Then again, I'm not sure what you're hoping to discover about the car that you couldn't discover in 2 hours with it?

Exactly, when he mentioned extended test drives I thought the mentioned 2 hours was more than enough.

[SS2.]

An offer to demo the car for 2 hours seems plenty reasonable to me, and more than ample time to decide whether you like the thing or not.

[PixelpeepS3]

I had my 24 hour test drive with a BMW i3 extended to a week... if that helps lol.

i also had a 2014 Golf R DSG (hatch) for 2 years and dull = predictable, not boring!

[counterofbeans]

M-SportMatt said:

No sale then i'm afraid.

They must be absolutely gutted.

[HTP99]

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?

[Integroo]

Two hours is reasonably generous, in my view. Better than ten minutes with a salesman beside you anyway!

Edited by Integroo on Thursday 13th July 10:28

[tankplanker]

Volvo gave me a XC90 for a day, but that may have been a one off. Lexus do offer a 24 hour test drive. I'm not aware of many performance cars you can get for free for an extended period though.

I would suggest looking for a track day hot lap event. While you'll be hard pressed to drive at 8/10ths let alone 10/10ths you can drive the car far faster and harder than on the road. Recent one I did I drove a 456, 12C and a Huracan, all at speeds that would land me in jail if it had been on the public roads. At low speeds I'd have been hard pressed to tell much difference between how they handled. While modern hot hatches are miles away from modern junior supercars they are still way to fast to be approaching the speeds needed to see how they handle nearer the limit on public roads so I'd be recommending trying them on the track.

Regarding the Golf R I've enjoyed mine till it was stolen, but it is miles away from a Cayman or Exige in terms of engagement. I would struggle to believe any factory spec hot hatch would match them.

[Shakermaker]

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?

How fast it goes around the local B roads in the dark?

[Integroo]

tankplanker said:

Volvo gave me a XC90 for a day, but that may have been a one off. Lexus do offer a 24 hour test drive. I'm not aware of many performance cars you can get for free for an extended period though.

I would suggest looking for a track day hot lap event. While you'll be hard pressed to drive at 8/10ths let alone 10/10ths you can drive the car far faster and harder than on the road. Recent one I did I drove a 456, 12C and a Huracan, all at speeds that would land me in jail if it had been on the public roads. At low speeds I'd have been hard pressed to tell much difference between how they handled. While modern hot hatches are miles away from modern junior supercars they are still way to fast to be approaching the speeds needed to see how they handle nearer the limit on public roads so I'd be recommending trying them on the track.

Regarding the Golf R I've enjoyed mine till it was stolen, but it is miles away from a Cayman or Exige in terms of engagement. I would struggle to believe any factory spec hot hatch would match them.

I mean I am not sure anyone would expect a modern hot hatch to match a Cayman or an Exige. You won't get two kids and a weeks load of shopping into the back of an Exige though, and be able to hoon it on the way home!

[M-SportMatt]

Thanks for the sensible replies, not the usual dullards.

Living with a car for a normal weekend will show up much more what its like to live with than two hours on a saturday where i can expect in my location to be roundly stuck in traffic for at least 50% and just tootling round in heavy traffic for the rest.

I want to see if the kids like it, I want to see how my elderly parents can get in and out of it, I want to try my commute and i want to see if its engaging on a more fun route. I haven't enjoyed a DSG before but the last one I drove was a 2006 diesel so hopefully its better.


As for the absolute rodder who declared 'its less dull than a 320d' I know that, i mentioned it in the OP....

[tankplanker]

Integroo said:

I mean I am not sure anyone would expect a modern hot hatch to match a Cayman or an Exige. You won't get two kids and a weeks load of shopping into the back of an Exige though, and be able to hoon it on the way home!

The way people talk about hatches like the Golf R and the Focus RS being dull they seem to expect something more in common with a (more expensive) sports car than something that started as a small family car and still offers the same flexibility.

[egomeister]

I think you'll be out of luck finding an extended test drive, unless you fluke into a finding particularly accommodating dealer - 2 hours is pretty good.

I'd like to do similar when I replace my car, as I don't find you really have chance to gel with a car on a short drive and have found similar issues to you. I'd be happy to cough up for a days rental to confirm it's the right car, but with no success.

[M-SportMatt]

sjg said:

It's less dull than a 320d. Hope this helps in light of VW dealers not giving out free weekend cars.

But probably duller than a slightly used 335i Touring

But almost certainly not as dull as you

[anonymous-user]

It is a golf estate, other than the engine it is no different to your 320D, same rough dimensions etc, it hardly as if your kids pay for the thing or you are asking your parents to jump in / out of a Caterham.

Stinks of looking for a free hire car to me, 2hours is more than enough.

[M-SportMatt]

Trexthedinosaur said:

It is a golf estate, other than the engine it is no different to your 320D, same rough dimensions etc, it hardly as if your kids pay for the thing or you are asking your parents to jump in / out of a Caterham.

Stinks of looking for a free hire car to me, 2hours is more than enough.

Really, given i have access to a lot more performance than a golf estate I hardly need to waste my time looking for a free joyride.

Both parents struggle to get in and out of my BMW as the seats sit fairly low, the seats in the Golf appear not to be so

And if you think a 320 is a similar sized vehicle to a golf in terms of load then you're hardly worth listening to anyway. Cheers

[Integroo]

M-SportMatt said:

Thanks for the sensible replies, not the usual dullards.

Living with a car for a normal weekend will show up much more what its like to live with than two hours on a saturday where i can expect in my location to be roundly stuck in traffic for at least 50% and just tootling round in heavy traffic for the rest.

I want to see if the kids like it, I want to see how my elderly parents can get in and out of it, I want to try my commute and i want to see if its engaging on a more fun route. I haven't enjoyed a DSG before but the last one I drove was a 2006 diesel so hopefully its better.


As for the absolute rodder who declared 'its less dull than a 320d' I know that, i mentioned it in the OP....

I might wander into Currys at the weekend, point at a two grand television, and ask if I can have it for the weekend to see if I like it. You know, in case the remote is a bit heavy or something.

[M-SportMatt]

Integroo said:

I might wander into Currys at the weekend, point at a two grand television, and ask if I can have it for the weekend to see if I like it. You know, in case the remote is a bit heavy or something.

That's what you get for shopping at Currys

My local Audio specialist has frequently lent me Hi-fi and TV equipment to try for a few days at home as you can't tell what it sounds like until its in the room it will be used in.

But then he knows i'm a serious buyer....