To test drive or not to test drive

[aceofspades1]

I have once again fallen victim to the “test pilot” experience on a performance car.

List said car for sale on AutoTrader (no need to name the exact model but you get the idea, circa £8k 2 seater sports car, 250bhp, 0-60 in 5-6 seconds) and a young chap gets in touch - very polite, nothing suspicious.

Arrives to view and asks to test drive, I let him and he goes absolutely nuts. Close passes with cyclists, hard acceleration, including hitting one pothole at about 35mph… ignores my polite requests to go easy (I’m not the most bold or confident.)

After the test drive proceeds to offer me £2k below the asking price, after I declined he has since disappeared.

I feel silly, as this has happened to me before and numerous others - I’m curious how do you chaps handle this issue? I don’t think it’s plausible to say “no test drives” when selling a performance car as there are all kinds of issues you could mask (slipping clutch, lack of responsiveness, handling etc.)

[fflump]

Firstly I ask for evidence that the person is insured to drive my car. I also always insist on agreeing a purchase price in advance after they have inspected the car and before test drive. Other than that you just have to trust the person selling private has occupational hazards!

[Decky_Q]

Test drive is the last part of the sale, usually have agreed that if test drive is ok then deal is done. Spend most of the time checking car, paperwork, engine, undercarriage, engine idling while discuss what's been done recently what needs done next if I was going to keep it etc.

[Terminator X]

I don't let anyone "test drive" mine. If that puts them off buying so be it. Mental imho as what would happen if they crashed it.

Passenger with me driving is ok as long as they pass the attitude test eg not a complete knob.

TX.

[Tisy]

aceofspades1 said:

I have once again fallen victim to the test pilot experience on a performance car.

List said car for sale on AutoTrader (no need to name the exact model but you get the idea, circa £8k 2 seater sports car, 250bhp, 0-60 in 5-6 seconds) and a young chap gets in touch - very polite, nothing suspicious.

Arrives to view and asks to test drive, I let him and he goes absolutely nuts. Close passes with cyclists, hard acceleration, including hitting one pothole at about 35mph ignores my polite requests to go easy (I m not the most bold or confident.)

After the test drive proceeds to offer me £2k below the asking price, after I declined he has since disappeared.

I feel silly, as this has happened to me before and numerous others - I m curious how do you chaps handle this issue? I don t think it s plausible to say no test drives when selling a performance car as there are all kinds of issues you could mask (slipping clutch, lack of responsiveness, handling etc.)

Chalk it up to experience. No-one in their right mind would buy a used a car without a test drive. It's just asking for trouble. In fact, I'd instantly be suspicious of the underlying mechanical condition of any prospective car if the seller refused me a test drive as that says to me they are trying to hide things. I wouldn't even bother going to see one if they won't allow a test drive. Things like crash damage and it driving straight / pulling to the side can easily be masked without a test drve yourself, and then there's the engine and transmission side which you'd have no idea if the engine was good, the gearbox, clutch, DMF or even if it brakes properly without putting you into the ditch. I always ask for a route along a section of fast road / d-c to test the engine and how it pulls, and also a rutted/patched road is a good test for the steering/suspension component wear as you can feel the vagueness and tugging through the steering wheel over the ruts and patches.

Selling one myself I would ensure a price is agreed beforehand and then take them along specific roads with little traffic and invite them to test how well the engine pulls and how well it brakes etc. If they started mincing it around on the residential roads then they'd be getting told quite robustly to desist otherwise they'll be walking home.

If a seller is that precious about their car that they won't allow a test drive then they can sit with it for sale for a year, chasing the market down whilst losing thousands in depreciation and then eventually offload it to WBAC for £500. Their loss.

[Weekendrebuild]

I just randomly drop into convo that I’m a traffic cop.. never had an issue

[Mr Tidy]

I've sold a couple of cars like that. First one was happy for me to drive it but I did ask him to tell me if there was anything specific he wanted me to do. Second one had come over 100 miles with his Mum who had to wait in my house!

He arranged temporary cover on his phone and showed me it so I let him drive and he didn't do anything daft, possibly because I'd told him "you bend it, you mend it"!

It is always a concern though.

[C-J]

Weekendrebuild said:

I just randomly drop into convo that I m a traffic cop.. never had an issue

Awesome! - I'm going to 'nick' that line!

[Pit Pony]

Weekendrebuild said:

I just randomly drop into convo that I m a traffic cop.. never had an issue

Is that true?

[Hugo Stiglitz]

After a bad experience- bloke decided to test my clutch by stalling it deliberately trying to set off in 3rd and just driving riding the clutch appalling. He then said he would think about it and tried ringing me the next day. I didnt answer as I knew from how he spoke he'd low ball me.

Since that day no one drives any car that im selling.

Edit. If someone did badly ding an alloy and said they'd make good and left- really how would you chase them up for paying?

Hence no!

Edited by Hugo Stiglitz on Sunday 7th December 22:23

[DickyC]

Recently sold my wife's SLK. The buyer asked me to drive it for him. He sat in the passenger seat as i drove round the block, asked about the kickdown and could i waggle the steering wheel. Gave £100 less than I asked and picked it up an hour later.

More buyers like him, please.

[davek_964]

I don't let people test drive my cars - I did in the past, but over recent years have decided it's too much risk.

Even if they are insured - if the worst happened, and they had an accident - are you really going to be happy with a complete stranger progressing a claim with their insurance for your car?
No thanks.

[AlexGSi2000]

Typically I always like to do the driving if I can.
Or drive for the first few miles so I can get a feel for how the potential buyer may drive / behave.

I have a particular route which is favorable when demonstrating particular vehicles.
On more than a few occasions I've had a few quiet passengers that have rejected the offer to drive but still purchased the car

I think after selling a few cars you can gauge the other party after a quick conversation.

[aceofspades1]

Tisy said:

If a seller is that precious about their car that they won't allow a test drive then they can sit with it for sale for a year, chasing the market down whilst losing thousands in depreciation and then eventually offload it to WBAC for £500. Their loss.

Agree with the points, but it's really nothing to do with being precious and more to do with the risk of causing damage by driving absolutely recklessly or even worse landing you with an insurance claim.

And yes, many people do sell to WBAC at a loss for this exact reason and it's us "sensible" buyers that lose out overall from losing out on sensibly priced private sales.

[davek_964]

aceofspades1 said:

Agree with the points, but it's really nothing to do with being precious and more to do with the risk of causing damage by driving absolutely recklessly or even worse landing you with an insurance claim.

And yes, many people do sell to WBAC at a loss for this exact reason and it's us "sensible" buyers that lose out overall from losing out on sensibly priced private sales.

For what it's worth - I tend to price cars I'm selling competitively and I've had no problem selling them without test drives. I don't think I've ever been asked, and hence never had to refuse.

[Muzzer79]

aceofspades1 said:

Tisy said:

If a seller is that precious about their car that they won't allow a test drive then they can sit with it for sale for a year, chasing the market down whilst losing thousands in depreciation and then eventually offload it to WBAC for £500. Their loss.

Agree with the points, but it's really nothing to do with being precious and more to do with the risk of causing damage by driving absolutely recklessly or even worse landing you with an insurance claim.

It's the risk you take with a private sale.

If you ban a test drive, you will dramatically reduce your prospective buyer list.

Some people will be fine with it. In fact, the last couple of cars I've sold, the buyer hasn't wanted to drive it.

But with a performance car I think they will. So, if you don't want to offer a test drive, you could be looking at a trade in/WBAC.

[DickyC]

DickyC said:

Recently sold my wife's SLK. The buyer asked me to drive it for him. He sat in the passenger seat as i drove round the block, asked about the kickdown and could i waggle the steering wheel. Gave £100 less than I asked and picked it up an hour later.

More buyers like him, please.

The talk of WBAC reminds me they offered me £380 but I sold it after a long wait for £2,400.

WBAC have to base their offers on average prices of what cars are actually being sold for and can't take into account old cars in good condition.

And now, back on topic.

[davek_964]

Muzzer79 said:

But with a performance car I think they will. So, if you don't want to offer a test drive, you could be looking at a trade in/WBAC.

Not necessarily - the car I sold around the start of covid was a performance car, and I was not asked for a test drive - in fact, if I remember correctly I think the buyer even stated that I would obviously not allow test drives on a car like that.

[Dave Hedgehog]

they would need to show me insurance and a valid driving licence, if they are willing to insure the car they are a serious buyer

if they protest i remind them the owner faces 6 points and £300 for Permitting Uninsured Driving

[MrCarrot]

It's been a long, long time since I last sold a car.

I said no test drives, took my prospective buyer out and drove it for him. I mentioned the clutch had a slight vibration in it when pulling away. He wanted to buy the car and right at the end asked to drive it 20 feet up the road to feel the vibration. At this point I let him. He couldn't feel the vibration and bought the car.

I am selling a car at the moment and won't be allowing people to test drive it. Sure if they smash it into the front of someone's house and they're insured, it's going to be sorted out. But if they kerb one of the wheels or bump it into a piece of street furniture, I think trying to get them to sort it out through their insurance would be a complete and utter nightmare.

In my case though I've never had what you would consider a performance car, so it's maybe a bit different.