I’m always asked, how do I know the car I’m buying is the right one? It all starts with the perfect test drive! A test drive is truly the only way to really know if the car is right for you. This is of course even after you have compared all the specifications and narrowed down the features of the specific model and trim you are after. A test drive allows you to actually sit in the car and drive it as you would so that you know how it will feel on a regular basis. There are 6 steps/rules I follow on every test drive I do, and they’ve served me well.
Bring something large – preferably something you would carry often. Recently I had an environmental engineer bring in his plastic container that normally houses samples and he put that in the trucks of the hatchbacks he was looking at.
Drive to a busy parking lot – preferably a mall or grocery store, and make sure you try to park the car somewhere as this will give you a good idea of how easy/hard it’ll be to park.
Get in and out of the car multiple times – this will give you a good feeling of the comfort of the vehicle.
Drive on city roads and the highway – I can’t believe people buy cars without taking a test drive on a highway first. There is a different amount of noise, acceleration and steering involved that you need to know before you buy!
Check out the gravel roads too – especially if your day-to-day driving involves any kind of gravel road. If you are buying something 4wd this is a good time to get a feel for the system.
Bring a second opinion – having a passenger in the car with you will give you another perspective on the vehicle you want to buy.
That’s it! 6 steps, and you get the perfect test drive!
