What to Do on a Test Drive
Oct 29th, 2011 Jeremy Babcock
The test drive is often the most exciting part of a car purchase, whether the car be new or old. The test drive allows you to get a true feel for the car, allowing you to see how well it drives and how well it handles. It is important for all to take a test drive of the vehicle that they are interested in before they make a purchase.
The test drive is more than just a way to get a feel for the handle of the car. It is a way for you to understand what the car can do. Those who are looking into used cars can find out even more about the vehicle through the test drive. They can find out the condition of the car and can better understand how well the car has been maintained. There are specific things that you need to make sure that you do on a test drive for both new and used vehicles.
Check Basic Driving Feel
The first thing that you are going to want to do is to check the basic feel of the car. Get a feel for how the car picks up speed and how it keeps that speed. Take the car through a couple of turns to understand how it handles the road and how comfortable you feel with the speed of the vehicle.
Highway Driving
You want to try to take the vehicle on the highway, if possible, to get a feel for highway driving. A car can have a different feel at 70 MPH than it will at 55 MPH. If you can get on a highway you can get the car to those higher speeds and see what you find at those speeds.
Note Any Irregularities
It is important for you to make a list of any of the irregularities that you find while test-driving the vehicle if you are test driving a used car. These are things that you may want to bring up to the mechanic that is inspecting the car before you purchase it.
Test the Brakes, Lights, and Buttons
If you are test driving a used car you need to make sure that everything is in working order. Be sure to test the brakes, the lights, and all of the different buttons and switches in the vehicle. You want to be sure that you know what works and what does not, as the owner of the car may not tell you upfront about small issues like these.
It can be easy to forget about all of these different things, wrapped up in the fun and excitement of driving a new and different vehicle. You need to be sure that you focus in on the important things, however, as the test drive is your best indicator as to the current state of the vehicle. Be sure to cover all of these bases when you take your vehicle out for a test drive. It is the only way for you to be 100 percent sure about your final purchase.About the Author:
Jeremy Babcock is the owner of Automotive Procare. His shop is a full service auto repair facility in Rochester, MN. Jeremy employs ASE master certified technicians and 100% customer satisfaction is his most important priority.
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