How to Make the Most of Your Test Drive
By Motor Match • 23/12/2024
When you’re in the market for a new or used car, there is a lot of preparation you need to do before you find the perfect car - research into what cars are best suited to your lifestyle, what your budget is for the car and what extras are important for it to have. Once you get to the dealership and are finally behind the wheel, there are a number of things that we recommend you look out for whilst you are test driving - and they are things that later down the line, may end up costing you a lot of money if you don’t pick up on them before you buy. It’s vital that any car you buy is in the best condition for sale, so that you drive away safely and knowing that your money was well spent.
Preparing for your test drive
Before you consider test driving a vehicle, you need to do all of the relevant research to ensure that the car you want is the car you need - think about all of the things you’re going to use it for. Do you need a car for the family? Or do you want something sporty and nippy to drive around town in? These questions will help you make an informed decision. You will also need to think about your budget, what features you want your car to have and what specification it needs.
Once you know what all of your criteria are, you can narrow down the list of cars that you want to look at - this will give you an idea of which dealerships you’ll need to travel to and help you to plan your journey. Once you know which dealerships you need, contact them in advance to ensure that the car is still available to buy and that it is able to be test driven.
Once you get to the dealership and see the car of your choice, make sure you thoroughly check for signs of damage to the exterior of the vehicle - you want to make sure that the price you may pay for the car is worth it. You should do this even if the car is brand new. You’ll also want to make sure that the car is big enough to fit your children and pets in as well. If you are looking for a car for family and pets, then it’s best to look at bigger cars like a 4x4 or SUV. It’s also a great opportunity for you to ask any questions about service history and how long the car has been in stock.
During your test drive
When you come to test drive a car, you may be accompanied by one of the sales team, or you may be fortunate enough to take the car out unaccompanied. You’ll usually be allowed out for 15-20 minutes around the local roads to really get a feel for the car and get it up to speed, so you can feel how powerful it is. Make sure during this time, you test out some of the controls for the car, like windscreen wipers, lights, radio and horn so that you know everything works exactly as it should.
Fitting your lifestyle
Whilst test driving the car, it’s vital to ensure that it is suited to your lifestyle - is it big enough to fit family and pets? Will it fit on the driveway? Is it comfortable enough for long road trips or the commute to work? Whilst these may seem like obvious things to look out for, you may not be thinking of them at the time, it’s important you focus on these as you are driving to know whether it’s the right car for you - you may even want to take your children with you to see how they feel when they’re sitting in the back seat - though they may not be able to sit on the test drive with you, they can sit in the back whilst still on the forecourt.
Make sure all the controls work
Whilst you are driving along, it’s a good opportunity to work out where all of the controls are for lights, windows, heating/air conditioning, windscreen wipers and wash, etc, and make sure that they all work as they should. Before you leave the forecourt to test drive or when you are pulled over during, get out the car and make sure all of the lights work; headlights, tail lights, reverse lights, brake lights, fog lights and indicators, as well as the interior lights in the vehicle. It’s important to note if any of these don’t work before you buy the car, so that the dealership can get them fixed before you drive away in it.
Listen out for major issues
It’s best that you start your test drive on a cold engine, because a warm engine has a tendency to hide problems rather than accentuate them. Make sure you keep an ear out as you’re turning the key - can you hear any strange noises as the engine is starting? Noises like that could signal an issue with components in the engine that should be checked and repaired before the car is sold, but if it isn’t, could mean a very expensive repair down the line. Whilst the car is running, check the exhaust - ensure that the exhaust runs cleanly. Whilst white condensation is normal, especially in cold weather, white smoke signals a major issue.
Check key components of the vehicle
Once you’re on the road, ensure the steering is smooth and level and not pulling to one side, the horn works and the brakes are sharp, rather than squishy and underpowered. These are important aspects because they can be costly to repair further down the line and won’t be worth the money you spend on buying it in the first place. Check the rear view mirror when accelerating for any signs of smoke - diesel engines shouldn’t produce any black smoke, whilst white smoke can signify an underlying condition.
Suspension
This is something you may not think about when driving a car, but is potentially one of the most important things to consider. Drive gently over bumps to ensure the suspension seems smooth and bouncy. Find a large open space and turn the steering wheel on full lock - do you hear any grinding or crunching noises? Try again with the steering wheel on full lock in the other direction. Reversing the car whilst doing this can also help to raise any issues.
Test driving your ideal car with Swansway Motor Group
You needn’t worry when you buy a car from us - all of our vehicles are checked thoroughly before they go on sale so ensure that everything is in good working order. This means you can drive away safely in the knowledge that what you paid for the car was worth it. What’s more, we offer plenty of aftersales services to make sure that you get the very best out of your car, long after you’ve left the forecourt. Get in touch with any of our dealerships today to find out more about any of our cars or to book a test drive for a car you’ve seen on our site. We’d be more than happy to help you find the car of your dreams.
You may also like…