Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive?

Gansan · 31st July 2015, 20:57

I will pay, but not hire rates. Just for the fuel consumed, on a per KM basis. I would like a test drive of 10 - 20 KM.

k_ajay · 31st July 2015, 23:38

I would not want to pay for test driving a car. The manufacturer owes it to the buyer to test reasonably test a vehicle they intend to sell and what is predominantly considered a lifestyle/costly purchase in India.

At the same time, if I want to move to a considerably farther distance for a TD of my choice, that deviates from the norm, then I'll be willing to pay for the fuel and toll charges, if any. This too, I wouldn't mind paying for hot selling products. For a model that's hardly moving off the floors and just sits at the dealership, I would just ask them to give me a test drive on a route of my choice, no payments.

athanedar · 1st August 2015, 08:29

I would certainly not pay for a test drive and no one should either.
Interestingly US car maker Buick is offering potential customers 24 hours test drive. Customer can take the car with them home, office carryout theirdaily chores and enjoy the car without the salesman bugging you :-)
Just love the US market where the automobile Giants will go to any level to earn potential customers.

drsingh · 1st August 2015, 08:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by athanedar

I would certainly not pay for a test drive and no one should either.
Interestingly US car maker Buick is offering potential customers 24 hours test drive. Customer can take the car with them home, office carryout theirdaily chores and enjoy the car without the salesman bugging you :-)
Just love the US market where the automobile Giants will go to any level to earn potential customers.

The US market also offers 'tastings' at new restaurants /bakeries. And free samples at malls /bakeries /ice cream shops etc.

Doubt that approach would work in India

Kumar R · 1st August 2015, 13:33

I believe the poll question should be reframed to ask if we would pay for a test drive as an alternative to : (1) no TD; (2) TD with waiting period of hours / days (3) very limited duration / distance.

AWD · 1st August 2015, 14:01

Test drives for me are so important that they could be the sole make or break factor while purchasing the vehicle. Some Dealerships do not realise the importance of test rides & keep it too short over road stretches nearby their agencies. While some go the extra mile to satisfy the consumer.

Of my around 20 odd yrs of test drive experiences, I have come across all sorts of dealerships & the test drives they offer. Must say it mostly depends upon the executive dealing also. Eg. I've come to know & form contacts with some executives through test drives only that they would go to any length to please the customer. Some of them themselves say "sir as you are paying so much for the car, its important that you are satisfied, therefore try to your hearts content". While others would let you be for a short while behind the wheel.

Few dealerships are so good that they even go as far as saying, Sir keep the vehicle for a couple of days & decide. But these are very few these days. My latest Creta test drive experience was a good one. Took the car for a ~ 60kms spin. Fuel did bottom out but we were lucky as the same dealers other agency was around. Overall I was happy with the test ride as the executive let me take the vehicle over bad roads & some of-roading(into fields, etc.)

As for me I wouldnt like to pay for the regular test drives, but if Im allowed to retain the vehicle for a couple of days, I won't mind paying a small amount for that.

Shanksta · 3rd August 2015, 12:01

Test drives are free and they should be that way. IMHO they should be as long as a customer wants, except maybe for the odd one who would want to drive a car for 75-100kms, the general buyer would not be test driving a vehicle for more than 15-20kms. I feel how much ever of an expert a person is, it would take at least 10-12 kms to get a proper feel of a car and its particular behavior.

anilp · 3rd August 2015, 12:15

My take is that test drives should be free as long as it's within the reasonable range of 5-10 kilometres. This is just a marketing/product evangalisation cost at that point. Beyond that, I will pay for the fuel out of my pocket (which some dealerships do allow) as well as personal liability in case I cause an accident or damage the car in some way.

While I've usually got only test drives of up to 5-10 kms for cars, I've had good test drive experiences with bikes. For example, when one of my friends was out on a bike evaluation spree, we had a good experience.

Royal Enfield showroom, Nerul gave us their test drive Thunderbird to keep over the weekend. We took it out for a 100 km+ ride (which the showroom was okay with) by paying for our own fuel.

As a result, my friend booked the bike on Monday. For the record, I do not agree with Royal Enfield's lack of quality control in products. But there's no way that you can fail to be impressed by a showroom's consideration such as this case.

PrideRed · 3rd August 2015, 12:16

I would pay only for below reasons:
1. If the Car is a AMG,M-Power or likes.
2. If the test drive is exotic location, with lot of twisties and is long enough.
3. If my better half is on the passenger seat instead of sales rep

On serious note, can the dealership charge for a test drive legally? Provided that none of the cars are yellow board(or black number plate), I don't think they can charge.

suzuki san · 3rd August 2015, 12:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harneet.S

It's like going to a bose showroom and the staff saying, 'Sorry, packed pieces only; you can't listen to any of what you like'. Why? Why pay for all this retail space, pay bills, salaries, overheads when the customer doesn't know what he's buying?

Hi Harneet,
That's exactly what I was told by every Bose showroom in Bombay (I called before visiting) when I was looking at buying a particular set of Bose speakers!!! Needless to say I did not buy them.

My answer to paying for a test drive would be a big No!!

Regards,
SS

saurabh041086 · 3rd August 2015, 12:43

Very nice topic and i would also like to share my points on it.

Short answer, I don't think paying for longer duration test is some thing i will be comfortable with. However I will happily pay for fuel if the test drive on route of my choice and nearly 20-25 kms on varied type of roads.

I have taken test drive of around 7-8 cars in past from multiple showrooms for each car. Salesmen are generally keen to take you on finer roads close to showroom rather than routes of your choice. On top of this most of them have very less knowledge about variants and features. Incompetent salesmen in terms of product know how(i am not saying all of them) is the biggest turn off. On top of all this i have even got the worst response when i found the performance of TD car is sluggish. Salesmen were very comfortable saying " Sir, its a TD car and hasn't been serviced since long". Contrary to this i think these should be the cars kept in top notch condition.

MaheshY1 · 3rd August 2015, 12:57

I'd rather give a 500 to the sales guy to shut the hell up; and stop asking me to take the U turn. But definitely won't pay to the tunes of thousands. Instead I'd book a ZoomCar or Myles for a few hours or even a day.
The extra cost here gets you rid of the 'over-enthusiastic' sales guy. Then, you can talk endlessly of all that you like and dislike about the car with your family and friends without the sales person interrupting to talk of the "Offer" that's "about to end."

vasudeva · 3rd August 2015, 13:04

I have had no issues in test drives. First I select the car, then a TD of 10-15 mins/5-6 km once or twice is good enough. Never had to regret my decision.

Rajiv0909 · 3rd August 2015, 13:15

I wouldn't mind paying! However the cost of TD and associated marketing expenses are baked into the price that a consumer pays for the vehicle.

Hence if I do a TD and decide not the buy the vehicle, someone else ends up paying for my 15 minutes of fun (or lack of it). It would be a fair practice to charge for TD (long or short) and take the burden off from the eventual buyer. This will also help manufacturers filter out window shoppers

shobhit.shri · 3rd August 2015, 13:59

I would be willing to pay for taking the car home for 24 hours. In any buying decision, we would normally not have more than 3-4 contenders, so the cost should not add up to much. While we can argue forever about better customer care, this seems like a reasonable solution.

In my mind, it is like how restaurants charge different rates for different sitting areas.

View Poll Results: Would you pay for a satisfactory test drive
Yes!	165	37.84%
Test drives are free! No way!	271	62.16%
Voters: 436. You may not vote on this poll

31st July 2015, 20:57	#31
Gansan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 4,535 Thanked: 5,561 Times	re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? I will pay, but not hire rates. Just for the fuel consumed, on a per KM basis. I would like a test drive of 10 - 20 KM.
	(1) Thanks

31st July 2015, 23:38	#32
k_ajay Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,379 Thanked: 1,138 Times View My Garage	re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? I would not want to pay for test driving a car. The manufacturer owes it to the buyer to test reasonably test a vehicle they intend to sell and what is predominantly considered a lifestyle/costly purchase in India. At the same time, if I want to move to a considerably farther distance for a TD of my choice, that deviates from the norm, then I'll be willing to pay for the fuel and toll charges, if any. This too, I wouldn't mind paying for hot selling products. For a model that's hardly moving off the floors and just sits at the dealership, I would just ask them to give me a test drive on a route of my choice, no payments. Last edited by k_ajay : 31st July 2015 at 23:39.
	() Thanks

1st August 2015, 08:29	#33
athanedar BHPian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Pune Posts: 228 Thanked: 87 Times	I would certainly not pay for a test drive and no one should either. Interestingly US car maker Buick is offering potential customers 24 hours test drive. Customer can take the car with them home, office carryout theirdaily chores and enjoy the car without the salesman bugging you :-) Just love the US market where the automobile Giants will go to any level to earn potential customers.
	() Thanks

1st August 2015, 13:33	#35
Kumar R BHPian Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Account closed Posts: 315 Thanked: 1,005 Times	re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? I believe the poll question should be reframed to ask if we would pay for a test drive as an alternative to : (1) no TD; (2) TD with waiting period of hours / days (3) very limited duration / distance.
	(2) Thanks

1st August 2015, 14:01	#36
AWD BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Drivers seat Posts: 846 Thanked: 368 Times	re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? Test drives for me are so important that they could be the sole make or break factor while purchasing the vehicle. Some Dealerships do not realise the importance of test rides & keep it too short over road stretches nearby their agencies. While some go the extra mile to satisfy the consumer. Of my around 20 odd yrs of test drive experiences, I have come across all sorts of dealerships & the test drives they offer. Must say it mostly depends upon the executive dealing also. Eg. I've come to know & form contacts with some executives through test drives only that they would go to any length to please the customer. Some of them themselves say "sir as you are paying so much for the car, its important that you are satisfied, therefore try to your hearts content". While others would let you be for a short while behind the wheel. Few dealerships are so good that they even go as far as saying, Sir keep the vehicle for a couple of days & decide. But these are very few these days. My latest Creta test drive experience was a good one. Took the car for a ~ 60kms spin. Fuel did bottom out but we were lucky as the same dealers other agency was around. Overall I was happy with the test ride as the executive let me take the vehicle over bad roads & some of-roading(into fields, etc.) As for me I wouldnt like to pay for the regular test drives, but if Im allowed to retain the vehicle for a couple of days, I won't mind paying a small amount for that. Last edited by AWD : 1st August 2015 at 14:03.
	(1) Thanks

3rd August 2015, 12:01	#37
Shanksta BHPian Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Madras Posts: 796 Thanked: 2,835 Times View My Garage	Re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? Test drives are free and they should be that way. IMHO they should be as long as a customer wants, except maybe for the odd one who would want to drive a car for 75-100kms, the general buyer would not be test driving a vehicle for more than 15-20kms. I feel how much ever of an expert a person is, it would take at least 10-12 kms to get a proper feel of a car and its particular behavior. Last edited by Shanksta : 3rd August 2015 at 12:07.
	() Thanks

3rd August 2015, 12:15	#38
anilp BHPian Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: City of Dreams Posts: 338 Thanked: 389 Times	Re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? My take is that test drives should be free as long as it's within the reasonable range of 5-10 kilometres. This is just a marketing/product evangalisation cost at that point. Beyond that, I will pay for the fuel out of my pocket (which some dealerships do allow) as well as personal liability in case I cause an accident or damage the car in some way. While I've usually got only test drives of up to 5-10 kms for cars, I've had good test drive experiences with bikes. For example, when one of my friends was out on a bike evaluation spree, we had a good experience. Royal Enfield showroom, Nerul gave us their test drive Thunderbird to keep over the weekend. We took it out for a 100 km+ ride (which the showroom was okay with) by paying for our own fuel. As a result, my friend booked the bike on Monday. For the record, I do not agree with Royal Enfield's lack of quality control in products. But there's no way that you can fail to be impressed by a showroom's consideration such as this case. Last edited by anilp : 3rd August 2015 at 12:17.
	(1) Thanks

3rd August 2015, 12:16	#39
PrideRed Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2012 Location: BLR/PTR Posts: 3,282 Thanked: 9,680 Times	Re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? I would pay only for below reasons: 1. If the Car is a AMG,M-Power or likes. 2. If the test drive is exotic location, with lot of twisties and is long enough. 3. If my better half is on the passenger seat instead of sales rep On serious note, can the dealership charge for a test drive legally? Provided that none of the cars are yellow board(or black number plate), I don't think they can charge.
	() Thanks

3rd August 2015, 12:43	#41
saurabh041086 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Noida Posts: 349 Thanked: 340 Times	Re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? Very nice topic and i would also like to share my points on it. Short answer, I don't think paying for longer duration test is some thing i will be comfortable with. However I will happily pay for fuel if the test drive on route of my choice and nearly 20-25 kms on varied type of roads. I have taken test drive of around 7-8 cars in past from multiple showrooms for each car. Salesmen are generally keen to take you on finer roads close to showroom rather than routes of your choice. On top of this most of them have very less knowledge about variants and features. Incompetent salesmen in terms of product know how(i am not saying all of them) is the biggest turn off. On top of all this i have even got the worst response when i found the performance of TD car is sluggish. Salesmen were very comfortable saying " Sir, its a TD car and hasn't been serviced since long". Contrary to this i think these should be the cars kept in top notch condition.
	() Thanks

3rd August 2015, 12:57	#42
MaheshY1 BANNED Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Tapukara Posts: 452 Thanked: 1,309 Times	Re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? I'd rather give a 500 to the sales guy to shut the hell up; and stop asking me to take the U turn. But definitely won't pay to the tunes of thousands. Instead I'd book a ZoomCar or Myles for a few hours or even a day. The extra cost here gets you rid of the 'over-enthusiastic' sales guy. Then, you can talk endlessly of all that you like and dislike about the car with your family and friends without the sales person interrupting to talk of the "Offer" that's "about to end."
	() Thanks

3rd August 2015, 13:04	#43
vasudeva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,221 Thanked: 212 Times	Re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? I have had no issues in test drives. First I select the car, then a TD of 10-15 mins/5-6 km once or twice is good enough. Never had to regret my decision.
	() Thanks

3rd August 2015, 13:15	#44
Rajiv0909 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2014 Location: Pune Posts: 287 Thanked: 651 Times	Re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? I wouldn't mind paying! However the cost of TD and associated marketing expenses are baked into the price that a consumer pays for the vehicle. Hence if I do a TD and decide not the buy the vehicle, someone else ends up paying for my 15 minutes of fun (or lack of it). It would be a fair practice to charge for TD (long or short) and take the burden off from the eventual buyer. This will also help manufacturers filter out window shoppers
	() Thanks

3rd August 2015, 13:59	#45
shobhit.shri BHPian Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Bangalore Posts: 224 Thanked: 814 Times	Re: Would you pay for a longer duration test-drive? I would be willing to pay for taking the car home for 24 hours. In any buying decision, we would normally not have more than 3-4 contenders, so the cost should not add up to much. While we can argue forever about better customer care, this seems like a reasonable solution. In my mind, it is like how restaurants charge different rates for different sitting areas.
	() Thanks