[prashanthyr]

Interesting question, in an era where manufacturers are throwing in 24 hr test drives free of cost.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/joannmul...oses-optional/

The expense incurred in a test drive is a 'cost of doing business' for the dealer. it can't be a source of revenue.

[Abhishek3001]

I think that instead of paying for a test drive a much better option will be to hire a self drive rental 2-3 days.Then one can actually get a feel that what is it like to use the car on a daily basis and try everything out without the SA's constant and annoying stream of comments.

[NiInJa]

Done a few test drives for my friends. I think the experience varies depending on foot-falls. Example, a Fiat/Renault dealership will give you oceans and oceans of time with their cars, same cannot be said for the i20 Elite for which people wait as eagerly as having a plate of gol-gappe at a crowded thela, there is just not enough time.

I would not exactly pay for a TD if the dealership is not overwhelmed by requests, but I wouldn't mind spending a few bucks if I am to spend a bomb buying a new car. Again, there are lots of parameters to consider for both buyer and dealer : Costs should be affordable, cars should be mechanically sound, Buyers should be authentic and TDs must be limited because as a dealer you dont want people to take your car to Khandala or Shirdi in the name of test drive. I am sure there must be some legal aspects to it as well.

Voting Yes for now !

[DevendraG]

I answered Yes but as like some of our other members suggested, the poll needs to have some more descriptive options. However, the topic had been in our heads for a long time now, so a good thread anyways.

Test Drive for me is the hands-on of the already built-up impression one has from the comprehensive reviews, advertisements and/or word-of-mouth about their prospective car. I've had TD in the range of 5-10 KMs & that was pretty sufficient to get a Like/Hate/Neutral notion about the car (adding to your previous base of pre-concieved notions). And if you switch roles, Dealers have to be practical too & hence logical limitations are justified.

So when I answered "Yes", I answered it from the perspective of Own-Drive Rentals which I feel give that last mile for you to reach to your decision.

Advantages:
No nagging/ignorant/over-enthusiastic SA
Your choice of road/passenger/luggage combinations
complete freedom to explore all goodies
And finally, figure out most of the pain points

Disadvantages:
Limited options
You pay for it (it all depends on how you look at it)

[soumen.blore]

No I won't pay for taking a test drive and I wouldn't buy the car as long as I am satisfied with the test drive as well. I think if I am putting a lot of money in buying a car then I would buy it from the dealer who understands the same , I don't mind going to the dealers place multiple times to take the test drive rather than him bringing the car to my place.

If I have to pay for a test drive then I would rather rent the car and spend a day with the car driving it to understand it better .

[avdhesh15]

I would not mind paying for the fuel in order to take a long drive to understand the car more but only if it is reimbursed when I buy the car.

Case-in-point is that showrooms say there is no way to distinguish between a genuine buyer and otherwise. Somewhere I also agree with them especially considering where I stay (Andheri West in Mumbai), there is no decent road for stretching the car for quite a few kilometers around the area.

My suggestion the last time while buying my Dzire was to the showroom to arrange for an early morning TD at around 7am. Obviously didn't happen.

For my City, I managed to convince my SA to come at 8am to which he agreed (I guess maybe because we had pre-booked 3 vehicles from the same guy!).

[subhro1988]

Aggressive Assumptions:
Mileage of TD car - 12kmpl
TD distance - 100Km (Assuming you TD on your daily office commute of Thane to Nariman Point which involves both highway and city traffic)
Petrol price in Mumbai - Rs. 69.51/litre

The fuel cost turns out to be Rs. 580 in this case and it may be ok for the dealer to charge for fuel. But if the TD is for say 10-15Km then it does not make sense to pay for TD since the fuel cost does not even cross Rs. 100.

[Fornax]

I am OK with it, infact, that will not give me the guilty conscience saying NO...also willing to pay if I can choose not to be called thereafter.

However, this will take away the aspirational aspect of cars, the TD is not just for a customer to evaluate his purchase, its also meant to create demand for future.

[aravind.anand]

If they want me to spend Lakhs on their car, they should not expect few hundreds when a 'genuine' customer whats to experience the car. Honda gave me a 60 km drive before I booked the Honda City back in 2009.

PS: If they expect me to pay for an extended TD, then I would expect them to pay me if my service takes longer than the normally anticipated time - as technically 'my' car is under their roof

[Tanveer_2558]

I don't mind paying but why? Anyways most of the car dealership i have dealt with are always ready to provide the test drive at whatever location you require, For instance near the highway, An open stretch or in the city. To top it all, It only takes around 10-15 minutes to observe how the car behaves. I have never had a test drive longer than 30 minutes which includes looking at the exterior from every angle, The same with the interior and then the drive. For me it doesn't make sense to spend any amount of money for a test drive.

[landcruiser123]

Well, I voted for the option I didn't want to vote for. @mods: How can I un-vote ?

Well, I would not to pay for a long test drive, but I'll ask for a long test drive only on the car I'm 95% sure of buying.

For all the other cars, I would ask them to come to my house and take a spin to asses things like ground clearance, handling on bad roads etc.

I would use "process of elimination" and narrow down to two/three choices and then ask for a long drive of the top choices.

[dafpnp]

Nothing like a test drive from TATAs.
They'll let you drive to your heart's content, where ever you want to drive.
Once, they were low on fuel but they refilled and let me drive.
And the best part, no sales questions after the test drive. The questions are only related to drive experience.
Wish others could follow.

[reignofchaos]

I don't mind renting a car that I wish to buy for a day or two on my own money if I really want to try out. Completely worth it to try out the car to your heart's content before planking down a bundle of cash.

In fact this is quite common in another area I am interested in - high end audio. There you put a retainer and try the equipment in the comfort of your home. Once you return the demo equipment, you can take back your deposit minus minor administrative charges.

[GeeTee TSI]

It's already an ordeal to enter a showroom past the army of Name & Number recorders, ill informed sales personnel who expect us to test drive a certain model and 'extrapolate' the experience for the one they don't have and you want!

Personally, I feel the car can be experienced only over a cycle of city crawls, inclines, cruises and overtaking manoeuvres ; the test drive maybe helps in a sanity check of the model shortlisted. More like a trial room experience Paid service for a longer duration can go only so far

[Accent Martin]

In an ideal scenario, a customer need not really pay for a test drive even if the customer has a preference on duration or place or the time for a test drive. In-fact the sales team of dealers should be flexible to oblige with customer's requests on time, duration and place for test drive. They should know that being a bad sales man is being a promoter of competitor's products.

But if the system in large is not accommodating for a customer's request on test drive requirements, then I wouldn't mind paying for them showing a special gesture in accommodating my requirements. Even if I pay, at least I can gain valuable inputs that factor in to my final decision making process when millions of rupees are at stake for one car.