Tips to consider during Test drive of cars!

skandyhere · 25th August 2007, 15:35

sathya_nars, i meant the intention of test driving all new models that periodically come into the market.

as an instance, i test drove the magnum last month, without of course, intending to make a buy at that point. so next time there's a new chevy release and i walk in, the showroom fellows wouldn't probably take to me very kindly as they know i'm not about to buy it and i'm there only to enjoy a free drive.

i agree with their rationale, and have no problems with it. but apparently, t-bhp has so many members TDing every new model that's released - which makes me curious as to how they manage it unless they have friends at the dealer.

@crazydriver

well, i guess the only thing they rely on is their gut feeling at the moment, to gauge if the buyer's a genuine party - when it comes to near-minors, that is. little do they know of the persuasive ability (and pestering ability, when all else fails) of college kids to get their dads make a buy... poor marketing skills, you can perhaps say, but the fact is that dealers have to deal with so many test drive requests from TD-shoppers, rather than car-buyers.

supercars · 4th December 2007, 22:07

I test drove many cars and I did buy a car at the end.

You just need to find the right vehicle for you.

I am also 23. It is just that you should not wreck the car or you may be in trouble.

ta1017 · 30th January 2008, 11:55

Hi

what happens if something happens while the TD ie lets a small crash/accident, you brake at a red light and a two wheeler guys bangs at the rear etc ...

who is liable ?

veejay.greatone · 30th June 2008, 16:39

Ford and GM cars follow the European standards and have the indication on the left hand side because they don't want the driver to leave his/her right hand from the steering wheel while driving. It all comes down to geting used to the controls in the end. Personally I think it is a good idea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabloo

LHD Controls VS RHD Controls:

Cars from Ford, GM have indicators on left hand side. But cars from Maruti, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai have it on right hand side. Adjust from one to another takes very little time. While TDing, be aware of this. Dont reject the car based on this criteria alone.

Path_Finder · 10th August 2008, 18:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by diabloo

LHD Controls VS RHD Controls:

Cars from Ford, GM have indicators on left hand side. But cars from Maruti, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai have it on right hand side. Adjust from one to another takes very little time. While TDing, be aware of this. Dont reject the car based on this criteria alone.

This is generally not much of a problem at all - some getting used to may be required. I have driven both times even interchangebly, but mananged without much issue.

sameel · 10th August 2008, 20:28

i did a small test drive then told the service guy to show me what the verna is capable of,..he scared the living daylights out of me. i was like. *** this one is a rocket!!. i then sat at the back, the feel was still there, then handling and stuff i didnt bother for me its all about A.S.S so yes i will buy my third car also from hyundai..its as simple as that. and a benz ofcourse just for show

.
i mean does these TD actually matter you need to drive a minimum of 100k over the highway and city mixed to actually get the full picture!! does it matter??.
for many it does. for me..its the peace of mind that i look for .
my tip for TD is look ahead and not just the material show value!!.
make sure the safety features atleast ABS is available. you never know when it will save your life!!

NetfreakBombay · 11th August 2008, 22:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by sathya_nars

Observe vibration during idle and running. In modern cars, you shouldn't feel it (or may be, very slightly).

TD a 6 months old Alto for a friend. That car vibrates at idle (neutral). I is felt by everyone sitting in the car. Is it common? And it seemed to go away after driving car for 2 minutes. We parked car and put it in neutral and vibration was gone.

What could be the issue there?

f50xj13 · 3rd November 2008, 02:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by veejay.greatone

Ford and GM cars follow the European standards and have the indication on the left hand side because they don't want the driver to leave his/her right hand from the steering wheel while driving. It all comes down to geting used to the controls in the end. Personally I think it is a good idea.

hi,
does it mean that honda, suzuki etc have controls at the right side even in europe and america??
Or is it that european manufacturers avoid the extra cost involved in rerouting of connections??

GTO - Touring · 3rd November 2008, 21:08

It is also important to gauge how comfortable you are with driving the car. What's good for someone else may not necessarily suit you. See how you fit into the driving position....whether the cars behaviour suits your driving style.

jasher26 · 15th December 2008, 16:57

great information. just perfect before you take the plunge

dushmish · 30th January 2009, 13:01

Nice thread. My two paisa worth:

1. check the ingress and egress from all doors. And get all family members to try it. Specially with young kids and elderly people. I realised during one such TD that my 5 yr old could not get in or out of SX4 without help. Its too high on the rear door. Also my mom-in-law found it uncomfortable to get in and out of the car.

Happy test driving!

balajird · 15th July 2009, 14:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Indian

I think, few other things to check:

1. Sit in the rear-seat & ask someone else to drive the car. Experience the rear seat feeling, just for the sake of your family members.

2. Check how easy is it to get-in & get-out of the car, both from driver seat & from rear-seat.

3. With the driver seat adjusted to your comfortable driving position, check the leg room at the rear. This is very important, as otherwise, you will hear the backseat people asking you "to move little forward". This will definitely affect your driving comfort.

My 2 cents, It is decided that only I will driving the car and my wife and other senior family members will be the passengers. So, when I TDed a Ritz, I asked my wife and other family members to sit at rear and asked their comfort level. Well, she wasnt comfortable at the rear complaining no back support and she didnt like the rear design, hence i have to reject the car.

Even though during the TD, i sit at the rear seat, i feel the rear seat comfort should be approved by our family members as they will be sitting most of the times.

I agree on the third point, there is no point having a cramped driving position in want of more rear leg room.

shayonpal · 23rd January 2014, 13:12

Looks like this thread hasn't been revived for a long time. And I couldn't find any other equivalent discussion in the forums.

Well, I have been reading through all the suggestions provided in this thread, and made a comprehensive list of all the things folks should look out for, while test driving. Please keep contributing to it, as and when possible.

Drivability

[ ]in smooth road
[ ]in bumpy road
[ ]in non-existent road
[ ]acceleration up the climb, with load and AC
[ ]ease of acceleration while overtaking a car
[ ]effort needed to shift gears
[ ]weight of steering in high speeds
[ ]visibility from driver’s seat: Signals, Vehicles on side (front and rear)
[ ]reverse without guidance from anyone
[ ]test drive during the night to check the headlights, and rear view

Cornering

[ ]at regular speeds
[ ]at high speeds
[ ]U-turns
[ ]driver’s visibility while cornering

Braking

[ ]at different speeds
[ ]at different roads

Experience in the cabin

[ ]noise of the fans at different speeds
[ ]vibration of the car during idle and running
[ ]effectiveness of the manual and auto settings of the AC
[ ]effectiveness of AC for both front & rear passengers
[ ]ease of access to various controls from driver’s seat
[ ]does adjusting seat height make any useful difference?
[ ]leg room and head room for both driver and passengers
[ ]experience the rear seat travel
[ ]ease of ingress and egress for both driver & passengers

I have also created a Evernote note, in case you wanna import it into your own account - https://www.evernote.com/shard/s15/s...0ec726b11422ee

I, myself, am looking to buy a new car, and am currently TD-ing quite a few ones. I will keep adding to this list as and when I find some more new points.

25th August 2007, 15:35	#31
skandyhere BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Charlotte/Blore Posts: 347 Thanked: 92 Times	sathya_nars, i meant the intention of test driving all new models that periodically come into the market. as an instance, i test drove the magnum last month, without of course, intending to make a buy at that point. so next time there's a new chevy release and i walk in, the showroom fellows wouldn't probably take to me very kindly as they know i'm not about to buy it and i'm there only to enjoy a free drive. i agree with their rationale, and have no problems with it. but apparently, t-bhp has so many members TDing every new model that's released - which makes me curious as to how they manage it unless they have friends at the dealer. @crazydriver well, i guess the only thing they rely on is their gut feeling at the moment, to gauge if the buyer's a genuine party - when it comes to near-minors, that is. little do they know of the persuasive ability (and pestering ability, when all else fails) of college kids to get their dads make a buy... poor marketing skills, you can perhaps say, but the fact is that dealers have to deal with so many test drive requests from TD-shoppers, rather than car-buyers. Last edited by skandyhere : 25th August 2007 at 15:40. Reason: simply.
	() Thanks

4th December 2007, 22:07	#32
supercars BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bombay Posts: 484 Thanked: 27 Times	I test drove many cars and I did buy a car at the end. You just need to find the right vehicle for you. I am also 23. It is just that you should not wreck the car or you may be in trouble.
	() Thanks

30th January 2008, 11:55	#33
ta1017 BANNED Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 34 Thanked: 6 Times	TD liability Hi what happens if something happens while the TD ie lets a small crash/accident, you brake at a red light and a two wheeler guys bangs at the rear etc ... who is liable ?
	() Thanks

10th August 2008, 20:28	#36
sameel BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: cochin Posts: 268 Thanked: 3 Times	i did a small test drive then told the service guy to show me what the verna is capable of,..he scared the living daylights out of me. i was like. *** this one is a rocket!!. i then sat at the back, the feel was still there, then handling and stuff i didnt bother for me its all about A.S.S so yes i will buy my third car also from hyundai..its as simple as that. and a benz ofcourse just for show. i mean does these TD actually matter you need to drive a minimum of 100k over the highway and city mixed to actually get the full picture!! does it matter??. for many it does. for me..its the peace of mind that i look for . my tip for TD is look ahead and not just the material show value!!. make sure the safety features atleast ABS is available. you never know when it will save your life!!
	() Thanks

3rd November 2008, 21:08	#39
GTO - Touring BHPian Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 710 Thanked: 54 Times	It is also important to gauge how comfortable you are with driving the car. What's good for someone else may not necessarily suit you. See how you fit into the driving position....whether the cars behaviour suits your driving style.
	() Thanks

15th December 2008, 16:57	#40
jasher26 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 201 Thanked: 4 Times	great information. just perfect before you take the plunge
	() Thanks

30th January 2009, 13:01	#41
dushmish BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 418 Thanked: 82 Times View My Garage	Nice thread. My two paisa worth: 1. check the ingress and egress from all doors. And get all family members to try it. Specially with young kids and elderly people. I realised during one such TD that my 5 yr old could not get in or out of SX4 without help. Its too high on the rear door. Also my mom-in-law found it uncomfortable to get in and out of the car. Happy test driving!
	() Thanks

23rd January 2014, 13:12	#43
shayonpal BHPian Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 42 Thanked: 8 Times	Re: Tips to consider during Test drive of cars! Looks like this thread hasn't been revived for a long time. And I couldn't find any other equivalent discussion in the forums. Well, I have been reading through all the suggestions provided in this thread, and made a comprehensive list of all the things folks should look out for, while test driving. Please keep contributing to it, as and when possible. Drivability [ ]in smooth road [ ]in bumpy road [ ]in non-existent road [ ]acceleration up the climb, with load and AC [ ]ease of acceleration while overtaking a car [ ]effort needed to shift gears [ ]weight of steering in high speeds [ ]visibility from driver’s seat: Signals, Vehicles on side (front and rear) [ ]reverse without guidance from anyone [ ]test drive during the night to check the headlights, and rear view Cornering [ ]at regular speeds [ ]at high speeds [ ]U-turns [ ]driver’s visibility while cornering Braking [ ]at different speeds [ ]at different roads Experience in the cabin [ ]noise of the fans at different speeds [ ]vibration of the car during idle and running [ ]effectiveness of the manual and auto settings of the AC [ ]effectiveness of AC for both front & rear passengers [ ]ease of access to various controls from driver’s seat [ ]does adjusting seat height make any useful difference? [ ]leg room and head room for both driver and passengers [ ]experience the rear seat travel [ ]ease of ingress and egress for both driver & passengers I have also created a Evernote note, in case you wanna import it into your own account - https://www.evernote.com/shard/s15/s...0ec726b11422ee I, myself, am looking to buy a new car, and am currently TD-ing quite a few ones. I will keep adding to this list as and when I find some more new points.
	() Thanks