Test drives

Manc5

Member
Messages
395
I have previously bought quite a few new from the manufacturer cars having never driven them.. usually either personally owned new release waiting list cars, 4x4 workhorses that i have at least sat in at a main dealer where their ability is a known, or company cars, again that I have sat in at a dealer where I only needed to keep them for 12 months so not too bothered if they do not meet expectations as I can get rid / use them as family pool cars :). That said.. anything 2nd hand and my own money I always drive the actual car I am thinking of buying. This is mainly to satisfy that need to know that it is is comfortable, (if a type I have never driven), drives tight, does not feel like it has been ragged from new and hammered, that the interior is not all rattling and that I feel happy it is a good one..... comfort factor I guess. For any 2nd hand car I have always driven them first then if happy had them checked.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,547
I will correct myself on my 2nd point about 2nd user cars. You can spot the faults if you have members of the SM forum that are localish to the car your interested in to have a look for you.

Some very helpful members of the forum have been known to go out of there way to help in that manner. Two i can think of off the top of my head did recently.

Yes indeed, current climate, though, it's not something I'd ask someone else to do.

C
 

Sommi

Member
Messages
430
I've always bought used cars on reasonably low budget and always from the seller and not a dealer. I test drive the car along with seller and whatever shortcomings I can come up with, I try and use to haggle down the asking price. If it works out I buy it else move on.
Only in case of buying my QP I was very nervous and test drove a few (3) before I settled on one.

I am now buying a new Atom (a new car purchase first time ever) for which no test drive is allowed by the factory... unless you are a journalist, youtuber or such like.
Something to do with insurance.

So I have no choice to buy it without driving. I did however get a "joy ride" in their test car with a reasonably enthusiastic test driver who made sure I could get enough feedback to make up my mind. Which I already had!
 

Oneball

Member
Messages
11,075
I’ve been diddled once by not test driving so would always try do one, E34, steering box was *******. Also had an M3 that I didn’t like the ride of. Later found out the test route was a super smooth bit of road.
 

minardirule

Member
Messages
185
Haven't test driven any of my previous 4 daily's and bought my Spyder sight unseen over the phone at auction.

Taken plenty of test drives that I didn't buy though.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,547
Probably aiming for a little less, but the way it's going I may well wait.

Nearly all of them are black on black with extra black, which is just not what I'm looking at. There was one that popped up last week, black on cream, and competitively priced, but gone now.

There's another same spec in St Albans but a bit more pricey.

There's one in Slough that would really fit (well it needs the wheels re-painting but that's a choice thing), but MOT expired in October, along with Tax so I want to be very sure I'm in a position to assess it correctly before I start contacting them

C
 

rossyl

Member
Messages
3,312
Bought my last two cars without test driving.

Yes I'd driven the actual model of car previously, so I knew I liked it.

But, the actual car I purchased, they were test driven by mechanics who regularly work on them and can more easily spot issues that I would likely not.
 

EnzoMC

Member
Messages
1,998
called a dealer today about two cars and was told that I needed to put reserve down on one, I could then check it out and test drive, if I didn't like it and wanted to look at the second one, i needed to get the refund, put a reserve on the other car and then arrange collection / test drive.

For me I need to test drive, to feel the driving position and what the cars is like. If you buy the car online is it difficult to get things fixed once you've go it.
 

Scaf

Member
Messages
6,512
The last 4 Jaguars I have bought I did not bother test driving, they were either new or exdemo and as I had XJ’d before I never bothered.
I didn’t test drive the Strad I have just bought either, but it was coming from Richard G so I was relaxed about it.
I bought a fiat 500 unseen and no test drive, that was a mistake as it needed a fair bit of work that I was not expecting - buyer beware and all that.
So I think the older the car, the more important a test drive is.
 

Gazcw

Member
Messages
7,696
Just wondering whether now is a good time to buy pricewise with lockdowns etc. and people wanting to offload or whether they are hanging on until normality resumes and will prices go up.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,547
Just wondering whether now is a good time to buy pricewise with lockdowns etc. and people wanting to offload or whether they are hanging on until normality resumes and will prices go up.

I've been looking for most of a year and TBH have seen very little movement in prices. Which is not what I expected.

Of course, does not mean that there are not deals to be had if you ask. The one I got close too made it pretty clear he wasn't going to drop much more than he had (a few hundred) and I would have actually taken it off him, no further questions.

C
 

Gazcw

Member
Messages
7,696
I've been looking for most of a year and TBH have seen very little movement in prices. Which is not what I expected.

Of course, does not mean that there are not deals to be had if you ask. The one I got close too made it pretty clear he wasn't going to drop much more than he had (a few hundred) and I would have actually taken it off him, no further questions.

C
Interesting. Like you I would have expected a drop. Bought 2 daily drives recently and no price reduction but the dealers went over and above to put things right. The merc rear heater was not working so a £700 repair basically. The sales guy was "I think they will just put if through the auction". He rang on the Monday, new window, 2 new batteries, lamda sensor, new mats and fuel. All for advertised price which was not excessive and I get 12 month warranty. I expected high value, low movement motors to drop a little for sure though.
 

Oneball

Member
Messages
11,075
Interesting. Like you I would have expected a drop. Bought 2 daily drives recently and no price reduction but the dealers went over and above to put things right. The merc rear heater was not working so a £700 repair basically. The sales guy was "I think they will just put if through the auction". He rang on the Monday, new window, 2 new batteries, lamda sensor, new mats and fuel. All for advertised price which was not excessive and I get 12 month warranty. I expected high value, low movement motors to drop a little for sure though.

Was reading something the other day about a shortage of silicon chips. Manufacturers have underestimated demand of new cars, reduced their orders and can now not produce enough to meet demand as there’s a lag in getting raw materials for chips.
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
I think the issues with used cars for a bit and maybe still to a point is that there were increased demand for used cars which increased prices. Then stock was hard to get partly due to Covid restrictions so this pushed the prices up on used cars as well.

I don't think used car prices will fall much for a while until the economic pain starts hitting. I have watched tons of vids about finance and the economy over the last almost a year. There is a lag and delay to when the economic pain starts hitting then we will see things change. The weird thing is that it will likely means inflation and increased prices as many aren't working so not providing goods/services so reduced production and productivity will mean increased prices.

Weird times for sure. Normal rules don't apply.
 

Gazcw

Member
Messages
7,696
I think the issues with used cars for a bit and maybe still to a point is that there were increased demand for used cars which increased prices. Then stock was hard to get partly due to Covid restrictions so this pushed the prices up on used cars as well.

I don't think used car prices will fall much for a while until the economic pain starts hitting. I have watched tons of vids about finance and the economy over the last almost a year. There is a lag and delay to when the economic pain starts hitting then we will see things change. The weird thing is that it will likely means inflation and increased prices as many aren't working so not providing goods/services so reduced production and productivity will mean increased prices.

Weird times for sure. Normal rules don't apply.
Certainly are strange times. You would expect demand to be low.
On another note. I have watched loads of vids over lockdown and unfortunately struggled with lag or delay.