Test Drive Your Future Purchase

Buying a car, whether it is new or used, is a huge decision and it doesn’t matter if you are spending £500 or £50,000, you want to make sure that when you hand over the money you are 100% happy with your decision. You may have read all the reviews available in magazines or online about the car that you are wanting to buy, however the most important thing of all is that you like the car when you drive it. Many car reviews and TV programs will always mention things like, the ride feels hard or the steering is not very responsive, but the truth is that everyone is different. At the end of the day if you drive the car and fall in love withit, then it doesn’t matter what other people say about the car.

There are obviously many things to consider when looking at purchasing a car, such as mileage, service history, tax, MOT and finance structure to name but a few, however once you are happy with all of these things, then we recommend that you take the car for a test drive. As well as seeing if you like how the car ‘feels’ it is also a great way, if you are buying a user car in particular, to check that every thing works, such as indicators, lights, wind-screen wipers, CD player, breaks etc. You can also use the test drive to see if the car has any rattles or makes any uncharacteristic noises, like when you turn the sterring wheel, for example. They are called test drives for a reason, so make sure you test as many aspects of the car that you can before making your final decision.

Never be shy to ask to take a car for a test drive. The owner or salesman will always insist on coming with you, however this is ideal as you can ask questions as you drive and they will be able to provide you answers to any queries you have. If you are told that they will not let you take the car for a test drive then you have to ask them why this is so. The only valid reason maybe down to insurance, however if this is the case that you don’t have insurance that will at least cover you 3rd party, then ask the owner to drive the car and you travel as a passenger. Although you won’t be able to see how the car ‘drives’ for yourself, you will be able to check everything else. If you are buying from a dealer then they should have all the relevant insurance so this will not be a problem.

If you are buying new, you obviously won’t be able to test the exact model that you are buying, but getting a feel for the car that you want is a vitally important part of the purchase process. Remember, don’t let yourself be directed by what the seller has to say; do your checks, ask all the questions you want and don’t take no for an answer when wanting to take the car for a test drive.