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Tip No. 2:

Before he'll give you a car to test, a salesman will, at a minimum, demand to see your driver's license, and he may also want to know your home phone number and where you work. If you're defensive about any of this, he's unlikely to let you test a car alone. Freely divulge everything, and also offer the insurance slip on the car you just drove onto the lot. That document gives the salesmen a few more clues about who you are, and it at least demonstrates you're legally able to title a new car in your own name in that state. A Porsche salesman we talked to insists that his test-driving customers sign a loaner agreement before taking a car. Do it.

And here's another reason not to lie to a salesman. Dealerships increasingly use a Wilson Technologies scanner to run your license, just like the cops. If you have a history of vehicular mayhem, or if you've been convicted of fraud, or if your license is restricted in any way, the salesman will know—in about 10 seconds.

Tip No. 3: The surest way to get a long, meaningful solo test drive is to make the salesman comfortable. Assure him that (a) you're not a thief, (b) you're not out for a joy ride, and (c) you're actually in the market for the car you're asking to drive.

"If a guy wants to test, say, a V-6 Camry, every salesman will ask, 'Okay, so what other cars have you looked at?'" says Toyota salesman Glenn Gottfried. "And if that customer doesn't immediately say, 'Well, I'm also thinking about an Accord, a Sonata, a Stratus'—you know, if he can't name a few competing models in the class—then he's not serious or he's got some secret agenda. Which makes me nervous. And if I'm nervous, he's not taking a car off my lot. A guy who bares his soul is the guy who gets all the favors. He's the guy who comes in, shakes my hand, isn't defensive or combative, and says, 'I've driven these four cars, I want to purchase one in the next 10 days, I like the Accord and the Sonata the most—had a Taurus that I hated—but I'd prefer to buy a Camry if it had a better ride, a nicer stereo, and didn't cost me $750 extra. Can you make that happen?' That guy is a buyer. That guy gets any test drive he wants. I can't use any of that information against him—all I can do is put him in a car most likely to satisfy him. So, why don't we all try to get to that point as fast as possible?"

Tip No. 4: If you go to a dealership that imposes strict prohibitions regarding test drives—no deviations from prescribed routes, for instance, or mandatory ride-along salesmen—then go ahead and take the test drive anyway and drive like a perfect angel. When you return to the dealership, sip a Coke for 10 minutes, then go back to the salesman and say, "I really, really like that car. Would you mind if I drive it once more, this time alone?"

"Once I've ridden with a guy and know he's not a maniac and I have a feel for his motives, I'll always grant the second [solo] drive," says Gottfried. "Always. And then if he's gone for 30 or 45 minutes, I won't sweat it." Six other veteran salesmen, including one at a Porsche store, told us the same. Four others promised this: If a customer comes back a day or two later and says, "Since I last saw you, I've driven X, Y, and Z, but now I can't remember what your car drove like," the dealership won't hesitate to hand him the keys. "We call those 'be-backs,'" explains BMW new-car dealer Joe Gilmour. "Salesmen love be-backs. He's the guy I'll let take a car home for a night. We call that the 'puppy-dog close.' You take a cute puppy home, you fall in love with it."

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We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.