What was your first experience test driving?

southercadesi · 03-08-2011, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldGuy

Test drives, usually with a salesman at your side, in a car you don't want to abuse because someone else eventually will buy it, don't fully let you get to know any given car. I didn't detect the road noise I heard after purchase and I was too distracted with so many other observations in the car (and being careful to not damage a strange and very expensive car) to fully evaluate the quality of the ride (harshness). But I was smitten with the car and "felt good" behind the wheel and was sold. I'm glad I bought but a half hour sample drive preliminary to years of ownership is like one evening with a potential spouse compared to the decades of marriage that follow---neither reveal most of the bad or most of the good.

Well put.

Red__Zed · 03-08-2011, 09:41 PM

First test drive I hated the transmission and thought the car was woefully underpowered. I did enjoy the ride, though.

hdskull · 03-08-2011, 09:47 PM

First dealership I went to wouldn't let me drive their only z on the lot.
"Will you be looking at purchasing the car?"
"Yes, I'm going to buy one for sure this weekend."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I've waited for quite awhile."
"We're going to have to check your credit."
"I'm fine with that."
"Are you sure?"
"Are you going to let me test drive the car?"
"We don't want to put a lot of miles on the car, but if you're going to buy it, then yes."
"Um... can I at least look at the car before I commit to buy? I don't want to drive it anymore"

I e-mailed a few dealers online, and when I walked into the dealer, the salesman asked me if I wanted to try out the auto gearbox or convertible to see the difference. I didn't even drive it. I did the paper work and drove it home

VaGntlmn · 03-08-2011, 09:56 PM

Scheduled a test drive for my wife and myself. Showed up at the dealership, did the required drivers license / proof of insurance, they gave us the keys, and they let us go.
First impressions - visibility - omg!!
Limited the top speed to 70 or 80 just to see how it handled (tight - nice!!)
And that did it.
Had them start looking for the Z with the options that I wanted.

zvr · 03-08-2011, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juleous

Booked a test drive with the sales guy that I know, went for booked appointment and he was busy but said you can go with this girl right here she is not busy. Super hot blonde walks up, I try not to show my excitement.

We climbs in, and go's for a rip up the highway. Car was so tight and so was she.

They did the same with me asked some dude for they keys then some hot 25 y/o chick shows up for the test drive. I thrash the gearbox for 5 minutes then realize we are running out of gas. She grabs their corporate gas card and I Tell her I'll heading gonna grab a coke until she gets back. She looks at me and sheapishly and says she'll wait because

she can't drive stick.

LunaZ · 03-08-2011, 10:29 PM

I would also like to add that the first dealership I visited denied me a test drive.
Needless to say, they lost the sale.

Snakes709 · 03-10-2011, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LunaZ

I would also like to add that the first dealership I visited denied me a test drive.
Needless to say, they lost the sale.

sucks to be them huh. When i was in the market for a new car/truck when i was selling my 370z, i went and looked at a SRT-10. Dealership wouldnt let me test drive it. I told the guy that its bs but oh well. 3 months later i went back to that dealership with another SRT-10 that i bought. Needed to speak to a Viper Tech and that dealership was the nearest. Talked to the sales guy that denied me the test drive and i said to him "well i really did like the yellow fever one you guys have....and still have. If you had let me test drive it, you would have sold it...but you didnt so i bought this one...."

His co-workers laughed at him as he was getting pissed off...lol.

vgd · 03-10-2011, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakes709

sucks to be them huh. When i was in the market for a new car/truck when i was selling my 370z, i went and looked at a SRT-10. Dealership wouldnt let me test drive it. I told the guy that its bs but oh well. 3 months later i went back to that dealership with another SRT-10 that i bought. Needed to speak to a Viper Tech and that dealership was the nearest. Talked to the sales guy that denied me the test drive and i said to him "well i really did like the yellow fever one you guys have....and still have. If you had let me test drive it, you would have sold it...but you didnt so i bought this one...."

His co-workers laughed at him as he was getting pissed off...lol.

Why would they deny a test drive?
I like to call ahead first before I come and make sure I can drive one.

My dealership is connected to ~20 banks. Is it a good idea to ask them to find the APR % from those banks? Do you think it's rigged?

ProfessorDave · 03-10-2011, 08:27 PM

First I couldn't figure out how to adjust the touring seats.

Then I stalled it.

They must have had a good laugh about that at the dealership. But then our new puppy peed in their lobby. So everything turned out fine.

cfweber · 03-10-2011, 08:29 PM

I drove from Cincy to Indy just to get to the dealership

My research was done and a deal was very likely

I remember how loud the Z was (coming from an Si)

The salesman, Nate, said at one point

"turn up here...go ahead and get on it a little bit"

The drive back home after I bought it was amazing....

I do love this car

LunaZ · 03-10-2011, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vgd

Why would they deny a test drive?

My guess is that punk-a** twenty-something didn't like what he saw when I rolled up and decided to flex his power like some kind of mall cop and deny me.

Snakes709 · 03-10-2011, 10:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vgd

Why would they deny a test drive?
I like to call ahead first before I come and make sure I can drive one.

My dealership is connected to ~20 banks. Is it a good idea to ask them to find the APR % from those banks? Do you think it's rigged?

the excuse they gave me is "we dont let anyone test drive our pride and joy" i laughed at him and i said "really? a 05 SRT-10 Ram with 60,000km on it is your pride and joy of the dealership? the truck is a fine truck, but not that fine"

But i know for a fact its all how you dress and what you drive. He didnt see the Z i was driving and i was dressed in casual clothes.

Same thing happend to my boss at my old work. The owner of the company owned a 94 Viper. The Co-Owner owned a KIA and wanted to go test drive a porche, he got some info about the car he wanted to drive but the dealership said no you cant test drive it. So he called the owner up and got the Viper for the day, went back to the dealership and said "heres my other car that i dont normally drive" dealership then said "ok lets go for a rip in the car you want" my boss said "nah, i changed my mind, im going to go by a 09 Viper ACR"

Red__Zed · 03-10-2011, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LunaZ

My guess is that punk-a** twenty-something didn't like what he saw when I rolled up and decided to flex his power like some kind of mall cop and deny me.

A lot of dealers have a no-test-drive policy on cars like the Z now. They're often able to sell them without offering rides, and it's not worth the risk.

spearfish25 · 03-10-2011, 10:10 PM

When I bought my Z in 2009, they saw my hospital ID and let me test drive the car once with the salesman and then again with just my wife. The sales guy was freaking out saying "whoa whoa whoa" when I got on the throttle a bit. No balls. My wife was just rolling her eyes. Likes to bust balls.

LunaZ · 03-10-2011, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snakes709

But i know for a fact its all how you dress and what you drive. He didnt see the Z i was driving and i was dressed in casual clothes.

I had on a smart grey sport jacket and Gucci shoes... and I rolled up in a Mercedes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red__Zed

A lot of dealers have a no-test-drive policy on cars like the Z now. They're often able to sell them without offering rides, and it's not worth the risk.

I have a no-spending-$40,000-with-businesses-that-don't-treat-me-the-way-I-want-to-be-treated policy.
With my specific wants, I was willing to order a car and pay a premium if necessary. Their loss.
Better yet, I ran into the sales manager from that dealership at the local Sons of Italy Lodge. He was wearing a Nissan logo sweater and I asked what he did for Nissan. After finding out his position, I shared my story with him. He told me that sales person was no longer there and asked me if I'd like to come in and take that test drive. I told him he was way too late and another dealership got the sale.
He bought me a drink and offered me a test drive in the GT-R they have in the showroom.
I thanked him for the offer, but had to decline on principle. I don't go to dealerships and test drive cars just for joy rides. That kind of thing ruins it for those who are serious and actually want to buy a car.

03-08-2011, 09:56 PM	#34 (permalink)
VaGntlmn Enthusiast Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Centreville, Va Age: 64 Posts: 378 Drives: '10 Tour/Sport, 6MT Rep Power: 15	Scheduled a test drive for my wife and myself. Showed up at the dealership, did the required drivers license / proof of insurance, they gave us the keys, and they let us go. First impressions - visibility - omg!! Limited the top speed to 70 or 80 just to see how it handled (tight - nice!!) And that did it. Had them start looking for the Z with the options that I wanted. __________________ Bill 2010 370z; Tour/Sport; 6mt; BlackCherry/Grey; 318 rwhp; 265 lbs rwtq. To view a list of my mods, click here; To view a photo journal of the mods, click here.

03-08-2011, 10:29 PM	#36 (permalink)
LunaZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Vagabond Posts: 6,704 Drives: Project: a white one Rep Power: 512	I would also like to add that the first dealership I visited denied me a test drive. Needless to say, they lost the sale. __________________ 2009 370Z Sport/Touring/Navigation \| see my journal for mods facebook: Be my friend... or not.

03-10-2011, 08:27 PM	#39 (permalink)
ProfessorDave A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Scranton, PA Posts: 1,580 Drives: In the fairway Rep Power: 19	First I couldn't figure out how to adjust the touring seats. Then I stalled it. They must have had a good laugh about that at the dealership. But then our new puppy peed in their lobby. So everything turned out fine. __________________ Rain, snow, sleet, hail: 2009 Mazda 3 sGT HB Everything else: 2009 370z, PW Touring 6MT

03-10-2011, 10:10 PM	#44 (permalink)
spearfish25 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 4,117 Drives: to work Rep Power: 1856	When I bought my Z in 2009, they saw my hospital ID and let me test drive the car once with the salesman and then again with just my wife. The sales guy was freaking out saying "whoa whoa whoa" when I got on the throttle a bit. No balls. My wife was just rolling her eyes. Likes to bust balls. __________________ 2013 Cadillac V-Wagon, RIP Z

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03-08-2011, 09:41 PM	#32 (permalink)
Red__Zed A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: window seat Posts: 28,940 Drives: Mostly on two wheels Rep Power: 120	First test drive I hated the transmission and thought the car was woefully underpowered. I did enjoy the ride, though.

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hdskull Track Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: San Diego Posts: 680 Drives: '10 Black 370Z 6MT Rep Power: 17	First dealership I went to wouldn't let me drive their only z on the lot. "Will you be looking at purchasing the car?" "Yes, I'm going to buy one for sure this weekend." "Are you sure?" "Yes, I've waited for quite awhile." "We're going to have to check your credit." "I'm fine with that." "Are you sure?" "Are you going to let me test drive the car?" "We don't want to put a lot of miles on the car, but if you're going to buy it, then yes." "Um... can I at least look at the car before I commit to buy? I don't want to drive it anymore" I e-mailed a few dealers online, and when I walked into the dealer, the salesman asked me if I wanted to try out the auto gearbox or convertible to see the difference. I didn't even drive it. I did the paper work and drove it home

03-10-2011, 08:29 PM	#40 (permalink)
cfweber Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Independence Posts: 388 Drives: 10 370Z BS 6 SP Rep Power: 15	I drove from Cincy to Indy just to get to the dealership My research was done and a deal was very likely I remember how loud the Z was (coming from an Si) The salesman, Nate, said at one point "turn up here...go ahead and get on it a little bit" The drive back home after I bought it was amazing.... I do love this car