dealership
The Test Drive: The Date Before Marriage
Published on
19 June 2023
Just like you would date someone before choosing to be their partner, the test drive gives you a chance to touch, feel, and test everything, to see if it’s a right match! But what exactly should you be checking for?
Mae’s suggestions on what to check during a test drive:
- Get familiar with the blind spots in the vehicle.
- Test the acceleration and braking (how fast can it pick up?)
- Consider wind/road/engine noise (aka. what can you hear when driving?)
- How accessible is everything? Eg. the dashboard items, cup holders etc.
- Test parking the vehicle to get used to the size (new models get bigger and longer)
- Play with the infotainment (is it intuitive or hard to learn?)
- Does it have enough storage? (where would you put your purse/backpack?)
- Assess the seating space: headroom for passengers, leg room for back row when adjusted for you in the front row, ground clearance for kids/seniors etc.
- Storage space in the trunk, is there flexibility for additional storage space?
- Do back seats actually fold flat? If applicable, how accessible is it get into the 3rd row?
Sometimes the salespeople will let you go on a test drive alone. Other times, they can come with you to share tips and lead you on a pre-determined test route. Think about the type of driving you normally experience. Do you live in a hilly area? Test the power going up hills! Think about your lifestyle, what do you need you new car to be able to do for you.
