Make the Most of Your Test Drive

If you know what to look for, you can easily evaluate a new car or truck in as little as 10 minutes, even with a salesperson at your side. Here's how.

It's obvious advice, but it bears repeating: never buy a vehicle without first giving it a thorough test drive. Incredibly, many buyers will purchase a vehicle without so much as turning the key beforehand.

The catch is, unless you have the time and cash to rent each vehicle under your consideration and drive it for a week or so, you probably won't feel totally comfortable making a high-priced decision you'll live with for the next seven years. After all, the typical test drive consists of a few quick spins around the neighborhood, usually with your spouse next to you and a salesperson pitching the hardware from the backseat. But there is a way to rid yourself of the feeling that you're doing little more than putting on a blindfold before stepping off the plank when you test-drive a new car or truck.

To get the most out of your 10 minutes behind the wheel, you have to prepare. Think about what you're going to learn from a test drive, and make a plan.

Before You Start The Car

Your test drive begins as soon as you spot the car you're considering on a dealer's lot. Walk around it, and examine it from top to bottom. Do you like the overall design? Does it fit your image? How about the details: Do you like the door handles? Are these the right wheels? Is the color right? Honestly answer the question: Can you see yourself driving this vehicle every day?

Importantly, before you get behind the wheel, make sure it's the exact version of the vehicle you might ultimately buy. For example, don't drive a car that's equipped with a V-6 engine and believe it fairly represents the four-cylinder model. If the suspension, wheels, tires, transmission or seats are not the same as in the car you want to buy, the test drive may be meaningless. Some options, like adding an automatic transmission, can quickly change a vehicle's entire personality, while others can irritate you greatly over time. For example, you might test a car with power windows but decide to save money by ordering it with manual windows, only to be annoyed later by inconveniently located cranks.

Pay close attention each step of the way. When you open a door, consider how easy it might be to accomplish this with a load of packages in each arm. Does the door swing out too far for your cramped garage? Can you easily reach the inside handle to close it once you're in the vehicle?

Determine how easy it will be to get in and out of the car several times a day. Will you be asking small children or senior citizens to climb into the backseat? Sit in the backseat with one or two other people (and be sure to close the doors) to get a feel for the vehicle's head, leg and shoulder room. Open the trunk and imagine lifting heavy suitcases in and out of it. Is there a tall sill over which you'll have to lift packages? Can you easily reach the trunk or hatchback lid to close it?

Once behind the wheel, get as comfortable as you can. Adjust the seat, mirrors and tilt steering column (if it's so equipped) every way possible. If you'll be sharing the car with another member of your household, will it be easy to reset your position every time you drive?

Before hitting the road, examine every feature you can. Check the cup-holders to see if they'll interfere with the radio controls, ashtray or transmission lever. Try out a folding armrest to see whether it adds or detracts from your overall comfort. If you're a button pusher, make sure the radio is within easy reach. Can you turn on the defroster quickly when the windshield fogs up? Can you reach the horn by instinct?

What To Look For On The Road

Once you've established that all seating configurations and convenience items are to your liking, then you can actually drive the car. Typically, the salesperson will(understandably) want to ride along. He or she likely will suggest a driving route and may be chattering incessantly throughout your evaluation as well; don't be shy about gaining control of the situation by asking the salesperson to be quiet, if necessary, and taking the vehicle (within reason, of course) on the roads you choose, in the manner in which you normally drive.

It's best to start out where there is relatively little traffic so you can pay complete attention to the vehicle. Try to notice every detail you can think of. For example, when you press the gas pedal, does the car jerk forward suddenly, or is it too sluggish? A good place to test a vehicle's acceleration is a freeway on-ramp. You'll find out quickly if it's a struggle to match the prevailing speed.

When you're driving down a straight stretch of road, do you have to make steering corrections to keep it from veering off to one side or the other? This can be very tiring on long trips. Don't forget the brakes. Is it easy to modulate them and come to a smooth stop? What about a sudden one? Let the salesperson and any other occupants know beforehand that you want to try a panic stop, and try it only when there's no other traffic around, or in a large empty parking lot. Don't just mash the brakes, but press them hard to see if you can maintain control easily in an emergency. Does the front end dive excessively toward the pavement? Does the vehicle pull to one side or the other?

Look for a bumpy or pockmarked road. This will help you both test the suspension and find any rattles or shudders in the car body. Does the vehicle bounce up and down too lightly? This could make you seasick after a while. Do you feel the jolt of every ripple in the asphalt? Does the steering wheel kick back at you over large bumps?

Pay close attention to noises; not just the loudness, but the type of noise. Too much tire, engine or wind noise can be fatiguing over a long period. A vehicle's tires, especially those typically used with higher-performance models, may hum loudly on certain surfaces. Is wind noise a problem? Listen with the windows up and down (at partial- and full-open positions) and with the sunroof (if there is one) opened and closed.

Pay attention to how the automatic transmission is working. See how smoothly it shifts gears at both light- and full-throttle. Once you get up to speed, does it find a gear and stay there consistently, or does it seem to shift busily up and down, hunting for the right gear? Some modern transmissions will downshift automatically as you slow down or drive up- or downhill, and some automatics have switches that shift the range of gear changes for a power or economy mode. Be sure to try out these features as you drive. Many salespeople will tell you to take the transmission out of its overdrive setting because this can make shifting smoother and more responsive. Don't. This lowers fuel economy and isn't the way you would (or should) normally drive.

When testing a manual transmission, ensure that the clutch pedal depresses smoothly and isn't a chore to engage, for both short and longer periods of time. Try it out both when stopped on an even grade and while facing uphill. Shift up or down more than one gear at a time to see if you can find each gear readily. Does the lever mesh smoothly and positively into each gear, or is there an overly mechanical or grinding feel?

Is it easy to maintain a steady speed on roads and freeways? Can you approximate how fast you're going without having to monitor the speedometer constantly? What happens when you turn on the air conditioner? Does the car slow down markedly?

Pay attention to seat comfort. Some soft seats that may feel good for a quick trip lack the support needed for long journeys. Others will provide good support but can feel like a buckboard when you first sit down. While this is difficult to assess in a short test drive, look for the ability to change seat settings easily or make fine adjustments that would help make long drives comfortable. If possible, give the passenger's seat the same sort of thorough test.

Assessing handling in a short test drive is another challenge. Try to find as many different situations as possible to test the steering response. While not every vehicle will handle like a Porsche around the corners, you should be comfortable with the way the car behaves under a wide range of driving situations. Change lanes quickly when it is safe to do so. Seek out a corner with bumps in the road to see if it upsets the car. Try going both left and right at varying speeds. Some cars feel good at slower speeds, others at higher ones. Try to find a road where you can match the speeds that matter most to you.

One thing many people forget: Don't just drive the car, park it. When you try to parallel-park a car, you'll learn a lot about the vehicle's slow-speed steering. You'll learn how easy it is to see out of the car and determine where the corners of the vehicle are; try to judge how easy it will be to put it in your own garage.

If you're comparing a lot of different cars, it is a particularly good idea to bring along a notepad and write down things that strike you as good or bad. You can even make a list ahead of time to check off items you want to compare.

Test-drive similar cars from competing makes and note the differences. Then when you're pretty sure you've made up your mind, test-drive that car again, this time from an especially critical standpoint.

You'll also discover another benefit by conducting a proper test drive. When you find a dealer who's willing to give you the time to learn more about the car, you've also found one who may be more willing to earn your business. Conversely, you may want to avoid a dealership or salesperson who tries to dissuade you from test-driving a vehicle or who insists on having you evaluate a vehicle that's equipped differently from the one in which you're interested. Again, a $20,000, seven-year commitment is not one to be taken lightly.

by Jay Koblenz - Consumers Digest Auto Yearbook April 1997