Test Drive

Intel486 · 02-18-02, 06:05

I was just at a local ford dealership and they have a new black Lightning

I was talking to the guy about it and he gave me his card. Told me to call him and he'll set it up for me to test drive

I've never done a test drive b4

When I got my F-150 I had already driven them before so I just bought one. I've got a few questions about taking the L out for a ride.

What if I get in an accident

And... Do the dealers let you... Push the vehicle a little

puterbum · 02-18-02, 06:10

Couple of questions and one answer.

Age limit?
What if anything do you have to do to test drive? I'm 18, have a car, license, all that good stuff.

Answer for one question:

Find a salesperson who is the epitomy of the "car salesman." He'll open doors for you, make small talk, joke around, agree with everything you say. This type of person will let you do pretty much as you please with the truck as long as it isn't overly dangerous. He just wants to make a sale, make sure he knows you are interested in buying it

.

BradE · 02-18-02, 06:36

You should not have any problems with test driving Justin. I am 19 and have test driven many cars. They usually ask for a copy of your license and see proof of insurance.

I test drove a 2001 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph while my Jag was getting the oil changed at the local dealership. They might have let me drive it though because I had done business with the dealership in the past.

At any rate, they should not give you any problems. If they do chances are you would not want to buy a car from them anyway.

Intel,

If you get into an accident while test driving a car, I think your insurance will cover it. I know mine does. Check with your insurance company to be sure.

bretfraz · 02-18-02, 06:46

I've test driven dozens, may be hundreds of cars. It's always fun to take a new one for a spin. But as you are sensing, there is a protocol with this.

I used to be a test driving nut without any consideration of what I was doing except getting my jollies. But you do want to be professional and mature with this. A salesman wants you to drive a vehicle because he thinks it might lead to a sale. If you have no intentions of buying then you need to be a bit of an actor but not a bullshitter. A good salesman can sniff a stroker in two seconds. So tell him that you are in the early stages of car comparisons and are in the process of elimination phase, and that you are eliminating dealers as well as cars. Know who the other SVT dealers are in your area so that if he asks if you're shopping someplace else you can tell him who it is.

When it comes to driving you want to be responsible yet enjoy the experience. So yea, you can open it up, just use some common sense as to when and where. Dealers usually have a designated test loop (for a variety of reasons) so you can drive that but if you need to go someplace less busy in order to test the performance, no harm in asking and doing that.

As far as insurance is concerned, you want your own policy to cover you but the dealer has their own insurance and will cover any accidents. If you cause the accident then it'll be similar to having an accident in your own car. Stuff happens and the dealers insurance covers test drives because it's a cost of doing business for them. Don't worry about it.

You need to be a licensed driver to test drive a vehicle. If a dealer is willing to let you drive one of their cars then you're OK. They'll probably want a copy of your license (they always do) but that'll be all for the most part.

One last tip - Take your test drives when the dealers are slow. Don't go in on Saturday afternoon when they are jammed. Or go test driving when the dealer is having one of their nutty sales. They're in business to sell cars. But if you go when it's quiet then you'll be treated better and things will be more casual.

Have fun!!

JohnN · 02-18-02, 07:28

What Bret said

Actually - if you've got liability insurance under your own name, you are covered for liability on all vehicles you'd drive, in the event that they are not covered. The dealer should have comprehensive coverage on the test car, but you've got your own policy as a fallback, as peace of mind.

As to whether or not they let you, uh, drive - do yourself a favor - drive the damn car like you're breaking out of jail (ok, maybe not quite, but you get the point). I was ready to buy an Acura when a real %*!^ of a dealer told me to slow down on a very open road (and I was going no faster than 50 MPH). I decided to let 'er rip - I'm the customer, I'm driving within reason, and I should be allowed to test the car the way I'd normally drive it (like a lunatic).

Mercedes and Lexus were great - brought my CD magazine, even turned up the radio and rolled down the windows. Lexus let me ride along, which was great. BMW's dealer took a few looks at me first (since I'm not the oldest guy and I wanted to test an X5 4.4), but eventually got over it. Acura was the worst of the bunch, trying everything they could at the four dealerships I visited to prevent me from actually driving one of their cars.

Intel486 · 02-18-02, 07:33

I've looked at two lightnings now. The first one was in Nashville. I pulled over to look at map *cough* because I was lost. They had a red lightning I started to look at. Salesman walks up and ask if I wanna take a test drive. I was like, "I don't live here. I'm lost man"

The black one tonight. Like the first thing he did, "Here is my card, give me a call so we can set you up to test drive"

Don2000g · 02-19-02, 08:56

Just floor the test car. I mean step as hard on the accelerator as your leg permits. Just kidding of course. Sure you can step on it a bit. Do so especially on a solitary road. Come to a complete stop and just accelerate a bit briskly. See what the truck or car can do a bit. Laters

geekysteve · 02-19-02, 09:02

One little note...

The dealers photocopy your license, then do a credit check on you while you're out test driving the vehicle. Constant credit checks on yourself can lower your credit rating, and the dealers can often see who has been obtaining credit reports on you...

So, they might have an idea where you've been and what you're worth. I usually don't let them photocopy my license when I go for a test drive - too much personal information given out for my tastes.

PS: Tell the sales guy you'd like to get on it a bit, and don't do it as you're leaving the dealership. Ask them how long the test loop is, and about mid-way through it, ask them if you could test it out a bit. Drive cautious at first so that they feel comfortable with you- this goes a long way with the salesguy/gal.

PPS: You bought a truck without test driving it??? What if it had some hideous problem? If I had a nickel for each truck/car that had some significant problem from the factory...I once drew a PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection) for a 1996 Aspire that didn't start while on the truck...I got the car in my stall, did a battery test - it was perfect. I went to check the fuses - no fuse box...hmmm...check a little more, no wiring harness in the interior!!! What?! Just a word of warning....

Intel486 · 02-19-02, 10:34

Crud, i don't want them doing a credit check on me. I don't think I have enough credit to even buy the truck if I wanted too

I didn't know doing a lot of credit checks will lower your credit rating. Why?

I'm going to start finding ways to make extra money. I might end up getting a 03. That will give me enough time to find a way to make those payments. It'll also give me some time to save money to put a large downpayment on it. $550 a month! Ouch!

I only worry about them changing the design on the F-150s then I'll have just bought an old style Lighting

I heard they might be doing something in 04 with the design. Anyone know of anything?

geekysteve · 02-19-02, 10:36

According to my banker friends/accounts (I do internet security for banks/corporations), running a lot of credit reports lowers your score because the creditors think you're going to be spending more money soon...so, you'll have more debt...

I can get specifics tomorrow; I have to go to a board meeting for one of the banks that I work with.

Don2000g · 02-20-02, 07:14

Absolutely! Lenders may feel as though you're a risk or a liability as you may very well get 10 credit cards, department store cards, etc.. and then run a bill on several of these. This may very well hamper your ability to pay a lender back. Laters

MarylandVW · 03-06-02, 12:31

Ok, here is the deal. When you have credit, your information is typically held by three compnaies, Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union. When you have a credit report "pulled" the companies tend to pull all three records, as they have different scores (but usually in the same range).

The "score" that most people refer to regarding Credit Reports is called your Beacon score. It goes from 0 to 1000. If you have a Beacon score of 800 and above, you are typically regarded as having "A" credit. You would have to own a house or two, plus some cars as well, in order to have "A" credit. Most people have "B" credit which is a Beacon Score of around 650 to 790.

The problem with the Beacon score is that your credit rating is lowered every time someone pulls your credit history. This is done to prevent from having individuals pull their credit history on a regular basis to make sure that everything looks good (so to speak). So, yes, you do get penalized for having your credit history pulled, but not too much.

If you are not out applying for loans or credit cards all the time, you really have nothing to worry about. You should be cautious about your credit information, as companies (like credit card companies advertising pre approved cards) can pull your information if they are trying to offer you credit cards or loans.

It is recommended that you pull your credit information once a year, and take a look at it. You can get your credit history for free once a year, so it is a worth while thing to do. This lets you see who has been looking at your credit history, when they looked at it, and what they did with it. If there are incorrect statements, and such, you can dispute them with the company, and get it removed from your history.

Ok, just so you know, I am not a finanical analyst. I just have a bit of experience with the loan thing, and credit stuff. This is just my humble opinion and comes from my experience, so please do not take my notes above as law. Hopefully, just some useful info that I wish someone passed on to me some time ago.

Best regards.