Test Drive Techniques

Buying a car is a big decision, yet so many people walk into the dealership and let the car salesman convince them to buy the car that they want to sell them. Often, more time is put into the price negotiation and financing process than is put into actually choosing the car. One of the most important parts of choosing a car is the test drive. When you give a perspective car a test drive, you don't want to drive it around the block and leave it at that. You really want to put the car through its paces, ensuring that you like the way the car drives and how the engine sounds, and that you are comfortable that your car is a reliable vehicle. Take a look at the most reliable used cars page to see if yours made the list.

Where to Take the Car

When you are test driving the car, you want to make sure that you try out the car in ways that it will actually get used. Drive it on surface streets and take it on the freeway. Take it to a store and see how it gets into parking spaces. Drive it up and down a hill or two. You don't want to buy the car and later find out that it's hard to drive into parking spaces, or that it's sluggish going up hills.

Listen to the Engine

You will want to test the air conditioning system, especially if you live in a hot climate, and you'll want to make sure that the heat works well. You also want to give a good listen to how the engine sounds. Try to turn off the air conditioning, heating, and fans for a while during your test drive and pay attention to how the engine sounds. If it sounds bad, you probably won't be as comfortable driving it later on.

Give it a Brake

While you are on your test drive, you will want to give the brakes a good try. Do they stop confidently? Are the brakes spongy or responsive? Try to find a remote spot where you can drive about 25 miles per hour, and try to stop rapidly. Would you be able to stop if you saw a road hazard? Does the car try to swerve in either direction when you stop? If the car tries to turn while stopping the car, there could be a problem in the rotors or drums.

Steering and Alignment

Your car should be able to stay in the direction that you tell it to, without pulling in either direction. If you can, find an open area and try turning the car several times, including very tight turns. Does the car turn well? If it's not turning right, there could be problems with the car. Check the car's alignment by driving it on a straight stretch of road, and taking your hands off the wheel. Does the car continue on in a straight direction, or do you have to quickly put your hands back on the wheel and adjust the car? The car could have a problem with its alignment or could also have a problem in the steering linkage system.

Speed Up!

Acceleration can be fun, if you're driving the right car. Try accelerating the car slowly, as well as quickly. Does it accelerate smoothly in both instances? Is it sluggish? When you take the car on the freeway, can you get the car up to speed rapidly, or does it take its time? Will you be able to speed up quickly in order to pass other cars on the open road? The better you can test out your car before you buy the car, the more happy you will probably be after you make the final purchase.