Test Drive

Its Time to test the mettle of what could become your next car, visit your local car dealer and take your chosen car for a spin. Or give us a call and we will arrange the test drive for you, that way you wont be subjected to any pushy car salesperson.

Tips for a successful Test Drive

Preparing for a test drive begins before you leave home, it should be a pleasurable and enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, feeling good on a 15 minute cruise around the dealer's neighbourhood is not always the same as driving that same car around your neighbourhood for the years to come. To make sure you're picking the right car, it helps to understand how to evaluate it, and how to avoid common mistakes.

• Do you have young children? Take a baby seat to test the ease or difficulty of installation. Also, take the pram so you can test the boot for space.
• Take a good, long look from a number of angles. Do you like what you see? Inspect its lines and design, the quality of assembly, paint and body panel alignment. Everything should be perfect. Any flaws or imperfections are not acceptable.
• Don't look at cars on a rainy day. It hides paint imperfections that may indicate panel damage
• Take a friend with you - extra eyes, ears, and hands will come in handy.
• Choose a safe test-drive route that includes stop-and-go driving, rough roads, winding curves and highways (100km speed limit). Spend at least 30 minutes test driving each car youre thinking about buying.
• Get in and out. Do you have head clearance? Are you or regular passengers with special needs going to be able to get in and out easily? Is the vehicle too low (or too high) for children, pets or older passengers to climb into? Test the steering on an appropriate piece of road.
• Once you're comfortably seated, fiddle with the controls, such as the radio, air-conditioning, glove-box, indicators, wipers, headlights and hazard lights. Make sure they're easy to reach and operate. Ask your partner to do the same. Is it your kind of car? Do you look/feel good in it? Would you be comfortable driving it every day?
• Test the brakes on an appropriate piece of road to ensure a firm pedal and smooth, confident stops.
• You're testing this car for potential ownership, so don't treat it with kid gloves. At the same time don't attack the streets like you are on a mission to win Bathurst, either. What we mean is, give the suspension and steering a chance to demonstrate what condition they are in over rail crossings and other broken surfaces.

The more cars you test drive, the easier your final selection will be. Ideally, put the car through a driving test on a sparsely traveled road.

• Start out slowly to see how the transmission shifts up under normal driving.
• Listen for clunks when turning the wheel. Clunking can indicate suspension problems.
• Listen for noises in the car's drive train or transmission when accelerating. A modern automatic should shift smoothly and quietly under all conditions.
• Tap firmly on the accelerator at a modest speed, listening for clunks or thuds that indicate worn bushings or a loose or faulty drive-line.
• Listen for excessive noise when the windows are both open and closed.
• Accelerate with the air conditioner on and off to see if the power drain is acceptable.

After the on-road test, leave the motor running and carefully (with a rag or work gloves) remove the oil filler cap. If white smoke comes out of the hole the car may have a serious engine problem. Look at the underside of the filler cap. Any water, rust or sludge on it indicates a leaky head gasket, a cracked head, or a cracked engine block. Repairing these problems is very expensive.

Keep a notebook on hand to write your thoughts and list the safety features. This will make it easier to remember all the details when you make a final comparison.

Get started today!

Save time, hassle and money! Take the first step towards a Fleet Discount and call us today on 1300 554 553 or complete our friendly enquiry form and we'll help you save money on your next car purchase.

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