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Test Drives & Dealership Promotions

144 messages,  Last post on Mar 10, 2006 at 9:02 AM

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#122 of 144 oops by perna Oct 01, 2004 (12:29 pm)
About the auto shows, I go over the "time consuming stuff" like seat comfort, playing with the sound system, looking under the hood, etc... on the test drive I can ascertain the following in about 15 minutes: wind noise, body integrity, handling, and amount of GO. I'll never forget the Maxima's test drive, my wife swapped with me on the way back and she turned into a wild woman in that car. She thinks Mazda should be sued for false advertising, because "surely no car they make has the 'zoom' this one does!".   The wind noise thing I had to learn the hard way. My last car was an Olds Intrigue, and it was really quiet around town. Got it on the highway for the first time, though, and my heart sank. None of the seals (windshield, doors) were all that great, and one of them even caused a continual whistling noise that drove me nuts. Dealer never did get that car right.
#123 of 144 Lexus Test Drive Event by ateixeira Oct 04, 2004 (8:22 am)
Yeah, gotta get in a long test drive of the exact car you are buying. That can be hard, though.   I somehow got on the list and was invited to this Lexus event:   https://www1.travelhq.com/registration/lexustasteofluxury/pretrip- /home.mtc   Sounds like fun. Check out the list of cars you can potentially drive:   Lexus ES 330, GS 300, LS 430, GS 430, IS 300, SC 430, GX 470, LX470 and RX 330; Acura MDX and TL; BMW 530ia, 745i, 545ia, 330ia, X5 4.4i and X3; Land Rover Range Rover HSE; Mercedes-Benz C320, E320, S430, E500 and ML500; Infiniti G35; Jaguar XK8 Cabriolet; Cadillac XLR and Escalade; Volvo XC90.   -juice Replies to this message: jlawrence01 (Oct 04, 2004 1:30 pm)
#124 of 144 Re: Lexus Test Drive Event [ateixeira] by jlawrence01 Oct 04, 2004 (1:30 pm)
Replying to: ateixeira (Oct 04, 2004 8:22 am) This past weekend, GM sponsored an "Auto Show in Motion" which offered the ability to test drive 100-150 different GM and competitor models. What was disappointing was the relative few number of cars (vs. trucks and SUVs), and the few number of DCX and Ford models.   Generally, you got a great opportunity to test drive the GM models as the lines at the imports were a lot longer.   I like these massive test drive shows (like the one that Edmunds.com held in 2000) as it allows me to drive vehicles that I would not generally consider. I always find that my evaluation of the performance of certain vehicles often vearies with what I read on forums and reviews.
#125 of 144 Test Drive Question by which_brand Oct 04, 2004 (7:08 pm)
Individual dealer websites now have "schedule a test drive". Should I do this or just go in? I am able to pop in at unusual times, but I don't know what the non-busy times are during the week!   Thanks. Replies to this message: kirstie_h (Oct 05, 2004 4:46 am) boomchek (Oct 24, 2004 4:42 am)
#126 of 144 Re: Test Drive Question [which_brand] by kirstie_h HOST Oct 05, 2004 (4:46 am)
Replying to: which_brand (Oct 04, 2004 7:08 pm) I'm sure you'll get more advice from those in the biz, but from my perspective, if you think you're pretty interested in a particular vehicle, then scheduling a test drive is a good idea.   If the opportunity to make an appointment is available, then it seems that the salesperson would be able to prepare for your visit by having any print material related to the vehicle ready, be prepared to answer any questions about the vehicle and current pricing/promotions, and would have set aside enough time to spend with you without interruption.   As many of the salespeople who are members here will tell you, be sure to make the appointment when you KNOW you can make it No-shows stink.   kirstie_h Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host Replies to this message: boomchek (Oct 24, 2004 4:42 am)
#127 of 144 by ateixeira Oct 05, 2004 (5:59 am)
Absolutely Joseph, I quite often disagree with what a reviewer writes. You can't take their word for everything, you gotta sample things for yourself!   Schedule a test drive?   If you're seriously looking into that car, sure, by all means. If you are just casually shopping, I don't think I would. I'd just drop in.   -juice
#128 of 144 solicitations by stickguy Oct 05, 2004 (6:33 am)
Got a card in the mail from Volvo the other day. They are having a tie-in the the "Alex's dream" charity (the lemonade stand group, might be more regional). Anyway, if you drive something next weekend, they make a $10 donation.   So, since she is shopping, and the XC-90 is technically still on the short list, we will go and do our part for charity.
#129 of 144 by ateixeira Oct 05, 2004 (7:14 am)
Mercedes did that with the Susan G. Kolman (sp?) Breast Cancer Foundation a while back. I drove every car they had there!   They made a donation based on the number of miles you drove.   -juice
#130 of 144 by stickguy Oct 05, 2004 (10:34 am)
BMW does those drive events too. At least they bring in cars to drive, and probably personel to help out.
#131 of 144 Re: Test Drive Question [kirstie_h] by boomchek Oct 24, 2004 (4:42 am)
Replying to: kirstie_h (Oct 05, 2004 4:46 am) You're right Kirstie. Having a customer call in advance, and setting up an appointment shows us that they're fairly serious about making a purchase, and that they are willing to spend time with us at the dealership, and willing to learn all about the vehicle they're interested in.   Too many times people come in and want to test drive cars for fun. After a while some of us tend to pre judge potential customers thinking that they're just here because they're bored, and so we end up with a missed opportunity, and the customer ends up with a sour taste because we didn't take them seriously.

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