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Would you buy a car without test driving it? - READ ONLY

37 messages,  Last post on Jan 26, 2013 at 7:18 AM

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What is this discussion about? Car Buying, Car Leasing, True Market Value (TMV)

Messages Page 3 of 4

#17 of 37 Re: Would you buy a car without test driving it? [im_brentwood] by fezo

Oct 07, 2011 (3:22 pm)

Replying to: im_brentwood (Oct 07, 2011 12:15 pm)
Speaking of that Lincoln, when AM I going to see this?

#18 of 37 Re: Would you buy a car without test driving it? [steve_] by gogogodzilla

Oct 08, 2011 (7:18 am)

Replying to: Stever@Edmunds (Sep 15, 2011 10:35 am)
Not just no, but heck no!
 
The test drive is the single most important part of buying a car.
 
Checking the blind spots... seeing how the seat fits... whether you can see the dashboard through the steering wheel... how the car accelerates/handles... all this you cannot do outside of a test drive, no matter how much research you do.
 
Case in point, I thought the Kia Forte would be perfect for me. The internet research all pointed to it being exactly what I was looking for. Until the test drive, that is.
 
Then I found that despite the on-line pictures, the dashboard was hard plastic. That's a big no-go for me.
 
And the seats were designed by a retarded monkey out to inflict the maximum amount of pain possible on a human being.
 
So, I walked away from the car.
 
---
 
Had I relied solely on internet research, I'd have bought the car... and then had to live with the consequences.

#19 of 37 Humm... by iluvmysephia1

Oct 08, 2011 (7:42 pm)

that's what ya get for not test-driving the 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer ES or, even better, the 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS. Oh well.

#20 of 37 Bad Idea, but I did it 4 times by XxHaimBonxX

Oct 09, 2011 (5:43 am)

It so turned out that all my cars were untested. My first two were bought at an auction used, so this is self explanatory. Then '07 Civic, I needed it fast and wanted the gas mileage. Then came the new TSX. It's awesome in any direction, so I knew I wanted it regardless, I was not dissapointed. Now the next car could be the Optima. It has to drive well in order for me to consider it over Acura, so I am planning to test drive the wheels out of it.
 
The shoes analogy could work, however, these days you can order them online and if you don't like them, send them back. It's still cheaper than buying at the store.

#21 of 37 Re: Bad Idea, but I did it 4 times [XxHaimBonxX] by hpmctorque

Oct 09, 2011 (5:26 pm)

Replying to: XxHaimBonxX (Oct 09, 2011 5:43 am)
Please give us your evaluation of the Kia Optima, and how it compares to your TSX.

#22 of 37 Re: Would you buy a car without test driving it? [ray80] by perfectbmw

Oct 09, 2011 (9:18 pm)

Replying to: ray80 (Sep 16, 2011 5:22 am)
NO, Many friends are not as excited and pleased as before after equipping their own car with the Many friends are not as excited and pleased as before after equipping their own car with the GPS DVD Navigation. They have no idea that everything has just started right away. There are quite a lot of standards to justify whether your characteristics are well satisfied. For example, do the functions of the new system and sound quality match your initial idea? Is it easy and convenient to control the gadget? The most important point is that you should take some time to communicate with the DVD Navigation to find out if the tune quality is good or not by listening more and repeatedly as well as listening in many ways. Even the some system installed in the same kind of vehicles, the effect it brings can be quite different due to the different users.. They have no idea that everything has just started right away. There are quite a lot of standards to justify whether your characteristics are well satisfied. For example, do the functions of the new system and sound quality match your initial idea? Is it easy and convenient to control the gadget? The most important point is that you should take some time to communicate with the DVD Navigation to find out if the tune quality is good or not by listening more and repeatedly as well as listening in many ways. Even the some system installed in the same kind of vehicles, the effect it brings can be quite different due to the different users.

#23 of 37 Re: Would you buy a car without test driving it? [perfectbmw] by bolivar

Oct 10, 2011 (1:29 am)

Replying to: perfectbmw (Oct 09, 2011 9:18 pm)
Can you say that again?
 
And make some sense this time.

#24 of 37 I did it with my first new car by vchiu

Oct 10, 2011 (4:55 pm)

This was back in december 2005. I was working in China and had to buy a new car to replace a locally made crp. My research led me to choose the honda Fit which was the only one within my budget and which would not be underpowered as many other offers on the market.
 
I always used to purchase used car and would test drive in order to make sure there were no issues. This was the first time I would buy new, as the used market was non-existent at that time. My decision was purely based on the look, the specs sheet, the price and the good reputation Honda had.
The only thing I tested with the car was the my seating position in a show-room sample.
 
As the car was warranted , i felt a test drive was unnecessary. This means I really discovered the car when I drove it after taking delivery.
 
Looking back into it, I realize I took some risk, but the next car which could best the fit my power to weight ratio objectives would cost the double. In other words, I had no alternative car at that time.
If I had to make a choice today, this would be a bit different, but the Fit would still be a strong contender.
 
The second car bought as new without prior test is a 1.6 TDI DSG Golf as a company car which was delivered last February in Paris (France) . There again, I made a lot web research . Most tests results were pretty consistent in concluding this was a very balanced car with good features throughout. The closest car I drove beforehand was a VW Passat with a 2.0 TDI engine. This car was a pleasure to drive and I speculated that the Golf should not be much behind.
I compensated for VW's average reliability by purchasing a warranty extension for a total of 5 years.
 Even the color for leather or body paint was chosen from a paper catalog. This means that specs aside, I totally discovered the car when I took delivery.
 
There again, I was not disappointed and the Golf drove in a satisfying manner.
 
As a conclusion, I would be ready to purchase without even seeing the final model. One important step however would be for me to seat in the driver's place and see if my driving position is OK. I would probably require a test drive for brands which are totally unfamiliar to me or with little engineering history.

#26 of 37 Just did it. by weaselinsuit

Oct 17, 2011 (1:12 pm)

Bought a new Honda Odyssey in August without a test drive, in fact sight unseen via internet website that does the bid soliciting for you. Have had a number of Hondas and gambled that they likely wouldn't have screwed things up. They didn't. It drives like a Honda van, which is a good thing.

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