Looking back I got to test my Z pretty easily. I was in the car and on the road in about 10 minutes of entering the dealership. Since I'm working from home and have free time I'm thinking about trying my hand at some "must drive" cars. Shit like the E46 M3, 996-997 Carrera, Rustang Cobra... along with some weird ones like the Passat 2.0T. Any other ideas?
Test drives without intention to buy is kind of douchey, imo. Giant waste of time for the sellers.
I've done lots of test drives for fun and I have no problem with others doing it as long as you don't string the salesman along afterwards.
Wasting a salesperson's time is major douchebaggery. It's a tough way to make a living and these guys don't get paid to provide you with an afternoon's entertainment. If you have to be a Test Pilot, at least go to private sellers who don't depend on making a sale to put food on the table.
Used to do it all the time until I started workibf at a dealer.
A lot of used car lots don't give a fuck - most times salesguys hand me keys and let me drive while they go do other shit.
I couldn't bring myself to do it without the intent to purchase something. I know some people don't care for car salespersons but they could be helping someone during that time that actually does want to spend some money at the dealership.
I used to do it, but I hate lying about my intentions, so I stopped.
I probably shouldn't feel bad about it, there have been numerous occasions where I want to drive one for legitimate reasons and the salesman wastes my time with excuses or a really lame ridealong.
Quote from: mzziaz on August 03, 2013, 06:17:09 AM
Test drives without intention to buy is kind of douchey, imo. Giant waste of time for the sellers.
+1
If you're not at least looking, it's douchey IMO. Car dealers are pretty sleazy in general so I wouldn't feel too bad about it, but personally I wouldn't do it.
+Juan
No need to pretend you work for Car and Driver and waste a dealer's time.
Lol at all you guys worried about a salesman's time when there's people starving in Africa.
Quote from: Lebowski on August 03, 2013, 12:02:29 PM
Lol at all you guys worried about a salesman's time when there's people starving in Africa.
:golfclap:
I go on rare occasion, but not during a high traffic time and usually not from a dealer / for a car that I couldn't see myself buying in the relatively near term future.
Went this morning, which would normally break rule #1, but I was super early (like 9:15), right as the dealer opened. And there were plenty of salesmen loitering about so didn't feel bad at all.
Quote from: Northlands on August 03, 2013, 12:05:49 PM
:golfclap:
I've never taken a test drive all the way to Africa.
Quote from: TBR on August 03, 2013, 12:32:33 PM
I go on rare occasion, but not during a high traffic time and usually not from a dealer / for a car that I couldn't see myself buying in the relatively near term future.
Went this morning, which would normally break rule #1, but I was super early (like 9:15), right as the dealer opened. And there were plenty of salesmen loitering about so didn't feel bad at all.
If the dealership is quiet I will, but if it's busy I won't. Also, I will only go if the salesman asks if I want to go for a drive. I never do the asking.
Alright I'll pass
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on August 03, 2013, 09:11:49 PM
Alright I'll pass
I don't think you should. It REALLY is not a big deal.
Half the time, I just go up and say "hey can I get a closer look at car XXX?" Nine times out of teb, they hand over the keys for a drive.
If Im curious, I drive it. Although working at a dealer, I'm significantly less curious since I drive cars qll day.
Going during a slow time is also a good idea, too.
Quote from: 2o6 on August 05, 2013, 10:39:08 AM
I don't think you should. It REALLY is not a big deal.
Half the time, I just go up and say "hey can I get a closer look at car XXX?" Nine times out of teb, they hand over the keys for a drive.
If Im curious, I drive it. Although working at a dealer, I'm significantly less curious since I drive cars qll day.
Going during a slow time is also a good idea, too.
It's probably less likely for someone to just "hand over the keys for a drive" in a Porsche Carerra or BMW M3, which is what Sporty wanted to do.
So many people test drive without buying (i.e. buying something else), there's really no harm in it. Like others have said, avoid peak times and I don't think there's really anything to feel bad about.
Quote from: mzziaz on August 03, 2013, 06:17:09 AM
Test drives without intention to buy is kind of douchey, imo. Giant waste of time for the sellers.
I don't intend on buying something until I've driven it, so either the salesman hands me the keys, lets me try it and has the
possibility of a sale or he has automatically ruled himself out of a sale completely.
Quote from: Raza on August 05, 2013, 03:26:09 PM
So many people test drive without buying (i.e. buying something else), there's really no harm in it. Like others have said, avoid peak times and I don't think there's really anything to feel bad about.
Being in the market for a car and buying something else is not the same as not being in the market at all.
It's not a huge deal, but is kind of douchey IMO. If I wasn't at least sort of in the market for a car, I wouldn't go around to dealers looking for test drives.
I wish there were a way I could pay to test drive cars. Like when I rented the Ferrari in Italy. $50 to whip an M3 for half an hour seems like a fair deal.
Quote from: Lebowski on August 03, 2013, 12:02:29 PM
Lol at all you guys worried about a salesman's time when there's people starving in Africa.
LOL! :golfclap:
Quote from: 12,000 RPM on August 05, 2013, 05:44:03 PM
I wish there were a way I could pay to test drive cars. Like when I rented the Ferrari in Italy. $50 to whip an M3 for half an hour seems like a fair deal.
Just ask for the goddamn keys.
Quote from: 2o6 on August 05, 2013, 07:55:31 PM
Just ask for the goddamn keys.
I was able to test drive an Elise without a salesman with me. Just tossed me the keys and had me take a spin. Totally sold me on the car.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4
Quote from: Vinsanity on August 05, 2013, 11:22:59 AM
It's probably less likely for someone to just "hand over the keys for a drive" in a Porsche Carerra or BMW M3, which is what Sporty wanted to do.
Yeah, it's one thing for the salesman to toss you the keys for a Kia Rio. It's quite another for a Merc SLS AMG.
I took an LS2 GTO out by myself. The guy handed me the keys and said "I'm here until 6". It was 3.
I don't have a problem with it.
I'll flat out tell them that I just want to see what its like. How do I know I do or don't want to buy something if I haven't driven it yet.
I should be test driving a Nismo Juke 6-speed today for a few hours. I know the sales director at the local Nissan dealer.
Quote from: CJ on August 06, 2013, 11:09:22 AM
I should be test driving a Nismo Juke 6-speed today for a few hours. I know the sales director at the local Nissan dealer.
And that's what you picked?
There is only one time in the past 30 years I wanted to drive something on the dealers lot when I had no intention to buy anything.
The alternator died on the Escape in Wichita and while I waited for it to be replaced I couldn't take my eyes off of the two GT40s parked in the showroom. Goddam those are gorgeous cars.