I’m looking to buy a used car privately, but I’ve never been able to drive the model I’m interested in. I don’t feel right asking a private seller for a test drive since I don't want to waste their time, but would you say it’s okay to go to a dealership just to test drive a car without intending to purchase from them?
Test Driving without Intention to Buy
djl4 on 06/12/2024 - 19:27
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Are you still salesman at a dealership?
He just sympathises for those poor sales people
If someone is thinking of buying that car (albeit used) and the salesperson has a free go to convince them buying new from them is a better option, what is the sales person doing if they don't want that opportunity?
Selling isn't just waiting for the RAV4 orders to come in.Didn’t neg you either, of course.
I agree qualifying an opportunity is a really valuable skill in sales, and your personal experience trumps my lack of it.
But there isn’t enough info here to tell.
I know I have personally gone from no intention of buying a car today, to signing on the dotted line when I happened across a good deal and a salesperson who was able address all the hesitations I had.I even got the floor mats thrown in - so by Ozbargain standards I should have counted myself lucky!
The whole narrative can be determined from your viewpoint, that the dealership has a chance of making a sale, or mine, which on first reading was that the dealership had zero chance
What an incredibly short-sighted take. I've been window shopping at car dealerships before, and I specifically recall an interaction with a very personable salesman at a Subaru dealership near where I work.
He showed me around a WRX STi (this was back around 10 years ago), which I had always been interested in since childhood and let me take it out for a test drive, despite me telling him that I just wanted to look around the car and have a sit inside.
Genuinely nice guy who only ever unobtrusively called me a few months later to ask if I was still thinking about the car. I didn't end up purchasing from him, but did refer two family members who ended up purchasing with him.
Part of sales is building long-term relationships - someone may not buy a car from you now, but may later on, or may refer friends and family if given a good experience. Seems incredibly arrogant to have the attitude of "pay up or piss off", you are an ambassador for your brand first and foremost. No wonder dealerships are becoming increasingly hated (and potentially unnecessary) - I could book a Tesla / BYD…etc. test drive online, no questions asked, without the indignity of being "sized up" by some self-righteous loser.
@p1 ama: Definitely.
Good experiences linger on the mind just as well as bad ones and you are spot on the money.Two examples:
Price on Kia Sorento, white, base model. Heres a price on a blue medium trim +sunroof. WTF. The dealership that got the deal sent me a price on what I asked for, in the timeframe they said to expect it. Did not even go to the dealership, all done via phone. Salesmen have such a shit idea about who is buying, yet they continually assess the probability of a sale (poorly) and then don't give attention accordingly.Went into a dealership to look at V6 Amarok. Mine is tired (360k, 2012). Give me a price. Oh we definitely recommend the top trim level. "I dont want leather anywhere near a work ute". Sends a price on the top trim level. Never gives a price on the core. Bought second hand (40k km) in the end but no way I was buying from there after that.
Went to dealership looking around with kid, killing some time waiting for family. Great experience, just browsing, got some ballpark pricing off salesman for Kia EV9, Mahindra ute, Amarok core. He also offered ballpark pricing on related vehicles (Triton, Sorento, EV6), not explicitly asked for but definitely in the theme of enquiry so spot on listening and response. Will be going there for a look when its time to purchase and will ask for that salesman.
Yes,Salesmen at Toyota dealers have gotten fat and lazy.
Reminds me of the time 3 years ago when I tried to buy a Rav 4 Hybrid from CoburgToyota.
The salesmen there were least bothered and there wasnt even a test drive available.
So I went to Preston Toyota and bought my Rav4 hybrid there as they showed some interest in selling to me and gave me a test drive on the car as well.
I dont even go to Coburg toyota for servicing even.
Obviously if i again buy a toyota I am not going to buy it from Coburg toyota.@spackbace Do you work in Coburg Toyota?
Well at that time there was a 6+ month wait period for a Rav 4 Hybrid so yeah what do you expect. The things were selling themselves
Reminds me of the time before Covid that I went in to a Honda dealer looking to test drive a Civic. Stood there for 5 mins waiting for a salesman to approach me. In the end when they did I just said no longer interested and walked out. Needless to say I bought a different small car after that.
I've had a salesperson at a dealership "read it on me" straight away as well. Except I had the money in the bank and legitimately wanted to buy the car and would have paid cash on the spot for it.. asking price too if necessary because the car was competitively priced.
He demanded I commit to purchasing the car before allowing me to drive it, to which I replied that I would never ever buy a car I had not driven, and he sneered that he could tell I wasn't serious and they "don't do joyrides". (It was a Subaru Outback I mean.. come on.)
They lost a $30k sale, and I had to go to a dealer 20km away to test the model I was interested in. Called to complain later as well and the dealer principal backed the behaviour of their staff and their position!
(Branded) Dealers make their money representing a brand (they do not own), and should be doing all the things that entails. Faster second-hand sales help uphold the position and value of the brand in the market and you can bet the ultimate owners of the brand, especially mass market brands, want as many people sitting in and testing their cars as possible. A test driver today might be a new purchaser down the track, especially if they had a good experience.
As is said above, it's very strange for a salesperson to refuse the opportunity to make a sale. It's their job to sell the car. Just because the person taking it for a test has their mind on buying it elsewhere doesn't mean a very good salesperson couldn't convince them that they don't want to go down that route, and list the dangers of the alternative and the positives of doing it there. Refusing to let a reasonable person take a test drive because you don't want to do the work of getting them over the line to make the purchase is just bad, lazy sales staff ethic.
This screams Subaru dealer 😂
@lachhelix: My experience with Subaru was completely the opposite. I walked into the dealer they asked what I was interested in. Then they arranged a test drive in a WRX and Forester xt before I even spoke to a salesman. There was no pressure. I did end up buying a WRX, but part of the decision was based on how good the dealer experience was.
(Branded) Dealers make their money representing a brand (they do not own), and should be doing all the things that entails. Faster second-hand sales help uphold the position and value of the brand in the market and you can bet the ultimate owners of the brand, especially mass market brands, want as many people sitting in and testing their cars as possible. A test driver today might be a new purchaser down the track, especially if they had a good experience.
In theory but how do you track that with KPIs? Lol
lmao i thought it was a rolls Royce or somethin for a sec
"don't do joyrides". (It was a Subaru Outback )
🤣😄😂
Not sure if still the case, I've heard all the Subaru dealers in metropolitan Melbourne are owned by the same Org, and they share a CRM system. That is why they treat people like dirt and will refuse to negotiate. They have the smug satisfaction that they still got your sale. Take your car to an independent.
In general when a car manufacturer put a car model out, they do want a lot of people to test drive regardless of whether that person is in the market to buy a car. it used to be like that before Covid. Now with car shortages and bur cars online as fixed prices, I am not so sure…
Depends on the market, shortages in new cars over the past few years have given car salesmen and dealers a whole load of unearned arrogance.
I remember back around 7 - 10 years ago, when I was really into cars, I would regularly go to dealerships just to window shop and check out different cars, all of the salespeople were always happy to chat and let me take one on a test drive just to "check it out". Obviously not prestige cars, but I got to drive a WRX STi, Golf R, BRZ, MX-5 and some other really cool cars.
You find anything interesting in testing the different cars? I've only driven maybe 5-10 cars, and mostly only notice if the engine is under powered for the weight eg Jeep, or if it's a gas guzzler like a commodore lol.
I hear how cars handle differently, but mostly the same to me aside from big differences like suv vs sedan, as a non car enthusiast.
Why did this get comment 71 negatives? Seriously do that many people think its alright to deliberately waste another persons valuble time. Pretty disgusting actually.
Read? Hahaha, few years back, our car was totalled in a collision, we need a car desperately for travelling, went to Toyota Nunawading, we were only asking the sales to round down from $12888 to $12000, and we were given to boot, because he could tell we weren't serious.
You say it like you salesperson have telepathy ability, you should tone down your attitude and don't be so arrogant. Covid period is over.
If you were serious then the offer would've been written up in writing.
That said, I know dealers who don't have $900 margin in a $13k car
congrats on the neg high score
Do it. More power to you
More power to what ?
You won't test drive a privately owned car which by the way , is the car you want to buy . You would rather go to a dealership because you'll feel better ? And now you've got empathy for private sellers !😵💫😵💫😵💫😕Power to do what they want
Yep. They love it.
Of course it's okay, you can be honest with them just say you are on the fence and can't decide between new or used but are leaning towards used if it makes you feel any better. From a sales perspective you might have no intention to buy now but after you test drive it and get the hard sell you might!
Quite a few car brands in the past have even offered $ for people to come and test drive their cars. They definitely do prefer people come in and have a demo. Even if the model in question is out of your price range there's the chance you see something else in the yard that catches your interest.
…and if you've clicked through from carsales or some other website to identify them and their stock they've already been charged for your lead.. they might as well make an attempt to make something off it.
you can be honest with them just say you are on the fence
Immediately lies
The salesman wouldnt know, and they can be assured getting you in a car is closer to buying it than not getting you in the car.
Of course it is OK to do that. You might find the dealer is better than going private. Dealers certainly give you better protection.
I don't get it get it …
Do you also intend to test drive the 2nd hand car you are looking at buying too ???
As surely - every car is different (even exact same models) +++ during test drive of 2nd hand car you get a chance to pick up on possible individual issues related to that car.
If though - as I think OP alludes to … He is unsure on whether make/model to buy.
Perhaps it may help if OP listed his use case/requirements… etc.
That may help to pick out what car you should be looking at.
Just saying.Go to the owners' forums if you want a list of potential issues.
I don't know about you, but I wouldn't buy a used car that I didn't test drive.
Gather up some courage and ask the seller, a 5 min trip around the block wont hurt either parties..
Exactly. Use the thing between the nose and chin, and ask..
You mean move the labium superius and the inferius oris?
You took the mouth right out of my words
It’s way easier to test drive a private sale car than a dealership car. If you test drive at the dealer they won’t stop nagging you to buy the thing which will probably drive you nuts.
"dealer they won’t stop nagging you"
-Yeah, nah, mum/misso says no
-Lost my job
-Lowball them badly
-I didn't like it
-lost my licence
Or just tell the truth…..
.Dress daggy or be female and you'll have to beg them to consider you as a buyer.
Iunno try and go in a slow day at least
but I’ve never been able to drive the model I’m interested in.
Camry?
They could always rent the vehicle they are interested in if it is relatively common.. but I guess that isn't very Ozbargain-y.
I would just do it without creating a forum topic, you not committing a crime lol
But end of the day, you be the one who be depressed about not getting the new car smell etc. 😅
There’s an ad at a dealer I visited recently which said something like “no such thing as tryer’s remorse”. Kind of implies they are happy for you to test drive even with no intent to purchase.
Why wouldn't you just test drive the one you're going to buy? You need to make sure it drives ok anyway, and its the normal thing to do.
There are buyers who are already in the market and there are buyers who are a future potential client. You might not buy today, but you might make a purchase in future based on your experience now. Why not.
I don’t understand. If you’re going to buy the car privately why can’t you test drive the one you want to buy?
Guess you'll be filtering by "drives like new" on carsales 🤔
Next level tyre kicker 🏅
So, do you go to Angus and Robertson or Dymocks to look at a Book you are thinking of buying secondhand? :+)
These days you'd just use your phone to take a photo of each page.
Hang on, Angus & Robertson and Dymocks still exist!?
Most Ozbers aren’t book type of people. Some probably couldn’t operate a book. A TikTok analogy is what you need to say lol.
Are you saying most OxBargainers are idiots?
I'd say it's about young people.
Can't say I've seen many book bargains being posted (other than for kids' books).
A lot of those car yards are run by big business that invest a LOT of effort into making sure their brands have high resale value. They practically manufacture used cars to ensure it. So having one of their employees encourage someone to by a used car in their brand, even privately, fits the business model. eg, you are happy, pay a decent price for the car, the owner can then come back to them for a new one feeling confident it will hold value.
Car yards are lerfect to go visit and inspect a parricular model before you drivs. Checking stuff like space, seat comfort eropnomics etc.
I see no issue in then asking for a test drive of a model you are going to possibly buy.
seat comfort eropnomics
Is that a euphemism?
i believe it's a 90's German techno group…
In my case, I tried to find driving instructor with that car (CX-5) best $60 spent for an hour.
Of course you can test drive at a dealer. You have an intention of buying that car; just not from them.
If you don't want to do that, see if any car rental / car share companies have the model you're interested in, and rent it for a couple of hours. Drive on a highway, drive in the city, try parking in in your garage - do whatever.
Didn’t actually have a test drive but we went to a car yard to checkout a model of car we were thinking of renting in Europe. We decided it was just too big to try and drive over there.
Dealerships are there for you to test drive cars and (hopefully for them) purchase it. If I'm not sure what type of car I even want, I'm not going to waste a private sellers time (and get their hopes up) and will test drive at a dealership. Maybe I like it, maybe I don't - that's what test driving is for.
Though, depending on the dealership, there can be a number of hoops to jump through. I've bought a car from a dealership I wasn't sure about and also chosen not to buy a car I test drived
Whenever we go away for a weekend, we try to rent a car we might want to buy down the track. Great way to test drive EVs too.
Lol who cares
I just sold a car and had multiple people drive it and not end up buying it, who cares, their situation may have changed, car might not tickle their fancy, whatever.
If you are worried about 'your' feelings, yes that is immoral…deceitful, degrading …. fraudulent even… the seller is out of pocket for your non truthful intentions.
if you are worried about the sellers / car yard's feelings, be honest and say you are looking at 'one of these models elsewhere, and would like a test drive. Do you wish this opportunity to convince me to buy here instead?
At least you are being more honest, and ya never know, this car maybe a better deal.
It happens so often…. people also buy many things as a one of use, and return it. How they sleep at night……but unless you tell the sales person you are only here to take advantage, they sort of expect it and are very used to it, but can't prove it.
I check out Display Homes etc, no intention what so ever to buy, but to get ideas without hurting the promoter as they have budgeted for window shopper traffic - the cleaners after. But …. a test drive costs, not much, but it all adds up.
Another shining example of Australian Society and Values in the toilet….and another reason why prices keep rising.
It is worth test-driving at the dealership to see if you're interested in that brand/model, I see no problems, and that's why they have the test cars available.
The dealership should be thankful for the opportunity in trying to sell you the car. If they can't convert the test drive into a sale then thats on the salesperson not being good at their job.
my view is there is always some tiny chance you do buy from them so yes. Go for it
I had similar quandries. I ended up paying a few hundred bucks to try almost every Uber carshare car near me. It worked really well, i learmed that most cars look good but are dangerously underpowered…
most cheap cars, all the others are way overpowered lol
Yeah but they were weaker than our current 15 year old small hyundai accent. I never felt hampered by that thing, it could quickly merge if need be, basically moved instantly on command etc. These new cars were pathetic, they struggled to go up hills, i couldn't believe it (and that was with only 1 occupant and no load!!). The Kia Stonic, Hyundai Kona and many others I tried felt so weak that it was unsafe. I'd press the accelerator and they would search the gears for 10s until slowly lumbering forward.
dangerously underpowered…
Highly dlubt they are 'dangerously underpowered' there arent many onstances where a 30yo corolla literally needs more power.
Yes, perhaps underpowered was the wrong word choice. Unwieldy might be more accurate. I asked chatGPT and it gave me an interesting writeup, relevant to anybody looking for a new car. I specifically asked it to compare the power to weight ratios of some cars, and then rationalize why the new one felt sluggish:
https://chatgpt.com/share/67543739-f870-800b-a301-c27ea97bc6…
'I’m looking to buy a used car privately, but I’ve never been able to drive the model I’m interested in. I don’t feel right asking a private seller for a test drive since I don't want to waste their time'
confusing statements there - why have you never been able to drive the model you're interested in ?
is it rare ? I don't see why a genuine private seller would refuse an interested prospective buyer a test drive … ?
Just don't do what one idiot did test driving my used car. Young Chinese guy turned up and asked for a test drive - okay, I got in the front passenger seat, he got in the driver's seat. From outside my home, he promptly planted his foot and accelerated up to 80kph in the small street coming towards a T-junction - I shouted for him to slow down but he kept his foot down, scaring the $#it out of me and only braked hard at the last second to avoid crashing into the kerb at the top of the T-junction!
Having nearly killed me I shouted at him "What the F do you think you were doing !?!?!"
He said "testing the brakes". I said "and what if they weren't so good - you would have crashed my car !!!"
I ordered him out of the driver's seat, I drove back, and told him to get the F out of my life.
absolutely test drive at dealers with no remorse. It's their job. slimey people much like REA
Test drive as much as possible. I'm usually "emotional" and ended up buying after one or two. Bought cars when younger with dodgy roadie's/rwc. Suggested number is ten. Who knows, a car you're "you're not going to buy" can be the one you end up with.
So true, this doesn't just apply to cars either.
you can rent the car you want from car rentals if you dont want the hassle.
I let the sales people offer me a test drive.
Cover story can be you are in the market and considering A, B or C.
cost of doing business.
Can confirm, I went and 'stress tested' the short-listed cars I wanted to buy at dealers before I went shopping privately. The dealer generally tossed me the keys and told me to be back in an hour. Had a great time and a lot of fun pushing the boundaries :P
You should definitely test drive the actual car you are thinking of buying; what if there is something wrong with it and you haven’t driven it?
My thinking is that you're more likely to idenfity the "something wrong" if you've experienced a comparison recently? Let's say the transmission makes an odd noise - is that particular car dying, or is it normal for the model?
The point of the test drive is to tell if the car you're interested in is defective, the dealer car won't help you there.
When I last bought a car I test drove about 7 options. Was upfront in saying ‘looking for a new car but not sure what I want’. No issues at all
do what you are thinking, waste the dealers time, and then waste the private sellers time, test drive them both
if the gap between the private price isn't far from the new price, you might end up buying the new car, or finance might be a better option for you or new car perks might just be better with free servicing etc
its not wasted time for any party involved.
Firstly you should ask private sellers for test drive anyway. They'd probably accompany you in there I reckon
Secondly it's OK to test drive dealership without intending to purchaseDealers used to incentivise test drives just to get people into the showroom
spackbace on 06/12/2024 - 19:31 Comment score below threshold.
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