Test driving a car is the best way to figure out if the vehicle fits your needs and is what you want. When I was considering buying a hybrid vehicle, we test drove Lincoln MKZ, Avalon, and Camry hybrids and a Prius V. We were very quickly able to rule out some of them. The Lincoln was a very smooth, quiet ride. Claustrophobic feeling, not a car I would want keyed (I'm always afraid if I have a really nice car, some hater might key it) or a car I would drive down 15 miles on a rough dirt road to get to a waterfall and it didn't have the gas mileage of some of the others. Until we test drove some cars, I hadn't given much thought about how we would use the vehicle.
On the other hand, I would not test drive a car just for a lark...a car that I would NEVER consider purchasing, i.e., for me, Maclarens, Lamborghinis.... When it comes to test driving, the thing that troubles me is that you can't test drive boats, at least not in northern California. I wasn't comfortable with a salesman saying, "If it's not exactly what we say it is, you have three days to change your mind and return it."..not when I'm committing to a major hunk of change. We had a very bright savvy salesman who told us that he was taking his boat out that afternoon and we were invited to come along. Awesome wake, great handling, in about 15 minutes I had to have a boat like his. It's apparently different in different states. I remember test driving my first boat in OR. Had to have that boat too after the test drive.
For me, test driving clarifies my wants/needs for a vehicle, and it helps me match that list with the vehicle that comes closest.
On the other hand, I would not test drive a car just for a lark...a car that I would NEVER consider purchasing, i.e., for me, Maclarens, Lamborghinis.... When it comes to test driving, the thing that troubles me is that you can't test drive boats, at least not in northern California. I wasn't comfortable with a salesman saying, "If it's not exactly what we say it is, you have three days to change your mind and return it."..not when I'm committing to a major hunk of change. We had a very bright savvy salesman who told us that he was taking his boat out that afternoon and we were invited to come along. Awesome wake, great handling, in about 15 minutes I had to have a boat like his. It's apparently different in different states. I remember test driving my first boat in OR. Had to have that boat too after the test drive.
For me, test driving clarifies my wants/needs for a vehicle, and it helps me match that list with the vehicle that comes closest.
