Question of the Day: How do I arrange a test drive?
Question: I've heard a lot about buying a car over the internet and that it saves money. But how do I do the test drive over the internet? This doesn't make sense to me.
Answer: "Internet car buying" doesn't mean that you will be able to do the whole deal over the web...
It means using the internet as a research and communications tool along with the telephone and maybe the fax machine. So, to answer your question, you should contact the internet manager at a dealership and say that you want a test drive only. In most cases, internet managers will allow you to test drive the car without doing the "hard sell" on you. As the test drive comes to an end they may well say, "Would you like to do something today on this car?" You can always deflect this by saying that there are competing models you haven't driven yet. In fact, we recommend that you make a list of perhaps three "target" cars to test drive. This will confirm your decision is the right one, or it might help you find a car you like even more than the one you first picked.
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- Philip Reed October 23, 2006, 1:04 PM
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Your comment about using the Internet manager is good. Although, if you have a sales person you have used in the past and have a good relationship with, he or she would do the same thing. I have found a good salesman at a local Chevy store. I can go in and ask questions and get answers without feeling pressured to buy. We have gone on test drives and he will say to me- "go home and think about it." I understand he has a loyal following at that store.
That's the way it should work. It's nice to know that this salesman is making a living and has a good customer base.