P1Fanatic

Try to get a test drive of a new shape Civic Type R and was told by the dealer that they dont do unaccompanied test drives any more as they cant get the insurance - this is the same for any of their cars be it a Jazz or Type R.

Does this sound the norm these days? I test drove the last model and the dealer (different) just threw me the keys and said bring it back when you get bored. 2hrs letter when the fuel light came on I dropped it off.

Simon

BOB.T

I'd say it's more than likely down to an individual dealership thing. When we were looking for the ST one garage insisted that a short, fat balding man came with us, the other just bunged us the keys!

GC8WRX

Its cos its a type r, i bet if your missus wanted to test drive a jazz on her own they wouldnt say no!!!

Find another dealer!!!

sti-04!!

I got a cayman for 24hrs no problem

Bungleaio

iTrader: (1)

I got a test drive in a scoob wrx with only me and my dad. I also tested an RX-8 on my own earlier this year.

Honda wouln't even let me test drive, said they would call me back. but they never did

CharlesW

Aberdeen OPC lent me a Cayman for the day, when I expressed an interest in one, provided I could get insurance. I got 24 hours insurance from Norwich Union for £20.

I think some dealers have had problems with insurance when a client has smashed up a demonstrator, which is why they won't let you go out on your own. I am sure if you can provide insurance, they will let you drive the car on your own.

richs2891

Honda do see to be a bit funny in regards to test drives, I expressed interest in a CTR as I've had the previous one, asked if I could have one for the weekend - got told no, as its a too new a model !
Enquired about an Audi S3 via their web site, they could not do enough to help, test dove one for a few hours unaccompanied, (had to take driving licence) week later got a phone call do you want one for the weekend ! Suprising bought the Audi S3

Richard

exvaux

iTrader: (1)

have to say subaru were good that way,flung me the keys and pointed me to the main road,didnt even bother checking anything.They did keep my astra keys tho while i was gone lol

urban

iTrader: (1)

I agree.

Dealership close to me have recently introduced this due to a used WRX ending up on its roof!

Nett result is that their insurance has gone up and I believe that their insurance company now insist that all test drives are accompanied by staff

^Qwerty^

Snap.

Problem is, I now want one......

Another positive write up about them in the MoS yesterday.

In the past, Audi have let me take cars away for the day etc. no problem at all. They even asked if I had a garage at home so that I could take an RS6 overnight, and they knew full well that I didn't want (afford) one.

stilover

I think it's more likely down to the fact if they think you will actually buy one.

If they think you're just after a rag about in there cars and not buying, then they'll flog you off.

billythekid

I had a Cayman S for 24hrs also, did not pay a penny, even fuel.

ProdriveSTI

Did any body end up with one or just a free 24hr test run?
What did you all say when you gave it back? "nah just not my style"

CharlesW

I bought one. It's a brilliant car.

^Qwerty^

I'm thinking of buying one now, whereas, I would never have considered it before the test drive.

I'd had my head filled with people telling me that the Cayman is crap, or why would you buy one when you can get a Boxter for less money? Or "it's not a 911 is it" etc. etc. Personally, I don't like soft top cars, in particular high performance ones, so the Boxter is out anyway.

I've since driven a 911 and I think the Cayman is the better car, certainly in terms of driver feedback and probably more importantly, enjoyment. It's not like it's not fast enough for road driving is it? So given the choice of a high spec CaymanS or a bottom end 911, the Cayman wins it nearly every time for me, although the two extra emergency seats in the 911 wouldn't go a miss and keep the mental debate open and going strong.

The test drive did what it was exactly supposed to do, in that I'm now considering buying a Porsche. I was told that was the intention before I took the car away.

Butkus

See here

Tidgy

lol, i wen to test drive the new scoob, just got thrown the keys and said let me know what you think lol, he knew i didn't want to buy one, just want to have a look see.

might be due to me letting sales manager have a go in mine a few weeks before hand though lol

ProdriveSTI

Exactly

logiclee

Jeep dealer organised a demo vehicle with towbar so I could try it's towing performance and stability.
Wasn't ready when I arrived so he gave me the keys to a 6.1 litre V8 Srt-8 to have a go in instead of sitting in the show room for an hour.

Cheers
Lee

Sclarke

I am a dealer and I am the owner so I am the one who has to buy the motor trade policy each year. The truth is many dealers let you go out in the car but that does not necessarily mean you are covered on their insurance. I have to pay a hefty extra premium to have unaccompanied test drive cover and it has certain limitations attached to it. As I recall you cannot let anyone under 30 out unaccompanied and even then I have to have the keys to their car and its value has to be at least 30% of the car they want to test drive and they have to have at least one years driving experience. The AXA motor trade policy guy reckons that many garages still let people out who don't meet this criteria and are therefore uninsured. Just because the salesman says you are covered does not necessarily mean you are, how does he/she know? Generally speaking you are much more likely to be covered if a garage employee comes with you.

The big one though is unaccompanied test drive is NOT covered for theft under any circumstances which is a fairly good reason for dealers to be a bit careful who they let out on their own.

My insurance company is AXA, others may vary.

billythekid

I did seriously look at the cayman, I had a boxster before. However it did not really suit us and in the end we kept our tank and got something a lot smaller for commuting, a nice shiny smart car.

austinwrx

well I bought a wrx from subaru recently- they had no problems throwing me the keys and telling me to go and have some fun.

beef-on-the-bone

iTrader: (5)

i had a ctr for a day
just turned up at the organised time and they gave me the keys and fuel money!!!
300 miles later, what a day!!!!! ha ha

paulwrxboro

i went into a honda showroom after standing next to a type r for five mins and having salesmen look at me and walk past, i spent my money elsewere

same as the bmw show room, i went over the road and spent 40k , i wonder how many sales they lose like this

Klaatu

I test drove a Porche 911 Carera 4 back in 1994 from Dick Lovette in Swindon. I had to drive it in socks because my boots were too big to operate the pedals. I just finished a bit of "off roading" in a Land Rover Discovery, the only clean bits on the Disco were the seats and the area of windscreen cleared by the wipers and great glogs of mud were dropping off it onto their lovely clean forecourt. The sales rep did look worried. Great test drive tho.

mrsteve

i went to worcester, guy threw me the keys to a blue sti with all the trim etc... and he took keys to my car (worth more than the sti) which i was fine with, unaccompanied. Got back put a deposit down (on a spec d), unfortunately the customer service was so unbelievably bad that i pulled out of the deal...

Salesman on crack/speed, late every day to work never phoned back, management even worse, unsuprising he got his *** kicked but a shambles....

So i went to another dealer in leicester, phoned up and gave my details to take a spec d for a run they said yer no worries, turned up, guy took one look at me and said no... what a bunch of fools

i came dressed quite scruffy looking, but i did turn up in a £26k car looking at one worth 18k... :/

Still waiting until i can find a good dealer in the midlands now.. Carstins seem the best but cant get hold of a spec d to test drive...

in no rush tho so will wait till one comes along

projectsubaru

When i was 19 i turned up at the Honda garage namely 2 mills, They let me test drive the civic type r on my own was very impressed but didnt buy it because i couldnt afford it.

Tidgy

come on own up, who else has test driven a car they know they can't afford but just want a go?

wolfie28

I went through a stage of test driving cars - BMW M3, TVR T350, TVR Tuscan, Honda CTR, EVO 7 FQ330 and a EVO 8 FQ 320. Salesman came with me on all occasions .

Wolfie.

noobyscooby

I borrowed a 110 Land Rover from Hartwells in Oxford a few years ago and pulled small tree stumps out with it. Clutch ponged a bit when I gave it back!

Bulldog at Twyford have let me out on my own in two WRXs, but they did have my car keys and my driving licence.

Salters, a long time Citroen dealer in Oxford went bust a few years ago. They let two 18 year old schoolboys go out alone in one of their hot hatches. The driver lost control, went through the only bit of the Oxford bypass [a dual carriageway] that did not have a crash barrier and killed 5 people in an oncoming car. The boys survived relatively unharmed if I recall aright The ensuing insurance claim took the garage down.

I've had Audi A8s, Mercs, a new Range Rover sport last week and so on.

As long as you look respectable, turn up in a reasonable motor, the dealers seem quite happy to arrange a decent run.