Goochie

OK, I'm off to my local scooby dealer this afternoon in the pouring rain to test drive a late model classic wagon. WHat do you think is acceptable driving on a test drive? Obviously I want to push it a little but I dont wnat to give the guy the idea that I'm a wheel kicker.

Leslie

Stay within the law, use the acceleration without ragging it, try the roadholding in a sensible manner, and don't frighten him!

You dont have to drive it flat out to assess it.

Les

rb5 286

iTrader: (2)

as leslie said then ask the dealer to show u wot it can handle like, if he stuffs it then its down to him.

Sith

I asked politely if I could boot it in 1st. He said yes, I booted it, recovered my stomach and breath. He smiled, I laughed like a drain. I bought it.

messiah

I test drove 3 scoobs before i bought mine - only once did the owner (a salesman) come with me - the other 2 just gave me the keys and said "away you go..." although both times there was sod all in the fuel tank!

talizman

iTrader: (1)

Reminds me of the case a few years ago where the Subaru salesman killed the "customer" you may remember?

I barely trust myself in a Scooby so I'd never put my life in the hands of a Gung-Ho salesman who thinks he's Petter Solberg.

MattW

Drive it like you stole it

kend

Turned up to test drive car in Derby.

Sorry sir, car's at our Nottingham branch.
Given lift by salesman to Notts, 'Here's the car, here are the keys, meet you back in Derby'

Bought car.

T5NYW

iTrader: (4)

Drive them like your own car

Not sure why, my Dealer wouldn't let be drive their Demo's till the were 6 months old yet All the times I've taken them out never ever scratched one touch wood

There was the time they had a new "Young and Green" lexus salesman who seem keen to go out for a little pootle in a Scooby There were 3 wiser salesmen, giggling in the window as we left. Apparantly he now likes stopping in and doing paperwork, never asks "How fast are Scooby's" now LOL

Tony

[Edited by T5NYW - 11/17/2003 4:25:34 PM]

JFB

Then check the price AND spec against mine!

http://www.scoobynet.co.uk/bbs/thread.asp?threadid=263617

JB

scottywrx

When I was looking to buy my scoob I visited a local dealer and they asked me for my license and just handed the keys over and said come back when u want !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats the way to do a test drive

Keep it legal but push the car to YOUR limits ...

Visit PowerNutz

Jiggerypokery

When I went to look at an 03 model they didn't have a demo car then, so I ended up test driving a bugeye instead and was a bit underwhelmed by the performance. I only really floored it on the motorway and it felt lumpy. Anyway I bought a WRX03PPP and haven't looked back, fantastic. I would get the salesman to demonstrate the handling with some enthusiastic driving before you have a go, it lets you know how far you can go with it.
The salesman at the porsche garage scared the wits out of me in a 996 carrera with some high speed cornering. Bought that too!

DJ140

Local dealer handed me the keys and went for a 2 hour drive. Had to fill up with a tenners worth of petrol though and bought the car the week after.

Didn't hang about, but decided within 5 minutes that PPP would be required to increase the noise level, how quiet is the standard WRX?!

Dan

SCOOBAY

dealer handed me the keys to a nice blue sti8.i asked if he was coming along,he said "no....bend it you buy it" still gave it ping.didn,t buy it,but i ordered a new one.....only if i can get it in white! some day when i can work this puter i,llpost some pics.

Del

macka

Took STi8 PPP out for an hour - followed by standard WRX for 45 mins, drove them both pretty hard without taking the **** and bought WRX PPP the week after on the dealerships advice saying it was best value and compromise for all round driveability etc based on my high miles.
Nice one to the dealer for spending what amounted to the best part of a morning with me - certainly helped me spend more than 20k with them - would have bought another Audi Quattro if they'd pissd me off with dificulties around a test drive.
They don't expect you to go too slow in an Impreza test drive.

Kevin Groat

Took out an RS2000 when I was at college a few "cough" years ago now. Chap from the Ford garage came with us and sat in the back, managed to touch 115mph coming down the A9 back into Inverness. Told him I wasn't buying it if it wasn't quick - turned out his son was policeman in the place I live . Bought the car and kept it for 7 years - and picked up no licence points either

Kevin.

RB5_245

115mph on the A9 coming back into inverness, You got bumped mate. i was a passenger in and escort estate 1.1 at 110 with 5 surfboards on the roof

still that was the rally stripped out 'popular' version

Took my scoob on 2 test drives 1st one with salesman 2nd without.... might not have bought it if i didn't get a shot on my own.

Kevin Groat

Bear in mind I hadn't bought it at that point and I was only a lowly student. Bought it the following week and that night hit 130 on the way back from Nairn chasing and catching a new XR3i - I did say it was a few years ago. We used to hire cars on the cheap weekend rate and the last run before we put them back was down the A9 back into town. Not uncommon for a lowly 1.3 Astra or Nova to be well off the clock with only a few miles on it's engine

talizman

iTrader: (1)

As soon as dealers realise that the better their "customer care" is, the better chance they have of getting you to give them your hard earned!

If a dealer gives you the time of day and doesn't rush you, whilst trusting you, and not treating you like a timewaster or dreamer, you will be much more inclined to buy from them.

I bought my STI 8 PPP last month and was a result of 2 very different experiences.

First I went to my "local" dealer. You can read about my "experience" here!

The **** lost a sale as he obviously thought I was a dreamer.

I then went to Stan Palmers (shameless plug! ) and Ian Armstrong couldn't have been more accomodating.

I was interested in 3 of his cars and had no idea which one I wanted so he spent an entire morning, giving me test drive after test drive, allowing me to take my time and make my mind up.

No pressure, no hard sell, no clock watching.

Result, I bought an STI 8 PPP from him.

Folk would do well to take a lesson from the sales boys at Stan Palmers cos they know how to sell cars, unlie the old fart at Eaglesham Subaru!

Oops!

hades

Depends entirely on the person with you and what they are prepared to accept. I remember riding with someone testing a 306 rallye, the saleswoman was quite nervous about speeding as allegedly a colleague had ended up picking up the points for someone getting GATSo'd on a test drive

However, I also remember the scooby dealer who took me out for a quick ride in their P1, straight up to 125mph, the ran out of road. Unsuprisingly, he didn't bat an eyelid when I had a WRX demonstrator slightly sideways trying out the handling on a wide open empty roundabout.

Gary C

Drive it sensibly and..... Oh bu£$&*er that, give it some stick and take it down a road you know. Get the salesman to sweat at bit and grab the seat

my00scooby

iTrader: (1)

When I went to look at mine the salesman just handed me the keys, took a note of my driving licence (said it was for insurance purposes) and away I went. No probs whatsoever, have also looked at other cars with friends and always found this is their way, personally if I was a salesman I would go on the test drive, very few peoples driving could scare me more than my own and its the perfect opportunity to actually sell the car to somebody.