What should you pay attention to when test driving a car?
So, you have conducted hours of research, seen all the advertisements on TV, talked to your family and friends, and now you have decided it is time to head out to the vehicle lot and find your next automobile. Purchasing a new or used car is no small decision, and once you set foot on the dealership lot, it is important to continue your research process with the test drive. What should you pay attention to when test driving a car? Read ahead for some of our suggestions.
Read more: Three common mistakes new car shoppers make.
Things to keep an eye on while taking the test drive
Before getting into the vehicle, take a look around it for signs of leaks or damage. - Check out the cargo capacity, no matter the style of automobile you’re testing out. Will there be enough room for you and your family’s luggage when you go on vacation.
- Sit in the back seat and be sure your passengers will be able to feel comfortable.
- Pay close attention to how you actually feel once you sit down in that driver’s seat. Adjust your seat to your desired comfort level. Are you comfortable, or are you cramped? Is there enough head room? Can you grip the steering wheel properly? Are you able to see outside the windows as well as you should? This will be your daily driver, so it is important that at the most basic level, you feel comfortable operating this vehicle.
- Are the buttons and features you will need to use within comfortable reach? Make sure you test out all the features so you already have an idea how they work if you end up choosing this car.
- Drive on the same kind of roads you normally use. Take it on city streets, neighborhood blocks, and even the highway so you know how the vehicle feels at different speeds in different settings.
- Listen for odd sounds that shouldn’t be there. Also, pay attention to the sound overall. Is it quiet enough for you, or is it a bit on the loud side?
This is not an all-encompassing list, but it is a great place to start. You want to make sure you get the most out of your test drive experience. Stay in touch with the Matt Castrucci Kia blog for more tips and tricks!
I like your suggestion to consider the cargo capacity of the vehicle if we want to use it to go on road trips with our family. My husband and I want to buy a used SUV from a dealership that we can use to take our kids on camping trips this summer. Thanks for teaching me what factors we should prioritize as we start evaluating and comparing different cars for sale!
I appreciate your tip to drive on the type of roads you would typically be on when test driving a car. My husband is thinking about buying a used car because right now we share one vehicle, and it would make our lives easier if we each had our own. I think it would be smart for him to test drive the car on the kind of roads he would be driving on so that he can make sure everything feels right and that it’s the right vehicle for him.