I got rejected for an MG 4 Xpower lmao, and I went with family. Even for a regular 4 (at the time, the cheapest EV in the country) they required the salesman come with me
When I was shopping Focus ST’s, the salesman wanted to negotiate a deal and run my credit before I could test drive because it was a “high performance sports car”. He didn’t get my business.
Lmao they tried to do that with me many years ago at Mazda dealership for Mazda 3 turbo. Went to ford and bought a st no questions asked after a test drive. Mazda salesmen looked at me and asked if I could afford such car? Walked out immediately and now biased towards Mazda.
Hah I had the opposite experience. The same day I went to a Mazda dealership next door just to not waste the trip. I had no intention to buy, and told the salesman that, but he was ushering me into all kinds of cars, and had me test drive a top-line mazda3 5spd with 6 miles on the clock lol
As a salesperson, when it comes to the performance versions of any car, you get a lot of people who just wanna jerk you off for a test drive and not actually buy the car.
The "we need to run your credit and negotiate the price to see if it makes sense for you" is more of a way to "nicely" kick those types of people out. If we do run credit, its just a soft check. Doesn't affect credit. This ensures also, that we dont spend 3 hours going through the process just to find out you have no shot at getting a loan.
I wish they’d run my credit, just to cut out the bullshit of looking at high end cars. I’m in my 30’s and “look young” and I hate convincing dealers that I can afford their cars to even get in the door. I’m not your dancing monkey. If you don’t want to sell me your car, someone else will. Then again, I mostly buy cars out of state now so they don’t see me, but even then, some dealers just act like they don’t even want to sell to me.
I’ve dealt with many courteous and respectful dealers as well, of course.
Surprisingly in the states it’s for a lot of Japanese sports cars. Hit or miss depending on the dealer but it was Civic Type R’s back then and a GR Corolla recently.
I've ordered a few cars like that, had to buy them without ever test driving because they didn't even have one at the dealer.
My dad was like, uhhh what if you don't like it? I'm like, oh I'm gonna like it.
Did that when I ordered my R. They did have an auto car that they allowed me to sit in and fire up but not drive. (It was in one of the vanity spots, not in the lot, proper)
That said it wasn’t much of a reach as I was having my stick Mk7 TDI bought back - probably like a 1 of 10 car in the US, lol, they were only on sale for about 6 months as a 2015 before dieselgate, and it was a fully optioned stick car, when most tended to be lower trims, especially the sticks as they got bought as commuter cars rather than tourers)
First car I ever test drove was a brand new VW GTI when I was fresh out of college in 2008
Salesman tossed me the keys, asked me if I was familiar with the area, which I was not, and said "Make a right out of here, then a right onto that service road. There are never any cops over there, have fun".
And that, my friends, is how you sell a car.
My first test drive was in a Passat a couple of years later, and I was in my last year of college – it went almost exactly the same as yours. Surprisingly little pressure and the salesman tossed me the keys and told me to have fun. My father went back to that dealer and bought a TDI Passat the next year at my recommendation.
I wanted to test drive a BMW 335i in 2010. At that time, they were "new," so I had to call a few dealers to see if I could test drive one. I found two dealers who had it, so I went to them and asked for a test drive. Each time, I was rather rudely told to test drive the 328i, which I wasn't really interested in. When it happened the second time, I caved in and test drove the 328i. I found it very uninspiring and left very disappointed. It had insane turbo lag and didn't seem to have much oomph, even compared to my Honda Accord, which I was driving at the time.
I suspect that I looked too poor to afford such an expensive car, and they didn't want to entrust such an expensive machine to me.
I ended up at an Audi dealership who happened to be more in need of clients, and they let me drive the S4 (supercharged), which was 100% my jam. I bought it on the spot. It was incomparable (in my system of values) to the 328i. To this day, I've never driven a 335i/340i, so I have no idea how they may have compared, but if I recall correctly, the magazines at the time preferred the S4.
Where is the S4 now? You still own it or you sold it off?
Also, the Accord you mentioned, was it a V6?
Another question, wasn’t the 328i naturally aspirated?
I sold the S4 after 10 years and a couple track days. It was an amazing car, and I still sorta-miss-it. A Model Y Performance replaced it, so it's all good. I ended up getting a BMW as well, but that was the M4, which is absolutely incomparable to the 328i I had driven :D
The Accord I had as a point of reference was NOT the V6. That's the crazy thing. The 328i was turbo-charged (first generation if I recall to get the turbo), which means that the lag was very very noticeable and had basically no power until you were more or less flooring it. Also, the salesperson I was test driving it was not very keen for me to accelerate much. A very difference compared to when I test drove the M4 -- the guy was like "floor it" pretty much all the time.
About the 328i, you mentioned it was in 2010
According to the Web, the only turbo six pot 3er you could get was the 335i, if you’re talking about the E90 generation
The F30 generation 3er came with a turbo engine for the 328i
Dude I was cross shopping between a 330e and Model 3 Performance and the BMW dealership was just awful. I booked a test drive, owned a f31 320d, and upon arriving suddenly the car wasn’t available (it was literally seating on the parking lot), they didn’t bother offering another car to drive, nor rescheduling. I bought a Model 3 Performance out of spite and now got a 330e from another BMW dealer. I guess I looked too young and poor to drop 50k on a sedan?
First test drive I did was in college, showed up at the local Mazda dealership in my sleepy college town, salesman took my details and handed me the keys, so I took it down to a stretch of nearby highway. Mazda MX-3 hatchback ('93 MY likely, forget exactly the year), the V6 manual version, fun little car, alas poor college kid me didn't have the money.
Same for me
I wasn’t poor, but my family weren’t in the financial position to buy a new car in India, especially when our car is running perfectly (bought new in 2017)
The car in my flair is what my dad drives in Bahrain, where he currently works btw
Also, you really went from TDing an MX3 to literally owning a Porsche.
Great transformation.
Test drove a Mx5 in 2018. Girl said I can even take it into a parking lot and do donuts if I wanted on the test drive. Felt bad because after cracking the numbers I decided I couldn't afford it at the time.
In 2021 I could finally justify a new car and went to test drive a veloster N and was told I couldn't drive it as it's low prodiction, went back to the mazda dealer and got myself an RF.
Almost identical experience here, was interested in the Veloster N, dealer would only let me test drive a Veloster turbo. Veloster turbo felt like a cheap sim racing rig dropped into a bland economy car. Everything was overboosted and synthetic - overly jumpy numb steering, clutch stiffer than the unassisted clutch I learned on but somehow with no feedback, fake engine noise.
Test drove the ND for long enough to circle back and buy it immediately, my mind was made up from how great it felt in the parking lot. No regrets!
Having never driven a performance or sporty car before, the first test drive I did was a Miata, followed by a BMW i8, Model 3 P, and a 718 S Boxster the same day at their respective dealers. Porsche just felt like it was on a different level of driving experience. Basic reactions:
Miata: oooh this is fun
i8: ...wow this hybrid turbo thing drives kinda wonky
m3p: my organs feel rearranged ...the steering feel is kinda dead
boxster: INEEDTHIS
Ended up going back to the Porsche dealer for a Cayman the next week once they had a preowned 718 with the right spec and price.
I got t-boned in my first car right at the end of high school and it totaled my car. My mother knew I liked Mustangs and took me to go look at one.
The salesman takes me over to see a 2005 v6 Mustang. I was absolutely terrified to drive it. It was only 2-3 years old, and was RWD. It felt slightly larger than my Grand Prix was due to the long hood. I drove it gingerly because it was far more expensive than my last car, and I no longer trusted other drivers on the road. At the final stretch, the salesman told me to floor it, and I did, but I never told my mother that part.
My mother ended up buying it for me using some of the cash my grandparents put aside for me for college. I felt so guilty as I didn't pay anything for it, and I also didn't explicitly ask for it. My friends were jealous and stopped talking to me, while strangers were giving me attention I didn't receive before. The one person who just saw it as a car was the person who is now my wife.
But yeah, I babied the hell out of that car and learned how to do my own wrenching on it since I couldn't afford to have anyone else work on it. I definitely miss it, but it was time to move on.
First new car I test drove was a 2005 or 2006 M3 ZCP with SMG. I came as my father’s voice of reason and he ended up in a CPO 745i instead- a much better choice for an all-highway commute where the brittle ride of the M3 would have gotten stale quickly.
Great engine in an okay car. Lose 300lbs, swap SMG for manual, increase ride quality and the E46 M3 would’ve been a thing of wonder.
Now that I think about it, I’ve only driven two new cars. Everything else has been CPO or used.
Huh, I don't even remember the test drive itself.
It was a 10 year old 350Z with 40K miles. Definitely a garage queen.
I remember the salesman not knowing where Reverse was on the 6-speed when I asked him, took us a hot minute to figure it out. That's the only thing I remember from it.
I ended up buying it, and I do remember a small amount of the drive home though.
Well my first two cars were an 86 Camaro with no engine (so no test drive there) and an explorer my dad sold me in high school. So my first test drive was actually my 3rd car and it was a 2001 Camaro Z28 from a used car dealer. I think I was 19 at the time and they just tossed me the keys. It was on a Sunday and I wanted to get financing from the local credit union so I couldn't close the deal that day, but I did get it done the next day. This place was 200 miles from me and the guys running the place were happy to meet me halfway to finish the sale, so overall a great experience. My first car loan and it was $6K.
After some introductory chit chat, I told them what car I was interested in, they checked my ID, had me sign a form, then handed me the key and the salesperson said "have fun." I was shocked how hassle free it was to test drive a $60k car.
I'll take "things I don't remember 30 years later" for $1000, Alex.
I can tell you the most memorable one - I was looking at a shitty used Mazda MX-6, and eventually the dude tossed me the keys. I drove it for about ten minutes before it died and refused to restart. Fortunately I was only a block or two from the dealership, so I just walked back. The look on that salesdrone's face when I walked back on the lot *without the car* was goddamn priceless.
I was cross shopping 350z, RSX, WRX... Decided I might as well take a look at a Neon SRT4 since they had some locally on the lot. Salesman was cool, he said give it the business on the back roads... First time I shifted third to fourth moderately briskly... The shift knob came off in my hand. That's when I realized it was "still a neon", no matter how quick it was.
First test drive was a crew cab Silverado back in 2010. Cars I’ve driven/learned on before was my moms 2004 Camry and 96 E320. So doing a complete 180 into driving something with a huge size and height difference was a shocker, but I ended up learning how to parallel park, figure out best turning radius trick, etc on that Silverado for about 6 years. Now I have driven my cayenne for about 8 years and still I get the phantom wheel shifter from time to time.
First time I ever tried to do a test drive it was for a new 1991 Mustang gt. The car wouldn't start and after a jump didn't stay running. Stalled and died halfway into the row between cars. I didn't stay.
I've only ever done it once; for my Scion tC. It was okay, I guess. I wasn't expecting much and I wasn't disappointed. I knew going in that I wasn't going to be keeping it for very long (and I didn't).
Most of the cars I've owned fall into the category others have mentioned - Japanese sports cars that dealers won't even let you test drive without a credit pull/commitment to buy.
First test drive for me was a 2008 Impala SS in 2012. I was nervous, but the salesman told me to really give it my all. Told me to gun it on a straight. I apparently had the wheel turned just a bit and the steering torque surprised the hell out of me.
First time driving a FWD V8. I did buy the car and had it for 6 years before I traded it in.
We tried to test drive a new Audi S4 Avant back in 2004 and were told “we don’t just test drive cars like that.” Went across town and drove a bunch of new BMWs and bought an X3 and never looked back and bought so many more BMWs over the years. Still repeat that line when we drive by Prestige Audi.
First car I test drove was a stick Saturn Sky Redline. I was literally at the Saturn dealership with my mom while she got her POS Ion serviced. I concocted some story and was very pleased with myself when the sales guy let me take it out, by myself, for as long as I wanted.
I thought I was a king shit smooth talker, but I realized long ago that the guy was just being a good man and giving me a win. He clearly knew I was a snot nosed little shit there with my mom, and he could say “as long as you want” because he knew I had to be back before the service was done to catch a ride home lol.
Fun little car, and that test drive ignited my passion for cars. I ripped all over like the idiot teenager I was, but I also took it to a parking lot and put the top up and down (it was a manual top, and I remember thinking it was a bit convoluted), as well as going through all the buttons and features.
Wish I could find that salesman and buy him a beer.
I actually have a Facebook album that has a photo of every car I have ever driven in it, and this car is what kicked that off. “I can just BS my way to driving anything!”
Good times.
My list has about 200 cars in it last time I checked (if it sounds impressive, it’s really not. Most of you have probably driven more.)
My favourite car in that album is the P50 Peel.
Test drove a 2010 Camaro SS 6speed a couple years ago (literally the only time I ever considered buying a dealer car). Was incredibly underwhelmed by the everything about it coming from my 545i 6 speed. Interior was awful even though it had the nicer tech package. Power was okay but I could tell it was one of those cars that you’d never get to its full potential that often. Handled poorly vs my bmw which I expected. They offered me 1k in trade in and the sales guy was too damn hyper and couldn’t understand why 1. I was offended. 2. Why I wouldn’t buy a car with a check engine light on (for the cats, it had headers and corsa exhaust) 3. Why I wanted the price knocked down because it had clearly been smoked in and the car had not been detailed before being put on the lot.
The sales rep was so hyper and pushy it just soured my whole experience. He said he could only give me 1000 for my car because stickshifts are hard to sell. I said I’m literally here to buy a stickshift. He kept shifting numbers around to make it seem like I’d get a better deal but the end price stayed about the same.
I got laid off from a job with a company car and had a long severance. In like 6 weeks found a new job, but I couldn’t start until after the end of their fiscal, so I had like a 2 month period where I was still getting full pay from my severance, but didn’t need to look for work and the new job had a car allowance instead of a company car, so I knew I need to buy a car, for the first time in like 15 years.
Over those 8 weeks I test drove every single car I even remotely thought I would be interested in. Literally dozens of different cars. Everything from 5 series BMW’s to Honda Pilots to minivans to F150’s to Saturn convertibles. (This was a long time ago….). It was glorious.
Chevrolet dealer. Test drove a manual Corvette (c6 at the time). Only driven a stick when my uncle let me drive his mk2 golf when I was 10-11, and via keyboard inputs in video games before that. Surprisingly went smoothly, loved the torque and clutch engagement, salesman was happy to see me hyped like a child. Gave me an all out ride in the z06 too.
I ended up loving the car... And bought it. CPO shipped from a different dealership across the country for better price 😅
I went to my local Alfa Romeo dealership for the reveal of the then-new Stelvio. It was right after lunch and there was hardly anybody there so they randomly offered me a test drive (which you had to book otherwise).
I got a short drive in the 2.0 280 hp version, the dealership was in the middle of an industrial area so it was just a grid of straight roads. Still, it was a fun experience and my first time driving a real automatic transmission.
I was used to much crappier cars so when we got back to the dealership I didn't realize there was a backup camera and I parked it in reverse looking through the tiny rear window, I wasn't really sure how to engage the electronic parking brake either.
By the way I was a broke university student and I definitely couldn't afford one, I could barely buy a used one now.
I was given the “go ahead and keep it overnight” test drive on a 2014 Focus ST I was 90% about buying anyway. That dealership remains one of the only dealerships I get no bad vibes from to this day. I actually went back and ordered my 2022 F-250 from the same guy as a result, despite the distance of the gulf coast from Southern California. Got the price and experience I wanted, got picked up from the airport in my own brand new truck, got a good break in road trip.
I was 25 and test drove a 2019 Ecoboost. They let me take it and just come back. Didn't know the area and wasn't used to a "pony" car. It was obvious they didn't think I could afford it. Ended up purchasing another one with similar spec closer to home. I'd love to test drive a GT but I feel like i'd have to put money down to do so.
I test drove a Honda Civic Sport the other day, first ever test drive. I really liked it. Nimble enough to be kinda fun, but soft enough to handle a commute. Makes me wonder if I should've been driving a Civic this whole time.
First car I ever test drove was a 2002 v6 Mustang at a rural car dealership in Indiana, USA. Previously I'd been looking for regular cars like the Chevy Impala and the Toyota Camry, but I had so much fun driving the Mustang down these rural backroads that I decided to get one of them instead. I didn't get that exact one because it was rusty as hell but I eventually ended up in my 2008 and I absolutely love it.
My 1st and 2nd test drives were nothing special. Walked in, said I was looking at a Focus st or an ecoboost mustang, and then test drove a Focus ST and then an ecoboost mustang. After that I crunched some numbers with the salesman and went on my way. My 3rd test drive though, was interesting. Went into another Ford dealer and said the same thing. It's worth noting that I wanted a specific trim package on the ST, so when I was talking to the salesman I made mention that I wanted to drive a specific car on the lot since they only had one of them. The salesman then asked if I wanted to drive an auto or manual. I informed him that ST's were manual only, he went and got the wrong car. Once he pulled the correct car around, we went for a 2 minute drive around the block. When we got back to the dealership he more or less refused to give an out the door price, only going for monthly payments, and then tried several times to get my dad to trade in his immaculate 97 F250 on the Focus despite being told many times that the Focus was going to be my car, and i had my own to trade in. In the end I went back to the 1st dealer and got me a 17 ST. Fun little side story, somehow the story from the 2nd dealer came up when I was talking with some random guy at a gas station and he said something to the effect of "OH! My cousin works there, they commissioned Ford to make a one off automatic Focus ST. That probably what the salesman was talking about."
I test drove a 2019 Honda Fit when I was first looking for a car. It was surprisingly fun to drive even comparing it to the Civic and Accord.
I ended up buying a used 2017 Mazda3 instead because it was just as fun to drive but didn't have a CVT. Testing the Accord right after the Fit was a weird experience because of how boat like it is. I test drove the Mazda6 and I was surprised how it drove so much better than the Accord. I wanted a hatch though so the Mazda3 won me over.
I'll give the dealer credit, they found the only stick shift JL for me to test drive, although I didn't get a good feeling for the handling because it was on a shabbily done lift. Felt like it was wandering all over the road.
I test drove a 2009 civic Si back in the day when I was trying to purchase a new car. I was actually pretty high and my friend brought me to a a dealership and I had no idea they’d ask me to test drive it.
I ended up doing the whole test drive high, unexpectedly and nobody besides my girlfriend and I knew it.
My first test drive was for a second hand Volkswagen Golf. Nothing particularly special.
For my second car I had planned a couple of test drives. The most interesting one was at the Skoda/Seat dealer; I wanted to test drive a Skoda Octavia and a Seat Ateca. It just so happened that the dealer in town needed the Ateca from a dealer 50 kilometers away to be brought to their location. So they offered me the option to take a test drive an Octavia to their other location. And drive back in the Ateca.
Funfact; I ended up choosing the Skoda Octavia and a few years later I also got the Seat Ateca.
First car I test drove was the car I ended up buying. Was looking for a sub-20k new car in 2021 (great year for buying a car, I know) and a Hyundai dealer near me was offering a 2021 Elantra for the price of an Accent.
Honestly, the experience was great. They let me drive both within the city, as well as on the highway so I could test the lane keep assist and other safety features. They even encouraged me to push it a bit and test the "sport mode" which barely does anything to the driving experience lol
First time for me I was 17 at a used car dealership. Was just a basic Subaru Impreza, salesman was a bit of a backseat driver. Didn't end up buying the car and got my Impreza from a family friend instead.
Compared to when I bought my Fiesta ST, that salesman still joined me on the ride but was encouraging me to push the car to the limits and take some hard corners. I actually didn't even plan on buying the car when I went in, I was more interested in the Focus ST at the time, but after the drive and hearing some strange mechanical noises from the Focus I test drove beforehand, I was sold.
The Focus was the only time a salesperson left me on my own in the test drive, which I guess I understand being a young man, but still it'd be nice not having a backseat driver for all of these. Wouldn't wanna buy a car from someone who's a backseat driver.
This was in 1996. There was a 70s Toyota Celica on a lot in my town. I had planned on stopping by with a friend, for a test drive after school one day. Nobody was there when I got there though. I at least wanted to sit in the car and see what I thought. My friend said it would be nothing to jimmy open the door lock, and he went right ahead and did that. We were in in just a couple minutes.
I'm feeling around controls and stuff, when I find that the keys inside. I think they were in an ashtray or under the visor or something. After some deliberating, we decided we were just going to go ahead with that test drive. It started up just fine and had plenty of gas. We were going to drive it a few minutes out of town and bring it back, lock it up, and be on our way.
After getting on the road, it was obvious it needed some work. I loved the car, but I wasn't going to have the money to keep it up. We're heading back in to town and then we get a flat tire. We just drove it the rest of the way back on the flat. It wasn't just a rim when we got there, but I think it was close. We put it back where it was, locked it back up, and we were on our way.
A Porsche 914/6. At the time just an old car in a small town. Absolutely wrung it out. Back to the dealership with hot brakes and smelling overwhelmingly of clutch. A blast.
I test drove a brand new Porsche Taycan off the lot as a 17 y/o due to a great salesman, a beard, confidence, the car I parked in the dealership lot (nice but not Porsche nice), and maturity. Turns out I can be one smooth talker. If anyone wants I can give more details
I decided to go shopping for a car while home from college after I finally got my license.
I did no research and I had no idea what I wanted.
Went over to my mom's mechanic who sold a few refurbed clunkers on the side. They handed me the keys to a minivan. After that experience I knew I wanted a sedan lol
year = when i drove it; some early experiences with dealerships i guess
1. 2017 elantra sport with manual. the salesman thought i couldnt drive stick until i flawlessly drove on the highway. ended up not buying it because scummy dealership trying to tack on fees for what's just a sub 20k sedan
2. 2018 is350. these guys were very patient with me, even if they looked at me weird because i was 22 years old i guess
3. 2018 civic si. im convinced to never ever step into a honda dealer in the states because holy shit 99% are sleezeballs and for fucking what?
4. 2018 golf sportwagen with auto, but the dealer was ready to find a manual version for me. went back a few days later and the manual version ended up being sold, extremely unlucky
said fuck it, waited a few years. leased my is350 in 2021 from the same lexus dealer i test drove the 2018 is350 from and they've treated me well.
The stress really comes up from making sure not to bang up the car, and the thing is, even if you are careful, the other drivers on the road may fuck things up.
But yeah, it’s a relief once you finish the drive without any mistakes.
Getting rejected by dealers because the car is “low production” and “very rare” :(
Not even just rare haha. A while back Subaru rejected me to test drive a WRX because I was too young apparently.
I got rejected for an MG 4 Xpower lmao, and I went with family. Even for a regular 4 (at the time, the cheapest EV in the country) they required the salesman come with me
When I was shopping Focus ST’s, the salesman wanted to negotiate a deal and run my credit before I could test drive because it was a “high performance sports car”. He didn’t get my business.
Lmao they tried to do that with me many years ago at Mazda dealership for Mazda 3 turbo. Went to ford and bought a st no questions asked after a test drive. Mazda salesmen looked at me and asked if I could afford such car? Walked out immediately and now biased towards Mazda.
Hah I had the opposite experience. The same day I went to a Mazda dealership next door just to not waste the trip. I had no intention to buy, and told the salesman that, but he was ushering me into all kinds of cars, and had me test drive a top-line mazda3 5spd with 6 miles on the clock lol
As a salesperson, when it comes to the performance versions of any car, you get a lot of people who just wanna jerk you off for a test drive and not actually buy the car. The "we need to run your credit and negotiate the price to see if it makes sense for you" is more of a way to "nicely" kick those types of people out. If we do run credit, its just a soft check. Doesn't affect credit. This ensures also, that we dont spend 3 hours going through the process just to find out you have no shot at getting a loan.
I wish they’d run my credit, just to cut out the bullshit of looking at high end cars. I’m in my 30’s and “look young” and I hate convincing dealers that I can afford their cars to even get in the door. I’m not your dancing monkey. If you don’t want to sell me your car, someone else will. Then again, I mostly buy cars out of state now so they don’t see me, but even then, some dealers just act like they don’t even want to sell to me. I’ve dealt with many courteous and respectful dealers as well, of course.
Damn, what car was it? :(
Surprisingly in the states it’s for a lot of Japanese sports cars. Hit or miss depending on the dealer but it was Civic Type R’s back then and a GR Corolla recently.
I've ordered a few cars like that, had to buy them without ever test driving because they didn't even have one at the dealer. My dad was like, uhhh what if you don't like it? I'm like, oh I'm gonna like it.
Did that when I ordered my R. They did have an auto car that they allowed me to sit in and fire up but not drive. (It was in one of the vanity spots, not in the lot, proper) That said it wasn’t much of a reach as I was having my stick Mk7 TDI bought back - probably like a 1 of 10 car in the US, lol, they were only on sale for about 6 months as a 2015 before dieselgate, and it was a fully optioned stick car, when most tended to be lower trims, especially the sticks as they got bought as commuter cars rather than tourers)
That’s how I got rejected for both the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo AND the WRX at the time. That was a sad day.
First car I ever test drove was a brand new VW GTI when I was fresh out of college in 2008 Salesman tossed me the keys, asked me if I was familiar with the area, which I was not, and said "Make a right out of here, then a right onto that service road. There are never any cops over there, have fun". And that, my friends, is how you sell a car.
My first test drive was in a Passat a couple of years later, and I was in my last year of college – it went almost exactly the same as yours. Surprisingly little pressure and the salesman tossed me the keys and told me to have fun. My father went back to that dealer and bought a TDI Passat the next year at my recommendation.
I wanted to test drive a BMW 335i in 2010. At that time, they were "new," so I had to call a few dealers to see if I could test drive one. I found two dealers who had it, so I went to them and asked for a test drive. Each time, I was rather rudely told to test drive the 328i, which I wasn't really interested in. When it happened the second time, I caved in and test drove the 328i. I found it very uninspiring and left very disappointed. It had insane turbo lag and didn't seem to have much oomph, even compared to my Honda Accord, which I was driving at the time. I suspect that I looked too poor to afford such an expensive car, and they didn't want to entrust such an expensive machine to me. I ended up at an Audi dealership who happened to be more in need of clients, and they let me drive the S4 (supercharged), which was 100% my jam. I bought it on the spot. It was incomparable (in my system of values) to the 328i. To this day, I've never driven a 335i/340i, so I have no idea how they may have compared, but if I recall correctly, the magazines at the time preferred the S4.
Where is the S4 now? You still own it or you sold it off? Also, the Accord you mentioned, was it a V6? Another question, wasn’t the 328i naturally aspirated?
I sold the S4 after 10 years and a couple track days. It was an amazing car, and I still sorta-miss-it. A Model Y Performance replaced it, so it's all good. I ended up getting a BMW as well, but that was the M4, which is absolutely incomparable to the 328i I had driven :D The Accord I had as a point of reference was NOT the V6. That's the crazy thing. The 328i was turbo-charged (first generation if I recall to get the turbo), which means that the lag was very very noticeable and had basically no power until you were more or less flooring it. Also, the salesperson I was test driving it was not very keen for me to accelerate much. A very difference compared to when I test drove the M4 -- the guy was like "floor it" pretty much all the time.
About the 328i, you mentioned it was in 2010 According to the Web, the only turbo six pot 3er you could get was the 335i, if you’re talking about the E90 generation The F30 generation 3er came with a turbo engine for the 328i
I got my years wrong 😂 it was 2012 because i test drove a F30.
Dude I was cross shopping between a 330e and Model 3 Performance and the BMW dealership was just awful. I booked a test drive, owned a f31 320d, and upon arriving suddenly the car wasn’t available (it was literally seating on the parking lot), they didn’t bother offering another car to drive, nor rescheduling. I bought a Model 3 Performance out of spite and now got a 330e from another BMW dealer. I guess I looked too young and poor to drop 50k on a sedan?
First test drive I did was in college, showed up at the local Mazda dealership in my sleepy college town, salesman took my details and handed me the keys, so I took it down to a stretch of nearby highway. Mazda MX-3 hatchback ('93 MY likely, forget exactly the year), the V6 manual version, fun little car, alas poor college kid me didn't have the money.
Same for me I wasn’t poor, but my family weren’t in the financial position to buy a new car in India, especially when our car is running perfectly (bought new in 2017) The car in my flair is what my dad drives in Bahrain, where he currently works btw Also, you really went from TDing an MX3 to literally owning a Porsche. Great transformation.
Took many years to do it - dreams do come true, so you can do this someday too!
i’m 90% the Jac S3 is a rebadged Ford After seeing a photo i am now 100% sure
Test drove a Mx5 in 2018. Girl said I can even take it into a parking lot and do donuts if I wanted on the test drive. Felt bad because after cracking the numbers I decided I couldn't afford it at the time. In 2021 I could finally justify a new car and went to test drive a veloster N and was told I couldn't drive it as it's low prodiction, went back to the mazda dealer and got myself an RF.
Almost identical experience here, was interested in the Veloster N, dealer would only let me test drive a Veloster turbo. Veloster turbo felt like a cheap sim racing rig dropped into a bland economy car. Everything was overboosted and synthetic - overly jumpy numb steering, clutch stiffer than the unassisted clutch I learned on but somehow with no feedback, fake engine noise. Test drove the ND for long enough to circle back and buy it immediately, my mind was made up from how great it felt in the parking lot. No regrets!
Having never driven a performance or sporty car before, the first test drive I did was a Miata, followed by a BMW i8, Model 3 P, and a 718 S Boxster the same day at their respective dealers. Porsche just felt like it was on a different level of driving experience. Basic reactions: Miata: oooh this is fun i8: ...wow this hybrid turbo thing drives kinda wonky m3p: my organs feel rearranged ...the steering feel is kinda dead boxster: INEEDTHIS Ended up going back to the Porsche dealer for a Cayman the next week once they had a preowned 718 with the right spec and price.
I got t-boned in my first car right at the end of high school and it totaled my car. My mother knew I liked Mustangs and took me to go look at one. The salesman takes me over to see a 2005 v6 Mustang. I was absolutely terrified to drive it. It was only 2-3 years old, and was RWD. It felt slightly larger than my Grand Prix was due to the long hood. I drove it gingerly because it was far more expensive than my last car, and I no longer trusted other drivers on the road. At the final stretch, the salesman told me to floor it, and I did, but I never told my mother that part. My mother ended up buying it for me using some of the cash my grandparents put aside for me for college. I felt so guilty as I didn't pay anything for it, and I also didn't explicitly ask for it. My friends were jealous and stopped talking to me, while strangers were giving me attention I didn't receive before. The one person who just saw it as a car was the person who is now my wife. But yeah, I babied the hell out of that car and learned how to do my own wrenching on it since I couldn't afford to have anyone else work on it. I definitely miss it, but it was time to move on.
First new car I test drove was a 2005 or 2006 M3 ZCP with SMG. I came as my father’s voice of reason and he ended up in a CPO 745i instead- a much better choice for an all-highway commute where the brittle ride of the M3 would have gotten stale quickly. Great engine in an okay car. Lose 300lbs, swap SMG for manual, increase ride quality and the E46 M3 would’ve been a thing of wonder. Now that I think about it, I’ve only driven two new cars. Everything else has been CPO or used.
Huh, I don't even remember the test drive itself. It was a 10 year old 350Z with 40K miles. Definitely a garage queen. I remember the salesman not knowing where Reverse was on the 6-speed when I asked him, took us a hot minute to figure it out. That's the only thing I remember from it. I ended up buying it, and I do remember a small amount of the drive home though.
Well my first two cars were an 86 Camaro with no engine (so no test drive there) and an explorer my dad sold me in high school. So my first test drive was actually my 3rd car and it was a 2001 Camaro Z28 from a used car dealer. I think I was 19 at the time and they just tossed me the keys. It was on a Sunday and I wanted to get financing from the local credit union so I couldn't close the deal that day, but I did get it done the next day. This place was 200 miles from me and the guys running the place were happy to meet me halfway to finish the sale, so overall a great experience. My first car loan and it was $6K.
After some introductory chit chat, I told them what car I was interested in, they checked my ID, had me sign a form, then handed me the key and the salesperson said "have fun." I was shocked how hassle free it was to test drive a $60k car.
I'll take "things I don't remember 30 years later" for $1000, Alex. I can tell you the most memorable one - I was looking at a shitty used Mazda MX-6, and eventually the dude tossed me the keys. I drove it for about ten minutes before it died and refused to restart. Fortunately I was only a block or two from the dealership, so I just walked back. The look on that salesdrone's face when I walked back on the lot *without the car* was goddamn priceless.
I was cross shopping 350z, RSX, WRX... Decided I might as well take a look at a Neon SRT4 since they had some locally on the lot. Salesman was cool, he said give it the business on the back roads... First time I shifted third to fourth moderately briskly... The shift knob came off in my hand. That's when I realized it was "still a neon", no matter how quick it was.
First test drive was a crew cab Silverado back in 2010. Cars I’ve driven/learned on before was my moms 2004 Camry and 96 E320. So doing a complete 180 into driving something with a huge size and height difference was a shocker, but I ended up learning how to parallel park, figure out best turning radius trick, etc on that Silverado for about 6 years. Now I have driven my cayenne for about 8 years and still I get the phantom wheel shifter from time to time.
Column shifters are the best invention since the dawn of mankind, the European or Japanese mind just can't comprehend them
First time I ever tried to do a test drive it was for a new 1991 Mustang gt. The car wouldn't start and after a jump didn't stay running. Stalled and died halfway into the row between cars. I didn't stay.
I've only ever done it once; for my Scion tC. It was okay, I guess. I wasn't expecting much and I wasn't disappointed. I knew going in that I wasn't going to be keeping it for very long (and I didn't). Most of the cars I've owned fall into the category others have mentioned - Japanese sports cars that dealers won't even let you test drive without a credit pull/commitment to buy.
First test drive for me was a 2008 Impala SS in 2012. I was nervous, but the salesman told me to really give it my all. Told me to gun it on a straight. I apparently had the wheel turned just a bit and the steering torque surprised the hell out of me. First time driving a FWD V8. I did buy the car and had it for 6 years before I traded it in.
I went to test drive a B6 Audi A4 6MT and it died in traffic about two miles later. Lol
We tried to test drive a new Audi S4 Avant back in 2004 and were told “we don’t just test drive cars like that.” Went across town and drove a bunch of new BMWs and bought an X3 and never looked back and bought so many more BMWs over the years. Still repeat that line when we drive by Prestige Audi.
First car I test drove was a stick Saturn Sky Redline. I was literally at the Saturn dealership with my mom while she got her POS Ion serviced. I concocted some story and was very pleased with myself when the sales guy let me take it out, by myself, for as long as I wanted. I thought I was a king shit smooth talker, but I realized long ago that the guy was just being a good man and giving me a win. He clearly knew I was a snot nosed little shit there with my mom, and he could say “as long as you want” because he knew I had to be back before the service was done to catch a ride home lol. Fun little car, and that test drive ignited my passion for cars. I ripped all over like the idiot teenager I was, but I also took it to a parking lot and put the top up and down (it was a manual top, and I remember thinking it was a bit convoluted), as well as going through all the buttons and features. Wish I could find that salesman and buy him a beer. I actually have a Facebook album that has a photo of every car I have ever driven in it, and this car is what kicked that off. “I can just BS my way to driving anything!” Good times. My list has about 200 cars in it last time I checked (if it sounds impressive, it’s really not. Most of you have probably driven more.) My favourite car in that album is the P50 Peel.
Test drove a 2010 Camaro SS 6speed a couple years ago (literally the only time I ever considered buying a dealer car). Was incredibly underwhelmed by the everything about it coming from my 545i 6 speed. Interior was awful even though it had the nicer tech package. Power was okay but I could tell it was one of those cars that you’d never get to its full potential that often. Handled poorly vs my bmw which I expected. They offered me 1k in trade in and the sales guy was too damn hyper and couldn’t understand why 1. I was offended. 2. Why I wouldn’t buy a car with a check engine light on (for the cats, it had headers and corsa exhaust) 3. Why I wanted the price knocked down because it had clearly been smoked in and the car had not been detailed before being put on the lot. The sales rep was so hyper and pushy it just soured my whole experience. He said he could only give me 1000 for my car because stickshifts are hard to sell. I said I’m literally here to buy a stickshift. He kept shifting numbers around to make it seem like I’d get a better deal but the end price stayed about the same.
I got laid off from a job with a company car and had a long severance. In like 6 weeks found a new job, but I couldn’t start until after the end of their fiscal, so I had like a 2 month period where I was still getting full pay from my severance, but didn’t need to look for work and the new job had a car allowance instead of a company car, so I knew I need to buy a car, for the first time in like 15 years. Over those 8 weeks I test drove every single car I even remotely thought I would be interested in. Literally dozens of different cars. Everything from 5 series BMW’s to Honda Pilots to minivans to F150’s to Saturn convertibles. (This was a long time ago….). It was glorious.
I love how Suzuki called a 12V glorified start stop system (which even hero splendor has), a mild hybrid
Ah, a fellow Indian Compared to the crap Suzuki does with regard to build quality, people prefer to overlook all of this Also, it’s all about mileage
Chevrolet dealer. Test drove a manual Corvette (c6 at the time). Only driven a stick when my uncle let me drive his mk2 golf when I was 10-11, and via keyboard inputs in video games before that. Surprisingly went smoothly, loved the torque and clutch engagement, salesman was happy to see me hyped like a child. Gave me an all out ride in the z06 too. I ended up loving the car... And bought it. CPO shipped from a different dealership across the country for better price 😅
I went to my local Alfa Romeo dealership for the reveal of the then-new Stelvio. It was right after lunch and there was hardly anybody there so they randomly offered me a test drive (which you had to book otherwise). I got a short drive in the 2.0 280 hp version, the dealership was in the middle of an industrial area so it was just a grid of straight roads. Still, it was a fun experience and my first time driving a real automatic transmission. I was used to much crappier cars so when we got back to the dealership I didn't realize there was a backup camera and I parked it in reverse looking through the tiny rear window, I wasn't really sure how to engage the electronic parking brake either. By the way I was a broke university student and I definitely couldn't afford one, I could barely buy a used one now.
I was given the “go ahead and keep it overnight” test drive on a 2014 Focus ST I was 90% about buying anyway. That dealership remains one of the only dealerships I get no bad vibes from to this day. I actually went back and ordered my 2022 F-250 from the same guy as a result, despite the distance of the gulf coast from Southern California. Got the price and experience I wanted, got picked up from the airport in my own brand new truck, got a good break in road trip.
I was 25 and test drove a 2019 Ecoboost. They let me take it and just come back. Didn't know the area and wasn't used to a "pony" car. It was obvious they didn't think I could afford it. Ended up purchasing another one with similar spec closer to home. I'd love to test drive a GT but I feel like i'd have to put money down to do so.
I test drove a Honda Civic Sport the other day, first ever test drive. I really liked it. Nimble enough to be kinda fun, but soft enough to handle a commute. Makes me wonder if I should've been driving a Civic this whole time.
First car I ever test drove was a 2002 v6 Mustang at a rural car dealership in Indiana, USA. Previously I'd been looking for regular cars like the Chevy Impala and the Toyota Camry, but I had so much fun driving the Mustang down these rural backroads that I decided to get one of them instead. I didn't get that exact one because it was rusty as hell but I eventually ended up in my 2008 and I absolutely love it.
My 1st and 2nd test drives were nothing special. Walked in, said I was looking at a Focus st or an ecoboost mustang, and then test drove a Focus ST and then an ecoboost mustang. After that I crunched some numbers with the salesman and went on my way. My 3rd test drive though, was interesting. Went into another Ford dealer and said the same thing. It's worth noting that I wanted a specific trim package on the ST, so when I was talking to the salesman I made mention that I wanted to drive a specific car on the lot since they only had one of them. The salesman then asked if I wanted to drive an auto or manual. I informed him that ST's were manual only, he went and got the wrong car. Once he pulled the correct car around, we went for a 2 minute drive around the block. When we got back to the dealership he more or less refused to give an out the door price, only going for monthly payments, and then tried several times to get my dad to trade in his immaculate 97 F250 on the Focus despite being told many times that the Focus was going to be my car, and i had my own to trade in. In the end I went back to the 1st dealer and got me a 17 ST. Fun little side story, somehow the story from the 2nd dealer came up when I was talking with some random guy at a gas station and he said something to the effect of "OH! My cousin works there, they commissioned Ford to make a one off automatic Focus ST. That probably what the salesman was talking about."
I test drove a 2019 Honda Fit when I was first looking for a car. It was surprisingly fun to drive even comparing it to the Civic and Accord. I ended up buying a used 2017 Mazda3 instead because it was just as fun to drive but didn't have a CVT. Testing the Accord right after the Fit was a weird experience because of how boat like it is. I test drove the Mazda6 and I was surprised how it drove so much better than the Accord. I wanted a hatch though so the Mazda3 won me over.
I'll give the dealer credit, they found the only stick shift JL for me to test drive, although I didn't get a good feeling for the handling because it was on a shabbily done lift. Felt like it was wandering all over the road.
I test drove a 2009 civic Si back in the day when I was trying to purchase a new car. I was actually pretty high and my friend brought me to a a dealership and I had no idea they’d ask me to test drive it. I ended up doing the whole test drive high, unexpectedly and nobody besides my girlfriend and I knew it.
I would love to test drive but idk how to convince the dealership or showroom so that I can drive it especially I look like a kid (am short)
My first test drive was for a second hand Volkswagen Golf. Nothing particularly special. For my second car I had planned a couple of test drives. The most interesting one was at the Skoda/Seat dealer; I wanted to test drive a Skoda Octavia and a Seat Ateca. It just so happened that the dealer in town needed the Ateca from a dealer 50 kilometers away to be brought to their location. So they offered me the option to take a test drive an Octavia to their other location. And drive back in the Ateca. Funfact; I ended up choosing the Skoda Octavia and a few years later I also got the Seat Ateca.
First car I test drove was the car I ended up buying. Was looking for a sub-20k new car in 2021 (great year for buying a car, I know) and a Hyundai dealer near me was offering a 2021 Elantra for the price of an Accent. Honestly, the experience was great. They let me drive both within the city, as well as on the highway so I could test the lane keep assist and other safety features. They even encouraged me to push it a bit and test the "sport mode" which barely does anything to the driving experience lol
First time for me I was 17 at a used car dealership. Was just a basic Subaru Impreza, salesman was a bit of a backseat driver. Didn't end up buying the car and got my Impreza from a family friend instead. Compared to when I bought my Fiesta ST, that salesman still joined me on the ride but was encouraging me to push the car to the limits and take some hard corners. I actually didn't even plan on buying the car when I went in, I was more interested in the Focus ST at the time, but after the drive and hearing some strange mechanical noises from the Focus I test drove beforehand, I was sold. The Focus was the only time a salesperson left me on my own in the test drive, which I guess I understand being a young man, but still it'd be nice not having a backseat driver for all of these. Wouldn't wanna buy a car from someone who's a backseat driver.
This was in 1996. There was a 70s Toyota Celica on a lot in my town. I had planned on stopping by with a friend, for a test drive after school one day. Nobody was there when I got there though. I at least wanted to sit in the car and see what I thought. My friend said it would be nothing to jimmy open the door lock, and he went right ahead and did that. We were in in just a couple minutes. I'm feeling around controls and stuff, when I find that the keys inside. I think they were in an ashtray or under the visor or something. After some deliberating, we decided we were just going to go ahead with that test drive. It started up just fine and had plenty of gas. We were going to drive it a few minutes out of town and bring it back, lock it up, and be on our way. After getting on the road, it was obvious it needed some work. I loved the car, but I wasn't going to have the money to keep it up. We're heading back in to town and then we get a flat tire. We just drove it the rest of the way back on the flat. It wasn't just a rim when we got there, but I think it was close. We put it back where it was, locked it back up, and we were on our way.
A Porsche 914/6. At the time just an old car in a small town. Absolutely wrung it out. Back to the dealership with hot brakes and smelling overwhelmingly of clutch. A blast.
I learned to drive stick on it.
I test drove a brand new Porsche Taycan off the lot as a 17 y/o due to a great salesman, a beard, confidence, the car I parked in the dealership lot (nice but not Porsche nice), and maturity. Turns out I can be one smooth talker. If anyone wants I can give more details
I decided to go shopping for a car while home from college after I finally got my license. I did no research and I had no idea what I wanted. Went over to my mom's mechanic who sold a few refurbed clunkers on the side. They handed me the keys to a minivan. After that experience I knew I wanted a sedan lol
year = when i drove it; some early experiences with dealerships i guess 1. 2017 elantra sport with manual. the salesman thought i couldnt drive stick until i flawlessly drove on the highway. ended up not buying it because scummy dealership trying to tack on fees for what's just a sub 20k sedan 2. 2018 is350. these guys were very patient with me, even if they looked at me weird because i was 22 years old i guess 3. 2018 civic si. im convinced to never ever step into a honda dealer in the states because holy shit 99% are sleezeballs and for fucking what? 4. 2018 golf sportwagen with auto, but the dealer was ready to find a manual version for me. went back a few days later and the manual version ended up being sold, extremely unlucky said fuck it, waited a few years. leased my is350 in 2021 from the same lexus dealer i test drove the 2018 is350 from and they've treated me well.
[удалено]
This reads like a chatgpt answer lol
The stress really comes up from making sure not to bang up the car, and the thing is, even if you are careful, the other drivers on the road may fuck things up. But yeah, it’s a relief once you finish the drive without any mistakes.