Questions To Ask On Your Test Drive

When you’re out shopping for a new vehicle, there’s one step that you absolutely can’t say no to: the test drive. This is crucial for making sure the vehicle you want is actually a good vehicle for you. Sure, you can go off of pictures or just by looking at the vehicle, but you’ll never know if you actually like driving it or if it feels the way you want it to without taking the test drive first. When you’re on the test drive, there are a few questions that you should be asking yourself, and some things that you should test for in the vehicle. A good idea is to bring a friend along to prompt you with these questions, just because it’s easy for thoughts to fly out of your head when you’re enjoying the drive (and focusing on the road). Check out our suggestions for essential test drive questions you should be asking before buying a new car!

How much do you like sitting in the vehicle? Adjust the seat and steering wheel to a comfortable position, then think about these questions: can you see out of all the windows? Check for blind spots and make sure you have the visibility you need.

As you drive, think about the ride in this vehicle. Is it bumpy? Loud? Do you feel like you’re driving on a cloud or like you’re separated from the road by flimsy plywood? Every vehicle has a different ride but make sure that this vehicle meets or exceeds your personal expectations.

Test the acceleration. Can you get up to speed in a reasonable amount of time? Always make sure that you are obeying speed limits and driving safely when you are testing the acceleration.

Now it’s time for the handling test. Ask your sales professional to test out a curved road with some hills so that you can really put the handling to the test. How well does the vehicle handle the hills and curves?

Finally, put the brakes through their paces. Try out slow stops, fast stops, stops on hills, and any other types of stops you can think of. Every vehicle brakes differently, so make sure that the brakes work the way they should.

With these questions, you’re equipped with what you need to be able to have the best test drive ever! Have fun!