test car for few days before buying

nino1

I had a mate a few years ago who would buy a car every two years and the car dealer would give him a car to test for the weekend before he brought it.
Is this regular practice or something that would only be done for a good customer?

coylemj

If you were a regular customer like your friend then there wouldn't be a huge problem but most dealers would regard you as either a tyre kicker or someone looking for a free car for a few days and refuse.

The insurance most dealers have says that the car is insured under their policy only if an employee accompanies the prospect on the test drive. If they give you the car to take away for a few days then you would need to prove to them that you had fully comp. and you'd need to transfer your insurance over to the car for the duration.

The other issue they'd have is that whle you're away with the car they can't show it to any other prospective buyer so if you come back and say you don't want it they might have missed several opportunities to sell it which is another reason why they'd typically refuse.

Yet another reason is that most people would probably bring the wife and kids for a spin so the car would need a complete valet when you bring it back.

racso1975

Remember opel did it a few years ago. Like that you'd have to transfer your insurance and book it in advance etc. Thought it was a really good idea actually but it just never seemed to take off

no1beemerfan

I'd say you'd have to know the seller. My father does this but we know the dealer for years and have bought a few cars off him.

Yogabear

When I bought my car 5 years ago, inital testdrive was just around the block with sales person but when showed genuine interest in buying was given the car for 24 hrs in order to get a true feel for it

Blazer

Got it done when I was looking at buying a 520D.
Took it away for a test drive and came back for a second one and the dealer suggested I take it away for a day or two and see how I liked it..
Had to transfer my insurance over during the period but I ended up buying it anyway

Del2005

If you know someone in the garage or are a regular then it can happen.

An ordinary Joe walking in off the street won't get it, unless they leave a deposit for the full value of the car!!

quietriot

Blazer wrote: »

Got it done when I was looking at buying a 520D.
Took it away for a test drive and came back for a second one and the dealer suggested I take it away for a day or two and see how I liked it..
Had to transfer my insurance over during the period but I ended up buying it anyway

Ah sure that's just it, give you a beauty to drive around in for a while and you'll get so attached that the thought of returning to the sh!tbucket awaiting you will drive the money out of your pocket quicker than anything a salesman could have ever said.

aujopimur

I have a loony relative who had a BMW on test for few days, the next the dealer heard about it was a call from the cops in London to say it was found abandoned.

bbam

Hi
I rang a dealer in Monaghan and he offered over the phone to give me a car for a few days to test. Had never spoke to him before.
Very decent thing. Builds trust immediately

vetstu

bbam wrote: »

Hi
I rang a dealer in Monaghan and he offered over the phone to give me a car for a few days to test. Had never spoke to him before.
Very decent thing. Builds trust immediately

Is that a skoda/hyundai/mazda dealer, if so you can just walk in and they will give you the key of any yoke for a test drive straight away.

EPM

vetstu wrote: »

Is that a skoda/hyundai/mazda dealer, if so you can just walk in and they will give you the key of any yoke for a test drive straight away.

You have got to be trolling

vetstu

No, i went in with a friend and just asked about a santa fe outside and just handed us the keys. He had never seen us before.

Miscreant

I got a 24 hour test drive one time from a Suzuki dealer. Took a Swift and brought it back the next day to do a deal. I am surprised that more don't do it tbh.

sentient_6

EPM wrote: »

vetstu wrote: »

Is that a skoda/hyundai/mazda dealer, if so you can just walk in and they will give you the key of any yoke for a test drive straight away.

You have got to be trolling

I've been handed the keys to cars at two seperate dealers & told off you go, by myself. Not for a day or two mind, just a ten minute test drive.

tossy

I do it with everything i buy - this weekend alone i have a bed from Ikea,a couch from DFS and a TV from DID