A potential customer comes in for a test drive, we hand them the keys, and they are back in about 15 minutes. This happens all the time! Many drivers treat a test drive as a way to test the handling of a car, but a test drive shouldn’t stop there. It’s also about making sure that particular vehicle fits your daily needs and lifestyle. With some help from Kelley Blue Book and Mashable, we’ve compiled a list of things you might want to keep in mind the next time you come into DELLA Toyota of Plattsburgh for a test drive.
Test everything! – And we mean everything! From coffee mugs to strollers you want to make sure everything you use on a daily basis fits this vehicle. So bring one of your favorite coffee mugs and make sure it fits in the cup holders. If you have a child, bring their stroller and car seat to make sure they fit in the cargo spaces and the back seats. Bring a friend or family member and have them sit in the front and back to assess the comfort level and seat space. Pair your phone to the Bluetooth and test out the voice recognition. Bring your phone cords and charging cords and make sure they fit in the snug spaces outlets are located.
Drive it! – This one seems self-explanatory but really drive it like you would your current car. Move and check your mirrors and their visibility. Drive the car on city streets, neighborhood roads, and the highway as cars handle differently at different speeds. Register the interior noise level of the vehicle when you are on the highway versus city streets. If you can’t test drive the car at night, drive somewhere darker (like under a bridge or in a tunnel) to test the headlights, high beams, and fog lights. Carefully check the brakes to make sure you’d feel confident stopping abruptly if you needed too. Put the driver’s seat in your ideal position. Bring the car to a parking lot and try parking a few different ways to see how easy or hard it is to maneuver into and out of a space.
Play with the features! – You might be test driving the car on a bright, sunny day, but not every day is going to be like that so make sure to test all the features especially those that aren’t necessarily “in season.” Adjust the brightness of any interior lights or infotainment screens. Turn up the radio to assess the sound quality and to make sure your favorite radio station comes in clear. Move the sun visor around to see the coverage you’ll get. Blast the air conditioner and heat fans to see how powerful and loud they are.
Happy test driving!
Kelley Blue Book. “14 Things You Should Do to Get the Most out of a Test Drive (Paid Content by Kelley Blue Book).” Mashable. Mashable, 08 Aug. 2016. Web. 10 Aug. 2016.
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