Renault Drive test drives - great idea

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Mon 18 Jul 2016 23:20
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - RicardoB
OK, before anti Renault people pooh pooh the ideas, I will admit that I like Renaults both from the past and now. But I also like other makes too.

However, one thing I don't like in general is part of the car choosing and buying process where you simply want to test drive a car but find that you invariably have to do so with a salesman accompanying you. (I would stress that I am not against them per se, they are simply doing their job) I just want to be able to get a feel and gather my own thoughts about a potential new car without being distracted or chatting away etc or have the pressure of knowing that "negotiations might be afoot".

So I was really interested to see adverts recently for "Renault Drive" events being held around the country at race tracks. Basically they are primarily there to show off the new Megane, but most of the other cars in the range are there too. The events allow you to test drive any of the cars, by yourself on public roads, for about 9 miles or so.

I went along to one this weekend and in my opinion, it's a really good idea. You have to sign up online before you arrive (if you want to test drive) and provide driving licence details.

And from my point of view, it all worked very well. I turned up, confirmed my details then they literally gave me the key to firstly a new Twingo and sent me on my way around the local roads. Then when I got back, I did the same thing again, this time in a Clio - they even found a particular version that I was really keen to try.

Lots of other people were doing the same in Kadjars, Meganes and Capturs and Zoes.

On returning from the test drive, you simply hand the key back and that's it - no hard or any sell (unless you want to discuss such things, and you make the approach) and you can either then make your way home or hang around and watch a racing driver racing a racing car around a small track, see other people doing obstacle courses etc. It was all very relaxed and well run.

Anyway, it must have cost Renault a lot to stage these, but if it helps lead to sales, good on them.

I wonder whether other makers might do a similar sort of thing? It certainly was a good way to check cars out in your own time and pace.

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Mon 18 Jul 2016 23:32
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - Wukl
Nine miles? I suppose that even a Renault could last that long.

This post smacks of an insider job. Apologies if it's not, but that's how it reads.

Lexus do 24 hour test drives by the way.
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Mon 18 Jul 2016 23:43
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - focussed
I went to a by- invitation day out with Seat at Rockingham a few years ago - a good day out, driving laps on part of the circuit, a few laps as passenger in a race car, borrow a car and do some road miles outside the circuit, and a comparitive ABS test braking hard through a cone chicane with ABS on and switched off.
A great opportunity to smoke someone elses car and have a good day out.
After that I bought a Honda.
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Mon 18 Jul 2016 23:45
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - RicardoB
Oh how original, re the mileage comment. That's the sort of distance I would imagine most dealers offer for test drives.

Apology sort of accepted.

I am not an inside job, I just thought that a good motoring forum would be interested in what I thought was quite an interesting motoring subject.

As it happens, I am looking at other makes for my next car as well as Renault.

I won't bother to follow up.
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Tue 19 Jul 2016 02:02
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - Wackyracer


Lexus do 24 hour test drives by the way.



I had a Citroen and Peugeot on a 24 hour test drive years ago, a great idea as you could use the car for a journey of your choice.
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Mon 18 Jul 2016 23:37
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - RobJP

Land Rover used to do the same sort of thing with Range Rovers (and, I assume, other cars too).

We went to one down in mid Wales at Laura Ashley's old house - a very nice place it was too. Off-road driving to show you just what the cars were capable of (even with a numpty like me behind the wheel, truly astonishing), followed by lunch, then by them handing you the keys to a freshly washed car and waving you off, asking you to be back in an hour or so.

Absolutely no sales people in evidence - the call came a couple of weeks later, asking if you'd enjoyed the day and what you thought, etc.

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Tue 19 Jul 2016 00:02
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - Avant
Ricardo B - I do apologise on behalf of the forum for the totally unwarranted assumption above that your post was an inside job. I read all posts, and it never occurred to me on reading yours that it was anything other than genuine.

Wukl - it would be good if you would apologise properly. For your information Ricardo B has been a member of the forum since 2009.
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Tue 19 Jul 2016 00:13
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - Wukl
I do formalise apologise. Sorry Ricardo B, been a long day, pathetic excuse I know, but that's how I read your post. Bad experience with friends and my father with Renault may have clouded my judgement.

Avant, please do delete my account if you think it is appropriate.
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Tue 19 Jul 2016 00:55
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - daveyK_UK
Did they have any Dacia's available to test drive?
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Tue 19 Jul 2016 06:59
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - oldroverboy.
I do formalise apologise. Sorry Ricardo B, been a long day, pathetic excuse I know, but that's how I read your post. Bad experience with friends and my father with Renault may have clouded my judgement.


Your punishment is therefore to buy a Renault clio 2005 and see if it does last more than 9 miles before a coil gives up...

:>(
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Tue 19 Jul 2016 08:01
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - RobJP

Wukl, we all have bad days. If Avant wiped us out when we did, these forums would probably be empty !

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Tue 19 Jul 2016 08:24
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - oldroverboy.

Wukl, we all have bad days. If Avant wiped us out when we did, these forums would probably be empty !

! ditto ! Too well written the OP!
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Tue 19 Jul 2016 10:56
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - oldroverboy.
As an aside to lack of "belief" or courtesy or even potential spam, in view of the warnings about liability of the site, Is not HJ when he replies in ask Hj that a car hire firm in sicily are "mafia" or a uk garage are "scum" both recent questions.

I shall make this another thread as well.
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Tue 19 Jul 2016 13:45
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - davecooper

I was considering a Fiat Bravo back in 2007. I had a 48 hour test drive over a weekend. I left my car at the dealers for the period. Didn't buy the car but it was a good length of time to get to know the car well.

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Tue 19 Jul 2016 16:41
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - Avant
Thank you so much, Wukl. Of course I won't disable your account - please keep contributing! I've only ever disabled accounts of spammers, and would do so for a non-spammer only if they were serially abusive.

Free speech is a vital element of a forum like this, and long may it continue.
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Tue 19 Jul 2016 22:55
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - RicardoB
Ooops. Let's blame the hot weather.

There are far more important things to get worried about in life.

No offence or anything taken.

All friends again.

On we go.

PS - ssshh, don't tell anyone, but I rather like the look of the forthcoming Citroen C3. Oh no, not again!!

Cheers all.
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Tue 19 Jul 2016 23:47
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - Smileyman
I have recently test driven Peugeot 308 and Nissan Pulsar - both instances the dealers took a copy of my driving licence then handed me the keys to drive the car unaccompanied
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Wed 20 Jul 2016 21:13
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - Steveieb
Would like to try the Captur.

But can't find the link on line.Can someone post it for me please?
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Wed 20 Jul 2016 23:55
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - mcb100
www.renaultdrive.co.uk
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Thu 21 Jul 2016 12:59
Renault Drive test drives - great idea - Steveieb
Many thanks for this .

As a matter of interest Bentley appear to be offering weekend trials to interested customers. They even supply the car with a full tank of fuel . Only require a driving licence and a utility bill and according to my friend who is seriously considering the car no hard sell on returning the car.

Might be ideal for some summer occasion when it would be nice to turn up in something special !

But I agree with the original poster, most customers are ill equipped to deal with the teqniques used by the salesmen after the test drive. It's one of the most unpleasant experiences that you can contimplate.
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