My first post into the BR, but have been reading for a while - v useful and informative stuff!!
Am trying to arrange a test drive of an A3 sportback. Probably as a company car purchase, although may go private if the numbers stack up.
How hard can it be for my Audi dealer to find me a car to test?? Been waiting several weeks now. Had a date for this weekend, but just received a call saying the car they had lined up has just been sold!! May now have to wait even longer.
Any advice? I've heard that for some manufacturers you can go direct to them for test drives. Anyone know if you can do this with Audi?
Cheers
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Your fleet dept or leasing company will be able to call Audi central ording in MK and find the nearest dealer with the model or get one to you on a flatbed. If you get no joy I would check out the corporate sales link on the UK website, and pester someone in the corporate business centre. I wouldn't mention that you're thinking of going private until after your test drive.
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Had exactly the same experience with audi for test driving A4 in late summer. Dealer seemed uninterested so i bought new car for £20k off another manufacturer..... glad i did as they seem to be getting bad press on recent A4 recall and dealings with customers in the service department
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I've had the same problem - been waiting since early October, but the Sportbacks were still few and far between then. When I asked the dealer they didn't have one registered as it was only a few days after launch, the one they did have was a 3.2 petrol and I want to drive the 2.0 diesel - they then took delivery of a 2.0 diesel which was around for a couple of weeks and was sold. The 2.0 diesels are the most popular and dealers will sell the demo models if people don't want to wait weeks for delivery.
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I sent for a Sportback brochure and have had Audi Uk on the phone offering to arrange a test drive through a dealer.
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I sent for a Sportback brochure and have had Audi Uk on the phone offering to arrange a test drive through a dealer.
I just had the same thing with the new A4, although recent experience with other manufacturers is that just because the call centre asks if you want a test drive doesn't mean you'll get one, and even if you do, it might be very different from the car you want.
A few years ago I was shown the door in my local Audi dealer when I mentioned it was a company car. I called Audi HO and about 15 seconds later the dealer called me and offered a car for half a day!
As others have said, best way if it's a company is to get into the corporate department. You'll probably get a car for a few days that way, and you can get one that's very close in spec to the car you want. I just had an Accord Diesel for 3 days, but at one point Honda themselves said they don't do such loans (when in fact they have a corporate loan department).
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Try the Saab 9-3. Requested a brochure middle of last week. Saturday I get a call from the dealer and today spent nearly 2 hours belting all over Hants and Dorset in it, totally unaccompanied.
Very nice car. Could be the one that tempts me away from Alfa ownership.
Mind you, I still want to try a Touareg, just to convince me that I would be mad to spend that much......
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Thanks for all the replies. Am waiting on a call back from Audi corporate centre as suggested. I don't hold out any hope though.....
ND - Saab an interesting thought, but I need something at least hatchback shaped - more family friendly. Was originally looking at A4 Avant style estates - only ended up looking at A3 following a visit to showroom - need the test drive to see if all family related clobber can fit in it! Might have to start a new thread on other suggested wagons.....
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My son went to the Audi dealer in Derby to look at an A3 Quattro. The salesman treated him as if he was a time waster, and would not help him at all.
He has just taken delivery of a MB SLK bought from Witham. I hope that he takes it to show the supercilius salesman at Audi.
The family have given my son much stick about hairdressing!
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Had all sorts of problems with Audi, being passed from one dealer to another (wanted to try an A4 Cabriolet). They seem hopeless at Corporate sales.
In the end I complained to Audi HQ and they eventually agreed to let me have one for the weekend. They delivered it and picked it up from my office. Once I'd got their agreement, the service was super slick (free petrol!), but overall a bit like pulling teeth!
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Both Reading Audi and Aston Green Audi in Slough were extremely helpful and obliging with test drives (A4 Avant 2.5 in my case). Aston Green gave me a better deal - ring their business manager Stuart Crayford (01753 696 100), who was excellent.
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