Just rang up a local garage to arrange a test drive only to find the demonstrator I want to try is away for Easter. It seems whoever is running the car is taking a long weekend. I'm sure someone will correct me if I've got this wrong but I thought demonstrators were meant to be available for the public to try, not company cars for the senior salesmen. Maybe had I tried to arrange something earlier in the week then the car would have been made available.
Another problem I have with test drives is getting hold of the car for long enough to know if I really want to buy it. Car salesmen seem to think a 20-30 minutes run is long enough for me to make a decision about spending a lot of money. Unfortunately I'm not like that. I need to take my time before spending my hard earned. The last thing I want is to find I get backache from driving my new car after spending £20k. From reading various car forums it seems many company car buyers get a much better deal in that cars are delivered to their door to try for several days. Why is the same level of service not available for people like myself spending our own money?
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Presumably this is something of a rhetorical question. Dealers have no obligation to provide a demonstrator nor account for the fact that one is unavailable as a salesman has taken it home. But then they can't be that desperate for a sale, can they?
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Why the assumption that a salesman has got it? Perhaps it has been given for the weekend to a punter like merlin who wants a long test drive.
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It could be being used by a member of staff from another department, maybe a director if it's a tasty model.
Realistically, car sales can't do a lot if the car they want to demo is run by, say, the bodyshop manager and he decides to take a long weekend.
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Some years ago I wanted to take a test drive in a Peugeot 406 HDi coupe but I had to book a week in advance because it was the area sales chief's perk - all the other sales staff had 206s and 306s. Luckily, I didn't take the test because I found out first about the can bus electronic nightmare (not to mention the FAP). When I told the salesman why I had changed my mind he said 'they are all like that - it isn't just the 406, but they're working on it'.
Mind you, I stilll fancy a nice primrose yellow one...
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Why the assumption that a salesman has got it? Perhaps it has been given for the weekend to a punter like merlin who wants a long test drive.
Maybe you are right but the impression I had from speaking to the dealer was that this is not the case. When I asked about a long test drive he was extremely reluctant even though I only asked for a few hours. Even then he talked about the possibilty of me hiring the car. The hiring cost would be refunded if I bought from them. He's going to talk it over with the boss and get back to me next week.
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Dealership staff company cars and the demo fleet are one and the same thing. By far the majority of mileage on a demonstrator when sold will not be from test drives, but from its keeper running it around, and to and from work.
It is quite legitimate for demonstrators to be unavailable at a moment's notice, but given a few days warning, the sales staff should really be able and willing to swap cars around to make the one you want available. If they want your business, at any rate. If this leaves someone without transport home, there is usually a p/x kicking around with tax and ticket which can be borrowed for the evening if needed, or even something off the used car forecourt. When I was in the trade, if it meant keeping a potential customer happy, we wouldn't hesitate to do either of these.
Cheers
DP
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DP,
When I worked for a family-owned Renault garage in the 1980s the attitude was exactly the same.
The MD would have got the bus home if we (sales) needed her car - a fully loaded R16.
Realistically, there's always something knocking about that's roadworthy - even in a Renault garage :) - so no one need be left without wheels.
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They may be called demos but the are essentially company cars and the staus of the car denotes how far up the tree they are - I will never forget what happened when our 6 ft junior salesman annoyed the dealer principal - he was given a brand new Rover Mini Cooper which made him look more than slightly silly and the source of much amusement :-)
I would try several dealers for a test drive - before we bought our Sirion, we wanted to test an i10 auto, which we were told was impossible as nobody had one, except one of the three localish dealers we had, one DID have one.
I know when we had the Rover 75 newly out, we would be sent out to exchange it if the dealer principal had his top of the range one with him so that someone could drive it.
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I had similar problems getting extended test drives last summer. The Toyota dealer refused - guess he thought I was a time waster. In the end I gave up and stuck with what I still have now - a 9 year old Mazda 626.
Last week end I went down to London, a 300 mile round trip. Just as we were about to set off for home I noticed one of the belts dangling from under the engine! Fortunately the Mazda has a dual drive belt system so everything kept working although I was nervous driving a long distance with one old drive belt which presumably was also coming to the end of its life.
Anyway after that experience I am now very serious about getting a new car - the only problem is deciding what to buy which is where the test drives come in. I wonder if the dealers are reluctant to help out with a long test drive because I drive an old car worth peanuts and invariably look scruffy in jeans. Maybe if I flash a healthy bank statement infront of their noses that would oil the wheels. Any dealers / ex-dealers care to comment on how you decide who is serious?
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A dealer will normally only give short test drives. Anything longer and the car is usually provided by the manufacturer. When I got a test drive of a Toyota Avensis (cancelled it mind) and a Mazda6 they were for 48 hours and delivered to my home address. And of course free.
The test drives were only arranged after a brief drive in these two cars from the local dealers. 1
Rob
1 The local Toyota garage would have lent me one for 48 hours if he'd have had a chance of supplying the car. But the lease company would have used someone else so they obviously declined to lend me a car. They knew I might not want to buy one but I think it is only fair they could supply it if I did want one.
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A dealer will normally only give short test drives. Anything longer and the car is usually provided by the manufacturer.
So is it possible as a member of the public to contact the manufacturer and arrange a longer test drive or was your test drive arranged as part of a lease deal through a company scheme?
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Mine was arranged via the lease company but I am sure I could have done via the websites if I was a private buyer.
e.g. for Toyota: tinyurl.com/co59qd
The driver working for Mazda that dropped off the car had to make his way elsewhere on the train afterwards to pick up another. The chap who picked it up then had to get another car to drive it back.
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Thanks rtj70 - that's the page which I tried to book a test drive with Toyota last year. I was phoned a few days after entering my details by my local Toyota garage. Unfortunately they would not do extended test drives. I visited the dealer and talked to the dealer principal at some length. He was adament that a 20 minute drive was quite sufficient to base my decision to spend ~£17k, as it was then, on a new Avensis.
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Even then he talked about the possibilty of me hiring the car. The hiring cost would be refunded if I bought from them. He's going to talk it over with the boss and get back to me next week.
It sounds like he's doing his level best to accomodate your request for a lengthy test drive. It's not unknown for potential buyers to hire a car at their own expense to make sure they're making the right decision. If you need a lengthy test drive it's up to you to get one by whatever means you can.
Edited by L'escargot on 13/04/2009 at 08:26
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Dealers with imagination realise that letting potential customers go out on their own is the way to sell cars. The customer can help by looking like a genuine purchaser, rather than a time-waster (I think it's the questions you ask rather than the way you're dressed), and if possible you should try another dealer if all you are offered is a 20-minute drive up the road with the salesman. Giving them some notice to get the car you want will help all round.
Dealers who've let me out on my own include:
Jewsons Skoda - Oxford
Ashmore Green Skoda - Newbury
Newbury Audi
Wood Mini - Odiham
Cross Roads Renault - Oxfordshire
Reading Saab
Octagon Toyota - Bracknell and Reading
VW and Honda dealers usually have the car you want but insist on accompanying you; Ford dealers never seem to have anything like the car you want (e.g. a 1.8 petrol C-Max isn't close enough to a 2.0 TDCI).
I can't comment on Vauxhall dealers as I've never had a Vauxhall in 40 years of owning cars and can't see that changing (it's not prejudice - there just doesn't seem to be anything in their range that appeals to me, or to SWMBO).
(I agree with Rob, above: manufacturers often offer 1- or 2-day tests as part of a promotion. But an hour or two on my own is fine.)
Edited by Avant on 10/04/2009 at 19:53
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Last demonstrator ride I had was in a Peugeot 107 about 3+ years ago (on early retirement) It was a hot Summer day and this was the base model without aircon. Started the engine with the drivers window down (on busy main road) problem - couldn`t hear the engine. At all.
I should at this point say I`d driven big growling diesels excusively for years and the car I pulled up in was the Punto with the old indirect injection engine. (this car vibrates the actual road and can be both `felt` and heard before it is seen approaching the house round a bend 200 yards away)
Back to the 107. Tried to set off looking at the pod of a rev counter - for indication that the engine was actually running - OK. Turned off the main road following the (obviously) well worn half mile circuit the garage used. It was actually the Dealer Principal in the passenger seat and he told me of the trouble taken with the `ride quality` - at that moment the back end gave a little hop sideways - on the 30mph but poorly surfaced side road.
Now with a little more commitment from him we could have actually got it into 5th, continued further along the dual carriageway (where he was based) even got up onto the motorway half a mile away..
Back at his base I looked in the engine bay at what seemed more like a bike engine with seemingly delicate looking fittings/pipes filters and so on. .
It seemed like a sugar plum fairy contrasted with a second world war tank and it was with some relief that I left the place after the necessary few minutes small talk.
I bought the second Punto, the diesel van after that - intending to use it privately as a two seater car with a very large boot..
For some reason I like a bit of growling or noise up front....
But back to test runs - the Peugot place (family owned) was the most restrictive I`ve known - how can they expect a run around the block (and only as far as 4th gear for moments) to be enough to form an opinion?
Edited by oilrag on 10/04/2009 at 20:27
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Having the Mazda for more than 24 hours was useful. One thing I wanted to try out were the Xenon HID head lights. So I had to wait for it to be dark and be somewhere without street lighting. Drove a fair distance and the car I got was brand new.
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Ive found Hyundai and especially my local Daihatsu dealer very willing to let you drive off. Ive not had the unaccompanied drives with any other dealer, but I think it shows confidence in the product selling itself rather than needing to distract a punter while they are driving to presumably take their mind off it!
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Prior to buying our MX-5 (18 mths old from a Mazda main dealer), the salesman chucked SWMBO and I the keys and said "take as long as you need." It worked, as the following weekend, we were handing over the wonga and driving it away permanently.
I would not buy a new car based on a plod around the block.
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Test drives I could write a book about them !!
A Volvo dealer who put trade plates a brand new V50 and gave me the keys to test drive it .
A ford dealer who I travelled 50 miles to test drive a S max to find the car was not there and who promised me a 24 hour test drive to make up for it and who I never heard from again.
A Mercedes dealer who gave me an accompanied test drive looked at my part ex and said he would phone me back with a cost to change price ! I have not heard anything from him its now 2 weeks ago
A Nissan dealer dealer who wanted me to sign a form to say that I was responsible for the first £1000 of any claim on the demo vehicle so I told him were to go .
I could go on but I am sure you get the picture !! I think you are best with a family run business .
Volkswagen's dealers have been very good so far !!
To be honest I am not 100% sure what i want and wanting an Auto its not easy getting a demo in the model you want .
I think a car salesman to judge a potential customer on his looks is very foolish
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I know what you mean about not being 100% sure what I want. One of the reasons for wanting an extended test drives is to find out what I do like. Having driven the same car for the last 7 years I don't have that much experience driving modern cars. If a dealer gave me the keys to a car then by just driving it for a few hours I could well be sold on that one.
What are the real reasons for dealers being reluctant to give extended test drives? Any of the following or am I missing something?
- dealers don't have enough confidence in their own product so they don't think it will come out well in an extended drive?
- too many time wasters wanting effectively free car hire
- salesman doesn't want to be inconvenienced losing their company car for any length of time
I would have thought having a demonstrator sitting around the dealership doing nothing would be a wasted asset. Surely the more time a demonstrator can be out with potential customers the more money it will earn the dealership.
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"I would have thought having a demonstrator sitting around the dealership doing nothing would be a wasted asset. "
Someone said further above that they are actually company cars for staff, so not wasted - just not always available at the drop of a hat maybe.
They probably also have the problems that hire companies have, where people grab a hire car/demonstrator the same as their own car so that they can swap broken/worn bits. The longer it's in possession of Joe Public the more bits can be swapped. Not everyone is trustworthy ya know!
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What are the real reasons for dealers being reluctant to give extended test drives? Any of the following or am I missing something? - dealers don't have enough confidence in their own product so they don't think it will come out well in an extended drive? - too many time wasters wanting effectively free car hire - salesman doesn't want to be inconvenienced losing their company car for any length of time
I think that the concerns about being used as a free car hire company would be a major one. Not only is the demonstrator being used by someone with no intention of buying but it is then not available to anyone who is interested.
There was a thread on here just a month ago with someone asking which manufacturers offer extended test drives as they had a long journey coming up and didn't fancy doing it in their own car.
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I think you need to discuss these problems, calmly and rationally, with the sales manager of the dealership(s). If he thinks you have a valid point I'm sure he'll try to resolve the situation to your satisfaction.
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To play Devil's Advocate for a moment, consider this. These dealerships are businesses with a profit objective. Of course they want you to buy their products but they also want to make a return. They will not have unlimited numbers of demonstrators available. If they were to regularly let people take them away for extended periods then fewer potential customers could be given the opportunity to trial them.
To draw a couple of analogies, let's take another couple of purchase decisions. Let's say you decide to buy a new pair of shoes. It would be perfectly reasonable to ask to try them on in the shop for a few minutes to establish if they were satisfactory, it would be unreasonable to ask to wear them for half a day before making a decision. Or when buying a house, it is more than reasonable to view it perhaps more than once before making a purchase. It would be most unusual to be allowed to sleep in it or cook in its kitchen for a day or two before deciding whether to even begin negotiations.
Having had a brief test drive, if you are still so unsure as to whether a particular car is suitable, I think it would be perfectly reasonable to be invited to hire a example of it for however long it takes to decide. To remove the dealers main selling tools for extended periods of time is unreasonable, in my opinion. They need those for other potential customers.
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 11/04/2009 at 09:16
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...To remove the dealers main selling tools for extended periods of time is unreasonable in my opinion. They need those for other potential customers.
If this is the case then why let the car go away for an extended period over Easter? I would have thought the Easter weekend would have been one time when you really do want your demonstrators to be available.
The Toyota garage also made the point about keeping the demonstrator available for potential customers when I requested an extended test drive last year. However I would walk passed that dealership at lunchtimes a few times a week and the demonstrators would usually be lined up in their standard positions. It was unusual to see one out during the week.
Edited by merlin on 11/04/2009 at 09:37
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That's kind of my point really. In your original post you are flagging up how inconvenient it is that someone else has got extended use of the car but at the same time that is what you want to do.......
;-)
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I only wanted it for a few hours - not 4-5 days! If the dealer wasn't prepared to let me have it over Easter then fair enough. I don't mind having it at some quieter time when it is much less likely to be in use by other customers.
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The other possibility which occurs to me and of course, this may just be cynicism on my part, is that they simply don't want to lend it to anyone this weekend for any length of time and that telling you it was unavailable was an attempt at a polite, albeit inept, "I should cocoa" !
Anyway, as you rightly say, it would probably be best to ask again at a potentially more quiet time.
Hope you find a car you like anyway. Good hunting !
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I feel manufacturers should take a more proactive attitude towards customer test drives and make vehicles available for just that purpose .
I know if you get a customer behind the wheel of a new car its going to tempt them to buy even if its not from that dealership it may be from another dealership so the car manufacturer benefits hence the reason they should be more proactive
I believe there has been changes in the tax that is paid by salesman who use demonstrators for there personal use so they will be taxed more for that benefit !! it will be interesting if this will change the availability of cars for demonstrating perhaps someone in the trade would confirm this
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I know if you get a customer behind the wheel of a new car its going to tempt them to buy .......
I've been behind the wheel of many demonstrators that I wasn't even remotely tempted to buy after the test drive!
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Point taken !! but if you do not even get a test drive it will not even be in the running.
If I am spending £20,000 plus of my kids inheritance as Theo Paphitis would say I would want to make sure it was well spent
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I feel manufacturers should take a more proactive attitude towards customer test drives and make vehicles available for just that purpose .
I think they already do but for company car users only who get demonstrators delivered to their doors and then can try them for several days.
It would be interesting to see what the car market would be like in the UK if manufacturers weren't constantly trying to meet the needs of the company car and the associated taxes. Motability is another area that I think is distorting the marketplace. It amazes me how many dealerships have employees trained for motability - whatever that involves. Then there's selling cars to companies at greatly reduced prices so the company can sell the car on for more money after a few months. Sorry - must get off my high horse!
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Buying decisions are made quite quickly - within a few minutes of seeing a house, for example.
Backroomers, with our interest in all things motoring, are the exception, rather than the rule.
When I was a car salesman, the majority of customers didn't want to spend too much time on the process.
Can't remember exactly, but I reckon at least half didn't bother with a demo.
I wasn't so interested in the customer who wanted to go into all the ins and outs.
You knew they'd probably buy something, but only in their own sweet time.
Hence the: 'they gave me the keys and let me get on with it' reports on here.
It's about the only thing you can do with such people.
We didn't do extended test drives - see first paragraph, above.
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I wasn't so interested in the customer who wanted to go into all the ins and outs.
You wouldn't have been impressed by me. Before I even think of asking for a test drive I want to be left alone and (unhindered) be able to ..........
Open and close all the doors, boot lid and bonnet.
Move the seats forward, backward, and up and down if possible.
Recline the seat backs in both directions.
Remove and replace the parcel shelf
Operate all the switches and controls and check their robustness
Operate the ICE
Operate all the windows (and sunroof if fitted)
Adjust all the mirrors
Investigate the position of the spare wheel, and see how easy/difficult it is to remove and refit
Kick the tyres
etc
etc
And before I agree on a test drive I insist that the tyre pressures are checked and adjusted. In the past I had several test drives where it was obvious the tyre pressures were wrong and we had to go back to the dealer to get them corrected.
Edited by L'escargot on 11/04/2009 at 10:16
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...You wouldn't have been impressed by me...
Think we'd have got on fine, L'escargot, you would have been put into the 'give them the keys and let them get on with it' category.
You mention wanting to be left alone to fully inspect the vehicle - no problem with that.
Insisting the tyre pressures are checked could be taken as an insult, but I might have done it for the sake of getting you to drive the car.
If you wanted me to appraise your part-exchange and I reply: "I'm not driving your car unless you check the tyre pressures."
What would you say?
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>> If you wanted me to appraise your part-exchange and I reply: "I'm not driving your car unless you check the tyre pressures."
>>
I would expect no other. I always carry a footpump and tyre gauge.
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...I would expect no other. I always carry a footpump and tyre gauge. ...
Fair play to you, L'escargot.
I'm now certain we'd have got on fine.
Edited by ifithelps on 11/04/2009 at 10:46
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I do not think you can generalise !! I am sure you will get customers who will walk in a showroom and say I want that car in that colour and pay the full price .
How can you tell a time waster and a genuine customer !! to be honest you cannot!! Yes I know my own mind but I am more likely to purchase from a dealership or give him a chance of getting the business if he is helpful
To be honest the standard of service SOME car salesman give you is appalling and think if I was the sales manager I would have some strong words to say to them.
The thing that really annoys me is when car salesman do not return telephone calls or get back to you
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Very difficult for the dealers where to draw the line, and to try and judge who is just joy riding, or using your car as a test bed but then go and buy the same car from t'internet.
If you think how few new car sales are made to private buyers especially in the larger car bracket, it would gall me a bit as a dealer if 50 people extended test drove my £25K car putting say 50 to 100 miles each on it knowing full well that 99% of those had no intention of buying from me in the first place.
We had accompanied test drive with the pick up, but i'd already discussed with the sales chap what i wanted which was a mixture of very bumpy country roads, dual open road and traffic/close work and manoeuvring, we chose the route and the distance and bingo everyone happy.
Bit different with used as i should imagine the sales to test drive ratio must be much more reasonable.
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... if 50 people extended test drove my £25K...
Curiously, the dearer the car, the less likely the driver is to have test driven it.
Many executive saloons are just specced over the phone from the brochure/company car sheet and delivered to the user.
We didn't sell many R20/30s, but I don't think it was for want of a test drive, whereas we always had an R4 demo and two or more R5s.
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What came out of our buying process which landed us with a Sirion is that had be taken any notice of the glowing press reports for the i10, we would have bought one.
It was only after half an hour in the car we both looked at eachother and in unison said 'not for us'.
A run around the block would not have given us this insight, but landed us with a car we didnt like for a multitude of reasons. Funny enough, we much preferred the Getz auto but decided the more spacious interior was important to us so opted for the Sirion.
When you are spending what is alot of money for you to pay out, its paramount to be sure as the sinking feeling that you got the wrong car but are now stuck with it is the worst there is.
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Oh yes, I certainly know that feeling, Stu. Mercedes B200 CDI - and my fault for allowing the dealer to get away with a half-hour accompanied test drive.
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Well things go from bad to worse!
I arranged an accompanied test drive at a different dealer (and marque) from before for 10am today. I was running late so at 9:50am rang the dealer to say I would be a bit late. He said that he had another test drive arranged for 11am and I said that shouldn't be an issue as I wasn't that late. I arrived at the dealer at 10:15am only to find the salesman had already gone out on another test drive. There was only one other saleswoman there and she was busy with someone else. I waited around until 10:30 but still no sign of the dealer I was meant to be meeting so decided to go around the other dealerships in the area. At 11:15am I arrived back only to find the dealer was now back but still with the couple from the earlier test drive. Apparently the 11am test drivers had arrived at 10am. The dealer told me that he would be finished in 10 minutes. I decided to wait around. By midday I had had enough and gave up and returned home.
You would have thought that buying a new car would be a pleasure. It's not working out like that for me.
BTW I popped into the dealership who are reluctant to give extended test drives. It was like Mary Celeste! There were no salesmen there and this is a large place selling two different marques. The demonstrators were all missing too. It looked to me as though most of the salesmen were off for the Easter taking the demonstrators with them. After about 10 minutes wandering around hoping someone would appear I went to the reception desk and the girl made a phone call and someone who could have been just out of school appeared. Perhaps he had been playing on the playstation in the back! Anyway we had a long chat that was useful. Hopefully he will get a message to the person in charge that I am serious about buying a new car...
I also visited the Citroen garage. To their credit they did offer an extended test drive and I didn't even have to press them for it. If I could only get over my concerns about the long term reliability of a Citroen I would take them up on their offer.
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With regard to the Citroen, take a leap of faith. I bought a high spec Peugeot just over two years ago. The doommongers were sniggering about 'French electrics' and patting their Volkswagons.
My car has not had a single issue, with 100% reliability. The chap with the similar age VW has never been out of the (poor) dealer. (And the new C5 is a very handsome car)
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An experienced salesperson will ask qualifying questions to make a judgement about when/if you are going to buy and will base their sales process around the answers that you give.
Bear in mind auto sales people are only paid for what they sell,if they judge you as a messer/joyrider/internet buyer they will not want to waste time with you when there is a more likely buyer waiting around.
Dealerships have Motability trained sales people because Motab run the biggest fleet of cars in Europe,its huge business and the cars are changed every 36 months,most brands are greedy for the Motab business.
Best way to try a car is ask the sales manager and try to give a few days notice or rent the particular model for a day.
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im a motabillity driver and when i was looking at a new car i tried to get an extended test drive on a number of cars (bearing in mind comfort whilst driving is a big issue for me and cant often be gauged on a twenty minete drive) and got the bums rush by all of them which surprised me as i could have signed the papers on return of the car and garenteed them a sale, even if your not disabled i think alot of people need to settle into a car to make a decision, one dealer even got nasty with me because i was gone so long with the car (25 minuetes)
Edited by welshlad on 13/04/2009 at 05:23
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Never had a problem with the cars I've bought privately - I was offered an unaccompanied drive in the CRV but declined it. The Skoda was offered in the same way. Might not get the engine/trim level I eventually bought but that can't really be helped given the range of combos available. Never worried me unduly that one.
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