Do people test drive cars?

I think they do test drive cars before buying. Why would someone buy a used car without taking it for a test drive or to a mechanic? You are either a Prius person or you are not. For those who are not Prius people, move along.

 

There are some things a test drive doesn’t tell you.
Many people don’t even look at the Nav except to confirm it exists.
Seat comfort, or discomfort, may not be noticeable until driving for a longer period of time.
There is a lot to absorb and it is fairly easy to miss somethings while you are getting acclimated.

 

For my Gen3 Prii (on second one now, both purchased new), my only 'test drive' was a two week vacation rental of a Gen2.

I have no regrets whatsoever about not test driving any 2010 or 2012 before my purchases. But then I generally haven't had car fit problems. People who do have a history of uncomfortable seats or fit issues shouldn't do this. Plus I did read here and some other enthusiast sites extensively prior to ordering, so things like Nav and BT issues were not surprises.

And I wouldn't dream of skipping the test drive stage on a used car.

 

When I bought my first Prius I was skeptical that it would hold all my gear. The salesman gave one to me to take home (35 Miles each way) and bring back the next day. (to get my car back) I was able to test that it really could be my cargo 'van'. It helped him make the sale.

 

^ This.

I like doing a second test drive after some thinking time about the first. Too much to absorb in such a short time span; information overload. Sales droids know this and will distract you or turn up the sound system to drown out the road noise/rattles.

I also value long term test reports greatly over first impressions reviews. Even well established reviewers don't find out everything till they live it for awhile.

 

For the last few cars I've bought, I haven't been able to test-drive the individual car, because I've bought them at auction. However, they've been new enough that I've not had to be especially concerned about individual faults. And the savings are so big that it's worth the gamble.

However, unfair as it is on the dealers, I do generally go to a dealer to sit in, and if I like it, test-drive that kind of car. I need to know whether it's comfortable, whether I can work the satnav, whether I like the way the stereo sounds, whether I can see out of it properly, and so on.

Sometimes even just getting into the car is enough: I was recently considering buying a Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake which was going to auction in Melbourne (about 1000km away). We all went to a local dealer have a look at a similar one, and it was lovely from the driver's seat. But the window sills were too high, and the kids couldn't see out when they were in the back seat. So it was a no, without even having to have a test drive. Checking things like that really is essential.

 

Test-drove them all except for a broken 1966 Mercedes and 2001 Prius. Those two compete in different ways to be best vehicles I ever owned. Leaps of faith...

 

When I sat in a Gen-2 Insight, I hit my head hard enough on the door sill to 'see stars.' I had to sit long enough for the nausea to pass. I realized I could learn how to duck but that is wrong in so many ways.

I also test drove an Ioniq Blue only to realize how much I hate stepped transmissions.

As for the Prius, the Prime is a little lower than I care for but usable. I'm not hitting my head and once in, no problem.

Bob Wilson

 

Unless you get a dealership to let you take a car home overnight, the only thing that test driving a car really tells you is that the particular car is operable.....and since even Priuses have a 3/36 warranty, this information isn't very interesting.
There is NO WAY that you can discover all of the idiosyncrasies that make Priuses so much.....ah.....(*) fun to drive in one 10-minute test flight with a sales person slobbering all over things in the co-pilot seat.

What I usually advise people to do is to rent a particular car that they're interested in driving for a weekend.
Hertz used to rent Priuses, but I'm not sure if anybody else does.
Alternatively.....you can visit several dealerships locally and drive different variants of the car that you're interested in buying, and see if the car fits you.....BUT(!!!) if you're one of the many people that insist on trading a car in when you buy another one then I always advise people to leave that car at home.
This way...you HAVE to leave the dealership to wipe all of the drool off of you.

Since I haven't bought a car in the same zip code that I live in since Clinton was President, then "test driving" for me is a little different.

One last thing.
ALWAYS perform a thorough test drive on the car that you intend to sign papers on and do a panel by panel inspection of the car for ANYTHING that is awry....
This is fundamentally different than doing a test drive to decide on what car you want to buy since as soon as you put ink to paper then you instantly transform their "new" car to your "used" car....and when you reach this point in the transaction the dealership should let you take the car out on an unaccompanied test flight.


YMMV.

 

I didn't test drive my first Prius (Gen3) I purchased new. I had worked out all of finances via e-mails before visiting the dealership 3 hours drive away from my house. I spent exactly 30 min to sign the papers and get the keys. In fact that Prius was my very first Prius I have ever driven in my life. It took some faith, but I had no complaints. I did test drive my current Prius Prime when I purchased it new last year, but I can't say I learned much about the car in such a short driving period. Once you are over with honeymoon period with your brand new car, you either grow to like it or hate it, that has to be more of luck than anything else, IMHO.

 

We did a couple of test drives before buying our 2010. The first was a demo they had, roughly comparable to US level IV (aka 4). This was a car with the 15" wheels, and I believe at the time there was a difference in the steering mechanisms. The drive was pretty short, at night. I drove a bit, then my wife. My overall impression was "mixed".

Then a day or two later, wandering around their indoor lot, we spotted a really dusty Touring, with the led headlights, 17" rims, etcetera, roughly comparable to US V (aka 5), but without a lot of the high end tech.

Anyway, they extracted that one for us, cleaned it up, and we went for a protracted daytime drive. The steering feel was a lot more sure/planted, hard to explain. Silver wasn't our first colour choice, but it felt really good, we signed the deal that day.

 

I'm one of those who complains about the poor NAV system in our gen II. Yes, we test drove the car and we would have bought it anyway even if we had known the GPS was that poor. The car was a one-owner car, good service records and from a small used car dealer we trust based on our experiences and our friends experiences with him over the last 25+ years. It was replacing a previous Gen 2 that was totaled in an accident so we knew what a Prius was like.

The GPS wasn't a "make or break" option but happened to be installed. It's a poorly designed option as it stands. That last statement has nothing to do, however, with our satisfaction with the car mechanically and overall. Happy with the car, unhappy with the GPS. A free standing Garmin unit solved that problem.

 

I didn't test drive either one of mine. My Gen 4 was on the showroom floor and I sat in it to see if I fit.

I didn't even open the door on the first one. There is always something I don't like about my cars, usually I wish it had a missing option.

 

I always recommend someone go sit in a vehicle they are interested in for extended minutes to really get a feel for seat comfort. Given the amount of available information about vehicles and trim levels on the internet, I think the responsibility is on the potential owner to know what the vehicle can, might or should have as far as features, if they want them.

But also? My observation is that dealerships will facilitate a test drive, if they think you are serious enough about buying. BUT...they don't really want you driving a whole lot or for too long a time.

Most of my recent vehicle purchases test drives have been just a few blocks inner city driving, and maybe a couple of miles on the highway. By the time I walk on a lot, I'm pretty sure what I want, I'm pretty sure what to expect. I always test drive, but admit the duration is usually pitifully short as far as to be revealing of any weaknesses the vehicle might have.

I can maybe evaluate acceleration going on the highway, and I can listen for any disturbing sounds coming from the engine. I can test brake feel.
But really? That's about it.

 

I never test drove either of my Prii.

The Gen 2 was everything I'd hoped it be, and more. After totaling it, it was a no-brainer what my new car would be.

I love my Gen 4 just as much.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

It took about a week of driving before the uncomfort of my gen2's seats became apparent. Renting a car for an extended time is the only sure way of discovering the details mentioned in the OP.

That said, I wouldn't be able to buy a new car without seeing the model in person, like many seem to have done for the Prime.

 

In my first encounter with the model, I went to a dealer with a paperback book and asked if I could sit in the car for an hour to make sure I liked the seat. They were cool with it.

That told me it was worth scheduling a test drive. My wife and I took turns driving it. The salesman was absolutely adamant that we not get on an interstate highway- but that's somewhat understandable as it would have taken 20 minutes just to get to the nearest one. Also he was terrified we would think it was too slow.

So we knew from the get-go that the seats were fine, the car was slow and the infotainment was a heap of garbage. All it really changed was that we budgeted a few bucks for a proper aftermarket head unit.

 

When we lived in Hong Kong, my wife bought a bookcase on Asiaxpat (like Gumtree or Craigslist or whatever) from an American who was leaving town. She lived quite a long way from us, so I got the metro and a bus to her house, and ordered a taxi-van to take me and the bookcase home.

This was a while ago - before smartphones! - so I'd brought a book to read on the metro and on the bus.

When I got to the house, the woman asked me why I'd brought a book.

I looked at her exasperatedly, and said, "Well, I'm not going to buy a bookcase without testing it, am I?" I put the book onto the bookcase, stood back, folded my arms, and watched it for about two minutes. I then nodded, and said, "Yes, it seems to work fine. I'll take it," and took the book off the shelf. I paid, and put the bookcase in the van, and we drove off. She took everything at face value: she never seemed to realise that I was joking about the test drive.

 

You must be talking about me. I did this in my honda too, I essentially road really close to the wheel and didn't even notice and eventually after owning it for a while I found it wasn't comfortable even after changing my seating position. Although my honda seats were power and more comfortable and the steering wheel got down lower, but still not close enough. To this day I can't properly do hand over hand in my Gen3... Cant really do a racing (9-3) grip with the thumbs forward, not wrapped, of the wheel either because of it's position and shape.

I did test mine, I don't think I went on any road above 45mph though. I have memories of my first car and my Gen3 and everything felt so foreign at the time, when looking back it was almost like a different car. I couldn't look under the bottom of my prius to check that out. I could care less about NAV (don't have) because I assume it doesn't work with Waze. I also test drove some 04-08 F150 trucks and found that when I went to go from gas to brake my knee would hit the steering wheel column... Probably riding really close there too.