PUG SAYS

When you enter a dealership to view pre-owned inventory you will be told by salesperson in one form or another that all their inventory was driven by a little old lady from Pasadena and sprinkled with baby powder every day

What to look for during a Test drive

From personal experience, approximately 80% of people dont have a clue how to test drive a car. do you ?

Starting the test drive... drive the car slowly at first, feel and count the shift changes. Any slipping ? Any hesitation ? Any vibrations ?

Drive... long enough to get the engine warm as most car warning indicator lights ( indicating engine trouble ) won't glow until the engine is thoroughly warmed up.

Look...in your rear view mirror for smoke when you accelerate.

- Does it handle well on the on-ramp?
- Does it merge well into traffic?
- How's your shoulder check vision when merging and changing lanes?
- Is there excessive wind noise from the windows?
- Is there a Whirring sound from the tires?
- Did you test the cruise control?
- Is there a lag between stepping on the gas and accelerating?

- At 60m/100km an hour hit the brake... Does it pulsate? Does it pull left or right? Does the body of the car swerve?
- Does the engine strain at high speeds?
- Is the acceleration satisfactory when passing?

You may have heard the expression "a car feels TIGHT". If you test drove the car and feel the car passed every test then the vehicle is TIGHT. Remember that the dealer can't tell you that a car handles the way you like - you have to find that out on your own!

From experience about 80% of consumers buy a used car without testing the vehicle on the highway, and a huge percentage of these buyers will return within 24 hrs with some problems related to above question.

When I mentioned drive long enough to get the engine warm as most car warning indicator lights ( indicating engine trouble ) won't glow until the engine is thoroughly warmed up " that's true " BUT "

A check engine light can easily be cleared by seller, When you turn the key, but before you start the engine, the instrument panel will light up and you should note " Check Engine, Service Engine Soon or a picture of an engine " if you dont then it's been disconnected.

For a more detailed explanation how to safeguard this issue navigate to " Can I take Car to Mechanic "