[Bluenyte]

Never really had a bad test drive, just annoying when I know more about the car than the sales person does.

 

[Vhozite]

Never really had a bad test drive, just annoying when I know more about the car than the sales person does.

I don’t mind when the salesperson doesn’t know everything. I’m sure it’s not necessary for them to know every detail for 99% of sales.

What I hate is when the sales people blatantly lie about something instead of being truthful or just saying they don’t know. Every time I go look at a car I’ll ask the sales person a couple questions about the car I know the answers to just so see how they answer. Most will be straight with you but every now and then you get a guy pulling answers straight from his ass.

 

[Bluenyte]

I don’t mind when the salesperson doesn’t know everything. I’m sure it’s not necessary for them to know every detail for 99% of sales.

What I hate is when the sales people blatantly lie about something instead of being truthful or just saying they don’t know. Every time I go look at a car I’ll ask the sales person a couple questions about the car I know the answers to just so see how they answer. Most will be straight with you but every now and then you get a guy pulling answers straight from his ass.

that’s a really good point! Yeah, also when they talk down to u. That’s just unacceptable.

 

[mesablu]

Oh man! Probably was the worst was a 2018 Mazda CX-5, I had loved Mazda considering I had just recently had a Mazdaspeed3 in the years prior. The CX-5 felt so cheap inside and throttle felt delayed and gutless. I ended up going with the same year Sante Fe for the wife. It has decent room for the class and engine was satisfactory for a 4 cylinder NA.

 

[Stephenm]

This was way back in the 80’s. I went to test drive an MR2. The salesman said he was gonna drive it off the lot. Once he hit the street he floored it. We must have been going about 70 mph on a surface street. I’ve never been so scared in a car. Never did get to drive it myself. A-hole. I should have reported him to his manager, but honestly I was just glad to be out of the car. The GR86 is the only car I’ve ever bought without test driving it first.

 

[CanyonDriver]

When that was involved with my job: Porsche 991.2, Nissan GT-R, Lotus Elise

 

[ProjectDwannaB]

Reminds me of a time I went to Carmax. Lady salesperson I had was infuriatingly slow. She insisted to pull the vehicle out of its parking spot and repark it when we returned from the test drive (backing back into the spot everytime). She was super slow and bad at it too. I forget how many cars we test drove exactly but by closing time we could've test drove at leat 4 or 5 more cars if she let me just drive it the whole time (pulling out of the parking spot and reparking). One time she nearly hit both of the vehicles she was trying to park in between. I offered to then to park it for here because she was obviously struggling (that parking effort took 15 minutes...to park 1 car). Other dealers will hand me the keys and some will just let me drive off on my own without them sitting in there too on occasion.

Most comical was actually when at the time my girlfriend really wanted a Mini Cooper because of the remake of the Italian Job came out and they were still, well an actual mini sized car. Went with her to check a used one out at an Acura dealer and to also test drive it for her since she didn't know how to drive a manual. Salesman tried to drive it off a curb from the sidewalk it was parked at on display and nearly beached it before his manager walked out there and yelled at him (pretty sure he scrapped a bit of the underside a bit). Then manager drove it off the display sidewalk himself going around to access a spot where the car wasn't going to bottom out. It was a pretty fun car actually but the girlfriend wasn't ready to buy because she was more hooked on the cute factor. Plus she wanted an automatic so there's that.

Other than that no real bad test drive. Just a random bad experience here or there due to the salesguy if it was at a dealer.

 

[Ritter]

Test drove the new-to-the-market Chevy Lumina sedan in the '90s. Got into the driver's seat while salesman got into passenger side and wife climbed into the back seat. Closed the driver's door and a piece of fake aluminum plastic trim popped off and landed in my lap. I didn't even start the car, just handed back the keys and said, "Test drive over. Not interested."

 

[Stephenm]

🤣

 

[BRZerker]

Best "test drive" was the FR-S First Drive event when the cars launched in the US in 2012. Toyota basically setup a timed autocross course and handed us the keys. Tires squealing, redline shifts, threshold braking, the whole 9 yards. To this day, that's by far the hardest I've ever driven a car for a test drive. Worked though, ended up ordering one a week later. Was a genius move putting those cars on a closed course for the public to see how good they were at the limit.

Worst test drive was a used 10+ yo NB Miata. I took my GF and she looked nauseous and hated the cramped interior and dank odor. The engine also misfired constantly above 5000 rpm making a slow car even slower. That was a short but easy test drive.

 

[Ritter]

@BRZerker Similar experience with the launch of the 2009 Dodge Ram pickups. Went to an event in Dayton, Ohio. They had track set up that would demonstrate handling and suspension to the test drivers, and some other demonstrations of payload and pulling power. Overall really well done and came away totally impressed with the new Dodge Rams.

 

[60Strat]

Mine was test driving a 2022 BRZ…the salesman brought me the keys and said take as long as you like…so I drove it for 30 minutes or so…

 

[Devon]

Mine was test driving a 2022 BRZ…the salesman brought me the keys and said take as long as you like…so I drove it for 30 minutes or so…

Hahaha...Please send me the address of the Bizarro world you live in, love to visit.... Around here you are incredibly lucky if a dealer even has a twin on the floor for a few days and lets you sit in it as they are all pre-sold. (OK that is for the GR86, haven't tried Subie yet.)

 

[Devon]

For my worst test drive, the "worst" part had nothing to do with the dealer or sales rep, but the car: a current-gen Camaro SS (some of you might see where this is going lol). Sounded great off the lot, lovely power. We get to the first stop light and I can't even see the light when at the intersection, I have to crunch down in my seat to see the light change (and I am only 5'11"). Immediate hard "no"..

 

[Dan]

My best test drive experience was an ND2 Miata. The salesman handed me the key, pointed me towards the nearest state park, and said, "see you in a couple hours."

It was a gorgeous day and I couldn't stop myself from buying it after that.

 

[FFH]

My last car a 2007 Ford focus ZX3 5-speed manual. When I went to the dealership I only had $1,000 to put down, and was a broke kid right out of tech school (still 18, went to school immediately after high school). Was told this Focus was one of the only vehicles I can afford from them. The kicker is I had only the slightest inkling on how to drive a manual 🤣 🤣 . I was with my Mom, and the salesman had to tell me how to start it. We stalled out several times in a less than 1 mile test ride (he let us drive it alone). I did buy the car, but oh boy that was a roller coaster of emotions. Turned out great though, never broke down. And I drove the hell out of it until the start of this year when I i got the GR86 (put about ~140,000 miles on it).

 

[quikag]

Best was a brand new '98 BMW M3 five-speed back in 1998. I was in college, back home for the summer, and I BS'd my way into a test drive. Coming back to the dealership in the M3 there was a 270 degree sweeping off-ramp from the highway. As I exit that ramp, the salesman tells me to downshift, so I thought he meant downshift and floor it. So, coming into this big sweeping turn, I downshift, and actually hit the gas. The M3 beautifully starts to rotate as the salesman starts screaming. I lift off the throttle, car immediately tucks back in, and I hit the brakes. What a beautifully handling machine and that straight six, so sweet.

Salesman was not impressed, I couldn't afford the car, so off I went back into my '97 Prelude and drove back home with a smile on my face.

 

[BRZerker]

@BRZerker Similar experience with the launch of the 2009 Dodge Ram pickups. Went to an event in Dayton, Ohio. They had track set up that would demonstrate handling and suspension to the test drivers, and some other demonstrations of payload and pulling power. Overall really well done and came away totally impressed with the new Dodge Rams.

Yep that's exactly how I'd let folks try out a pickup truck if I was Dodge, put it in its natural environment and let it shine. I bet a bunch of folks bought pickup trucks that day!

 

[Doc_Bch_Stkrs]

Not a test drive, but by far the worst experience I ever had was when I was a junior in college. My car had gotten vandalized with sugar in the fuel tank and was constantly having trouble following that. I went to C. F. Schwartz in Dover, DE and was interested in looking at a Toyota Celica. A salesman walked up while I was checking one out and asked some questions and then asked what my budget was. I told him about $18K as that was around the MSRP for a Celica. No shit, this dude looks at me, tells me they don't have anything for me, and to get off their lot. I never told anyone but swore I would never buy a car from them, and most likely never a Toyota. Ended up with a '05 Civic LX SE Sedan and then quite a few more Honda/Acura products. 17 years later and this GR86 will be my first Toyota experience since then, but so far the dealer in VA is great to work with; even from 8,000 miles away.

Best, hands down my 2014 BMW X1 28i test drive. I took the thing onto the highway and gunned it and LOVED the power it had...but knew the guy had given me the 35i as it was much quicker than I was expecting. I was SHOCKED when I got out and talked to the guy and he showed me it was indeed the one in my price preference! I only had that car for 9 months before getting rid of it for a Jeep, but that was a blast to drive in those 9 months.