Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Test Drive
At Gil’s Auto Sales, one of the things that we highly recommend is test driving a car before buying. This may seem like common knowledge, but there are many advertisements for used cars that show a low-priced vehicle that is being sold “as-is” and that can only be purchased without a test drive. When you test drive a car, you can get a feel for how it runs, but more importantly, you can make sure that it does, in fact, run. At our locations, we make sure that you can test drive as many cars as you want before buying.
For the most part, potential car buyers who come in for a test drive may kick the tires and take the car around the block a time or two, and while that can tell you a bit about the vehicle, there are some things that you should always do when test driving a car. It doesn’t matter whether you’re at a dealership, or if you’re meeting someone in a parking lot. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of your test drive.
Inspect Everything
Before even getting inside the vehicle, be sure to focus on the outside. Check the treads of each tire, and look for any scratches, dents or dings on the exterior. Take a peak under the hood—even if you don’t know much of anything about cars. The engine bay can tell you a lot about the way that the vehicle was maintained. You’ll also want to run the vehicle for a minute or two and check the ground under the car. If there are leaking fluids visible, or if there is a fresh puddle underneath, you’ll want to ask about that.
Get Comfortable
A car is not something that you have for a few months and get rid of. This is something that you will have to spend a lot of time in over the next few years, so you’ll want to make sure that you are as comfortable as you can be. If the center console is off just a little bit, or if you aren’t a big fan of the cup holders, it may seem like a small reason not to buy, but over the course of time, those small things can become pretty big reasons to dislike your vehicle. Sit in all rows of seats and be sure to check out the trunk space as well.
Give it Some Time
When you test drive a car, you create an emotional connection with it, and that connection can cause you to overlook certain things. For that reason, it’s usually best to take a night or two to think things over. You can always go back for another test drive, and at Gil’s Auto Sales, we’ll give you as many test drives as you need. Again, buying a car is a big investment, so we want to make sure that you make the right decision.
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Schedule a Test Drive at Gil’s Auto Sales
If you are in the Columbus, GA area, we highly encourage you to check out one of our many locations. You can check out our inventory to see what we have available, and if you find something that catches your eye, you can go right ahead and schedule a test drive at the location that it resides at. As always, if you have any questions for us, you can feel free to get a hold of us. We look forward to working with you soon.