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Test Drive Etiquette

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Old 08-08-2008, 01:53 PM
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Originally Posted by JonBoy,Aug 8 2008, 01:31 PM
If someone did that to my car, I'd have thrashed them.

Proper test etiquette in a sports car is to let the OWNER drive it hard and show you what it's capable of doing. Then, ask him what he is comfortable with you doing when you take the wheel. I wouldn't buy a sports car that I wasn't allowed to push a little bit but realistically, all I'd be looking to check are the brakes, the acceleration, and general handling. The rest can wait for a track or the street, when I actually own the car....
This is exactly what I was thinking. You're trying to get a sense of how the car drives, any issues, etc. There's no reason to thrash a car especially when you've already driven a bunch of them before during your car hunt.
Old 08-08-2008, 02:56 PM
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Originally Posted by tonerockyhorror,Aug 8 2008, 01:23 PM
Yeah, at this point I don't why to see my car go to someone so reckless. And yes, I tend to be a very patient person but my god did he and his father test that.

"p.s. how long did it take you to recover from that little fall through the green house? ;-)"

Either this is an expression I'm completely unaware of or I just have no clue what green house you're talking about. Or it's just been a long Friday and I'm missing something which is very possible.
screen name=pulp fiction=win
Old 08-08-2008, 02:59 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr.E.G.,Aug 8 2008, 02:56 PM
screen name=pulp fiction=win
I knew it was just me. So few people ever pick up on the reference...well done. Most people think I'm a big Rocky Horror Picture Show fan.
Old 08-08-2008, 03:58 PM
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Holy christ what a douche, goes to show, some of it is nature, a lot of it is nurture.
Old 08-09-2008, 05:20 AM
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Originally Posted by JonBoy,Aug 8 2008, 01:31 PM
If someone did that to my car, I'd have thrashed them.

Proper test etiquette in a sports car is to let the OWNER drive it hard and show you what it's capable of doing. Then, ask him what he is comfortable with you doing when you take the wheel. I wouldn't buy a sports car that I wasn't allowed to push a little bit but realistically, all I'd be looking to check are the brakes, the acceleration, and general handling. The rest can wait for a track or the street, when I actually own the car....
Old 08-09-2008, 05:35 AM
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Yea thats painful to watch happen to your ride. At least on the bright side it was all warmed up and everything from the 30min drive these clowns made you go on
Old 08-09-2008, 08:46 AM
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The first mistake you made was going to meet this "potential buyer". Buyers have to come to you if they are interested in purchasing what you have to sell. By travelling to meet a buyer, it puts you in an immediate disadvantage. The buyer has won a small psychological battle as you have already invested time and energy before negotiations have even begun. This will only allow the buyer to set the tone and pace of negotiations to their advantage. Next time, let the buyer come to you. That way, if they want to dick around, you can politely tell them "Thank you, have a nice day."
Old 08-09-2008, 09:14 AM
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Buyer should go meet seller at their place of choice. When I test drive a car I drive it like a total granny then as "I would like to test the acceleration here. Is that ok? I would like to test the braking here, ok?" etc etc. It's someone else's baby until the title is signed over.
Old 08-09-2008, 09:35 AM
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That sucks, man. As soon as the father gunned it initially, I would have asked him to drive normally or he wouldn't be allowed to drive any further.

Easier said than done though. I'm starting to think that sometimes it's better to trade into a dealer and take a 1-2k bath than death with the dillrods out there trying to sell privately. I've done it both ways and had okay success generally speaking.
Old 08-09-2008, 11:00 AM
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Originally Posted by QUIKAG,Aug 9 2008, 09:35 AM
That sucks, man. As soon as the father gunned it initially, I would have asked him to drive normally or he wouldn't be allowed to drive any further.

Easier said than done though. I'm starting to think that sometimes it's better to trade into a dealer and take a 1-2k bath than death with the dillrods out there trying to sell privately. I've done it both ways and had okay success generally speaking.
Yeah I've always been a fan of buying and selling through individuals but I'm starting to see the merits of letting dealers handle this stuff and just trading in. It may be worth the extra $2k-3k.


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