How to Negotiate a Longer Test Drive
You are in the market for a new vehicle. You have searched for the best vehicle and now you are ready to take a test drive. Many car dealerships have a set route for test drives. The sales representative will usually ride with you and tell you where to go as you drive the vehicle. Sometimes, you just want to drive a little longer.
Here is how you can negotiate a longer test drive.
Simply ask to drive the vehicle to another area or for a longer period of time. If you don’t ask, you won’t get a longer test drive. The worst that will happen is that the sales rep will tell you no.
If the sales rep does tell you no after you ask for a longer test drive or if you are uncomfortable asking directly, there are some other tactics you can try. First, explain that you like the vehicle, but you’d like to see how well it drives on the interstate or on the back roads, somewhere other than where you are driving. This will give you a chance to drive the vehicle longer.
Tell the sales rep that you are really interested in purchasing this vehicle, but you’d like to spend some more time driving the vehicle. Many times, dealerships will loan you the vehicle over night or for the weekend. This will definitely give you more time to evaluate your purchasing decisions.
Tell the dealer that you like the car, but you would like to have it looked at by a mechanic before you purchase it. Making arrangements with a mechanic will not only give you a better idea of any problems the vehicle may have, but it will also give you a longer test drive.
Ask to drive to a friend, relative or co-workers home or place of business. Tell the sales rep that you’d like to get another opinion on the vehicle. As you drive to another location, you will be making your test drive longer and you may get another valuable opinion of your purchase.