Test Driving The Car You Want To Buy
by SolveYourProblem.com

Ready to buy your dream car? It is time go for a test drive. Before you purchase a car make sure it is THE car you always wanted to drive.

A test drive is not ‘just another drive’. A proper test drive ensures that you are buying the perfect car. So before going out for a test drive you need to have certain preparation.

The very first thing that you need to check is the appearance of the car. Do you like the exterior? How is the finish? See how comfortable you are in the driver’s seat. The car must be in a proper condition and must have a smooth operation. Take a close look at the instruments and controls. Then comes the visibility factor. Check all three - front, side, rear, and mirrors. Ease of entry/exit, for front and rear should be checked. Are you getting enough seat comfort? Get in and out of the car repeatedly and check the comfort & convenience features. Is there enough legroom? How big / comfortable is the storage space inside?

Once you are happy with these features move on to test the engine performance. Start the engine and see whether the warnings lights are going out properly. Find out whether the tachometer is working properly. Check out the cars oil pressure indicator and volt/amp meter. The oil pressure indicator and volt/amp meter should be at 4000 rpm. You must assure that the car starts easily in cold. The engine and the clutch must not have any noise. Restart the engine more than once to find out whether there is any problem. Block the exhaust pipe with a clipboard to find out whether there is any smoke or any deposit. You should also check the cars spare parts, brakes, jack, tools and also its fuel gauge. Check out whether heater, AC and lights are working properly.

When you have finished checking make an actual drive test. You need to negotiate the driving time with the dealer. The longer the better. And make sure that YOU are the one to be at the steering. You can choose a familiar route but we suggest you to try different road surfaces and gauge how the car is reacting.

You have certain things to check on the road:

• While driving the car make sure that you have a comfortable ride.
• The car should track straight.
• The lower gears must revolve smoothly to redline.
• The turbo and overdrive must engage and disengage properly.
• The clutch should have a smooth operation
• When brakes are applied the car should remain straight.
• The steering must be comfortable.
• The engine temperature should be ok when the car is in speed.
• There should be no noise or vibration when the car is accelerating, braking or shifting.
• Tracks and brakes must be straight when hands are off the steering wheel.
• The wheel must not wobble.
• The car should not have any unusual smoke or noise.

After you complete your test drive you must prepare a checklist. The checklist will give you a complete evaluation of your test drive. Write comments for each of the tools you have tested.

While going out for a test drive it is advisable to take friend along with you who has sound knowledge about cars to help you in your detection. A companion will also enable you to have an enjoyable and pleasurable ride.

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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007

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