FOOLISH TO BUY A CAR WITHOUT A TEST DRIVE
And it’s a sure recipe for buyer’s remorse down the road, writes Lorraine Sommerfeld.
A survey released last year by DME automotive in the U.S. showed 16 per cent of new-car buyers do not take a test drive, and a further 33 per cent test drive only a single vehicle. Wow. My colleague, John LeBlanc, recently wrote an excellent piece on how to make the most of your test drive, but how do you convince people to do it in the first place? The term “test drive” has become generic, popping up everywhere from cooking shows to best-man speeches, but as our information highway speeds up, our need for tactile involvement is apparently faltering.
I’ve long held a theory that if you want people to participate in something, make them able to do it on the Internet in their pyjamas. I don’t mean that; I mean things like voting or shopping. Have to slog to the polls on a rainy, cold night? Aw, I’ll vote next time. Can’t find a parking spot so close to Christmas? Flick on the monitor and add to your virtual cart until the whole list is done. Access we once only dreamt of is now something we demand.
Shopping for a car is the same. Forget just reading the review. Now you have access to opinions on the very car you’re considering from the industry’s heavy hitters, newbie writers setting up shop, the manufacturer’s tarted up pitches, as well as Earl in Oshawa, Ont., who has opened a forum to discuss why he’s getting brake fade at only 6,000 kilometres on the odometer.
The survey finding that 33 per cent test only one car (and briefly, at that) is interesting. Studies repeatedly show that the dealer showroom can be an emotional place, that new buyers often cross the threshold with preconceived notions and that much research gets put on pause. In some cases, all rational thought can flee. There’s a reason those showrooms are stocked with the prettiest colours on the most loaded models that are lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. You may go in there hell-bent on the base model minivan but the dealer’s goal is to get you frothing over that SUV. By all means, drive that SUV; just don’t make it the first thing you test drive.
Consumers are smart to narrow down their search in the emotional neutrality of their home, rather than the sales-pressured environment of the showroom. An Auto Trader report last year revealed that a full third of Canadians experience remorse over their new-car purchase. Whether they made mistakes or felt forced into a purchase, the upshot for the industry is the fact that half of new owners say they wouldn’t buy the same make again.
If you do a little number work, you may find it’s not those same 16 per cent who buy a car before ever parking their butt in it who are part of the 33 per cent who regret their purchase. Maybe it’s not seat comfort or sightlines or blind spots or cargo space or rear-passenger legroom or one of the hundred other things a test drive might reveal. But unless you have ongoing issues with a dealer over tech problems, it probably is one of those things.
I find people who aren’t happy with their purchase are frequent visitors to sites such as canadianblackbook.com, to assess the value of their vehicle. And if it’s worth less than what they owe — if they’re underwater on the transaction — it amplifies the anger. People who are happy with their purchase usually look for a valuation only when they go to trade or sell.
A test drive can’t reveal everything you need to know about a car. You’re not likely to be testing it at night, or in adverse weather conditions.
It might be difficult to mimic the conditions of when and where you’ll most likely be driving — perhaps in stop-and-go traffic on a long commute, or with a car full of cranky kids — but there is still plenty you can learn from piloting your dream car. And the onus is truly on you to inform yourself before making a decision.