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Comments
I have had cars shipped in from out of town before when the dealer didn't have exactly what I wanted. (For some makes, there is no ability to order from the factory... including the Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent I believe, the subjects of this discussion.) In that case, I made it a condition of the purchase agreement that I could drive the car before finalizing the purchase and could refuse to buy and get my deposit back for any reason--which would include lower than expected fuel economy. Or damage during transit, or I just didn't like the color when finally seeing it up close etc. I haven't had to reject a car yet, but I like having the final say-so on whether to pay a lot of money for a car I didn't get to see or drive before initiating the purchase.
And I'll bet you'd never buy a house without first giving that particular house a thorough inspection... not a house that might have exactly the same floor plan.
Warranties are great, but not foolproof. For example, often have you read posts in Town Hall re someone getting far lower than expected fuel economy, e.g. 30 mpg in moderate highway driving on a 40 mpg car, taking the car to the dealer, and having the dealer say, "Sorry, it's operating to spec. Nothing we can do about it."? There are defects that are difficult to pin down. Also some cars have annoying rattles from Day 1, also difficult to trace and correct. So I'd just rather drive the car I'm buying, before buying it. To each his own.