Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
That definitely sounds like a good idea for the dealership to do. For an extended test drive, I also don't mind taking a used vehicle that's a couple years old even if I'm buying a brand new one as long as they are very similar.
when i drove a lexus recently, they had a couple of 2004 CPO units, but they were on the other end of the lot so we took a new one. actually, if i was buying, i think it would be more informative to see what a current model year car with 20k on it feels like, or how their demo that's been through some "spirited" test drives holds up.
Ended up buying from their sister store, without a test drive (pre-signature acceptance drive only.)
He showed me the truck, let me look inside, and brought it around for me to drive. I had been over there before, and he was much more chatty. Today, I felt tension. He came with me on the test-drive.
In any case, I was driving the truck down the road when I wanted to switch into the gear-tronic manual from automatic mode. You could hear that I was having some problems shifting the gears, and then, it stuck, just as I was going down a ramped curve. I had to look down to figure out what to do. I believe I made a comment, asking how it worked, but he ignored me.
Well... I ended up running into the curb. He knew instantly, why, and said, forget the gear-tronic. I told him, I didn't know how to switch it back, and we sat there for a minute or two. He swore when it happened....asked me if the truck now drove to the right, and we went back.
He got out of the truck, and inspected the tire. He said that I'd damaged the side-wall. He went inside to bring the manager.... They both came out, and asked me if I was buying the truck, or what? Then, they complained that no one could use the car like that, and the tire needed to be replaced. Sheez.... No one asked me if I was okay.
They tried to tell me that they didn't have insurance, and did I have a Visa?, and they wanted me to replace the tire, and may charge me the wholesale cost, instead of for the rotation, tire balancing, etc. I said, I knew that it would cost at least, $150 if not $300 I asked the salesman, if this was an SUV, and could go off-road, how could the tire be damaged so easily?
Finally, I was so shaken, I said, I wanted to go home. I didn't sign anything before, or afterwards, and the damage wasn't intentional... I gave them my number, and said to call me. And, so they let me go.
I've test-driven a number of cars, as I go through figuring out which one I want, and nothing like this, ever happened before, and I would hope never again.
Does anybody know in general what happens if you end up in an accident, or a minor boo-boo on a test drive?
Thanks!
no, you have no liability at all. the SM was simply trying to not pay for it. if they call you back (i doubt they will), just pull a theresa kerry line on them. (shove it, [non-permissible content removed], idiot, etc...)
As for it being an off-road vehicle, that doesn't mean it'll go through anything. You have to know how to drive a vehicle off road properly or you will seriously damage it.
On the other hand, maybe Mercedes should not make a car that is so tricky to drive.
I think you should help pay for the damage.
Look, the truck had a different tiptronic than others I've used, even when I've driven Mercedes. It was also a 2001.
I told the salesman, as I was about to go around the curve that I was having a problem. He chose to ignore me, until I had to look down to fiddle with it, and accidentally ran into the curb. It was in 1st gear, and if I wasn't able to get out of that mode, I could have stripped the gears.
If I hadn't asked the salesman for help, I believe it would have been a different story. And, his interest should have been whether I was okay, rather than whether the tire was "broke."
But, we are on the test drive board. People routinely take out cars for test drives, merely turning over copies of their licenses. Rarely is someone informed of the consequences if something happens on a test-drive.
Sometimes the cars are used, and may not be up to par. If the car is new, it may not be prepped.
I think people should know what the process is here about test-drives, and the boo-boos that can go along with them.
Thanks
So keep it simple, you break it, you fix it. If you don't want that responsibility, perhaps you could let the Salesperson drive. Or do a cyber drive on the internet.
Maybe car dealers should have us sign a legal document spelling this out along with the copy of the drivers license and insurance card to eliminate any confusion.
The dealer is on their insurance or their dime if they don't want to turn it into their own insurance. They invited you to take a drive, even if they only asked after you're present in the dealership's property or control area. It's their problem to take care of.
The fact they tried to strongarm you into paying for it in a method that would have been irrevocable is even worse as an example of their dealership operating methods. I wouldn't buy a car there...
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
EOD for me.
If a store has material which are fragile if dropped and the dropping as I peruse their wares is an accident, it's their insurance. IF I throw the item down in an argument or to show dislike for something the store or their representative has doen, then it's my responsibility.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
In this case, I think it would have been reasonable for the salesman to drive the car first and demonstrate how to operate anything that was a little tricky.
It also would have been reasonable for the buyer to be careful when trying anything tricky, like the tranny thing that got her in trouble.
It looks to me like both parties were somewhat negligent.
By the way, I just heard on the news here in D.C. that five teenagers were killed in two accidents over in Maryland last night. How sad. Things like that make damaging a tire, or me being upset because I hit a bad 5-iron on the last hole this morning, seem so minor. I think I will go help my wife fix dinner.
Funny...the town I grew up in had a Roller Coaster Hill too and I remember almost losing it myself one dark night so many years ago.
Ole Cal got one fan that day with that PR move!
"Your comment is just an example of one of societies (sic) major problems these days, no sense of responsiblity.'
I have to agree with you but I didn't realize you could see the dealer wasn't wanting to take responsibility and pay for the tire/wheel and/or have his insurance pay for it. He probably wants to keep his claims down on insurance.
Note the later comment: "They were surprised at the reaction of the dealer - "Hell, don't worry about the hood. We have insurance for that kind of stuff. How did you like the drive?"
That's how the dealer should have handled it. But dealer doesn't want to take responsibility and do the business-wise thing.
"one of society's major problems these days..."
--businesses who want the government to pay their costs or reduce their taxes while the people pay for everything....
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
My thoughts exactly. Whether the dealer was legally in the right or not, the cost was so minor in business terms that they should have reacted differently.
Let's gather some more test drive stories and go wherever they make take us.
kirstie_h
Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
I guess you could call me a "looky loo", i.e. someone who test drives a car they're not likely to buy, at least not right then.
One of the main reasons I do it is simply to sample the cars and form my own opinion on them, instead of relying on magazines and such, which I often disagree with.
Why is that important? Well, I'm a car guy, my friends know that, and when they ask me about a certain new car I like to be able to help out with an opinion.
And it happens more often than you might expect. I helped put a friend in a Legacy GT this weekend, even gave the reference to the salesman who took me out on the last "looky loo" test drive.
Ka-ching. He made his commission. Not from me, but I doubt he cares...
I was e-mailed today from an old friend that found me via these forums, and she's shopping an Odyssey vs. a Sienna.
I've driven the Ody but not a Sienna, so apparently I have some more looky-looing to do! And if I feel like the salesman is nice enough and honest, I'll give him or her that reference too. I'll probably go to Fitz Toyota because they treated me nicely last time.
I dunno, you generate showroom traffic, send references, share a positive experience about the car or even maybe the dealership (355 Lexus has great Cappuccinos).
So why do I do it? Because it's fun, it's free, often there is a freebie or some sort of perk, and because the knowledge I gain from the test drive is often shared with friends and family.
Hyundai has some sort of test drive offer going on now, and I've been curious to see the new Tucson...
-juice
Do you ever go to a place like, say, Costco, where they have all the free samples at lunch?
Don't you try a bite of the [insert favorite appetizer] even though you're not buying any?
Who knows? You might like it and then keep it in mind for your next party.
Same with cars. My wife ruled out a BMW 325i but says a Mercedes C230 Kompressor is in her (not near) future.
-juice
By the way GM is offering the opportunity to drive a large number of GM models and competition throughout the country much as Edmunds.com did in the summer of 2000. Here is a link if anyone is interested:
http://www.autoshowinmotion.com
That's a bit diffeent than wasting a half hour of a straight commissioned salesperson's time.
I have also gone in just to look out of curiosity, and ended up buying the car (either that visit or later), even though I wasn't really planning to at the time.
The problem , to me, is that the manufacturers and dealers have a different agenda than the salesperson (and remember who does the advertising). The $ folks want as much showroom traffic as possible, but the salespeople prefer to have only a few people wander in, and only the true "buying it now ones", since in a perfect world every up leaves in a new car.
I think it might have been Macabee that had a saying about turing lookers into buyers was the mark of a real salesman, otherwise they are nothing but order takers.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
If a sales person's compensation fails to adequately cover the time spent with potential future customers, that is an issue between the sales person and his management, and does not involve the customer in any way. </Devil's Advocate Position>
I really don't feel quite that strident about it, but I'm guessing it is a fair summary of how about 90% of customers feel about it. I agree that joy-riders posing as customers are a nuisance that needs to be weeded out, but someone who is truly interested in the car for whatever reason deserves an opportunity to drive it whether he is buying today or not.
I think sales people have to constantly resist the natural tendency to become quite jaded about their product. To them a car is the merest commodity, one inventory item of many, and of very little interest other than WRT a sale. To customers it is an expression of themselves, a place where they will spend a great deal of time, and a major financial transaction. Few people buy more cars in their lifetime than a sales person sells in a good week.
I think you hit the nail right on the head.
Edmunds Price Checker
Edmunds Lease Calculator
Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!
Edmunds Moderator
Not if I send them referrals later. And like I said, it already has happened.
The Subaru salesperson I usually go see is actually on salary, not commission. He's happy to show me whatever car, and I've sent him about 2-3 referrals.
I prefer hosted events like the Love Mercedes Tour and the BMW Ultimate Driving event but those aren't always available. Volvo has Fire & Ice, GM has their tour, Jeep also, Mazda had that autocross competition. I go to as many as I can.
Example: Chevy hosted one for the Malibu, so I said "what the hay". Surprise, the 3500 pushrod engine really impressed me, now I wouldn't turn friends away from choosing that engine, whereas I might have before, and still do for the coarse 3.4l V6.
But manufacturers do want showroom traffic, that's why they offer all the freebies. Volvo gave us $100 gift cards to Dean & Deluca to bribe us into a showroom.
I'd go for free anyway, but if they are going to bribe me I'll take it! Actually, my wife spends the money, I do the test drive.
Hey, wait a sec...
)
Honda seems to be the exception. I don't recall any freebies or test drive events, have they ever done that?
-juice