question about test drive

[Fotowns Finest]

hey all, im thinking about test driving a new camaro, and i was talking to my gf about it, and she said that i would need proof of insurance or they would check my credit or something, idk. but is any of this true? i always thought all you needed was a drivers license, since its only a test drive, and making it seem like you actually want to buy the car. my gf's parents also have said very different things about what test driving the camaro requires. neither of them own a camaro, so ill leave to you actual camaro owners to hopefully answer my question

[Gentry78]

yes they do both if you can even get a test drive

[rocketman 12]

I think it depends on the area in which you happen to live. Around here it was/is pretty much impossible to get a test drive of a Camaro without having the dealer do a credit check first, but I've seen where other members have had no trouble at all getting test drives. If you don't mind spending some money, you could always rent one from Avis, thats what my wife and I finally did and it was WELL WORTH the money.

[211269]

Its ironic but with how terrible new car sales have been for US makers, you think they would be bending over backwards to try and make people happy. They still dont get it though and I hate dealerships with a passion. If they wont let you test drive it or give you attitude, find another dealer.

[SS Mike]

It completely depends on the dealership, but as stated above if you can even find a dealer to let you test drive. Most of the dealers out here only have sold cars, pre orders, on their lots. If they do have any that aren't sold then they keep them on the showroom
completely locked up, haha. They will usually do a credit check to make sure you could actually buy the car before they let you drive it. They're just hard to come by right now. I think renting one from Avis is a great idea. You'll have the entire day with it to really see if you'll like it.

[Fotowns Finest]

Originally Posted by 211269

Its ironic but with how terrible new car sales have been for US makers, you think they would be bending over backwards to try and make people happy. They still dont get it though and I hate dealerships with a passion. If they wont let you test drive it or give you attitude, find another dealer.

very true, i feel the same

[SS Mike]

Originally Posted by 211269

Its ironic but with how terrible new car sales have been for US makers, you think they would be bending over backwards to try and make people happy. They still dont get it though and I hate dealerships with a passion. If they wont let you test drive it or give you attitude, find another dealer.

I agree with you that if a dealer gives you attitude then you should go to another one. But keep this in mind, as bad as the economy is, especially for the auto industry, people are also jobless, dont have money, have horrible credit, plus banks are being really strict on loans. What if a dealer let every person who walked in to test drive the Camaro take it out for a spin? How many are actually qualified to purchase a Camaro, or truly want to? Along that point, how many people would want to buy a Camaro that has 30 or 40 miles on it driven by dozens of people who may or may not know how to even handle the car? I know i wouldn't! So dont blame the dealer, its just the nature of the business.

[OddJob]

I was able to sit in a SOLD one, but wasn't able to test drive it. I ordered it anyway .

Before deciding on a camaro, I test drove a Honda. The salesman didn't even ask my name. We just hopped in and drove away. No credit checks, no check if I even had a license ... nothing.

[BenReilly]

Didn't get to test drive mine until after doing the initial paperwork.

As far as people saying that they should be allowed to test drive if they want to sell cars, all 7 that my dealer already had were sold and the two that were delivered with mine were sold by the end of the day....it's not a problem for these cars.....

[211269]

Originally Posted by OddJob

I was able to sit in a SOLD one, but wasn't able to test drive it. I ordered it anyway .

Before deciding on a camaro, I test drove a Honda. The salesman didn't even ask my name. We just hopped in and drove away. No credit checks, no check if I even had a license ... nothing.

Thats just one example of why imports outsell domestics by a very wide margin. Even the higher end cars like Lexus and Infiniti, never had a problem getting a test drive, even drove the IS-F and new M3 with no hassles. Most of the US makers seem to think their cars are like made of gold or something.

[Gentry78]

Originally Posted by 211269

Thats just one example of why imports outsell domestics by a very wide margin. Even the higher end cars like Lexus and Infiniti, never had a problem getting a test drive, even drove the IS-F and new M3 with no hassles. Most of the US makers seem to think their cars are like made of gold or something.

then go get your platinum and stop posting how much you hate dealers

[metaphysician]

It took me 3 dealers to find a Camaro to test drive. Only needed to make copy of license. YMMV

[Grimmjow]

Originally Posted by 211269

Its ironic but with how terrible new car sales have been for US makers, you think they would be bending over backwards to try and make people happy. They still dont get it though and I hate dealerships with a passion. If they wont let you test drive it or give you attitude, find another dealer.

Everytime i've mentioned something like that to a salesmen they give me a quick and probably pre-written response: "We've sold 20+ so far without test drives... so..."

I know it's a cocky response or hell even a true one, but this 1 customer, me, test drives before I buy. Due to that limitation on my part, I do have to live with the fact that I won't be able to test drive one until it's available...

Come to think about it.. I test drove my -cough- Mustang for 3 days before I had to return it... I ended up buying it though.

[levi1922]

Originally Posted by 211269

Thats just one example of why imports outsell domestics by a very wide margin. Even the higher end cars like Lexus and Infiniti, never had a problem getting a test drive, even drove the IS-F and new M3 with no hassles. Most of the US makers seem to think their cars are like made of gold or something.

i assume the honda he drove wasnt already sold. if you can find a dealer that has 7 or 8 camaro sitting on their lot not moving very fast, im sure they will let you test drive them. but you cannot find a dealer with that type of inventory. if when you went to pick up the SS you are thinking about after ordering 4 months ago and find that its been driven by 12 19 year olds, wouldnt you be disapointed?

and if you turn it around, and the hondas were selling so fast that they couldnt keep them on lots, the honda dealership wouldnt let you test drive either.

and you said domestics, as in the 'big three,' when i know this isnt true of all dealerships of these companies, or all vehicles. I test drove a cobalt LT at my dealership, and a 2010 mustang, that was the only one they had on the lot, the day after they got it, i didnt show my license or anything, and i was 17 at the time. so you can test drive domestic, just not ones that are on the top 5 hardest cars to get list....