I've been to several dealers and it seems like none of them will let me test drive anything with a sticker price over about $30-35k. Always the same reason: "when someone buys a nicer car like that they don't want it to have any miles on it." So I ask if everyone is willing to drop 50k on a car they've never driven and the salespeople expect me to believe that they do.

I'm sure that's just bullshit and they don't take me seriously because I drive up in a 2007 Chevy Cobalt and they think I don't actually have the money. I wanted to test drive a 2010 Corvette 2LT and the guy offers to let me test drive a Camaro LS instead.

Short of showing up with a gigantic wad of cash, is there any way to get a test drive? I walked over to their used lot, but all 3 vettes on the used lot were automatics (wtf?).

P.S. The reason I'm looking at Corvettes is because I get the GM supplier discount, which is about 10% off the invoice price in addition to their regional offers (currently $3,000 back or 0% financing for 60 months).

6/4/2010 9:13:11 PM

Also, suggestions for a car at ~$50k? I get a similar discount from Ford, but the only options there are the Taurus SHO and the Mustang.

6/4/2010 9:15:19 PM

I've never been turned away from driving what I was dead set on buying.

go to a forum for that vehicle and befriend some users

you can at least get a ride along, maybe even show up at a dealership with them

6/4/2010 10:17:16 PM

I vote you show up with wads of cash. Preferably wearing overalls and no shirt. Every time a salesman blows you off, go to another. If they won't let you test drive, pull out the wad and wave it as you leave.

6/4/2010 10:37:01 PM

when I went to buy my tahoe I drove up in my red 96 Z71 and started looking at them. there were guys standing in the showroom looking at me. I made several efforts to make eye contact and no one ever came.

I called the dealership the next day and spoke to the owner and told him that his sales people didn't really want to come out to talk to me. he said come on back and they took good care of me from then on.

if you are a serious buyer I would try to play that game...

6/4/2010 11:27:52 PM

call the dealer ahead of time.

6/4/2010 11:29:38 PM

Yeah -- if I'm test driving something thats considerably nicer than what Im currently driving in, I at least make a point to come after work (looking half decent) and to start off with buying questions like asking warranty, carfax history, etc. Try to keep it more focused on things youd ask as a buyer, even if you already know the answer, just to stay away from joyride vibes.

Though if I asked to test drive something and they refused, I'd likely tell them to fuck off.

6/4/2010 11:33:29 PM

Wow, so there's truth to the sleazeball sales people thing? I've never been turned down for a test drive, and I make it dead clear that I only have a passing interest in a car, and probably won't buy from them... But I've been showing up in nicer cars, hmm.

Speaking of, why are you looking at a 2010 2LT vette when you have a cobalt now, did you win the lottery?

6/5/2010 12:26:05 AM

I'll have to dig up the account I posted on here of my experience at a Subaru dealership, trying to test drive an STi. I ended up liking the Evo better anyway, but I would've probably driven an hour to the next Subaru dealership if I'd decided to buy an STi.

It was like pulling teeth to get behind the wheel (ending up with a salesman running after me as I started to drive away--to another Subaru dealership--in my 330ci.) Then I ended up in a pissing match with the sales manager after I refused to buy the car that day.

I should've gone to the general manager or owner and gotten that guy shitcanned, in hindsight.

6/5/2010 1:21:18 AM

Even if you drive a crap car, dress the part of a person buying a $50k car.

Then again, some dealerships just suck. I couldn't drive an sti or evo without them wanting a credit check, yet both BMW dealerships let me test drive their last 6speed 335i's without any hassle at all.

6/5/2010 3:30:24 AM

I've driven a couple $40k cars without question before... Granted, they did a credit check at the lotus dealership to make sure I was "finance-able." I always play it off like I'm serious, even though I just want to test drive one. Later today, I'll be test driving a G37 Sedan and probably take it home for a day...

I'm young, so there's always a concern of my seriousness, and the fact that I show up in a 25 year old Porsche with faded paint and dents doesn't help. I do, fortunately, have great credit, so I can pass the check should they choose to run one to see if they can call my "bluff"...

Hell, I was able to test drive a 135i almost 2 years ago without any questions. I was really dissappointed because the salesman didn't make even 1 attempt to sell me on it, and I was honestly in the market for one. I let him know this and he just brushed it off, thinking I just wanted a joyride, which is partially true...

I guess it's all in how you carry yourself and how convincing you can be that you are interested in buying one, regardless of how truthful that may be?

6/5/2010 4:54:21 AM

subaru dealerships are the absolute worst in my experience. they rarely have wrx's/stis and when they do you'd think the cars stickered for $100k+.

6/5/2010 9:03:44 AM

haha, in my case, they told me about a dozen times that I should just test drive a WRX if I was interested in an STi...that they were the same car, just with a little more power under the hood of the STi.

6/5/2010 9:15:10 AM

Here you go, from my thread a few years ago:

Quote :

"went to the local Subaru dealership today to test drive an STi. had to ask 3 times to test drive it, and they finally agreed only as I was in my car, leaving to drive to Mobile to the next nearest Subaru dealership (they only let people test drive WRXs, saying "if you like the WRX, the STi is the same thing with more power and better handling, so you'll only like it better." after we got back from the test drive, I gave them my name and number, and the next thing they wanted was my SSN. i told them that I wouldn't submit to a credit check until I'd decided for sure which car to buy (between the EVO and STi) and had talked pricing, and had pretty much made up my mind to make the purchase. so, while i seriously doubt i'd be interested in a brand-new specimin, they had a nice, white leftover '06 model that I figured I'd feel them out on and see how much they'd drop the price. before they'd even make an initial offer, they wanted me to initial a statement on the paper where they had my name/address/phone number/etc (but no SSN!) stating that "I agree to ownship if agreeable terms are reached"j, or something VERY close to that effect. I asked the salesman, "So all this is saying is that if you give me a good enough price, I'll buy a car from you?", to which he said "Yep." I was like, "Well no shit...for the right price, I'll buy three of them!" So, he comes back with an initial offer, and I said "Ok, let me take this home, think about it, crunch some numbers, etc. If I decide to get it, you'll be the first to know." Well, as I'm leaving, the sales manager comes up and says "What will it take for us to sell you that STi today?" I said "Well, I'm not going to buy a car today." He then starts trying to put a guilt trip on me, saying stuff like "We let you test drive an STi! NOBODY gets to test drive the STi's!" I again tell him that I liked the car, but I'm not going home with any new car from his dealership or anywhere else today, tomorrow, or probably even next week, that it's a big decision that I'll have to take some time to think about. at that point, he pulls out the paper where I'd initialed and says "So you were lying when you initialed this?" I said "No. I haven't told you that I won't buy a car from you. If we agree on the terms, I'll buy one, but it isn't going to be today." He's like "Oh, the salesman didn't tell you that this meant that you'd do it today?" I'm like "No, and I'm finished talking to you." I then told salesman (who happens to be the general manager's son) that he'd been great, but that his sales manager's tactics are not doing the dealership any favors. Then I left."

http://brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=456258&page=1

6/5/2010 9:22:37 AM

Quote :

"I vote you show up with wads of cash. Preferably wearing overalls and no shirt. Every time a salesman blows you off, go to another. If they won't let you test drive, pull out the wad and wave it as you leave."

haha

I wouldn't go quite as far as overalls and no shirt, and I don't really care to walk around with $20-30k in cash...it'd be pretty funny to do it with a bank check, though.

6/5/2010 9:24:19 AM

It probably works more with cars with back seats, but bring a wife/girlfriend/friend that is a girl. This works better if she can drive a manual if you are looking at a manual.

If you both are oogling over a car, the smen see you as a commitable person, and the woman will talk you into it if she likes it.

Worked for me. I couldnt get Leith to look at me when I was looking at E46s in school. Show up with the gf, and the smen were meeting us at the door of the potential car.

Plus, it wouldnt hurt to try.

6/5/2010 9:36:09 AM

Fuck 'em, I shouldn't have to put on a dog and pony show and make my own personal social psychology experiment just to test drive a car that I might want to buy. They aren't going to check my credit, either, because I'm going to pay in cash for anything I might reasonably buy. I'm the one in the driver's seat, so to speak...If whoever's selling the car doesn't agree to my terms, someone else will.


(besides that, the dog and pony doesn't even guarantee you a drive...I showed up in a BMW to check out a fucking Subaru, and still got a huge runaround.)

[Edited on June 5, 2010 at 9:51 AM. Reason : ]

6/5/2010 9:41:19 AM

I never have an issue. Drive something that looks decent, lol.

Well....Stein and I got into a little arguement with a chevy salesmen when looking at the new camero. I had zero interest in driving/owning one and made that pretty clear.

6/5/2010 9:42:24 AM

Quote :

"Speaking of, why are you looking at a 2010 2LT vette when you have a cobalt now, did you win the lottery?"

I bought the Cobalt when I was in graduate school. I now have an actual job. I could pay for the Vette in cash if I wanted to, but I'd rather put 50% down and get the 60-month 0% financing going on right now.

6/5/2010 11:54:44 AM

Quote :

"Always the same reason: "when someone buys a nicer car like that they don't want it to have any miles on it." "

I thought dealers always had a dedicated car of each model for test drives?

6/5/2010 12:21:40 PM

I've never had any issues driving any car. When I bought my last car I was considering financing...I drove a pre owned 911 for the fun of it, a 135i, 335i, A5, G37 and a Corvette. When I drove the Corvette I was driving my Dad's beater 1990 F-150.

I once had one guy that was really pushy when I test drove a pre-owned Phaeton at the VW dealer, he said "follow me" then started walking but I just stayed put and looked at the car I was interested in. I hate the whole process of dealers. I know the owner and his wife of our local Chevy dealer but I never had any issues. Screw car salesmen and "finance managers" though.

6/5/2010 12:49:04 PM

Quote :

"I thought dealers always had a dedicated car of each model for test drives?"

It's called a demo car. He claimed they don't have a demo corvette.

6/5/2010 1:47:28 PM

I'd imagine sometimes it can be a real bitch to test drive a sports car, let alone test drive one hard (only way to really get a good feel for it). Maybe I got lucky, but the few times I've gone to Leith Porsche the salesman i dealt with let me have my way with the cars. 95 mph bursts on US1, full throttle acceleration from a stand still, stand on the brakes at 80, and get the tires howling on exit/entrance ramps.

In the future I'd like to check out a 370Z and wonder if the Nissan dealership will be as accomodating, lol.

6/5/2010 2:07:47 PM

A salesman at one of the dealerships I went to was going to let me test drive a 370Z but the last salesman that took it out didn't put the keys back and my salesman couldn't find them.

6/5/2010 3:06:45 PM

Back in 2008 I test drove a brand new 2008 M5 at the dealership. I had stopped at the Maserati dealership a few days prior. I was wearing a full suit and driving my Infiniti (I was coming from a job interview). I started looking around and a guy comes up to me and asks if I was looking for anything. I told him I've driven my share of nice cars but I wanted something fast. He showed me a couple things he had on the lot like a few Maseratis and an E46 M3. I told him in a slightly snobbish way "look, this isn't going to cut it. I mean fast" and declined to test drive anything on the lot.

At this point he really started taking me seriously. Who turns down a test drive of a new Maserati? It's like rejecting the prom queen because you only date movie stars and supermodels. So he called up the M salesman at BMW and we scheduled a test drive of a 6 speed M5. I wanted an E92 M3 6 speed but they didn't have one on the lot.

I showed up a couple days later at the BMW dealership (I put the suit back on) and test drove it. It felt pretty slow for a 500hp car (seriously) so I passed (not that I had $100k just chillin either). The guy offered to let me drive a 4 door M3 but I wasn't interested. He wasn't pleased I think. I told him to call me when he gets a 2 door 6 speed M3 but he never did.

6/5/2010 4:11:29 PM

Quote :

"It felt pretty slow for a 500hp car (seriously)"

Well anyway, if you want acceleration, go for an AMG rather an M or an RS.

6/6/2010 2:26:10 AM

Drive one. Seriously. It felt too much like an overweight s2000--an uttermismatch of engine and chassis.

6/6/2010 2:29:19 AM

Want to test drive some nice cars? Get a summer job as a valet at Wade Hampton up in Cashiers. You're expected to warm them up. I used to drive plenty of 100K+ cars on twisty mountain road minimum 5mi just so dudes could do the "isn't she beautiful" line and slip me $20 for the favor. My fav are the luxury 12cylinder ones because they're so effortless and quiet.
U want to test drive them off the lot you just flash a bank statement (fake if u need), show it to the salesman and be indignant if he tries the "let me show this to my boss" routine. Or u can simply call ahead and make an appointment.

6/6/2010 3:40:50 AM

I didn't have any issues when I bought my Infiniti, and I showed up in rented Nissan pathfinder to the Infiniti place, the BMW dealership, or the Mercedes dealership. Oddly enough, Audi was the only one that ignored me which is fine because frankly I think Audis are kind of boring anyway.

6/6/2010 9:25:05 AM

Quote :

"I showed up a couple days later at the BMW dealership (I put the suit back on) and test drove it. It felt pretty slow for a 500hp car (seriously) so I passed (not that I had $100k just chillin either). The guy offered to let me drive a 4 door M3 but I wasn't interested. He wasn't pleased I think. I told him to call me when he gets a 2 door 6 speed M3 but he never did."

6/6/2010 9:32:49 AM

^ You don't have to believe me. I had a friend who came along, he is a witness. Of course he let me test drive it. How could he not? I was a referral from a sister dealership. I didn't just walk in off the street. How can you refuse a test drive to a referral? Then the other guy at the Maserati dealership would be pissed because he may have lost a share of commission.

6/6/2010 10:21:23 AM

FWIW the default m5 hp setting is 400. unless you played around with the computer you were down 100 hp.

http://www.edmunds.com/bmw/m5/2009/review.html

6/6/2010 10:33:35 AM

[new]

6/6/2010 11:16:56 AM

^he said he thought the m5 was slow. that might explain why.

6/6/2010 11:47:18 AM

I'm well aware of all the settings. I had the salesman adjust the iDrive to allow full power. This is a very low displacement V10. It's not a Viper engine. It makes no torque. Sure, on paper it does. But you can't feel it, not unless the fastest car you've ever driven is a 350Z or something. And when the car weighs as much as that M5, you need torque. I know it's quick according to the magazines, but there's really just no enjoyment in a straight line. I shouldn't have to wind a 3800+ lb vehicle out to 7000 rpm to feel anything. I expect that in a small roadster or a Honda, not a decent sized sedan. On paper the M5 is around as fast as a C5 Z06 but in a straight line I much prefer the C5 Z06.

[Edited on June 6, 2010 at 12:25 PM. Reason : .]

6/6/2010 12:19:04 PM

arghx isnt one to lie FWIW.

of all things to lie about a lame bmw certainly isnt a great one

6/6/2010 12:42:23 PM

^^just wanted to make sure you had a ten year old set up the computer. according to clarkson, it's essential.

6/6/2010 12:54:05 PM

///meh

6/6/2010 12:55:27 PM

Quote :

"It makes no torque. Sure, on paper it does. But you can't feel it, not unless the fastest car you've ever driven is a 350Z or something. And when the car weighs as much as that M5, you need torque. I know it's quick according to the magazines, but there's really just no enjoyment in a straight line."

Oh, who believes silly things like dynamometers or stopwatches? That's just how engineers try to trick us, with all that science stuff.

6/6/2010 1:00:42 PM

the enjoyment wasn't there for me. Maybe others would disagree. My Q45, which has practically half the horsepower and weigh about the same, has more low end useable torque.

[Edited on June 6, 2010 at 1:29 PM. Reason : this is coming from a guy with a rotary]

6/6/2010 1:28:28 PM

i heard they laughed at Josh Hamilton when he went to the dealership to get his vette or firehawk or whatever he got right after he signed that first contract.

I think it was similar to what happened to the poster. Until he was like don't you know who i am?

6/6/2010 1:49:51 PM

^^ oh, you aren't interested in actual performance...you just wanted to feel that neck snapping push off the line.

6/6/2010 2:45:40 PM

Low end torque is where it's at. Max torque / horsepower != performance. The whole torque and power curves define the performance. If the power band is very narrow or the gear ratios aren't close enough together, then you won't be able to use that power effectively.

6/6/2010 3:02:37 PM

Quote :

"Low end torque is where it's at. "

[NO]

Quote :

" Max torque / horsepower != performance."

[NO]

Torque doesn't mean much of anything, from a sports car/high performance car standpoint. Drag racers need it to an extent, but even then, power is what counts, once you pass a certain level of low-end torque.

Big power is what counts.

Quote :

"The whole torque and power curves define the performance. If the power band is very narrow or the gear ratios aren't close enough together, then you won't be able to use that power effectively."

True. Also, if you have an unusably narrow range where you're making lots of power, closely spaced gears are kind of a case of putting a band aid on a bullet hole.



Also: big power makes you faster on the straights; less weight makes you faster everywhere (sayeth Colin Chapman).

Finally, torque is what breaks drivetrain components...by having a lower torque, high revving, top-end hp sort of engine, you can get away with smaller, lighter components all the way through the drivetrain.

6/6/2010 3:54:33 PM

what you drive definitely helps. i have test-drove many cars and was denied a test drive only twice. once was when the evolution first came out. leith said no way but i pulled up in my previous truck. i called autopark and they said they were allowing test drives only after approved credit and a deposit. i drove out there in the NSX and a salesman was opening my door for me as soon as i parked. he confirmed what i was told on the phone but said it was obvious i'm "credit worthy" but insisted i give a $500 non-refundable deposit. i told him in the state of NC there is no such thing as a "non-refundable" deposit so if he wanted to prove to me the evo was a better car than my NSX he'd better get the keys so we could go for a ride. 5 minutes later i was beating the hell out of that pos on hwy64.

6/6/2010 5:59:36 PM

I don't want to have a torque vs horsepower tangent. Let's just say that when I'm driving a sizeable sedan, I don't want to have to wind it out like a Honda.

6/6/2010 8:25:45 PM

In a heavy street driven car, torque is key. It's always better to have torque at a higher RPM so you can take advantage of gearing.

I'm like you arghx, I don't want to have to wind it out. Big blocks FTW!

6/6/2010 11:20:30 PM

Don't worry, the next M5 (out at end of this year) will have almost as much torque as hp (about 580 hp and 540 lb-ft)!

6/7/2010 7:05:19 AM

^^, ^^^

there isn't any argument when it comes to performance. It's mathematics, and power is what matters.

Now, your personal preferences may lean towards lots of torque available down low. That's a different, subjective thing.

Quote :

"It's always better to have torque at a higher RPM so you can take advantage of gearing."

What do you mean?

Gearing should be tailored to the characteristics of the engine; not the other way around.



[Edited on June 7, 2010 at 7:48 AM. Reason : ]

6/7/2010 7:46:35 AM

arghx, FWIW every review I've ever read about the current M5 says that the 6 speed is a bad match for that car/engine. It was designed from the beginning around the paddle shifter 7speed and only b/c a lot of potential customers bitched did they release a 6 speed manual option. It's widely known they half assed it. (not that I've driven either)

6/7/2010 8:30:31 AM