Test-Driving
 

i'm 17 and still have a Jr. license, what are the chances of a dealership allowing me to test drive?

When I went to buy first my car, the salesman let me drive with my permit...depends on the place I guess.

whatever it takes to make a sale

Most dealerships let me drive them right off the lot, but others would only let me drive around the mall parking lot, or something similarly stupid

ok so i guess it just depends on the dealership / salesman...thanks

depends what brand car, hwo big the dealership, and what car.

i was absoulutly not allowed to test drive my Prelude alone for example. had to have my dad with me.

any places specifically friendly? lower bucks area

what kind of car were you thinking of test driving?

not really sure..under 25g

lol price doesnt always matter(i shouldnt say that becuase it is a factor, but not always). 06 eclypse is under 25k im guesing 11-13k barebone and i highly doubt they would let you test drive it. it all depends on the car and dealer. ex. NSX obviously no chance, WRX possibly(STI version doubt it), Civic most deffintly. really really depends

thats a good point. i wouldnt want to drive an nsx, in all honestly they just don't get it done for me

lol but my point is, something like a WRX which is more expensive, youd have a greater chance of driving than a Eclipse which is less expensive. dont ask me where the logic is becuasei cant find any. but that how its been in my experince.

no i understand. wrx is, to a dealership, an everyday compact sedan (non sti) whereas an eclipse is a sports car...just like you can get a vette cheaper than an suv

becasue, getting a kid hooked on a awd turbo car is easier than a standard 6cyl eclipse. hell if i was to get a test drive in a wrx i wouldnt look back at the eclipse and the dealer knows this. all while the wrx will bring in more money.

It's not so much your age or driving experience versus how ready and willing you appear to be purchasing a car. If you look like you are there to shoot the **** and not buy anything, your chances are less.

A good rule of thumb is to call ahead and schedule an appointment with someone in sales. That shows more interest than just showing up.

I would also recommend dressing the part and coming in looking nice. I've shown up at a dealership to buy a car coming straight from work in a suit and tie and they basically said, let us know what you want to drive and we'll give you the keys. I've also showed up looking like I just woke up and in old clothes (checkbook in hand though) and had to practically show the guy my bank statement before he would give me the time of day or let me drive the car.

PS The car you drive in is also a big part of the image. If you have access to a "nicer" car I would drive that.

Nah the driving a nice car in is not that big of a deal. I went Mitsubishi WITH my dad, he took his 360 modena and I took my M3 and I wanted to test drive an Evo, they said "No, this is not your everyday car, we can't just let any kid walk in here and test drive one" I was all like WTF?!?!?!

I seriously wanted to buy the Evo at the time too.

But BMW let me take out an 2006 M5 with 20ish miles and a 335i with 1 mile on it. And the 335i was stick! In conclusion Mitsubishi dealerships suck.

Ive taken a car out a lot w/ no license. It all depends he might not even ask you if you have one. if you Drive there it wouldnt make sense for him to even ask for your license.

when u test drive a car they photo copy your L's. they also ask who your insruance company is.

Where the hell did you go? They never ever asked what my insurance company is. There is no need to. I have test drove several Lotus's, ferrari, nsx, and even a compagna t-rex.