We've all had the thought—could I test drive that fancy car even though there’s no chance in hell I’ll buy it? While most people play along with the sales pitch, making the salesperson think there’s a chance they’ll make a sale (and a nice commission), what happens when you're brutally honest from the jump? Acura Integra Type S Test-Drive Confession In a trending video, Acura salesman Evan (@evan_at_acura) shared a customer interaction that left him stumped. Evan explained that a customer came in from the service department saying he wanted to test-drive an Integra Type S. Evan had two available—both parked in the showroom because of the snowy weather outside andthe fact that they only had summer tires on those specific cars. He asks him what brings him to the market and whether he’s done his research on the kind of car he’d like to drive out with. Then the customer has the audacity to admit the following: "Oh no, I’m not—I'm definitely not buying one. I just wanna drive it," Evan recalls. “What?” Evan replies, confused. Evan didn’t provide any other information, so it’s unclear whether he let the man test drive for the heck of it or if he turned him away. How To Get The Most Out Of A Test Drive The average test drive lasts just 30 minutes, giving buyers a brief window to evaluate everything from seat comfort to acceleration on the highway, Consumer Reports states. Kelley Blue Book emphasizes that the test drive is equal parts about how well the vehicle drives and whether it's comfortable and functional for your needs. Here's what experts say you should do on a test drive: Make appointments and plan your route. Schedule back-to-back test drives so you can compare vehicles easily, and map out a route that includes different road surfaces—city streets, highways, speed bumps, and rough pavement. Bring what you need. Your driver's license (obviously), your smartphone and charging cable to test connectivity, a notepad for observations, and a friend who can occupy the salesperson making small talk while you focus. Test everything before you drive. Adjust the seats and mirrors, check headroom and legroom, try out the infotainment system, connect your phone via Bluetooth and cable, and fiddle with the climate controls.Actually inspect the car. Walk around the exterior, check the cargo space with your actual stuff (bring the dog crate, sports equipment, or whatever you regularly haul), and make sure everyone who'll use the car gets in and out to test accessibility. Drive for at least 30 minutes. Test acceleration from a stop and while merging onto the highway, brake gently and firmly to get a feel for the pedal, drive on curves to test handling, and spend some time with the radio off to hear wind and road noise. Don't fall in love too quickly. Remember, you're comparing new vehicles to each other, not to your current car. The more you test-drive, the better perspective you'll develop. But here's where it gets interesting: Nowhere in either guide does it say you need to be a serious buyer to take a test drive. Or, Just Pay To Drive Your Dream Car If you want to scratch that itch without the awkward dealership dance, there's always the option to just pay for the experience. Companies like Xtreme Xperience bring exotic cars to racetracks nationwide, letting anyone 18 or older with a valid license get behind the wheel of vehicles like Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches. For around $200 to $400 per car, you get a few laps on an actual racetrack with a professional instructor riding shotgun. No purchase pressure, no salesperson asking if you're "in the market"—just driving. Commenters React “Oh is that a thing?!? I want to test drive a zl1 corvette,” a commenter asked. “For speciality cars, we keep miles off of them. For regular ones it didn’t matter,” Evan responded. Motor1 reached out to Evan via email and TikTok direct message. We will update this story if he responds. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
+66 others
