Seeing as we’ve become accustomed to e-commerce making our lives much more convenient, the temptation to buy a car online without first test driving it is greater than ever. But ignoring this critical step can be a bad decision, as we’ll explain in this article.
You’re whiling away the time by browsing the car classifieds, when one advertisement grabs your imagination: Your dream car, in the perfect specification and the right colour, is up for sale at a great price, and you really want it. Should you take the plunge and buy it online but sight unseen, and hope for the best?
The importance of a test drive
Everything may seem in order on paper and on screen alike, but there’s no way of telling whether the car you’re considering is really all it’s supposed to be without personal contact. That can only be determined once you’ve spent some time looking at it in detail, and only after taking the car for a test drive. Remember that ads can be misleading or misunderstood, so the real decider on such a deal should be an inspection and a test drive.
During a test drive, you can pay attention to the car’s behaviour in normal driving, listen for noises that may indicate future trouble, and verify the engine and gearbox’s performance. This hands-on evaluation will engage all your senses, and will help you decide if that specific car will suit your requirements.
Things to do during a test drive
Try to examine the car from a cold start. This will tell you a lot about the state of the car’s electrical system, the engine’s condition, and the gearbox’s behaviour. If it cranks slowly or unevenly, or runs roughly from cold, you’ll already know that there are either electrical- or mechanical issues lurking under the skin.
These potential faults could run the gamut from a dying battery to mechanical defects inside the engine, and many of the fixes for such issues can cost a lot of money. Also check for any smoke upon cold start-up: Anything more than water vapour from the exhaust (or a brief puff of black smoke from a diesel) could indicate excessive wear in some engine components, while a mechanical rattle (however brief) when cold could indicate that the oil pump or timing chain arrangement is due for replacement.
Once the engine is running, take the car on the road. Always listen for untoward engine- or transmission noises, and check that the gearbox shifts smoothly from cold. Any shuddering or hesitation to take up drive from an automatic transmission should be immediate cause for concern, so pay particular attention to this aspect.
Manual cars could present a clutch shudder, which may again lead to costly repairs in the near future, but don’t be too concerned about notchy gear changes when cold – modern transmissions have alleviated some of the gearchange difficulties inherent in older cars, but cold gearbox oil will always militate against slick shifting in a manual car. As long as it smooths-out when warm, you should be fine.
The suspension is another high-wear system that needs to be checked-out during the test drive. Undue floatiness over bumps and through dips could indicate worn shock absorbers, and rattles over uneven surfaces could be due to worn suspension bushes or subframe mountings – and all of these flaws will cost a fair bit of money to fix.
Also ensure that there is no steering or wheel vibration at speed, and that the steering tracks straight (or very slightly to the left) on a straight, level road. If this isn’t the case, there could be a tyre- or alignment issue, or, at worst, a botched accident repair job. The first is relatively easy to remedy, but the second may end in financial ruination.
Finally, look at the car’s overall condition. Torn seat upholstery, rattling interior trim (more than such a car would normally present) or chafed-through carpets will indicate that the car wasn’t well-loved in its previous life, and poorly-executed body repairs or broken exterior trim pieces show that the car was run on a too-tight budget (or without insurance). This is enough reason to walk away from a transaction, as shortcuts in these departments likely indicate shortcuts in the car’s service- and maintenance regimen as well.
What if you’re unable to test drive the car yourself?
If the car you want is very far from your area, and you can’t take leave to go inspect and drive it, you will have to rely on a third-party observer to test drive it. This could be a friend with knowledge of that particular model, or a dealership technician that’s close to the car’s location, but make sure that someone trustworthy and knowledgeable casts a critical eye on the car before you commit to buying it.
Failing this, you’ll have to rely on an external inspection of the vehicle, by accredited technicians such as those you’d find at DEKRA or some AA test stations. Even a private test centre could help a lot here, because they will at least be able to highlight obvious issues with the car. Arrange with the seller to have this inspection performed, and if they are reluctant to do this, you can take it as a sign that the car does indeed have hidden defects.
Keyword: Should you always test drive a car?