Don’t Go Without A Test Drive
For some, having to test drive cars is somewhat of unenviable task, the rigmarole of having to visit different garages to take the latest Korean people carrier out for a spin isn’t exactly an exhilarating prospect. For me however, the task is an absolute pleasure. I am a self-confessed piston-head and not being able to indulge in my passion due to the economic limitations of University for the last four years left me feeling like I was missing out by only having a slow family car to play with. Don’t get me wrong I’ve been thankful to have a car which has been an absolute godsend for work and recreational use, but I somehow felt as i couldn’t express my true self, not being able to fully utilise my breeze block of a right-foot.
Imagine my happiness then when after beavering away for weeks putting in overtime shifts at the hospital I worked at, I had accumulated enough for a deposit on a hot hatch. Let the test drives commence! Having steamlined my options to three different vehicles I set about enthusiastically carrying out research on the performance figures and spent my free time travelling to numerous dealerships in Sussex to put these beasts through their paces using short term car insurance cover! The more test drives I did the more complicated my decisions became as I got hung up on the tiny nuances of each vehicle’s specification .
Eight weeks went by, I had narrowed my choice to two, both brilliant cars in their own right but they were practically inseparable in my mind. In the end I went with my head for the car which more suited my driving style and was cheaper and more customisable. The edge was taken off my excitement when I was told I’d have to wait three months for it to be specially built in France! At least I had time to sit tight, save some money and consider which one day car insurance to take out on the day of receipt.
For anyone in the market for a brand new car, test drives should form an important part of your decision. Whether it’s a swift sprint down the road or an extended test on rural lanes and motorways, a test drive will give you a feel not just of the suspension, handling and power output of the car but of other crucial though not as glamorous aspects such as driving stance and rear visibility. You wouldn’t buy a sofa without sitting on it or a pair of jeans without trying them on, so why spend thousands more on an essential lifestyle tool that you’ll use everyday without sizing it up first? Just remember to get temporary car insurance just incase you get a little over zealous and frighten the salesman half to death!