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Apr 10, 2015 15:27:48 GMT
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I am looking to change my main car. I don't change cars often and have had Capris for the last 20 years. I am looking at something more modern (used, about £2k, I know what I want but I would like to test drive one to make sure before I sell the Capri.
My plan is to go to a small trade car sales place with one in have a look and test drive it. Then probably say I am off to look at another one first and will get back to them.
Then if I like it I will sell the Capri to fund the replacement. If the one I test drive is still there I might well buy that one but it may be a week or two later so it might not be.
Does this sound reasonable? Does the dealer expect a sale by the test drive stage? Would I need to provide any insurance details before the test drive at a small dealer?
Thanks
Tequilagrae
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Apr 10, 2015 15:34:41 GMT
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Insurance would depend on the dealer, but most should be covered.
No one can "expect" you to definitely buy a car after a test drive, so they can't bank on a sale, they can only hope.
Wanting to view/test drive more cars is perfectly reasonable and only to be expected.
Out of interest, what kind of car(s) are you looking at?
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Specialist Bodyshop & Fabrication Classic, Retro, Prestige & Custom Small Repairs to Concours Restorations Mechanical Work Vintage to Modern
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Apr 10, 2015 15:35:56 GMT
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To my amazement and entirely for my own amusement at age 21 i took out an r35 gtr for a test drive from a bmw franchise with absolutely no intention of buying and no request for proof of insurance! I think the salesman just needed an excuse to go out in it himself to be honest. But what you're saying sounds perfectly acceptable having worked in used car sales previously, it always pays to shop around and don't feel pressured into a sale.
However my main advice would be keep the capri
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Apr 10, 2015 15:40:48 GMT
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Insurance would depend on the dealer, but most should be covered. No one can "expect" you to definitely buy a car after a test drive, so they can't bank on a sale, they can only hope. Wanting to view/test drive more cars is perfectly reasonable and only to be expected. Out of interest, what kind of car(s) are you looking at? Looking as an E46 BMW coupe. Big change from the Capris but I don't have the time to keep on top of the rust or the funds to buy a nice one. If I had the space I would keep the Capri as a project, at the moment it is a daily driver but I don't have a drive or garage.
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Apr 10, 2015 15:41:44 GMT
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2K car off a dealer will be something nearing 12-15 years old so hardly modern and probably something you could pick up privately for half the money and it wouldn't have been probably stood around for a couple of months.
But dealers will push you to sign on the dotted line or leave a none refundable deposit to hold a motor but don't be afraid to walk away, why not sell the capri then look on gumtree and get a mate to drive you to look at a motor, found cheaper cars are being sold on gumtree because it's cheaper.
Good luck!
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,937
Club RR Member Number: 58
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Apr 10, 2015 15:46:40 GMT
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It sounds reasonable to me, I've been looking at changing my car recently and took an Alfa GTV out for a test drive from a small dealer the other day. From looking at the condition of that particular GTV I could tell that I wasn't going to buy it but I went for a look round and a little test drive just so I could get a feel for the GTV as a whole. I'll likely do the same for an RX8 this weekend I suppose it could be viewed as a bit cheeky if you don't really intend to buy the car, but theres no obligation to buy if you're having a look and a test drive. I wouldn't do the same thing with a private seller though Edit: forgot to say, my main reasoning for going to a dealer first would be to get a basic feel for the vehicle model in general, I would then go ahead and look for a really nice example from a private seller once I know which car I want to go for Unless the car at the dealer was actually in nice nick/ the right car in which case I would just go ahead and buy from them Have a pic to break up my wordy reply
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Last Edit: Apr 10, 2015 18:24:42 GMT by adam73bgt
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Apr 10, 2015 15:53:41 GMT
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why not speak to friends/family to see what they have?
i did it and bought a focus from my dad's mate when my stilo packed in.
viewed it in the dark with some outside lights on (was in a bodyshop yard, usually i wouldnt view my own reflection in the dark let alone a car), liked it enough to say if it looks as straight in the light and has no dodgy smoke or other problems, i'll take it.
viewed it in the light that weekend, jackpot, genuinely nice car. the guy i bought it off did loads of work on my previous car so i knew he wouldnt rip me (and in turn my dad) off (also worked with my dad for decades)
2 and a half years and 20000 miles later, my £895 bargain still runs, goes for mot in july and hoping it will sail through again
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Apr 10, 2015 16:22:31 GMT
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adam73bgt - Careful mate. Whilst RX8's are fun - they drink more of the precious liquid than an irishman on st Patricks day!! Seriously, it would be worse MPG than the XJ40!
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96 E320 W210 Wafter - on 18" split Mono's - Sold :-( 10 Kia Ceed Sportwagon - Our new daily 03 Import Forester STi - Sold 98 W140 CL500 AMG - Brutal weekend bruiser! Sold :-( 99 E240 S210 Barge - Now sold 02 Accord 2.0SE - wife's old daily - gone in PX 88 P100 2.9efi Custom - Sold
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Apr 10, 2015 16:25:13 GMT
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adam73bgt - Careful mate. Whilst RX8's are fun - they drink more of the precious liquid than an irishman on st Patricks day!! Seriously, it would be worse MPG than the XJ40! Been there, bad place. They use almost as much oil as they do petrol and if you turn that engine off when its cold welcome to a world of problems
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,937
Club RR Member Number: 58
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Apr 10, 2015 16:43:28 GMT
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adam73bgt - Careful mate. Whilst RX8's are fun - they drink more of the precious liquid than an irishman on st Patricks day!! Seriously, it would be worse MPG than the XJ40! Aye I'm aware of their drinking habits, but the '40 was certainly not shy when it came to a bit of Shell's Tesco's finest I gotta scratch that rotary itch though!
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EmDee
Club Retro Rides Member
Committer of Autrocities.
Posts: 5,932
Club RR Member Number: 108
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Apr 10, 2015 17:27:30 GMT
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have a look and test drive it. Then probably say I am off to look at another one first and will get back to them. Then if I like it I will sell the Capri to fund the replacement. If the one I test drive is still there I might well buy that one but it may be a week or two later so it might not be. Does this sound reasonable? Does the dealer expect a sale by the test drive stage? As a salesman at a small independent dealer I can see this from the other side of the fence so hopefully can add something to this. Firstly, you wont need anything with you. No license, insurance or anything, that's no trouble. The part I do take issue with is about you coming in and kicking the tyres, probably tearing the thing apart for half an hour whilst the whole time you have no intention of buying it. Seriously, I get this ALL the time. I admit that what you want to do is not unreasonable per say, but it's something that is very frustrating from our point of view. Speaking for our dealership in particular, our cars do not sit around for months (contrary to the post below). If you come in with no intention of buying for a couple of weeks, you are basically wasting your (and our) time as it's more than likely that by the time you make it back to us it won't be there. 2K car off a dealer will be something nearing 12-15 years old so hardly modern and probably something you could pick up privately for half the money and it wouldn't have been probably stood around for a couple of months. But dealers will push you to sign on the dotted line or leave a none refundable deposit to hold a motor but don't be afraid to walk away, why not sell the capri then look on gumtree and get a mate to drive you to look at a motor, found cheaper cars are being sold on gumtree because it's cheaper. Good luck! To answer this post, it totally depends on the car. What you've said is more than a little unfair on dealers - we're not all a bunch of dodgy Arthur Daleys - a lot of the stuff I sell here is priced similarly to private stuff (otherwise we'd never sell anything - and hence why it's not been here for "a couple of months"). Also, Gumtree? Really? That place is chock full of scammers! Bear in mind that when you buy a car from us, it comes with a 3 month warranty. This means that any problems in the first 3 months and you can bring it back and we pay for your repairs. When you buy privately you are running a risk. Additionally, I'd like to add that our deposits are usually refundable and I know that if I'm pushy I won't get the sale. Good luck with it, I hope I've helped a little and will make you think twice about coming in and basically lying to some poor sod who is just trying to pay his bills! Sorry if I've gone off on one a bit here, but I just wanted to play devils advocate. Much like modified car owners, we get a really bad name because of the minority who ruin it for others.
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Last Edit: Apr 10, 2015 22:50:39 GMT by EmDee
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,506
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Apr 10, 2015 17:53:58 GMT
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^^^ id second what he says. don't go to dealers and take their cars out with no intention of buying and waste their time. its not cool and its someones living youre toying with. especially the independent ones.
I'm not a car dealer btw, i just have a bit of consideration and realise they're there to make a living. its probably going to cause less hassle to do this to someone privately, even so it still isnt a decent thing to do.
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MK2VR6
Posted a lot
Mk2 Golf GTi 90 Spec
Posts: 3,329
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Apr 10, 2015 18:14:07 GMT
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If you sell your Capri privately, word the ad as 'Drift kings not welcome.' I sold my mk1 Mx5 turbo on eBay a few weeks back and assumed the bloke would come and pick it up, as normal people who've won a auction would. But no. Instead he wanted to find out 'which kind of diff it had' and proceeded to drift three times around a mini roundabout on the test drive, in front of other road users. He still bought the car, but was a complete c0ck of the highest order. I wouldn't dare do that to someone else's vehicle, unless I'd actually bought it, paid for it, and wanted to drive like a d1ck.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,244
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Apr 10, 2015 22:36:42 GMT
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It seems there is some intention of the OP potentially buying a car.
Some people expect me to buy a car after driving it but often it either makes or breaks the sale. As an example, before I bought the Clio I looked at 4 cars previously:
1) Audi TT 225 - I saw one locally and it drove very well. However the gauges upon driving it were not working right (common fault). In the end I lost out on the bidding. 2) Bini Cooper S R53 - This was described as being 'mint'. After test driving it I was left a little damp TBH! The switchgear was flaky in places (especially the indicator stalk; my 260k Mondeo stalk was perfect in comparison, the stalk was that badly worn that I thought I could potentially break it!). It also knocked a bit slightly in some areas - albeit not a massive concern. 3) TT 225 No. 2 - This was said to be a great drive. However, it felt very 'loose' and knocked on practically every corner. That for me was the sale gone unless I did become very desperate for a car that week (I was not going to daily the Escort during the winter!). 4) Mini 1275 GT - The drive was one of the best Mini drives I have had! My offer whilst cheeky did have the seller pondering with him claiming someone else was coming to see the car for more cash. By the time I bought another car a week later he then came back to see if I was interested! If he had come back to me sooner I may have been willing to do a deal with him. 5) Clio 172 - This guy was very honest about the car, and upon driving it I pretty much made him the offer on the spot.
I have sometimes bought cars without test driving them. In a few cases it has ended well, but in some it has been a huge mistake even when buying from friends. It is shocking what people will put up with ; a super twitchy rear end going down a straight road anyone and in a FWD car?
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I have sometimes bought cars without test driving them. In a few cases it has ended well, but in some it has been a huge mistake even when buying from friends. It is shocking what people will put up with ; a super twitchy rear end going down a straight road anyone and in a FWD car? This is so true, some of the best cars i've bought i've barely looked at but others that you've bought off a mate and still checked over can turn out to be a real p.o.s but such is life
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andyborris
Posted a lot
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Posts: 2,213
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And sometimes you test drive a car, it goes fine, but doesn't quite live up to your expectations.
Last time I took a car on a test from a main dealer (20 years ago!), a nearly new Fiat Turbo Coupe, it was nowhere near as exciting as I thought it was going to be. So said "I'll think about it", which I did. But never brought it.
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goldnrust
West Midlands
Minimalist
Posts: 1,880
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I can see the dilemma here, and both sides of the coin.
I guess the reason you want to test drive an E46 before selling the Capri is so you can see if its the right car for you, or whether you'd like to keep the Capri? In that case would you be better off finding an owners forum/club to join, speak to some guys on there, goto a meet maybe? I'm sure people would let you hop in the drivers seat, take you out for a drive, etc. You would probably also learn a lot about what to look for in an E46, and what the pitfalls are.
Then once you've sold the Capri you can start your hunt in earnest. When you've got the cash in your pocket and are ready to buy then no test drive is deceitful or a waste of anyones time, because if the cars right you'll buy it! Even if its only a slim change of it being right, to me thats quite a different ethical stand point to 'i've no intention of buying this'
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,244
Club RR Member Number: 170
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I can see the dilemma here, and both sides of the coin. I guess the reason you want to test drive an E46 before selling the Capri is so you can see if its the right car for you, or whether you'd like to keep the Capri? In that case would you be better off finding an owners forum/club to join, speak to some guys on there, goto a meet maybe? I'm sure people would let you hop in the drivers seat, take you out for a drive, etc. You would probably also learn a lot about what to look for in an E46, and what the pitfalls are. Then once you've sold the Capri you can start your hunt in earnest. When you've got the cash in your pocket and are ready to buy then no test drive is deceitful or a waste of anyones time, because if the cars right you'll buy it! Even if its only a slim change of it being right, to me thats quite a different ethical stand point to 'i've no intention of buying this' You are also assuming people and clubs are willing to do that . I know one owner's club I came from had a very small camp of people who just did. With the Stag I had to buy one to get an idea of how they drove but truth be told that was overriden anyway! This time since I needed a reliable daily driver I figured I would check over a pool of cars ; after all, my budget did restrict me to buying something relatively hassle free whilst being OK (can of worms there I know...).
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,244
Club RR Member Number: 170
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adam73bgt - Careful mate. Whilst RX8's are fun - they drink more of the precious liquid than an irishman on st Patricks day!! Seriously, it would be worse MPG than the XJ40! Aye I'm aware of their drinking habits, but the '40 was certainly not shy when it came to a bit of Shell's Tesco's finest I gotta scratch that rotary itch though! Do it with an FB in that case even if it takes time. An RX-8 can be a world of pain and that comment is even shared by die hard Rex fans ; the lack of correct rotor oiling is blamed as one cause which was done for the emissions. GTV is a great shout though. Don't worry if they know from the top, the upper arms are gone ; going new doesn't mean they'll last either after BTDT, but going genuine (not "OE") or for good polybushes like SuperFlex/Pro will cure this issue for good. I was debating about a Spider a while ago truth be told.
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I'm not sure there's much point getting other people's opinions on how a car drives, yes faults and improvements but how it feels to one person is totally different to how it feels to another. I took my son to the local bmw garage last weekend to get him a brand new 1 series, he desperately wanted one, hankered after one for ages etc. Lovely weather as well, dealer not too busy either. He made is sit there for an hour going through credit checks, options, how long we'd have to wait for one etc yet when we broached the subject of a test drive he got very cagey, started making excuses etc. Now I'm not putting £21000 or whatever it was into a car without driving it first. Eventually he miraculously "finds" one to try and at that point I could see why he was so cagey. It was hideous. 1.6 petrol, slower than my sons ka which the salesman quoted as "this cars going to blow you away coming from that", tiny inside, hard ride, annoying stop start thing, complete and utter rubbish. Got back to the dealership and he says "I'll take you inside to order one then?". Very pushy. Contrast mercedes, went in, asked for a test drive, jumped in car, no pressure, car was lovely (new a class) and job jobbed, just waiting for his 2 years NCB to kick in a month or so time, were actually thinking of getting it ASAP as our old ml is getting tired and the mrs can drive it instead. I can't see your doing any harm by going to test drive a motor through a dealership, when I had my own business I had endless timewasters turning up for paint quotations that took an hour of my time up when they just ended up going somewhere cheaper anyway and often bringing it back a month or two later asking us to correct the other guys work but "for less now as it's already been done once". I agree with the salesman above that he's only trying to make a living like anyone else and to be fair where he works sounds a decent place but to retail an E46 for £2k or £1995 on the forecourt that's most likely £1200 privately as the dealer knows he'll have to take a chip on the price of £200 in most cases, has had to prep the car, perhaps mot it, good tyres etc, they'll struggle all told to make £300 on something like that, gone are the big margins of yesteryear, the internet saw to that. What I'm saying is the dealer won't be taking early retirement on a 2k car, yes you may waste 45 mins of his day but conversely if you really like it and it's priced well you could make it a good sale for him, go out there and test drive a few, then make your mind up. My advice would be go for at least a 6 cyl engine as the 4 pot is a good motor but slow and actually quite thirsty. 325ci was a good all rounder, £2k will get you something nice. Not sure if your on Facebook but there was a page called maxi field cars for sale and there were always hundreds of them on there, done for almost scrap money but some real crackers for as around your budget.
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