Second hand cars appeal to most car buyers mainly because of the low price. But in order to ensure that the car you’re purchasing will not give you problems later on, you have to make sure that the car has been thoroughly tested and inspected.
The test drive will help you evaluate not just the quality of the ride and drive, but the vehicle’s mechanical wellness as well. However, only a few knows how to perform a test that will separate the good from the mediocre.
Here are few tips on how to test drive a used car.
Give yourself enough time to assess the car’s performance. Notice how smoothly the car shifts gear or how slowly or quickly the brakes respond.
This is also the best time to ask the salesman some questions, especially when something doesn’t feel right. Be thorough with the test drive in order ensure that the car you’re purchasing is in excellent condition.
Ask the salesman or the owner if you can test drive off the usual route. Choose a route with both smooth and bumpy roads and stop-and-go driving. Make the test route a mixture of highways, local streets and uphill roads. If you do a lot of high-way driving, be sure to go on the highway.
A mechanic can easily determine when something is out of the ordinary and knows what it means. Plus, he can easily point out if the car you are testing is well maintained and conditioned.
More often than not, buyers are so focused on how the car runs that they often forget to check on small details like the lights, air conditioning, tires, mirrors and seat-belts. Examine each of them and make sure that they are functioning well.