What to Look For When Test Driving a New Car

Test driving a new car is an exciting moment, but don’t let the excitement overwhelm you from paying attention to important aspects of the vehicle. Here are some things to add to your checklist of what to do before a test drive.

Check out the size of the vehicle, make sure you have ample parking space in your garage, parking lot or neighborhood.

Open up the trunk, is the space easily accessible? How high do you have to lift items to get them into the trunk? If you’re looking at an SUV, is the door heavy for you to close? Does the trunk open too high for you to reach comfortably?

Open and close all doors of the vehicle – are they heavy? How wide do they open? Picture yourself in a parking lot full of cars, will you be able to open the doors enough to exit the vehicle and not hit any other cars?

Pop the hood and see how easy it is to find the latch. If you are the type of person who likes to replace fluids on your own, see if the compartments are easily accessible without any spills.

Sit in the back seat of the vehicle, is there ample headroom? How comfortable will it be when more than 2 people are seated in the back, is there enough leg room? Is it easy to get in and out of the back seats?

Sit in the driver’s seat with the seat-belt fastened. Do you feel comfortable? Is the headrest adjustable?

Get familiar with the buttons and triggers in the vehicle. Headlights, windshield wipers, emergency flashers, seat adjustments etc.

Check the Bluetooth connection if you are going to be using the phone while driving. Check car adapters to make sure they all work.

Reach for the glove compartment, can you reach it comfortably? Is the console in the center accommodating for what you know you will need to have in our vehicle on a daily basis?

Start the engine and listen for any strange noises from inside and outside of the vehicle. Is it smooth and quiet or loud and rough?

If anything mentioned has not been to your liking, you should move on to another vehicle. If all your requirements are met, take the car for a spin and see how it drives!