One of the most important, and fun, parts of a car buying experience is the test drive at the dealership. While behind the wheel of your potential new vehicle for the first time, you should be paying attention to aspects of the car that will affect your decision to either buy or keeping shopping. The following tips will walk you through how to make the most of a car dealership test drive. 
1) Day and Night Driving
The test drive process is best done over two days. You need to know that the car you purchase will drive well both during the day and at night, not just one or the other. A number of dealerships give consumers the option to take the car home overnight as part of their test drive. Take advantage of this opportunity if it is available to you. By taking the car home overnight you can be sure you’re comfortable with day and night driving conditions, and that the car will actually physically fit into your garage or parking space.
2) Have Plenty of Time
An hour long break from work or other small window of free time is not when you should go to a car dealership for a test drive. Given the high-pressure sales atmosphere of car shopping, feeling rushed can lead to less than optimal decision making. Considering the large amount of money you’ll be investing in whichever car you choose to buy, it makes sense to devote plenty of time to the entire process, especially the test drive at the dealership.
3) Be Prepared
Know as much as you can about the car you are test driving before you go to the dealership. You will save time not asking several questions about the car’s basic statistics, like miles per gallon and engine specifications, and you can focus more of your attention on the actual driving experience. Even if the salesperson, who may be along for the ride, continues to talk through that information you can politely tune them out and pay attention to the car itself.
4) The Fit and the Feel
A gorgeous, reliable, well-priced car can be quickly revealed as the wrong choice for you once you are behind the wheel. How comfortable and suited to the way you drive the car’s controls are should be paid close attention to during a test drive. Make sure you can easily and comfortably use the pedals, gearshift, lights, and other controls you will use in your everyday driving life.
A successful test drive can be the most influential factor in a car buying decision. Research and planning should be done before you arrive at the car dealership. Take your time and pay attention to the small details of driving experience in order to make the most of a test drive at a car dealership.
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