When you visit your local new car dealer, have you noticed that they are eager to have you test drive the new car. There is a reason for that, they want you to “Get the Feel of the Wheel”. One of the many sayings in the car business is “Have them get the feel of the wheel to seal the deal”. Sounds corny, doesn’t it? But the idea is to get you to test drive that brand new car and fall in love. The car dealer and the salesman want you to test drive the new car, smell the new car smell, experience the ride and hope your emotions start taking over instead of your logic.
You might laugh, but it works more times than it doesn’t. It’s actually amazing how many people buy a car based on emotion, more than they do logic. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of people that buy on logic alone and then the rest are somewhere in the middle with a mixture of emotion and logic.
Your car salesman knows that if he can get you to test drive the new car before you sit down and start working out the numbers or negotiating, he will have a better chance of closing the deal. Besides closing the deal, the salesman knows that the more emotion that is involved in the process the more likely his commission will be higher. Some people realize that test driving a new car can break them down and they often resist the test drive. They know from previous car buying experiences that a test drive will weaken their will.
There is also another reason for the new car test drive from the car dealer’s and salesman’s perspective. That reason is to create a bond and gather information. When you are test driving that new car your salesman should be talking and asking questions. A good salesman will often get tons of valuable information from the prospective new car buyer. The good salesman can get trade-in information, trade pay-off information, credit status, desired payment, budget, work status, hot buttons (certain things that are important to the car buyer) and a host of other information, including personal information that can be used during negotiations.
The unseasoned salesman can often offend and turn off the new car buyer during the test drive if they try to gather any of this information in a way that only experience can teach you.
It is important to test drive a new car, you are potentially spending a lot of money. It’s not a scam, you just want to make sure you like the car, the way it feels and handles, if you are comfortable in drivers seat, the way the car looks inside and out and many other things that are important to you when buying a new car.
So go ahead and test drive that new car, but keep in mind the dealer’s and salesman’s reasons for the test drive. You have your own reasons for the test drive, so drive it first if you are considering buying that new car. Remember to watch what you say and the information that you provide to your friendly and professional new car salesman.