Have you ever test drove cars just for fun?

[firefly_ris]

Dealerships tend to make my skin crawl so big nope.

 

[ClaraOswald]

Funny...dealership 1 on Saturday was Subaru and dealership 2 was Mazda. The third that I have never been to in person was actually VW, but they were under the same dealership family as the Subaru dealer and I was trying to see if they could get something from their sister location so I didn't have to drive all over the city. Silly me!

That's such a bummer! The guy I dealt with at our Subaru dealership emailed me once or twice. And when I told him we decided on Mazda he obviously stopped. (Though I did still get a birthday email.) Mazda guy didn't bug me at all during the process while I was deciding. I even recommended him to my parents and they had the same experience. We must have just gotten lucky since I do hear a lot of horror stories. But they weren't pushy at all. And I didn't have to commit to anything at all beforehand. That's so bizarre!

 

[China Expat]

When I was in high school, my friend and I used to test drive corvettes and drive up and down Pacific Coast Hwy in the OC! No staff member, from the lot, just us!

 

[Tuffcookie]

I hold onto my cars a long time. My current car, a 2011 Camry XLE was coming off of a 2 year lease, when I purchased it in 2013. I was actually looking for a replacement for my 17 year old Camry LE.I talked to the salesman and told him what I was willing to pay. I think I did take it for a test drive at that time. My offer was not accepted that day so I left and kept a watchful eye on it, on-line. When I noticed a price reduction, I called the salesman up and we were able to get it down, closer to what I had previously offered. I had a remote starter added to it before I picked it up and I purchased the extended warranty. I figured if the in-dash navigation screen went out, I wanted it covered. It never did go out but one month before the warranty expired, the air-conditioner did and it was a totally free replacement! I was able to sell my 17 year old Camry for $2000 to an acquaintance. My 2011 still runs & looks great, a little over 100,000 miles on it, so no desire to go on test drives!

 

[MillauFr]

How is driving a car "fun"? I consider it work and I am always concerned that I may crash and severely injure myself or someone else.

 

[DanceDisney23]

This thread makes me feel like I must come across as a terrible driver. I have never done a test drive where the salesperson let me go off by myself. They were always in the passenger seat.

Like many here, I detest car dealerships and hold off buying a new car as long as I can.

 

[_19disnA]

Rarely test drive any car I plan to buy. No idea what someone thinks they will learn during a test drive. Wasting a salesperson's time by asking them to take me on some sort of joy ride for a car I have NO intention of buying when they are paid on commission isn't something I would ever do.

 

[tvguy]

Went and test drove a couple different cars, with no intention what so ever of buying, just for the experience.

1. Test drove a Chevy Blazer EV last week. It was nice and a big step up from the Chevy Bolt EV we already own.
2. Today we test drove a Tesla Cybertruck. Have been in conversations with people about their love or hate and wanted to know for ourselves instead of relying on others options. It was mixed. It actually drove great, felt much smaller than it was. I hated the lack of a signal stalk and don't think I would get used to it. My wife had the spartan interior and didn't like having to interact with the display to change vent position.

I think I might schedule an appointment for test drive a Porsche since a new dealership just opened not far away.

Years ago we had friends who would hire a babysitter every Friday, go out to dinner, go test drive a car, then stop by our house to go to a movie, play miniature golf, etc.
My son just leased a Blazer EV. They love it so far The $249 a month lease offer kind of sealed the deal. So with their ID4 they are now a two EV family. With three children, they really need and wanted a Rivian for the space, but the price was out of reach. They are coming up next weekend, but flying, because a 400 mile trip in an EV with three kids age 5 and under just isn't the best option.
This is their fourth EV. The first was a Fiat 500e, and well, it was a Fiat, enough said. Their second was a Hyundai Kona. Great car, Hyundai was great, but the dealer did not have the staff to perform all the battery recalls. Hyundai stepped in and bought the car back under the Lemon Law. Actually, Hyundai didn't have a choice since the car was in the dealership shop for over 30 days, the law required it. I know someone else with a Kona EV and the dealership still doesn't have people to work on it. The dealership has put all their staffing into the huge ICE engine recall, and as bad as their EV service is, they have a stellar reputation on getting ICE customers new engines for free, and quickly.

 

[kdonnel]

How is driving a car "fun"? I consider it work and I am always concerned that I may crash and severely injure myself or someone else.

One of these applies:

1. Whatever floats your boat.
2. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
3. If it makes you happy and doesn’t scare the neighbors…
4. Some like it hot, some like it with extra cheese.
5. You do you, boo.
6. Ain’t no wrong way to eat a Reese’s.
7. If the shoe fits… wear it with pride, even if it’s sparkly.
8. Everyone’s weird in their own special way.
9. Not my circus, not my monkeys – but hey, enjoy the show!
10. Some folks dance to polka, others headbang to metal.

I most relate to number 7.

Not sure why driving is fun for some and not everyone, but that is the case.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

No. I am not sure there are strong enough words for how much I hate the car buying experience, so I would never go just for fun.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I can't say we've gone to test drive cars for fun but in a similar enough situation we have gone to open houses for fun but those have been during the twice yearly Parade of Homes here where thousands are doing the same and it's a set list of homes open to the public daily some with realtors in them most not. That is how we found the lot we had our house built on, going around model house hunting (for real) and in subsequent years on and off have just visited homes during the Parade of Homes for fun, also to see what X price gets you now or what other trends are going on now, sometimes has given us ideas.

But car shopping? Honestly usually too much interaction with sales people going on when you're just doing it for fun.

 

[disneychrista]

I test drove a couple cars when I was actively looking for a new car but did not have the intention of purchasing that day or possibly even at that dealer. I was upfront about it and told them I was only looking and was not purchasing that day. One of them was great about it. The other was a pushy salesman who continued to try to figure out a way to get me to purchase the vehicle.

 

[RedAngie]

Well, when I bought my most recent car I also test drove a model of the same manufacturer that I had no real intention of buying. Just for fun. Hyundai Santa Fe. I already had my mind made up for a Sonata.

The salesperson had no problem with it. I suppose she was hoping that I might change my mind and go for a more expensive vehicle, but seemed quite happy when I decided to buy the cheaper model.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Well, when I bought my most recent car I also test drove a model of the same manufacturer that I had no real intention of buying. Just for fun. Hyundai Santa Fe. I already had my mind made up for a Sonata.

The salesperson had no problem with it. I suppose she was hoping that I might change my mind and go for a more expensive vehicle, but seemed quite happy when I decided to buy the cheaper model.

I think that's a bit different than what the OP was saying they were doing. When we had to shop for cars due to an accident in 2024 we test drove a few cars that we had just wanted to do. But we don't go to dealerships randomly to just decide to test drive a car for no reason other than on a whim. If you're looking for a car but then take the opportunity to test drive something else it's usually not seen as an issue especially if it's at the same dealership.

 

[clappyclaps]

I've only been to test drive cars that I'm pretty sure are the car for me and I'm fairly confident I'm going to end up buying unless the test drive is a disaster (never happened). I hate dealing with salespeople so I'd never go to a car dealership to test drive cars for fun. I'd love to go and test drive ridiculously expensive sports cars or cars I'd never be able to afford, but I doubt Porsche or Aston would let me through the door

Last year I signed up to a vehicle scheme at work, which meant I got a new car delivered to my door without ever having test drove it. Not ideal although it was a make I'd had a few models of previously, but next time I'm likely going to have to go to dealers and test drive the cars I'm eyeing up first with no intention of buying direct. Sure they'll love that!