DO NOT Do This When You Test Drive a Car | Former Dealer Explains 

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My 20ish age daughter decided it was time to buy a new car. She had graduated college, no student loans, and had a nice job. Doing her research she decided on a Subaru Outback. After watching many of your videos, she had a game plan. It started with waiting closer to December when she thought dealerships would be trying to make room for newer models. Doing an online web search, she found her car (new) listed at a local dealership. We drove down, met a nice salesman, she handed him the website description of the car etc. The first thing he said was the website wasn't as up-to-date to what was actually on the lot. Then they spent 20-mins looking for the car with no luck. My daughter came back a bit upset (I was standing a good distance away) and we decided to leave. The salesman walked up and said "we found it but we have a problem". We all walked over and yep, there was the car but the sticker said it was a 2020 but the advertisement said 2019. There was also a significant price difference, so we said no deal and again started to walk away. He asked us to wait while he spoke to the GM and a few minutes later came out and said they would honor the price on the website and not the sticker. We sat down and he immediately started talking finance, add ons, trade ins etc. My sweet daughter looked at him and said "we haven't agree to a OTD price yet". The look on his face was priceless but he did smile and asked "what price are you looking for". She quoted a price (some less than the website cost) and he asked about trade-in. She said she wanted the OTD price first. He tried to add all sorts of extras and she kept saying no, what is the OTD price? Finally he said it, then launched into all the other stuff at which point she shut him down. Leaned forward and said "that is our OTD price." I'm going to trade-in my car and I know what it's worth, I'm not going to finance with you and I want no extended warranties etc. Guy respected her but then the finance guy tried his line and she shut him down as well. So, he smugly asked "well, we have a OTD, we agree to a price for your old car, exactly how are you going to pay the balance? Is Dad going to cosign? My daughter just handed him the authorization number from her bank who had preapproved her at a ridiculous low interest rate. As we sat in her new car the salesman walked up and smiling said "young lady you did your homework, good for you" and walked about.

Just bought a Rav 4. During the test drive the sales guy wanted to talk about trade in and down payment. I told him I approach buying cars in phases, I’m only focused on the drive right now. After the drive, he brought it up again, I said now I’m focused on the OTD price, nothing else. After we ironed that out, it was now time to discuss trade in. Working the deal in phases was a big help and set the rules for the sales guy. It was a smooth process.

My wife & I bought a car using your techniques on not giving away any info until he gave us the OTD number...it worked. We got the price down by $10k.

Some tips from As a former car dealer/sales;. If the sales person comes along for the test drive, have them seat on the back seat and stay quiet. Also turn the radio off completely after you made sure it has one and working. If buying an older used car, make sure you go and check it out during the day time, Not in the rain or dark. Most used cars are partially or completely re-painted or some sort of body work was done on it, and you will not be able to see the paint-job properly in the rain or in dark. Also check the engine and make sure the engine block is dry. If you see some oil on the head, that's normal. Most used cars have a minimal valve cover gasket leak. But if you see the entire engine covered in oil, that car has major issues. Drive on a straight road, bring the car up to cruising speed and let go of the steering for a second to see if the car pulls in any direction. If it does, it might have issues with alignment, tires or the front end is simply damaged. Check in between the seats and body for hair, mostly pet hair. Dealers clean their vehicles, but cannot completely remove all hair and that pet hair usually gets in between the seats and body panels. Check the roof liner for yellow stains, if you see any, it was a smoker's car. Also test the AC to make sure it blows cold and both fans are on, under the hood, where the rads are. At times dealers know you are coming and will warm up the car for you. If you see the car;s engine is not cold, walk away and come back again when it's cold. You will only see oil burning out of a cold engine. They don't want you to see the blue smoke coming out of the exhaust, so they warm it up for you. Have someone start up the engine, while you are at the rear and if you see blue smoke, walk away, because you are dealing with an oil burner.

Bought a Camry from a Toyota dealership. The guy was awesome. He rode around with us, just talking about normal everyday life, not about the car or the dealership. He was just there to answer any questions I had, other than that he wasn’t trying to SELL me the car. When we got back, we talked numbers, and I could tell he just wanted me to get the best deal. He didn’t really care how much money the dealership made on the deal, and that’s exactly how the price worked out. The guy was awesome, and I’d go back to him in a heart beat. The Finance guy was the complete opposite, he was pushing everything, and even when I said multiple times “look man, I’m not buying any add ons. I just want to purchase the vehicle for the agreed upon price and get out of here”.

A test drive is not enough. If the car you are looking to buy is available at a car rental company, rent it for a weekend. That gives you real world test drive.

About ten years ago my wife and I went to a Dodge dealership and began negotiating on a vehicle. Sales manager would not budge on the price we wanted. I finally told them we were leaving and we did. As we were walking across the lot to our car, I whispered to my wife that they will be coming out after us. Sure enough, the salesman and manager came running out to our car and suddenly the price came down substantially. Felt great!

I was pretty mad last weekend when I test drove a new CR-V (that I already knew I wanted) and the saleswoman started rattling off all the dealer add-ons, speaking really fast, while I was driving the car. No one's ever tried to talk business with me while test-driving before and It felt like a strategy to get me to agree to the add-ons without giving it any real thought. After we got back to the office, the whole process had this same rushed and even bullying feeling. She wasn't even trying to be friendly. She knew that if I sat and thought things over, I'd make smarter choices, so she fought tooth and nail. Things got heated a couple times but I managed to eventually get the car under msrp with NO dealer add-ons AND a fair deal for my trade-in. I've never had such a terrible experience with such a good outcome before. 😆This was the only local dealer that had the color/trim combo in stock that I wanted, but in retrospect I wish I had left and found a salesperson who was a better human being to give commission to. Good grief.

Best experience I ever had for test drives was my local subaru dealership. I test drove a crosstrek and forester multiple times. I was leaning towards the forester and I had no idea if it would fit in my garage and how it would drive on the interstate. They kindly brought one out to my house to see how one would fit in the garage and test drive on the interstate close to my house. I had the local toyota dealership bring out a Corolla Cross and boy am I glad they did. Those longer test drives showed me that the Forester was what worked the best for me. Also, the subaru sales rep let me drive by myself or with my boyfriend. No pressure tactics. It took me nine close to 10 months to make my full decision on what I wanted but they never pressured me. I for sure would go back to them and I custom ordered my forester and got exactly what I wanted, no extras or mark ups.

One thing about my wife and me is we are old enough to not care. No matter what we tell sales people, if we don’t like it we just walk out. We don’t play games with anyone or pretend to be friends. It’s a business transaction that’s it.

This why i hate salespeople. I dont want to play cat and mouse, i just want an honest interaction.

I am so grateful for these tips! My car is a 2010 and I’m looking to purchase a new car in 8-10 months. I drive my cars until they die because the thought of going to the dealership gives me so much anxiety. Your videos are encouragement therapy.

Before buying my last car, I took it on the test drive from hell. Being a high horsepower, turbocharged manual transmission car, the salesman had no idea what he was in for. There was a cloverleaf up the street from the dealer and I wanted to see how the car handled. It turned into a 2.5x - 3x speed limit flight on the highway. The look on his face was priceless when we got back. I definitely woke him up. Not exactly the most responsible thing to do, but I test drove it exactly as I planned to drive it.

Ray: "The selling actually started at "Hello"" 😂

This is all good information. I’ve bought a lot of cars and I’ve passed on a lot of cars. I don’t really care what the salesman says or thinks about my comments; if they can’t meet my out the door price, I won’t buy it. I bought a 2017 Vette new, and I told the salesman I loved the car, which I did. That was to let him know I wasn’t a tire kicker. But I didn’t buy until I got the price I wanted. I got $15,000 off the MSRP. I always keep in mind that I don’t have to buy that car to eat dinner, they have to sell it if they want to eat.

I recently found your channel while searching for a used truck. I used some of your tips and tricks and in the end i spent 30 minutes on the test drive and talking numbers and only 50 minutes making the purchase the next day. I could not have done this without you guys. Thanks for what yall are doing.

Took a Scat Pack Challenger on a 30 minute test drive w/o the salesperson. When I got back he asked how did I like the test drive. I told him I hated every minute of it. We both snickered and I bought the car.

I love you guys ❤! I drive a 20-year-old, 200K-mile car and have no plans to buy any car. But I watch you guys regularly because you're so entertaining 😂. This said, I do bookmark your videos for when I'll decide to buy a car, cause they're also so informative 😉. Keep up the good work - and the fun!!!

Thanks, guys, I bought car and I got a great deal. I told the dealer I was a Car Edge customer everything worked out from beginning to end. I was in and out in 90 minutes 😊😊😊.

Some of the Red Flags on a test drive that I've had include the dealership not wanting the customer to drive the car more than a mile at 25 MPH around the block, the dealership not wanting the customer to try the different transmission modes (Sport, Tow, Economy), and the salesperson disabling the Stop-Start feature that shuts off the engine when the car comes to a stop. It's like they don't want anyone to experience some of the expected and unwanted features, and they definitely don't want the car to be driven such that the customer may find something bad.

When we bought our 21’ Nissan Titan, the salesmen gave me the keys and literally told me to bring it back the same time tomorrow. It was the greatest sales experience ever.

Here's my problem with a test drive. At the very first intersection I approach, the salesperson always begins to direct me over some short, lame course. At that point I silently follow directions, because I'm done. Upon return to the lot I pull out my keys and leave. Rule 1: Owning a car is a long-term relationship. Never buy on the first visit, just like you wouldn't marry on a first date. Exceptions rarely apply. Rule 2: Keep it to yourself. Never give access to your trade or financial information until you settle on a vehicle. Don't initial the offer on any worksheet. Getting you more involved quickly is a psychological play called social engineering. Rule 3: The friendly salesperson does not care about you, making friends is not their objective. Focus on your objective; determine if you even want the thing. Rule 4: You are not obligated to anyone else until you sign something. Be prepared to walk, and do it if instinct even hints that you should. You can always go back, and you will reminded by the very next day.

I look it over from top to bottom. Even had salesman laugh when I got on my hands n knees to look underneath the vehicle since I always buy used. Asked him if he knew the front differential is leaking. His laugh stopped and then the excuses pored out. Start it and listen to it. Then turn everything on. Walk around the car to ensure all lights work. Then drive. I also got wot. Need to see that there’s no hiccups, actually accelerates, doesn’t overheat, transmission shifts correctly. Now I might do a 30-60mph. Nothing crazy. Then I park it and wait a few mins and look underneath the vehicle. Now it’s price time. If you can’t get it to where I want…I walk away. I don’t come back. I don’t make a call to them. Do the right thing and I’ll buy.

I knew exactly what I wanted and ordered it from Carmax. No haggling. No games. Had 30 days to change my mind and get my money back. My trusted mechanic did an inspection with my checklist. Love my Miata!

For those of us who actually know what we are doing, getting the sales person to believe he or she is close to selling a vehicle is a good thing. That makes them easy to control and usually results in an acceptable deal or the knowledge a deal cannot be reached very quickly.

I love to tap the plastic areas and say, "Wow! Cheap materials. That's a shame."

One thing to add when doing the test drive is, if you own a garage, make sure you check that the car/truck will fit. I didnt even consider that when i bought my 2014 F150. I was so concerned with all the other facets of the car buying process, it didnt even dawn on me to check that! So just adding that tidbit in hopes that my oversight helps someone else!

I want to thank you so much for all the info you provide. Buying a car is so stressful. Out of the 5 (plus) cars I've bought over my lifetime, there was only one time I felt comfortable with the process and left the dealership feeling I didn't get "taken". It was a young fella that , quite frankly, didn't care what we did or where we went on the test drive. He never spoke, just let us go through however many cars we wanted to try out (and it was a LOT!!). One car we didn't even get out of the lot---the seats were so hard and uncomfortable that I knew my back could never handle it on long trips. I hate (HATE!!) pushy salespeople and avoid them like the plague. The tips you provide are so helpful. Thank you soooo much!

I found it handy to bring a friend with you for the test drive, me and my girlfriend parked the car down the road, and tested, radio, wipers,a/c heat etc. then I looked under car for fluid leaks. Shop around, a dealership offered 2 k , for my 2012 Buick enclave, another offered $ 9500.00 , I accepted

I am 6-7 and my wife is 5-11.. I make it very clear that because of our height, our first round of tests is only about comfort and layout. And I usually show them a list of cars I i tend to test.

In late 80s Mercury salesman was bragging about sound system. I had a tape in my pocket. It was Talking Heads Live. One my favorite songs had just ended. It was cued up to song Psycho Killer. Boy did that salesman who was older really looked at me strange.

Don't even give them your DL. Offer to email them a copy that you scanned or took a picture of earlier. Never give the dealer anything they can hold on to physically that could prevent you from immediately walking out the door.

With a used vehicle (and new)be sure to try and use all the features... Like cruise control, a/c, heat, windows, trunk release, windshield wipers, spare tire, sunroof, stereo all the speakers, check all the gears, especially these days with so much electronics and menus to run through... If you can bring a code reader and plug into the obd2 port(might be kinda hard sneaking that one) But try, etc etc

I usually tell the salesperson I don't need a test drive as I've already test drove one at another dealer. This I think tells the salesperson that I have already walked out of another dealership. If I really need a test drive do it after the OTD number has been agreed upon.

Costco has an auto program that I used three years ago when I bought my new Toyota Camry. The car dealer and Costco already had an agreed upon price so there was no need for any price negotiations. The dealer showed me their invoice that showed what they paid for the car. I paid $400 more than what the dealer paid. It was the most stress free transaction ever for buying a car.

I negotiate the price before I ever go to the dealership and test drive. I tell them straight up if you haven’t answered my questions honestly I will head out the door and sale is over. Saved me a ton of time but I didn’t need a vehicle so I could take my time and look last time. Not the case right now, two destroyed cars from the hurricane in Georgia. Rates suck and prices do too right now.

I always ask to take the vehicle for the afternoon or overnight if im serious about something. Drive it for more than a few miles, take it home and spend some time playing with the features. I also like to see how it fits in the garage. Maybe the doors are excessively large compared to another vehicle and you don’t notice until you can't open it in your parking space. Those are the things you experience when you use it in your own environment.

Great tips ! Another thing to watch out for that always bothers me is when they try to get their hands on your car keys to “get started on valuations on your trade in while you talk or take a test drive “ . Don’t tell them anything about your trade in plans until after you’ve negotiated a deal OTD price on what you’re wanting to buy. Also, their trade in offer is always outright robbery, and when you protest they’ll try to justify the robbery by saying you get a tax break from the state so they have a right to take advantage of you and steal the car from you ( they don’t !)

I recently totaled my car and found one I liked online about 20 miles away. The dealership actually drove the car to my house and let me drive it back to the dealership, a good mix of city and highway driving. The salesman didn't do anything like this stuff, but they really didn't have to becuase I couldn't hide how much I loved the car (2015 Dodge Challenger) and he knew he didn't have to do much to sell me the car. I wish I would have seen this two days ago, might've gotten an even better deal. Oh well.

I used to rent cars often when away for business. I got to see a lot of cars and found one that made an annoying whistling noise from the right side by the mirror at highway speed, for some reason. It made me a believer in test driving any new car on the highway from then on.

I’ve been to 6 dealerships over the last 2 weeks (Ontario Canada) It almost seems like I have to beg a sales man to sell me a car, they give absolutely no effort whatsoever so ever. I went on a test drive, noticed one was talking a lot, asked if to be quiet and sure enough he was trying to cover up the sound of some sort of brake rub. (Most likely a warped rotor) And then asked if he was willing to negotiate the price, nope not even a bit, asked if he’d throw in a set of winter tires, nope. And the test drive was only like you said 5 minutes around the block. Walked out and onto the next.

I always look to test drive the car on the roughest roads. It is amazing how that indicates how quiet and comfortable the car will ride on all types of roads. Especially at higher speeds.

I just purchased a 2016 Hyundai Genesis early this week. I went to 5 different dealerships looking at a handful of different cars. Some Explorers, an Equinox, even a Mustang. Only one place asked me for a license before we test drove a car. Thats it. I was shocked. Turns out that one dealership happened to be the place I purchased my car from. They were pretty decent. The usual tactics youd expect from a dealership but they were never dishonest or trying to be underhanded. Even explained a lot of things to me unprompted. Even had the finance manager tell me there is no penalty for making early payments without even bringing it up. Theh were all very kind. I only wish I had found this channel before I went there. Probably could've saved myself at least 1-3k with your tips

I have never rented a car like one i was considering buying for the past 60 years of buying cars, however, with the price of cars today I will not buy a new car without renting one for 2-3 days to make sure it is what i want. Thanks for the inputs from other participants on this video thread!

Leading questions by salespersons is cliche and recognized by most consumers nowadays, coming across as fake and callous. I sold cars, and was trained as such, but over time, i found that just being real and genuine with a customer, gained their trust, and ultimately a sale.

My wife and I failed these tests big time back in 2004 before our daughter was born. We test drove a Mazda Tribute - which we still have - and purchased it that day.

Insist on being able to deviate from the short "four right turns" test drive route.

Buy your vehicle on line. Much easier process. You don’t need to spend hours at the dealer trying make a deal and you can work several dealers at the same time.

A little while back my girlfriend set up a test drive for me at our local Tesla showroom. It was just a quick call to select a date, time, and leave your name. We showed up, they checked my license, give a brief walkthrough of the car, and we were handed the keys and told we go do whatever we wanted for 30 minutes. No sales rep came along. When we got back we were asked if we had any questions and were pretty much left alone to browse the other models without constantly being bugged. I loved it! We ended up not buying the car (holding on to our current vehicles a while longer to give EVs a bit more time to sort a few things out) but the whole experience was something I wish more dealers would try out. For what it’s worth… I’m the type of person that researches the heck out of practically everything I buy. In ‘97 I bought a new VW GTI, I knew more about the car than the salesman did. With the Tesla, I had already watched quite a few videos on it and didn’t need/want a salesperson to hover over me the entire time.

Obviously, you don’t find videos like these until you’re shopping for a car or truck but I am happy to report I found them before I ever stepped foot into a dealership. I considered myself a better than average shopper based on my confidence in talking to strangers confidently and being able to ask tough questions and hold people accountable to the things they say. That said, You guys are putting out more S tier information that I’ve never even considered. I’m pumping the brakes on this deal and studying up now that I’ve stumbled on to your content, thanks so much!

When I was working as a car salesman I was taught to find out as much as you could during building rapport with them to land them on a car. Part of that was finding out if they wanted a vehicle with a great sound system. We didn't care but that would allow me to find out what kind of music they liked. That way, without them realizing it, the car they took for a test drive would have a radio tuned to that kind of music. What a coincidence? LOL Then, when we came back from the test drive, I would tell them "go ahead and park your car right here in front." These little subliminal signals are working without them realizing it. It's all psychology.

Ive learned from buying lemons before that you drive it like you stole it. You should be mashing that gas petal to the floor almost everytime. It will uncover hidden issues that you might not see under "normal" conditions. The salesman should be holding on for dear life😂

In California they like to take a copy of your driver's license. I like to ask for that copy back when I leave the dealership if I don't do business with them.

I once went to a Toyota dealership and asked to test drive a car. They looked at my license and threw me the keys to the car I asked about and said "have fun". I said... "thats it"? They said, "you're not gonna steal it are you?" I said no, and he said "if its back in an hour or so, we aren't gonna have a problem" I WAS SHOCKED. This was years ago. Probably around 2019. I wasn't stealing it, but it almost felt like it!

Twice this has happened to me. once as described, and the other... eh.. First time: I test drove a low-mileage used Fiat 124 Abarth a few years back that was at a Buick/GMC shop. I liked it, but I didn't fit in it (I'm too tall). It was their only convertible. I stated that pretty clearly: "I like it, but I don't fit" He then started trying to sell me a Buick Envision. I laughed hysterically. Second time: Ford just released the Focus ST, and for the first time in my life, I was interested in a Ford. I stated "I wanted something sporty" The dealer didn't have any available, and the salesperson immediately tries to push me towards a base model Focus hatch. He should've pushed me towards a Mustang, at least that would have made some sense.

LOL! While on a test drive of a Volkswagon, my wife said, "Gee this car bounces like a boat on the water, doesn't it?!" Needless to say, the salesman was at a loss for words!

Always remember as soon as you set foot on the lot they are trying to rip you off. I have gone to the same dealership and driven the same vehicle multiple times before negotiating. When they ask you after you drive say you need to sleep on it and leave. Go back and do it a few times and they will either not let you or you can get a good deal because you have taken so much of their time. Always go to the same salesman when you do this.

Fortunately now we can research any car online to go in knowing even more than the salesperson knows. Of course any little test drive with any new car will be great! If I go to a dealer I already know exactly which car with which options I want

I love when you guys cut your looooong conversations up into nice, succinct, topic-focused clips. Keep them coming, I'll watch your channel a lot more!

I drave a 48 year old chevy truck, got almost 300,000 miles, and plan to drive 300,000 more. i just rebuilt the motor. It's a grany low 4 speed 350 with ac and works

I never answer questions by the salesman directly. The latest question that I found on the test drive was, "rating this car from 1-10 with 10 being outstanding and 1 being terrible, how would you rank this car?" I always respond "it's a nice car, but there are thousands of nice cars on lots in our area. Eventually, I will find one at a price I am willing to pay. And, the only tens in my experience are Bo Derek and my wife."

I check out the car online then call dealer to make sure they have it. 2. I test drive I always know the price and are ready to pay it. No extras at all my trade-in is always worn out generally 50 dollars. Brought mine in and they towed it to junk yard.

If there's 1 thing you guys have educated me on, BELIEVE Me there are several it's staying FOCUSED on the OTD price. Was looking the past couple months. Finally zeroed in on my short list of 4 vehicles all Hyundai's. 3 variants of 2023 sonata's and 1 Elantra. After working through 5 shady ass dealers I finally found 2 honest ones. 1 in NY and 1 in PA I live in Tennessee. Unfortunately the 2 cars I was looking at in NY sold before I could drive up there. But I found a CPO 2023 sonata with 7800 miles a dealership loaner. Had a contractual agreement on OTD before I left Tennessee. I was insistent on that point. Dealership was very understandable about this. Went up past Thursday took a test drive by myself since numbers were already done. Fantastic experience, even got a VSC at dealership cost. I know this because I went to my local Hyundai dealership and got into a downward bidder war between PA f&I manager local f&I manager over speakerphone lol. I saved easily 3K total due to the knowledge car edge provided!!!!!! Thanks 👍

Ask to see the maintenance records and if all recalls have been completed. For higher-mileage cars, find out what high-price maintenance items might need to be done, such as a timing chain replacement.

i had a different kind of experience buying my car, i knew i wanted it because was same as old vehicle i owned, sales person told me way they got it is way you see it and anything i didn't like tell him, test drove it. it had issues and gave him a list of demands to repair if sale is to go forward. sales guy was like thats a big list, but if we don't fix it for you we have to fix it for someone else. one issue was front tire edge worn more on outside then inside,( too the replace mark) needed alignment and told him needed all 4 tire replaced, sales guy said rear look very good thou, i siad i know but want 4 matching tires!!

I've bought my last 3 cars from the same Toyota dealership, since I tend to go in knowing what I want and what price after some research. Same salesman each time. They've always accepted my offer, usually $1500 less than current blackbook prices. Just picked up a 23 Hyundai Kona N line that was fully loaded and 6k kilometers for under $30k CDN. Took it out for at least an hour, didn't even need to leave a copy of my license. Ended up getting $2k back on my trade in's extended warranty, which they could've pocketed since it wasn't due to end for another year.

I was at the dealership looking at cars. This lady was about to go on a test drive but backed the car into a concrete light pole. I heard a loud boom, what happened next I didn't stick around to find out.

We started with we can’t find anything we want -- it’s true. My husband hate the extra “garbage” like the huge screens we both find distracting. I actually asked how to turn it off, and did! My biggest problem is negotiating the deal. Fortunately, we’re are not where we have to buy. And we made a point that we have a backup vehicle.

There is a fundamental attached to the explanation of the techniques described in these various informative discussions. An equilibrium must be maintained between the salesperson and the buyer. The buyer stays within their means (budget) and gets a vehicle that meets their needs and the satisfaction of insuring they have been treated fairly. The salesperson gets the maximum amount of profit for the product without the buyer walking away. Any other outcome is unfortunate and upsets the balance. As the buyer needs transportation, the seller naturally has the first opportunity to win an advantage. The buyer has the responsibility to stay within their means. These informative videos help to balance the scales. Thank you.

Show up late so you can test drive the car at closing time, if they close at 8:00 I show up at 7:40. My last 4 new cars I finalized the paperwork 30-40 minutes after closing time and saved a ton of money.

Back in 2012 we went to our local dealer to look at a truck i wanted to buy. We asked them for the lowest price they could offer us. We then took a copy of that offer and emailed it to several competing dealers. I honestly didnt think it would work but it did! The best offer we got was $6000 dollars lower than the offer our local dealer was offering and the truck they had was identical except it had upgraded rims and tires that were an expensive upgrade on the original truck i was looking at. We did have to drive 2 1/2 hours to get it but it was totally worth it. I doubt this would work in todays environment as dealers are selling and getting multiple 1000s over msrp for trucks. I honestly dont blame dealers in this! Its the people who pay these ridiculous mark ups that i blame!

I've passed on a few low mileage used Honda Elements because the dealer wouldn't budge on price. They were all one owner and well maintained.

These are great videos. I love the son and father thing going on here. Makes me smile, and there is such GREAT information for those about to buy a car!

Test drove a 2015 Ford Fusion SE today. Did just as you said, I remained completely noncommittal. Going to take car to an independent auto shop for an inspection.

I'm learning so much from you guys. I plan on purchasing a new car this upcoming year. Thank you for your help with all these teachings. I'm ready to use these new teachings at the dealerships. I'm so much more informed than I was before. In the past I have been that person who said all the wrong things like telling them how much I could put down or trade in.

Early on in my last visit to a dealer I said very clearly (but kindly) that I couldn't stand pushy sales jobs. And when I provided my phone number I said if I get hammered with text messages I'll be furious. But everything else about the interaction was friendly. They were just informed about what I wouldn't tolerate (and it was perfectly reasonable) right up front. We went for a test drive, and he wanted to chit chat nonstop. It was interesting conversation, but later on I thought, how little attention this allowed me to focus on the car--the entire point of the test drive. Salesman was pushy. Kept trying to pin me down on exactly the car I wanted. I kept telling him it depended on the car and the price. In hindsight I think they wanted specs so they could plug it into their computer then spam me with similar matches in the weeks to follow. It's like they have a standard routine and can't deviate from it, no matter what the customer says. Their loss. I won't be back.

CarMax has its pros and cons, but my favorite thing about it is no one goes with you on a test drive. Do whatever you want. I took mine out for a few hours and they didn't care.

I just test drove an X7, a relatively warm day out, about 65 and sunny. The dealer rode with me on the test drive, very rigid test route AND the A/C was too loud for me to hear my daughter talking in the seat behind me. Meanwhile, the salesperson barely even showed interest in showing me the car. BMW (at least this guy) seems to have a different strategy in mind. Maybe they think the cars sell themselves...I won't be getting one.

The best sales guy is the guy who let's you drive the car by yourself in the car and get's you the best OTD #.

When I brought my Elantra I tried 4 different cars, I rejected bcs of the price, another had brake issues, another had power sterling issues. The forth one was the one I settle as it didn’t had issues and the price was affordable. I found hills, plotholes and did hard breaking to make sure I brought a good one. So far it has been a good.

Is there a video that goes over the OTD price tactics? The general rule of what to aim for! Thank you!

I was having one of those mid-life crises so I went to the local Porsche dealer for a test drive. Talking with the German salesman an unrelated issue came up and I was able to offer him important, very specialized advice concerning it. After the test drive, I said, "What do you think, should I buy one?" It was an attempt at humor. He responded, "Of course not. You'd have to be crazy to buy one of these things." We then walked into the shop with the service manager who then described the problems with each of the many cars there for repair." I subsequently bought 2 cars from them but neither was a Porsche.

Man, those leading questions are cringey. I had someone do that when the wife and I were buying a car in 2017. Even though we were pretty "meh" about the car as we test drove it, back at the dealership, he started a sentence with "Well, now that we found a car you love..." Gross. We didn't buy that car. 🙂

Last test drive I did with a salesperson in the vehicle was an early 00s Mustang GT. They'd recenty put in a new clutch system, that was the stiffest clutch I'd ever worked in my driving life. I swear it was designed specifically for burnouts, something you DO NOT WANT in a V8 Mustang unless you have put it in yourself and are used to driving them. I commented on it and the guy thought I was praising their upgrade. So when we got back to the shop, he thought I was ready to buy. I said no, because that clutch was not for daily driving use. Seriously, it was a performance clutch guaranteed to send inexperienced drivers into a tree leaving a coffees and cars meet and greet.

Drive it in a tunnel or next to a concrete barrier to hear any noises

I recently took a the new Accord EX on a test drive. I came back with such negative feedback for the salesperson that she didn't even bother continuing.

On a test drive I find a deserted area "Drag Strip". After a full stop, FLOOR it through the gears, STOMP on the brakes to see if it stays straight while listening for any unusual noises with the windows OPEN. Then after some regular tooling around, hit the highway to feel for any weird vibrations at say 80 MPH.....

All the things they tell you here are spot on for sure, you just need to willing to do your homework. The last few cars I have purchased, I have employed a different strategy which really puts you in full control. I go test drive the cars I am interested in. Once I do that and figure out what I want, I always leave the dealer and find the cheapest car within the area on the internet. The goal is to do the deal from your house, negotiate over email (this gives you a clear trail of what was discussed) and phone. In this position, it is extremely difficult for the in house sales tactics to work. Once the deal is negotiated and agreed I typically have the car delivered. I specify in the deal that a successful test drive will be needed. If I find anything at all wrong from the car that was not discussed before, the deal is off. This really puts a big burden of making sure they deliver a car in perfect shape.

what about if you are really undecided on cars or trucks.... and want to test drive more than one? Or if you are not ready to buy but want to eliminate a vehicles from your watch list?

Hate dealerships…hate em with a passion. For ALL the reasons these guys talk about. I found a service. It cost us $750. They asked me to email them (the service) the year, make & model with color and any add ons we wanted. I did. They went to several dealers shopped every aspect of the vehicle we requested. They negotiated a decent price. Saving us maybe 3x’s their fee. When every thing was settled…our lender wired the dealer their money. Turns out the dealer was about 90 miles from our home. Oh…and they delivered it to my driveway with a full tank of gas. (minus what they used to get here). The vehicle is a 2024 Honda Pilot. We love the car. The entire experience was UFB.

No need for me to have to tell a salesperson to be quiet as I test drive cars alone... period 😉

I was at a car dealer in Rockford IL. They had a certain route to take and don't go over 45 miles per hour. I left.

You guys are doing the Lord's work ❤

Just wanted to say when I bought my car a few months ago I used strategies I learned from your videos!

Great video. The learnings are so important. People need to keep hearing it so it becomes top of mind!

I live 4 miles down a gravel road in the Rocky Mtns. When I test drive a vehicle I ask to drive it down the roughest road they know of in their area. I don't think they like for me to do that, but it's important for me to know how it will ride under those conditions. Don't be afraid to insist on a little deviation from the salesman's routine if that will help you decide.

Ray, you made me laugh out loud. I’m learning a lot and enjoying it

I had a test drive we came to regret. Car dealer was located at the foot of a hilly peninsula. While test driving a used Ford Escort, the salesman rode along, and ordered us not to turn right at a certain place. Had we done so, we would not have bought the car. Because we did not turn right, which would have taken us up a spectacularly steep hill, we bought a car that was terrible at the mountain driving we loved to do. It wasn't the underpowered 4 cylinders that got under our skin on our road trip over the Colorado Rockies, it was the fact that the transmission did not know how to stay in a lower gear for the entire grade. The Plymouth Colt Premier we bought within a few years of the Escort was much, much better. Apparently the first owner was a young lady who lived up on that same hill we did not test the Escort on. She had written a comment in the owners manual about the whistling noise the turbocharger made. I liked that noise. It meant the car could GO! Moral of the story about the Escort: When you test drive a car, YOU are in charge of the vehicle. Drive it where you wish, as long as you keep things legal.

01:27 --- No, no, no. There is no faster way to lose credibility and flush your honesty and integrity as a salesperson than to say this. I train my salespeople to NEVER say this. It's a disingenuous, transparent attempt to push the car and it immediately sets off red flags in the customer's head. I've seen so many customers walk over this kind of behavior-- and they should.