What You Want A Car To Do When You Test Drive It
When you go to buy a car there are many areas of concern you want to have. Heading out for a test drive knowing just what you want to see from the car will help you to identify the right car for you to purchase. Here are the things you want to see when you are driving around in the car you are thinking of buying:
The car drives smooth
When you drive the car you want it to feel smooth in general. It should handle the road well without shaking or vibrating. It shouldn't have a problem staying straight on the road. It should also change into the next gear flawlessly. You don't want to feel like the tires are wobbly or like the motor is vibrating too much under the hood.
The car doesn't have any abnormal sounds
When you are starting and driving the car you don't want to hear anything that sounds off to you. While it is true that you can expect for an older car to be a bit louder than a newer model, it should still have a solid and healthy sound to it. You don't want to hear squeals, clunks, tapping, ticking, grinding or anything else that you think sounds wrong to you.
The car doesn't have any strange smells to it
If you notice the smell of burning oil briefly when you first start to drive the car and then it goes away, ask the owner if they just put oil in. There may be the chance that they spilled a little on the motor and it burned off during the test drive. However, there should be no other reasons for a healthy car to have a smell to it that concerns you.
Everything you try in the car works fine
Some of the things you will be trying during the drive will include the blinkers, possibly the air or heater, electric windows and anything else you need to use during the drive. For other components, it's best to pull over in a safe location. This way you won't be trying to find where everything is while you are also driving. Some other things you may want to check include the cigarette lighter, all the lights and that includes the interior lights, the different components of the radio, the wipers, etc. While some of these things can simply be a blown fuse, they may also indicate more serious problems like an electrical issue.
Consider having a mechanic look at the car
In order for you to feel completely comfortable with buying a used car you can take it right to an auto repair shop. You can make an appointment to get the car in during the test drive and drive it right to the shop. They will be more than happy to look the car over and let you know what they think about whether or not you are getting a solid deal.