How to test drive a Car - Part 3

Pop the trunk
There are two ways to open the trunk on most cars and you want to make sure they both work properly. First, use the keys and then open it remotely, using the button on the inside. During the latter method, check to see if the trunk springs open or if it just unhooks, leaving you to do the heavy lifting.

Listen up
During a test-drive, there are two groups of sounds that you don't want to hear. You don't want to hear very much noise from outside the vehicle (the car should be decently insulated) and you don't want to hear any funny rattles from inside the car or the engine.

Make mistakes
As your habits aren't likely to improve, you'd better make sure that your new car can handle your common mistakes. Leave your keys inside, leave the lights on, test all the warning signs and sounds, and generally behave badly.

Compare cars
Test-driving is as much about checking out a specific ride as it is about comparing multiple ones. The only way to be an informed buyer is to test out several vehicles. This will help you to get a broader sense of what else is on the market and may reveal things about your dream car that you had overlooked. Test-drive the cars consecutively so that you don't forget anything.

Take a second spin
None of us are perfect, so even if we follow a checklist, we're liable to miss something. A second drive never hurts. Take it a few days after the first one so you can approach it with a relatively fresh perspective.
test-drive this baby
Test-drives prove the old adage that the only way to know something for sure is to see it for yourself. You need to remember that you alone are responsible for getting the information you need. The salesman may be helpful, but you're the one buying the car, not him.

Don't be afraid to make demands about seeing it in action or pushing its limits. This is your first, often last, and best chance to determine if this is the car for you.



(dicedok dr: http://www.askmen.com0