The process of buying a new car is a very exciting one.  Don’t be tempted to make a rush decision; after all, apart from buying a home, a car is the most expensive purchase that most of us will make.  Don’t get distracted by all the shiny newness of your potential next car - take the sensible approach and follow our top tips for making the most of your test drive.

If everything goes to plan, you’ll be driving your car for a good few years, probably on a daily basis.  And if you use your car for work, you might even be spending more time with it than you spend with your family, so you have to make sure that your purchasing decision is the right one.

Luckily, Motor Range has 20 years’ experience of successfully guiding customers through their test drives towards their perfect purchase.  Whether it’s your first car or your tenth, you’ll find the same patient and hassle-free approach when you take any one of our 1000 used cars for a spin.

Are You Sitting Comfortably?

To get the best out of your test drive, you need to be comfortable.  So, at Motor Range, we let you take your test drive unaccompanied, unlike other car supermarkets.  It’s easier to familiarise yourself with a car when you don’t have a sales advisor (lovely as the Motor Range ones are) breathing down your neck.  You can pick your own route, practice parking and even check that your chosen motor fits through your favourite drive-thru restaurant!

Motor Range is perfectly positioned to test any car’s capabilities - next to the M57 and M58 motorways, and near to country roads through Sefton village.  If you’re local, you can test out your route to work, if you aren’t you can drive past some of Liverpool’s local tourist spots, such as Aintree racecourse and Knowsley Safari Park.

If you’ve got ‘DOC’ or ‘driving other cars’ cover on your existing insurance, you’ll be good to go to take one of our cars on whichever route you like since you will have Motor range’s permission to do so.

With the prospect of a relaxing drive ahead of you, take your time to adjust your seat, mirrors and, if the car allows, your steering wheel, and familiarise yourself with the array of tempting buttons and gadgets that are on display on the dashboard.  Make sure that everything works and don’t be afraid to ask an advisor what each button does.  Have a run through before pulling off of the forecourt.

However, on the drive itself, best to keep the radio turned off and your concentration away from the gadgets and firmly focussed on the car.  Take the time to appreciate the car’s engine and listen out for any unexpected noises.

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask

Whenever a large purchase such as a car is involved, you can never have too much information.  Don’t forget that if you think of questions when you’re out and about on your test drive, you can quiz any of our sales advisors when you return to the Motor Range showroom.

They’ll be able to fill you in on everything that might affect your purchasing decision, such as finance terms, MPG, service history and insurance group.  They can also help point you in the right direction of any of our  quality used cars if you’re looking for something extra.  Like the feel of the BMW 3 Series, for example, but feel you need more room?  Our sales advisors will take a look to see if we have a BMW 3 Series estate in stock.  Perhaps you’ve fallen for a Nissan Qashqai but really think that you’d benefit from a built-in Sat Nav and reversing camera.  We’ll more than likely be able to find you a Nissan Qashqai N-Tec that’ll include both of these features.  

Whatever qualities you’re looking for, it’s worth asking!

It’s NOT All About The Drive

Figuring out if a car fits into your lifestyle isn’t just about the drive.  If you have a family, a pet or a particular hobby, their needs will have to be satisfied too.  Is there enough room for all of your children in the car?  Remember if you’re intending to keep your car for a number of years that children have a habit of growing, and cars that will accommodate a toddler now might struggle with a teen and all of their gadgets in the future.

Does the boot have enough room for a pushchair, wheelchair, dog crate or a set of golf clubs?  Feel free to bring any of these items with you to test out the practicality of your prospective new car.   Child car seats are another item that you are welcome to try for size before you begin your test drive.

 

It doesn’t hurt to be prepared.  Information concerning capacity and specifications of new and used cars is available online, allowing you to make an informed decision before you get to the showroom however, first hand experience in the form of a test drive, can’t be beaten.

Slowly Does It

We aren’t just talking about the drive when we say, “Take your time!”  Set aside a good amount of time to speak to the sales advisors, familiarise yourself with the car, try it out for size and carry out the test drive.  You might also want to run through finance options while you’re at the showroom.

Don’t rush into any decision.  Once you’ve test driven a car, even if you think it’s the one for you, book in to try out another car.  That way, you’ll have something to compare it to.  After all, we wouldn’t be doing our job properly if we didn’t let you look at all of the options.

Last but not least, try to enjoy the test drive.  Whether you’re buying a car for pleasure or as a necessity, your decision will be better informed when you’re relaxed.

 

So, if you’ve done your research and sorted out your finance, get in touch with Motor Range today to book a test drive.  We’ll help you to make sure that you’ve made the right choice from one of our expertly picked used cars which are all prepared to the best standard before you invest your hard-earned cash in years of happy motoring.