What I don't get is this: When these cars were new and people went to the dealer for a test drive, realizing that a good percentage of those buying this car are not "car people", don't you think the fact that you couldn't accelerate hard for about five minutes was a pretty bad attribute of this car? I mean, you go test drive a Corvette, porsche, etc. and granted, it's not good to accelerate on a cold engine but with those cars you could. This car won't allow you even if you wanted to!

I know it's a good thing for the car, but man it must've looked bad to those potential customers who knew nothing about engines, turbos, etc. And we all know that there are plenty of those guys around that just want the nicest looking, latest cool car on the road, which is and always will be our beautiful FD

 

What sales guy lets you floor it in a brand new car for a test drive? None I've ever dealt with.

 

I can't speak for experience as to going to a test drive when the car was new, but looking for a used one via a dealership I can tell you that they allowed the car to warm up first. They actually stalled me while allowing the car warmed up. Also, I imagine that they would have some something similar and if nothing else making you wait while they took a copy of your Driver's Lic.

But again, I do not know first hand.


Down here in SC, they'll let you test drive it (if they think your serious about buying) without a sells rep. which means you can go WOT if you liked. Which is also why I will never buy a new sports car with any significant miles (2+) on it from a Dealership.

 

the subaru dealer let me drive the **** out of a new wrx when i was looking. me and a buddy with him sitting in the back. told me to stretch the gears out and get a feel for the car. we hit 130 on the hwy. i personally dont think they give a rats *** about the majority of the cars, of course with a few exceptions here and there, they're much more concerned with actually gettin you to buy it.

 

Trust me...in Miami anything goes. I've test drove porsches, corvettes, the most recent being the Saturn Sky red line.

Salesmen generally don't give a ****. They even TELL you to punch it hard to "feel that power!"

During my test drive of the Sky redline (with turbo), I was the first customer of the day to satrt the car. When I got in, I asked if he wanted me to wait a little bit before punching it. He said "nah...you don't need to worry it aout it..newer cars don't need to be warmed up".

Well educated salesmen, eh?

 

Test drove Sti and the salesman had the same speil he wanted me to floor it more than I wanted to. Same thing happened when I test drove the Rx-8, even asked me to help him rip out all the plastic covering on the seats......

 

5-10min driving the motor is up to temp. 13B's aren't made of glass.

and whats with all the DT threads lately?

hell, how did the 20k mile switch affect test drives?

 

Pretty much all new cars have that computer controlled so it doesn't matter. Some cars, like the BMW's actually so you on the tach that you are limited. My M3 tach shows the redline much lower when the car is cold. As the car warms up, the redline moves up. Other new cars do this as well, they just don't necessarily show it.

 

Interesting....just curious, where is the name "double throttle" derived?

 

it looks like the system has double throttle plates...one set in the throttle body, and one set in the UIM.

 

I sold Nissans for a couple of months, and I let people rag on the 350Z's all they wanted during a test drive. Actually, demonstrating the VDC (vehicle dynamic control) required you to beat on the car a little bit so that the customer could feel the difference when the feature is turned on/off. Of course, you didn't want to get TOO crazy, but it was your best chance at showing the timid drivers "what the car can really do". As long as the sales manager had a copy of the customer's DL and insurance, and they're not busting donuts in some parking lot, nobody really cared... just get the sale.

BTW, I hated selling cars...

 

Cold in the wintertime. Double throttle becomes a real issue.

 

I test drove an MS6 and the salesman was crazy, first thing he did was do ~60mph through some twisties in between a couple shopping centers (weaving in and out of other cars). Then got onto a back road and proceeded to take the car up to ~100mph going over less than adequate road surfaces, I was about to tell him to slow down and take me back to the dealership the same time he slowed down and made his way towards a parking lot. As I was driving he egged me on saying I wasn't driving fast enough and that this was a performance car (I was already doing 80mph on the highway, just crusing). He also told me to go full speed over a set of train tracks on the way back to the dealership (suprisingly smooth). When we got back to the dealership he was trying to get me to test drive every other car they had, RX8's, MS Miata, S60R, I couldn't beleive how open they were to just hand over the keys especially considering how the salesman treated them. I'd say more often then not if they think you are a potential buyer they will play to the cars strong suits, and with a car like the RX7 it would defintily be going out and giving it some good WOT pulls.

Needless to say I did not buy the MS6, it had ~3000 miles on it and you can almost be garuntee'd they weren't the most pleasant , he did knock almost 10 g's off the sticker price though, still wasn't worth it . I don't think the double throttle would affect test drives, it's easily explained and doesn't really affect the car for a long period of time or anything.

 

During most test drives, the dealer drives first, then stops the car, and lets you drive. By then the car is pretty warm. If I were testing driving a car, I would get on it several times to see what it would do. If the salesman didn't like it, too bad!!!

 

My buddy and a friend of his used to dress in suits and borrow a fathers' M5. Take it to all the dealerships and act like they were going to buy. Test drive the crap out of cars they couldn't afford, then hop in the M5 and drive home.

 

Everyone that I've ever road with takes me some place tells me to punch it (if its sporty). All in VA and FL. If me and lady are together they don't even come along. We test drive 3 or 4 cars a year just for fun...