oops, hit the wrong key

 

Wow, I must be one of the few people in the nation that lives in a place where you can still test drive a car without having a salesman with you. I test drove a Fusion SE and Mustang, both without having a pushy salesman with me. The only thing they required was proof of insurance and a copy of my driver's license. I was able to take the Fusion and Mustang out on a good 20 - 25 minute test drive to really get the feel of both cars without having a salesman with me.

It may be their policy but I think it's a crock. I could understand if it was you and maybe 2 other 18 year olds, I would be concerned but if it was you and you wanted to test drive, I don't see what the big deal would have been. I would just have made you leave a copy of your DL and another form of ID. Perhaps would have even gone with you if I was that concerned, but in no way he should have denied you the right to test drive.

 

I never said I didn't have intentions of buying it. I was curious. My girlfriend needed a car. She was still driving the POS vert I drove up in when I bought my '03. At that point I hadn't made any decisions, and buying the Goat was just an idea at that point. My point was that the salesperson wouldn't let me test drive the car, therefore, lost the potential sale and any future business. The salesperson had no way of knowing whether I was just joyriding (which was not the plan), deciding on what to buy (which was the plan), or what. We decided to go used and buy the Aurora.

 

 

It could very well be an insurance thing. When I purchased mine, in Mar 07, in Texas, I test drove 5 GTO's at a Pontiac dealer without any question. They had them lined up for, one after the other.

When I went to the Ford dealer, they were very agreeable to a test drive, as long as the salesman drove it off the lot and out of view (the salesperson told me their insurance company would not allow test drives, from the lot).

Age...may have something to do with it, in your case, but I am 63! So, look on the bright side. Now you know the sales person was a jerk (he could have driven the car off the lot and then let you drive), so what kind of deal would you get. And, what would he do for you after the sale, most likely nothing.

Go somewhere else, where you will be appreciated as a customer. The nice thing about buying a car...you can walk out the door and they are the ones who lose, not you. Check out several dealers, and see which one is the one you will want to live with, if you have warranty problems. And make the deal with them.

 

I think he means if the vette was given to him...

 

Coming from a salesperson, that dealer is full of BS!!! . At my store, as long as your over 18 years old (age to legally sign a contract and purchase a car, and title it in ones name in PA), and have a vaild drivers license, your able to take a test drive. If your underage, then the salesperson has to take you out in the car. I started when I was 20, and a few years later, I had a high school student stop in wanting to test drive a ZX2.

He was only 16 years old. I told him I can't let him drive the car without a parent present (alot of different insurance companies have cetain age limits on dealer plates & insurance policies and who drives them. Most are to 18 years old, unless accompanied by a parent/guardian who has insurance), but I could take him for a ride to start (which I did). Plus, being 16, he legally couldn't buy it without a parent anyhow, since in PA you have to be 18 to sign a contract and title a car in ones name). I told him, bring your mom or dad back, and you can take the car out for a drive with them. The next day, he did, and his parents bought the car. They thanked me up and down for taking himi seriously, and taking him for a ride to make sure he liked the car. They told me, most places were blowing him off. The family came back for several more car purchased throughout the years. Just goes to show you, that if someone says you can't drive the car, and your of legal age to title it and sign a contract, then the salesman is full of , and move on to another dealer.

 

thanks guys, Ill just go find another dealer. those same guys irritated my dad so much one time before that he left and bought somewhere else. New ownership, same crap I suppose.

 

Highjack! ZX2 that is an escort I forgot about

 

There are a lot of salesmen out there who are plain ****s. I went shopping for my Mustang last year and the first place I went the salesman wouldn't even acknowledge I was there. I was 30 and he treated me like a child. Said that I couldn't take it for a test drive unless I was serious about buying.
I said right back to him "Sir, you are an idiot. You know less about this car than I do and test drives are to make people into serious buyers"

The next place I went the salesman knew everything about the car and insisted I go on a test drive. Threw me the keys and said "have fun, just try not to burn all the rubber off the tires." It was 4:00 and I asked him how long I could test drive it for he said, "try to have it back before I leave @ 5:00" He let me and my friend go - he didn't even come with us.

These are the kinds of salesmen we need.

 

[quote=StangMahn;1005010 I mean, seriously, noone would drive a car at like 100 mph with the guy sitting there[Quote]

Well here is a good video to watch. Some people will. I think it was posted here before though.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=I1K4Ry8zs0Y

I have also seen pictures on here of the result of a younger kid and a test drive gone wrong. The kid totaled the car from what the write up and pictures showed. I guess burnouts and cement pylons do not go together.
Basically you were profiled.......and profiling is WRONG!. LOL

Gib

 

I had one customer that nobody else would talk to (but I did) and even I didn't let him drive.
The guys said he had been drinking in his car in the parking lot.
I took him for a ride in the kind of truck he said he wanted.
He bought the truck CASH.
He wasn't the only strange sale I ever had. Oh the stories we can tell.
The point is... Never judge a customer too quickly.

 

The real reason for not letting you drive the car is that you attend state and the controls of a Mustang are too complex for the average NCSU student. I'm just kidding. I'm in Raleigh and state fever runs deep at where I work.
Serious question: were you at a Raleigh/Cary/Wendell/Fuquay-Varina Ford dealership and if so, which one?

 

No, I was at Hub Ford in SC. I think I'll go see what Capital Ford has to offer this Friday. And as for the Mustang controls being complex, go look at www.wolfpackmotorsports.com I'm working on that, definately the most complex thing I've ever worked on. Where are you working at in Raleigh?

 

Bump
Well, I finally did it! Today I went to Capitol Ford in Raleigh, and I was amazed when I drove in there. Right next to the entrance, there were 2 Foose Stallions, a Roush 427R, a Roush Stage 3, 2 Saleens, a Shelby GT, and a Shelby GT500!
But, I ended up driving a slightly used '06 GT, in Redfire, with a Hurst shifter installed. I drove it for 5 or 10 minutes, and it was downright AWESOME! The salesman's name was Sonny Dellinger, and I reccomend talking to him, if you go to the dealership. It's nice to finally find a Ford dealership and salesman that doesn't think you are a joke, because you're 18, and looking at a Mustang. I have outright determined, that there is no other car for me. Everything was perfect, even the mirrors, I like the fact that they are wide enough to see out of! I really like the amout of room, which is a relative term to a sports car. I had the seat all the way back, and tilted a little, but hey, Im 6'5, 285 or so, wide shouldered, etc. I had more than enough room, and my head wasnt touching the headliner, thats really important to me. The only thing I noticed was that the clutch pedal had a little noise to it, like a springy thing that I could hear, I'm sure this is because it is a used car. And the short throw was awesome, compared to what Im used to in my Nissan pickup, and Jeep, it practically was no shift, and very little pedal movement to engage the clutch! Very impressive! Congratulations Ford, you have a future customer without doubt!

 

When you get a car make sure you stop by to say hi to the salesperson. As your driving away tell him you tipped the guy $200.

 

I went by my dealer here in town (Machens Ford) and dropped off my steed for one of her last free oil changes. I popped my head into the salesmans office who sold her to me and I told him I wanted to test drive an '08 with a stick (I'm an auto driver... ). I had searched the dealer website last night and knew he had a vista blue GT there (my second favorite color) and told him I wanted to take it for a spin. He had to drive to a different lot and pull it out (they have a big stock). Once there in the lot with me, he handed the keys to me, made sure it had gas in it, and told me to keep it under 90 mph in the curves and bring it back when I was done. It had 13 miles on the ticker...

I jumped on the back of this blue steed and off I went... I took it out on the hiway and ran through a couple of turn dealies, just normal driving. I didn't think it was necessary to "ride it hard" since I am quite aware of what a Mustang can do as to handling. My interest was more about if I should have gotten a manual over my auto...

Keep in mind this is an stock GT, it seemed like it was quite long in the throw to speed shift and every time I did so, it seemed to go Clud-DUNk!. Now I admit I don't drive a stick all the time but I have a class A CDL and have driven every big geared thing a person would want to and I feel that I "know how to drive a stick" just fine. Just seemed SLOWER than my modded (thanks Doug) Auto...

More fun? well...dunno I had a phone call right when I got to a stoplight and sure was a pain to get going again while trying to shift it. Perhaps I am just getting old...

Anyway, it seemed a fine steed but the real test came when I took it by my wife's workplace. She is employed by Shelter Insurance (Worldwide Headquarters) and it was right at breaktime. Funny thing...even with all the people walking around, not one person commented on the stock new pony. I'm so used to people staring at my Yellow, it was a no brainer that this filly was not for me. I carefully took her home and told the Salesman to call me when 1) they bring back Screaming Yellow or 2) Make a S197 Mach 1...

Now I admit, the GT/CS they had there looked very sweet...(would have taken one of them but they were all autos)

 

I felt that clud-dunk, but Im sure I could deal with it.

 

We've bought several cars from Capitol Ford, so far I'm quite pleased with them.

 

when i was 14 me and my dad went to the shelior motor mile in virginia, that is the coolest place ever!!! and we test drove a V6..and the salesman just held on to a copy of his license and said have fun