Insurance

Test driving a car is very important; you have to be certain that the car is comfortable to drive, that you enjoy driving it and that it is all in working order. Depending on whether you are test driving a car from a dealership or privately you can sometimes have an extended test. As you are potentially spending thousands of pounds you should certainly not be shy about asking!

Test drives are a lot more important when buying a second hand car, they are a great way to find out if everything is in working order but you should certainly have a qualified mechanic check under the bonnet for peace of mind as well.

The first step when thinking about taking a car for a test drive is checking your insurance, most large dealerships have their own insurance that will cover you but if you are purchasing from a private vendor you may well not be insured. You will need to check your insurance policy to be sure you can drive another person's car with their permission.

One thing to mention is that you should take your time, there is no point rushing your test drive as it is for your own good to make sure the car meets all of your needs. When first entering the car make sure to adjust the seating and mirrors so you are comfortable, the more relaxed you are the better you will be able to evaluate the car. When you are comfortable make sure that you can reach all of the buttons and switches that you will need, in addition to this check that you can see clearly around the car and that there are no blind spots. Should you have any queries about visibility be sure to reverse into a car space to really get a good impression of how easy or difficult the car performs.

It really is a good tip to test out two or three different cars even if our first test was a great success, this will help you by giving you something to compare with and show you exactly what you might be missing out on.