Motoring Discussion > Would you buy a new car online ? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: henry k Replies: 9
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New Sat 28 Jan 17 02:05 
 Would you buy a new car online ? - henry k
........ since it opened 16 months ago, Hyundai Rockar has found that just 53% of customers opt to drive a car before buying one.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38769896
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New Sat 28 Jan 17 03:22 
 Would you buy a new car online ? - zippy
>>Hyundai Rockar has found that just 53% of customers opt to drive a car before buying one.

I guess customers are treating car purchases in the same way as white goods!

There is a Rockar shop in Bluewater Kent. It is like a sofa shop. You look at the car you want, sit in it and even take one for a test drive and then order it. There is no servicing on site its all handled a few miles away.

They confirmed the price of a model over the phone but wouldn't email it to me. Went to the local dealer and got one for £75 a month less, everything else being equal!
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New Sat 28 Jan 17 09:14 
 Would you buy a new car online ? - mikeyb
Yep, I bought a Mondeo from Motorpoint over the phone, My A3 from Drive the Deal, and my Volvo V60 from Lings - all with no test drive as such.

Mondeos I had been through loads on hire so I knew what the expect, A3 I just assumed it would be very "Audi" like, and the Volvo was a super cheap 18 month lease which coincided with the C5 going back. It was convenient and I took the view that there are not really any bad Volvos so if I didn't like it I was only stuck for 18 months - as it happens the ride quality was awful, and although I liked the overall package I was pleased to see it go
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New Sat 28 Jan 17 09:28 
 Would you buy a new car online ? - PeterS
I have never test driven any company car I've ever ordered - life was too short and they were only ever going to be for 1 to 2 years. In recent years I've also seldom test driven cars I've bought, usually because I've driven a variant of it recently enough for me to know it would do what I wanted. Often you can't test drive the spec you want to buy anyway.

The last car I spent my own money on was the Merc, in 2011. I did test drive an E220 CDi saloon in 'sport' trim with a 6 speed auto, but bought an E250 CDi estate in 'avantagarde' trim with a 7 speed auto. Not sure the test drive really told me anything!!

The Audi and the BMW we have now weren't test driven and were bought 'online'. The Audi came direct from Edinburgh Audi, and the deal was done over the phone. They delivered. The BMW came via a broker and again was delivered. I've bought 4 cars online via brokers in the last 10 years or so - in fact I can't really remember why I didn't buy the Merc that way. It was probably because the dealer is on my way home!!
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New Sat 28 Jan 17 09:47 
 Would you buy a new car online ? - Roger.
It amazed me, as a Lada Cars dealer, how few customers drove the new car they were buying.
On the other hand every used car I sold was taken out for a spin.
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New Sat 28 Jan 17 11:27 
 Would you buy a new car online ? - Dog
A spin is not enough really IMO. I've just bought an old crate and test drove it twice before making up my mind/s. Drove it from Launceston to Warleggan and back, tried out all the seating/steering wheel positions, air con, sound system, sat nav.

Checked all the tyres, oil levels etc. etc. checked out the V5 (one owner) service book (fool main dealer).
Reckon I know more about the ole crate than the previous owner did :)
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New Sat 28 Jan 17 11:43 
 Would you buy a new car online ? - sooty123
I don't know how far that is but i think dealers are reluctant to let people go too far. A few miles i think is the norm?

Last car i sold privately, all he did was start the engine floor it straight away turned the engine off and said that'll do. He was there about 10 mins, not interested in anything other than did it start.
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New Sat 28 Jan 17 12:22 
 Would you buy a new car online ? - Bromptonaut
>> I don't know how far that is but i think dealers are reluctant to let
>> people go too far. A few miles i think is the norm?

Varies enormously.

When I was looking for what turned out to be Roomster both Skoda and Citroen dealers used what must be their standard route. Good mix of A45 fast dual carriageway, lanes and a bit of urban, 5 or 6 miles. Both used same roads, dealers hunt in packs here either close to town on Bedford Rd or out at Riverside so I guess it's something that works for all of them.

Dealer in Wrexham we bought Lad's car just gave us the 107's keys and told us to bring it back in an hour.

Both though carefully checked ID and needed sight of licences.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 28 Jan 17 at 12:24
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New Sat 28 Jan 17 13:28 
 Would you buy a new car online ? - Dog
>>Varies enormously.

Affirmative. Most dealers come with you on the test drive, and take you on their standard route, as you say, but some dealers will use trade plates put on the dashboard and let you take the car on your own to go wherever you want.
I had that experience last week.
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New Sat 28 Jan 17 09:49 
 Would you buy a new car online ? - PeterS
Too late to edit, but I meant to write that the last car I spent my own money on that I test drove was the Merc!! Oops...!
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