How To Test Drive a Car

USE ALL FIVE SENSES TO FOR THE BEST TEST DRIVING EXPERIENCE

Every time I drive a new car, I run through a mental exercise before I get behind the wheel: Embrace being slightly uncomfortable, stay alert to handle unforeseen conditions, and be prepared to do something klutzy. Then, I engage all my senses, and get ready to move. Driving is like dancing.

Think of your car as your partner. While cars may look much the same from their exterior shape, inside they are often entirely different. Proportions, materials, and telematics mean that new car interiors are constantly in a state of flux. Research tells us that navigating new spaces requires the brain additional time to adapt to the shift in spatial relationships, a process that gets harder as we age. (I know.) When test driving: Keep a sense of humor, stay loose, and flow with the rhythm.

Last December, back when I was still traveling for test drives, I had the good fortune of driving a crazy Lamborghini sports car in the Palm Springs desert, an exercise in wicked performance ballet. The time I spent behind the wheel of a 2020 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster is a perfect example of the test-driving-while-dancing theory at work.  

When it was my turn to drive the car, I paused in mid-sentence as the burst of 770 horsepower demanded my full attention and communicated info back to my body. The SVJ version stands for "super veloce jota," which essentially means stupid fast performer.  I positioned the car in close proximity to the tight knit pack of Lamborghinis ahead of me, as the engine chortled in a sport-mode call and response chant. I adjusted to the sensation of high speed and floored the accelerator, zooming with the zip of zero to 100 kilometers in 2.9 seconds. I was so intent on the pavement ahead, that when I looked up the desert had given away to the bewitching rolling hills of the Idlewood countryside. We coasted in for a coffee stop, and only then did I dare to exhale, lighter, freer. So worth it.

Here are some easy tips to keep in mind when you test drive, whether you’re in a Volkswagen Golf hatchback, a Lexus ES, a Ford F-150, or even a classic car. 

How do you feel? 

Pay attention to the way your body feels climbing in and out. Do you hit your head? (I bump mine on the overhead compartment every time I climb into an airplane seat too quickly.)

Once seated, how does the seat feel on your body? Lumbar support is key to a healthy back. Can you easily adjust the pedals? If your test model comes with automated seat adjustments (generally located on the inside of the door) assess if that’s a feature you might use regularly, and worth the cost. Adjust all the mirrors, so you feel like a fighter pilot prepared for takeoff.

Touch can refer to the way the tactile surfaces feel, like the grip of the steering wheel, the shifter, or the screens you touch. Touch is also something you’ll notice once the car is in motion as the road communicates information through the car back into your body.

What do you see?

One of the most perplexing parts about driving new cars is to remember how to turn the car on and off. Every manufacturer has their own schematic and unique layout of switches, button, knobs. Don’t feel pressured to know this right away. Look for the shifter. Get comfortable.

Once you turn on the engine, take a beat and take in the car’s infotainment system. If it has a digital dashboard, notice how it engages. Modern cars often have more than one way of accessing the sound system and nav. You don’t need to master it in the first few minutes, but take notice.

When you’re ready look out and ahead. The best test drive happens when you’re really paying attention to driving. If it’s hard for you to drive and talk, make that known to your passenger. Look out for any blind spots in the car – angles where you might not see cars approaching in the rear. Notice whether the car has extra safety systems to alert you in this case.

Do you have a moonroof? If so, open and shut it.  How does the road look as you’re moving forward? If it’s a sunny day, imagine yourself inside the car on a gray day. Return for an evening test drive to see the effect of the car’s ambient light in the darkness.

What do you hear?

After you start the car, you might hear the roar of an engine. If you are driving an electric vehicle or a hybrid you might hear static noise, or nothing at all. For the first part of your test drive, I recommend driving in silence. How does the engine sound when you shift into gear. Do you notice any weird grinding – a red flag if you’re driving a pre-owned car.

After you’ve become familiar with the road noise, test out the sound system and let your body go. If it has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, you can plug your phone into the car directly, and listen to one of your playlists. Be careful not to download all of your information. Is a souped-up sound system something you’d rather have and even pay more for?

One more tip on sound: try calling a friend from the car. Is the cabin quiet when you’re driving. You may care about a quiet cabin if you’re multi-tasking conference calls and driving.

What’s that scent?

If this is a new car, chances are it will have a new-car smell, a chemical potion of volatile organic compounds. In small doses, these chemicals aren’t harmful. But the fact that they wear off over time is actually not a bad thing. Some new cars have fancy options for aromatherapy, which on a holistic level is not a bad idea. On the aftermarket, you might try out an essential oil diffuser.  If you’re trying out a pre-owned car, be deliberate about noticing odd smells. Smell may clue you into a malfunction, or a car that hasn’t been well cared for by its previous owner.

What do you taste?

The car might not taste like anything, but if you eat and drink in your car, check out the cupholders. Is there a place to stash snacks for your kids? Can you easily clean surfaces if something spilled? If the car is pre-owned do you notice stains?

What does your intuition tell you?

I believe in the sixth sense. If you feel like there’s something off about the car, cross it off your list. You may be spending most of your time in the next decade commuting in this very car. Only you know what feels right for you to make all your moves.