It is extremely important to test drive your car before buying because that is the only way you can check if the car is appropriate for you or not. Buying any car without testing it like diving into the river without knowing how deep it is and this can make you suffer a lot later. With so much new technology and features in today’s cars it has become more important to take a test drive.
Before purchasing any car take out time to check the exterior, interior and under the hood to make sure there aren’t any major problems especially if you are buying a secondhand car. Take the car for a test drive to ensure everything is in perfect working order.
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Here we have listed a few points you can check in a car and protect your investment.
Inspect the exterior
Before checking the car from inside inspect few things from outside like signs of rust, body repair, scratches, any leakage of fluids and condition of tires. The car should be clean so the paint condition is visible. If you find any of these signs on the vehicle they indicate there might be a bigger problem in the car.
Feel free to ask the owner if you find any issues, he has to explain the reason for them. These types of problems don’t affect the performance of the car but reduce the value of it.
Inspect the trunk and tires
Check if the trunk opens and closes easily and there are no cracks and holes inside the trunk. There should not be any sign of rust or water damage.
The tires should match and be even. Look at the surface of the tire for feathering or uneven wearing that could indicate a bad alignment. Bad alignment or tires can be a driving hazard.
Check the cabin
When you sit inside the car make sure you can sit comfortably and there is enough legroom. Check the seats and upholstery for any tears, rips, stains or any other damage and the seats can be adjusted and are functional.
When you are on the driver’s seat check all the systems if they are working properly like an air conditioner, stereo, and different buttons of the electrical system. If there is any non-functioning feature you can use it to negotiate the price.
Check the mileage of the car it is important because it indicates the car’s age. A normal driver drives between 10,000 to 15,000 miles a year.
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Check under the hood
Once you open the hood check for any dents, cracks, rust or any sign of damage these can show the car is not properly maintained and is damaged. Then check the engine for any leakage and corrosion. If there is any leakage of oil that can possibly lead to an expensive repair in the future. Also, check the fluid tanks if they are not empty and if any of it is empty it could be due to a leak. Try to avoid buying cars with leakage issues because then you have to get them repaired later.
Time to test drive
After checking the exterior and interior then comes the part to drive the car and check its performance. While driving pay attention to the sound of the engine both at low speed and accelerating slowly and check there are no suspicious sounds. Make sure it accelerates smoothly and the steering wheel doesn’t feel heavier. If it feels heavier then monitor the car’s temperature if it is normal or not this indicates the overall engine condition.
Other than this test the suspension alignment if the steering wheel pulls to one side it means wheels are misaligned. Cars vibration while driving shows tires are unbalanced. Similarly, check if the brakes work properly and the car doesn’t slip. While driving when you hit any bump or take a sharp turn and hear any noise this might indicate a problem with the suspension due to which car is not fit to drive.
These are some of the important points that make sure you check before finalizing any car. If you don’t have much idea about these then it is better to take help from a professional vehicle technician who has more experience.
The purpose of testing your car is to find out if there are any problems you can point them out to the seller and negotiate the price accordingly. But most importantly check there should not be any problem in the car so you can drive safely.
Next time you go out for buying a car follow these tips so you can make the right decision.
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