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If you are in the market for a change of vehicle you will likely start shortlisting some of the cars that take your eye so that you can arrange to see a few of them in the flesh.
It is all too easy to experience love at first sight when you see a perfect car that seems to tick all the right boxes when it comes to what you are looking for. However, you should not be tempted to part with your money on look alone.
It is always a good idea to give a used car a proper test drive so that you are confident the vehicle not only looks great but drives well too.
What sort of things should you check before agreeing to buy?
1. Test the transmission
Source: thedrive.com
The sort of problems you don’t want your proposed car to suffer from would be issues with the transmission. A respected motor dealer will have tested the vehicle and identified any faults before listing it for sale. You would hope it was unlikely that a car being sold there would have any transmission issues but it is wise to spend some time checking the vehicle over and giving it a spin.
If you go to a dealership like lakehartwellford and arrange a test drive, you should allow a minimum of ten minutes. This will allow you to put it through its paces and give everything a chance to warm up. This is sufficient time for potential transmission problems to reveal themselves.
Be wary if the gears seem to slip and you move through them. Also, look out for any delays with the gears engaging or an abrupt gear shift that should be a lot smoother. A slipping gear will usually sound as though you are revving the engine without being in gear. That could be an indication of a problem with the transmission.
2. Check the suspension
Drive over some rough and bumpy surfaces if you can when you are taking a test drive.
If the suspension needs fixing or something is loose this will often be revealed when you drive the car over more challenging terrain.
3. Hit the highway to see how the car performs
Source: liveabout.com
Driving the car around some local roads will help you see how it handles but you do need to take it on a highway if you can.
Driving at speed will reveal any vibration or excessive noise. It will also put the gears and wheel alignment under pressure. Always try to test drive a car at speed if possible.
4. Driving at low speeds will also reveal any problems
As well as driving at speed to put the car through its paces you should also aim to do a few turns at very slow speeds.
Make sure you fully turn the steering wheel in a left hand and right hand lock. This will let you check for any axle problems.
5. Spend some time working around the cockpit
Source: autoguru.com.au
The final part of your test drive should involve spending some time inside the car checking that all the dials and features are working as they should be.
Test the windows and air-conditioning, for example, so that you are happy everything is working properly.
If you check these key points as part of your test drive it should help you to buy a car that drives and performs as good as it looks.
