went to go test drive new evo

[Super Unique]

I bought a lotus esprit new in 1986, drove that for 12 years, the speed3 is easily just as much fun. Not scary fast like my rx2 turbo though

You guys think you have it bad now, try getting a test drive in a new lotus @ 18yrs old in 1986, had to have parents with me to get anywhere.

Speaking of dealers, when you got cash up front they like that less, since there is no room for them to make $ on the back end of the deal. Not many folks realize it, but the dealers make $ from their finance deals. Ever been told you don't qualify for tier 1 or A grade credit when you know for sure your fico score is over 800? That's why, they are lying to you in order to stuff a few k $ in their pockets by jacking up the finance rate.

 

[Mspeed3]

i got to test drive my car after credit approval. I was only 23 at the time. I was happy that I got to test drive rite after it came off the truck. still remember the day 10-16-06

 

[MS3077]

My buying experience was actually a nice change. The salesperson was helpful, test driving the speed 3 was clearly not a problem. I had made it clear I was shopping several different performance oriented compact cars and the speed 3 was high on the list before getting to drive them all. I was serious about buying, but needed some in the seat time to narrow down the playing field. They were fine with that, and the test drive went fine. 1 week later after testing the rest of the field, I came back and made a purchase. In around 4:00pm and drove home before dark in the new car.

Apparently this experience is unusual, when it should be the norm. The dealer I shopped was classic mazda in orlando, FL.

note: while the overall experience with this dealer was good, there was the usual pricing and negotiating shenanigans that goes hand in hand with buying a car. Oh how I grow tired of this dance every time I buy a car, it's a waste of time.

I went to classic first to test drive and the sales dude didn't let me. So I told him to go **** himself and went to Cory Fairbanks Mazda the next day and they had no problem with me test driving the Speed3. About 3hrs and one giant f'n headache later I'm driving home in a 08 MS3 GT right off the truck with 11miles. $22,635 OTD.

I go to classic for service however as they aren't as anal about mods.

 

[mikeski]

I understand where a dealership would deny some people who come in and just want to drive a car. but that is up to the sales people to be able to determine who is legit and who isn't. the day that the ms3 came out, i drove an hour from my house to Toms River to go check it out and drive it. I knew more about the car than the salesman new and he even told me they dont want people to come in just to drive it and waste miles when they dont have to. I had no intentions of buying the car but rubbed the salesman the right way and drove the car. granted i got called for the next month just about everyday.

 

[Texaco]

I am crazy impulsive when it comes to getting a new car. I think I have bought at least ten new ones in the last 20 years. When I go out looking, I always come back with a new one before the night is over. My wife is onto my s*** though and just gives me the look when I tell her I am going to a dealership to "look". She knows there will be a new car in the driveway that night.

I had read about the Speed3 and knew I must have one. I got there, looked it over for about a half hour, asked a bunch of questions, and then told the guy if I liked the way it drove I was prepared to buy it that night. He could tell I was sincere and we went for a 55 mile test drive. I even took it up a 30 mile mountain pass full of great curves to test the handling. I wasn't going crazy, but I was pushing the cornering and acceleration...he didn't say a word and I think was having as much fun as I was.

So test drives have never been a problem for me, but I understand them having some sort of screening process so they don't waste their time.

 

[Parad0x01]

I was 19 when I bought my white MS6. Went into the dealership and almost had the keys thrown at me, guy wouldn't let me pop the hood which I found odd but he did let me open her up on the highway w/o a problem. Went back and bought the car 2 days later. I was happy cause when I sat in it for the 1st time there was 1km on it. However when I bought my Red MS6 it had 500km....lots of test drives which really didnt make me happy. But when I complained about it they kcocked 2k off the price.

 

[Antoniogut]

for my first test drive i went into the dealership had the guy approach me and first words were...i want to test drive the speed3...he kinda looked at me puzzled...and said, we just need a copy of your license....we went out i didnt PUSH it so when we got back he says...you wanna see whats it like with a real driver? so we went out again and this guy beat the hell outta the car, i mean straight off the lot he hit 100, we get back he then tries to sell it to me...ya i'm really gonna buy it now

 

[Rany]

My local Mazda dealer(Oxmoor Mazda, Louisville KY) wouldn't allow a test drive without a signed buyer's order. Plus they had a $2K ADM sticker on the cars as well. I drove up to Kings Mazda in Cincinnati and and the salesperson insisted that I take a test drive. When I decided on buying an MS3 Kings found the color I wanted and had the car flatbedded down from Cleveland at no additional charge. And I get free 5K mile oil changes for as long as I own the car...(yippy)

I also bought my MS3 at Kings but I go to sweeny for service. kings treated me like s***, but sweeny was great

 

[dkswim]

if they had to run my credit i would have said have a good day i can secure my own financing through my credit union. i dont want to take the hit, it cost you 10 some points when they run your credit full hit like what they do. so you want to get it all done on one day that way you dont keeep lossing points.

 

[4thStroke]

When I did get to test drive the MS3 (refer to my previous post), they did not ask for any insurance or license information. He tells me, "I have only one rule for test drives, do not kill me." I replied, "I like to go by those words, too."

He let me hammer on the car pretty good without saying anything. I didnt get going too fast, just got going fast.

Very cool salesman.

 

[CHICO2003]

if they had to run my credit i would have said have a good day i can secure my own financing through my credit union. i dont want to take the hit, it cost you 10 some points when they run your credit full hit like what they do. so you want to get it all done on one day that way you dont keeep lossing points.

that's a misconception. I have a friend that works for Equifax and it takes a considerable amount of "inquiries" to make any type of dent. A random credit check every now and then isn't going to do squat.

 

[builthatch]

that's a misconception. I have a friend that works for Equifax and it takes a considerable amount of "inquiries" to make any type of dent. A random credit check every now and then isn't going to do squat.

ehh, not to continue OT, but that isn't exactly accurate-

if your credit history is not extensive, even one voluntary inquiry will affect your score, and that is the last thing a person with minimal credit history needs. to quantify that is impossible, but it'd be noticeable point loss. the longer your history is, the less it'll effect it. so, if you don't have a long credit history, and are going to drive a car just for kicks, avoiding getting the credit run is a good idea.

however, if you are serious, and are actually in the market for a new car which will require financing, you can get multiple checks in the same period, it used to be 30 days but i think it's longer now, and it will be counted essentially as one inquiry encompassing the group of checks. this is provided that they are all of the same nature- for this instance, car loan inquiries.

 

[kickniteasy]

for my first test drive i went into the dealership had the guy approach me and first words were...i want to test drive the speed3...he kinda looked at me puzzled...and said, we just need a copy of your license....we went out i didnt PUSH it so when we got back he says...you wanna see whats it like with a real driver? so we went out again and this guy beat the hell outta the car, i mean straight off the lot he hit 100, we get back he then tries to sell it to me...ya i'm really gonna buy it now

Similar story. I went to our dealership to get an oil change and was looking at a used MSP. It had about 15K on the clock (this was 3 years ago) and at the time I had the $ and was thinking about trading up. That is, until the dealer came over and we were talking and he slipped in a "Yeah man, that think really hauls. We took turns taking it out on the interstate to really see what it could do. It hits triple digits in not time." My jaw just hit the floor. I'm sure they do it, but why would you say something like that to someone that is interested in purchasing the car? My favorite part was when his manager came by a few minutes later (I had talked to him before about the car and expressed interest) and said something like, "So, looking to pick it up today?" to which I responded, "Well, I was, until I was told your sales people took turns on the interstate beating up on it". The guy did not look happy.....lol

It's one thing to assume that they beat on it.....it's another to know/see it happen.

 

[tiegt]

thats crazy that they wouldn't let you test drive the Evo. A friend of mine got one and honestly I think I'd save some cash and find a nice IX and dump the extra cash into mods.

 

[Wykydtron]

I work at a dealership. We never seem to have a problem letting people drive speeds or rx-8's etc. True, we do drive the piss out of the cars, but if you knew how the car's were driven off the boat you'd never buy a car again. My dad delivers cars for a living, and when he picks them up from the docks, they are driven SOOOOO hard......from dead cold.

 

[CHICO2003]

while that may be true... it's really a matter of minimizing the damage as much as possible. Do you want a car that was driven hard off the dock with 2 miles on it or a car that was driven hard off the dock.... and around the block 10x with 56 miles on it? it's like asking if you'd rather get a punch in the arm or get kicked in the nuts. both may hurt but... yeah... one's gonna hurt a bit more.

 

[MS3077]

I think this whole "breaking in" thing is a bit over-rated. I'm pretty certain they're broken in pretty good before they even leave the factory. No I don't have proof but I do recall reading this somewhere and I happen to believe this.

 

[CHICO2003]

so you don't have proof and you vaguely remember reading it somewhere... yet you still believe it.

Sorry bud but... for something that important, I'd need something more than 'a feeling'. in fact, since it IS so important, even if I read a 300page study talking about how they cars are broken in at the factory... I'd probably STILL break it in... i mean really... The first 500-1000 miles come in what... the first month or less. meanwhile you'll own the car for possibly 60x that or more. I'm thinkin it's worth it to veer on the side of caution.

 

[oaklandopen]

so you don't have proof and you vaguely remember reading it somewhere... yet you still believe it.

Sorry bud but... for something that important, I'd need something more than 'a feeling'. in fact, since it IS so important, even if I read a 300page study talking about how they cars are broken in at the factory... I'd probably STILL break it in... i mean really... The first 500-1000 miles come in what... the first month or less. meanwhile you'll own the car for possibly 60x that or more. I'm thinkin it's worth it to veer on the side of caution.

here at the chrysler plant in de the durangos and their chrysler equivalent are tested while still on the assembly line. they crank the engine over and rev the piss out of it WOT a couple times. if it breaks, they don't let it out the door, if it's good it goes to the truck and gets shipped off.

even though that sounds bad their track record is actually pretty good. i think out of a few thousand there's only like one or 2, and the bad ones just go back and get a whole new engine.

 

[Knox Joe]

I had the keys pushed on me for the MS6.


Also, here's a link about breaking in engines.

http://www.stealth316.com/2-breakin.htm
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

and a counter to those;

http://www.motortrend.com/features/editorial/112_0603_technologue_race_performance/index.html