Should you test drive a car before buying?

[bedwards1966]

At least when buying cheap used Mercs you just have to worry about rust!!

BMW uses Nikasil, Swirl-Flaps and Vanos system issues to keep their used car buyer on their toes!!

Yes, old Mercs - I can live with the one fault of rust, I'd rather pay a body shop a couple of hundred every couple of years to keep the bodywork free from rust and looking like a 5 year old car, than have one that has the potential to not start on a morning or leave me stranded on my way somewhere!

I actually bought my Merc from someone about 200 miles away as I recall, and unfortunately I had to send someone with limited mechanical knowledge down to fetch it, but I made sure they had a very comprehensive list of what to check before parting with my (very) hard earned!

 

[PXW]

I bought my present car without a test drive, but I had driven 211s before and the car was still in manufacturer's warranty and bought from MB, so I felt reasonably comfortable. Apart from that, every time I've had a new car I have bought it without a test drive....

 

[Dieselman]

I wouldn't buy a car without testing it but can see the sellers point having seen a privately for sale car written off on a test drive and heard of a BMW 7 series also written off on a dealer test drive.

 

[MD5]

I think the seller in the OP should run the car in first, that way he can eliminate fears of over zealous buyers thrashing the car, if this is his concern. When buying a performance car like this, though, you don't want to buy a stallion that rides like a donkey, and you need to sit in the saddle for full feedback.

I have bought umpteen workaday cars from auction and over the phone without problems, but when a seller of a pedigree car (or even a BMW for that matter!) is so adamant you can't drive it first, no matter what, I'd wonder how much money he has spent to perhaps not to have achieved his goal.

 

[mika]

i would take his advice and buy someone elses car

 

[vijilants]

It is very easy to cover up faults on a car by the way you drive....ie clonking diffs, clutch, brakes, manual gear change, so I would never buy a car without a test drive.

If ever I sell a car, I also insist that the buyer drives the car as I don't want any comebacks to state that he was unaware of a fault because he did not drive the car. I usually take them to somewhere there is next to no traffic so that as far as possible it eliminates the chance of an accident.

I have previously walked away from cars purely on the fact that I have not been allowed to test drive.

Why spend a considerable money on an item without checking it out as best as possible and that includes a test drive ?

 

[MD5]

Hmmmm .... marriage springs to mind!!

 

[moonloops]

The barely literate text in the advert would sound warning bells for me as well as the negative attitued all in IMHO

 

[Deleted member 11979]

The barely literate text in the advert would sound warning bells for me as well as the negative attitued all in IMHO

Ha ha, that's the sort of thing I'd do!

 

[300CE]

I think he could have worded that last part slightly better as to me, it makes him comes across as slightly arrogant. Either that or run it in and then sell it.

 

[Roy W]

Just yesterday i bought my first Merc, an `06 c220 auto diesel and one of the plus points for the sale was the dealers test drive which lasted all of 10 miles!! In fact he purposely took me up some bumpy lanes to reassure me the suspension was all sound. I drove it back and i couldn`t really fault it, only thing i did notice was the brakes didn`t have that `bite` of my last car.

 

[markjay]

The facelifted W203 are great cars (I have one), good to drive and very reliable.

The C220 CDI in particular is probably the most sought-after variant, good compromise between power and economy.

Enjoy your new car.

 

[bing]

I wouldn't bother to go and look!