Test Drive limitations

[Sargan]

Was surprised that only test drive allowed was a quick 10 mins with Salesman in the car.

 

When spending nearly 40k. I prefer to be given a time or similar, and then evaluate car on my own.

For  example how it handles on motorway in cruise is key ...  

 

Is this a Skoda standard approach, or is this dealer limitation. (Sinclair Group) ... same group also sell Audi and had same ‘accompanied’ test drive.

 

 

[newtooctavia]

Astonishing when you consider how much is being spent, very poor practice

[Ootohere]

Just that Salesperson or Dealership Sales Teams / Managers could not care less attitude or lack of supervision / training of sales people, 

so ask the Dealer Principal for a proper Test Drive / loan of a Demonstrator, 

or ask Skoda UK CS to arrange one.

They are getting Tax Breaks from the HMRC to have Demonstrators not just to make more profit selling used after 3 months / 3,000 miles.

http://skoda.co.uk/about-us/contact-us 

[Sargan]

7 hours ago, newtooctavia said:

Astonishing when you consider how much is being spent, very poor practice

 

When I bought my JEEP ..... they gave me keys for a test drive and said take as long as you want - car is reserved for you all day.

Edited 25 February, 2018 by Sargan

[newtooctavia]

24 minutes ago, Sargan said:

 

When I bought my JEEP ..... they gave me keys for a test drive and said take as long as you want - car is rese4rved for you all day.

That is much more like it !

[hwr1983]

On 25/02/2018 at 10:56, Sargan said:

Was surprised that only test drive allowed was a quick 10 mins with Salesman in the car.

 

When spending nearly 40k. I prefer to be given a time or similar, and then evaluate car on my own.

For  example how it handles on motorway in cruise is key ...  

 

Is this a Skoda standard approach, or is this dealer limitation. (Sinclair Group) ... same group also sell Audi and had same ‘accompanied’ test drive.

 

 

 

Definitely not a Skoda thing.  It's a dealer thing.  Our Skoda Dealer let us take multiple test drives (around 30mins long each) on a route I picked.  Each dealer has different insurance (as to whether sales staff must go with you or not) so depends really.  I would certainly ask for another (longer) test drive.  Or as others have said, ask to loan a demo car for a day or so.

[Robjon]

51 minutes ago, hwr1983 said:

Our Skoda Dealer let us take multiple test drives (around 30mins long each) on a route I picked.  Each dealer has different insurance (as to whether sales staff must go with you or not) so depends really. 

 

Same with my dealer.  Sales staff had to accompany me for insurance reasons.

[skidpan]

When we bought the Superb the salesman (via broker) gave us the keys and a full tank of fuel, had it all morning. He also let us have an Octavia a few days later so we could satisfy ourselves that the Superb was right for us.

 

Just ordered a Fabia for the wife. Same dealer (via broker) like before we were thrown the keys but not so much fuel in the car, enough though.

 

Unfortunately they did not have 1.0 TSi 110 PS to drive but I located one not too far away. That was the normal joke test drive, 2 miles then turn round at roundabout, just about hit 40 mph at one point. Said I would like to go further and was allowed another 5 miles and just about scraped 50 mph, in total about 9 miles in busy traffic mostly with average speed cameras.

 

Wonder who sells most cars?

[hwr1983]

There was one test drive - an Octavia at(my usual dealer) where I wasn't allowed to go far - the sales exec said it was because it wasn't registered yet (true - no plates) and they didn't want too many miles on it or they'd have to pre-reg it and sell it for less. 

[skidpan]

32 minutes ago, hwr1983 said:

There was one test drive - an Octavia at(my usual dealer) where I wasn't allowed to go far - the sales exec said it was because it wasn't registered yet (true - no plates) and they didn't want too many miles on it or they'd have to pre-reg it and sell it for less. 

 

When i bought the Leon it was a brand new unregistered car on trade plate with single figure miles on it in exactly the spec I wanted. Was allowed a good test drive which took it to about 40 miles and wanted to buy it but the idiot salesman simply refused to do a deal.

 

Bought an identical one via a broker from a dealership about 20 miles away. As I said it identical and had 40 miles on it and was registered to me new the day I collected it.

 

Did wonder if it was the same car that the dealers had moved between them.

 

The salesman you dealt with clearly did not want to sell a car. A few miles on the clock does not require it to be pre-reged, total nonsense.

[hwr1983]

1 hour ago, skidpan said:

 

When i bought the Leon it was a brand new unregistered car on trade plate with single figure miles on it in exactly the spec I wanted. Was allowed a good test drive which took it to about 40 miles and wanted to buy it but the idiot salesman simply refused to do a deal.

 

Bought an identical one via a broker from a dealership about 20 miles away. As I said it identical and had 40 miles on it and was registered to me new the day I collected it.

 

Did wonder if it was the same car that the dealers had moved between them.

 

The salesman you dealt with clearly did not want to sell a car. A few miles on the clock does not require it to be pre-reged, total nonsense.

Octavia had almost 1000 miles on the clock...so had been used as a non-demo, demo car

 

[skidpan]

26 minutes ago, hwr1983 said:

Octavia had almost 1000 miles on the clock...so had been used as a non-demo, demo car

 

 

That is taking the P155. Hope you got a huge discount.

 

Had a few pre-reg cars in the past and none had more than 12 miles on, think one had 7 miles before we drove it (and bought it).

[hwr1983]

@skidpan - Nah, wasn't buying it, was just testing the 1.4TSI engine, as they didn't have a superb with one in at the dealer

[Skodaboy1983]

When I Purchased my first Skoda a Fabia VRS way back in 2007, my test drive was a hour long, salesman came with me and we ended up leaving Edinburgh and going out towards the coast, it made a lasting impression on me that we ended up buying the said car.

 

My last test drive when I picked this Fabia up was about 10 mins and I went out with the what the dealer calls a product guru, but I had already made up my mind I wanted a Fabia.

 

Davy

[Goblin]

Test drive for my Superb I recall being pretty decent. Nice salesman, wasn't the longest of test drives but was good enough to get a feel for the car. A decent mix of A road, B road and motorway. I reckon I was out for 20 minutes with it. That was RRG Rochdale.

[Ju1ian1001]

When i test drive my current Octy the sales man had it booked for me the whole day (think it was because i lived 110 miles from that dealer, local dealer didn't have the spec and engine i wanted, the joys of buying used.) was out in it for about an hour and done the deal there an then.

 

I think it all depends on their policy's and insurance.

[Aspman]

Depends on dealership have had very different experiences with the same brands at different dealers.

[2wheelsgood]

We got 10 minutes round milton keynes when testing superb and kodiaq ! Salesman said it has to be this route so they know where we are so i said not heard of mobile phones yet then ?    Kodiaq 1.4 Tsi was averaging 26mpg on that route .

[hwr1983]

24 minutes ago, 2wheelsgood said:

We got 10 minutes round milton keynes when testing superb and kodiaq ! Salesman said it has to be this route so they know where we are so i said not heard of mobile phones yet then ?    Kodiaq 1.4 Tsi was averaging 26mpg on that route .

 

No way do I ever accept any of the dealer routes, as they tend to be short and not varied (usually just city driving).  I always insist on City/Town, Motorway, and a bit of backroad.  Never had a dealer thats forced me to go a particular route, except when I've gone somewhere I don't know.

[Ootohere]

2wheelsgood, 

if you had driven for 24 miles it would not have used 4.546 litres of their 95 ron,  and after 24 miles at road test speed the average would likely be showing 46.3 MPG.

Just a computer working something out, if you had stopped after a mile to talk about the interior and what being a salesperson is like,

and the engine not shut down the Average MPG would likely have shown 11 mpg average after about 10 minutes.

[jonboy77]

Local dealer to me allowed me to take a second hand fabia 100 miles return trip for my son in law to check it out and they paid for the petrol!

Yes I bought it!

[Gaz]

I bought the vRS after having driven it, accompanied, for as long as I liked.  It was probably only about 30 mins all told, but the salesman was of the opinion I needed to be sure, so said take your time.

 

When I looked to changing it recently I looked at a Golf Clubsport.  Salesman said 'We close in an hour; why don't you come back tomorrow morning and you can have it for the day?'.  And I did.  The form I signed said I had to top it back up with petrol, so I asked what brand, and the sales chap said not to worry as he had a fuel card.  Very accommodating VW main dealer, who I'd be very comfortable buying from, and quite possibly will.

 

I'd be very disappointed with the OP's experience.

 

Gaz

Edited 5 March, 2018 by V6TDI

[andyasjl]

Yep 15-20 mins skoda test drive, I'm  just looking to buy a new ford van, was offered a full 24 hours test drive, I would be happy for an hour, but salesman said best take it home, have a good play around, etc, that's more like it I think, ps. I still brought the skoda..

[kenfowler3966]

I was having second thoughts about the dsg Yeti I had ordered last year; never owned an auto before; considered changing to a manual gearbox on order. Salesman lent me his own Yeti dsg demonstrator and I took it for several hours so both myself and wife could try it. Did about 60 miles on all types of roads, including a bit of offroad I new nearby. Decided to go ahead with the dsg.

 

Have had the car 9 months now, approaching 12k miles and still don't regret the spec and car I bought, even though mine was nearly the last one built.

[Oldmansomerset]

Coming in late.  I did a lot of tests last year as I wanted to replace my GT86 with more of a family car.  Tried Audi - 30 mins, Toyota - as long as you like, BMW - 20 mins, Mercedes 10 mins to and back - (they didn't come close), Skoda VRS - didn't have one so tried the 1.4TSI for 45 mins and ordered the 1.5TSI.  I'll shut upa my face now