Definately... I wouldn't be too happy if someone was driving my car before me! Esp as test driving.

As we all know, we tend to give the demo cars a bit of stick when we drive them! So wouldn't like someone doing that to my car!!

The point is, you pay for a new car. If some copper has been thrashing about in it, or some provisional copper, its no longer new.

As said before though, you can easily reset the odometer reading before it gets to (I think) 1000 miles on the VAG cars. :(

When I got my Octy vRS new it had 4 miles on the clock.

However way back when I bought a new Vauxhall Astra in 1986 it was delivered new with 600 miles on the clock. The reason was that back then if the car was in dealer stock, it was customary for the car to driven from one dealer to the other rather than on the back of a transporter.

I worked as a delivery driver in 1989 for a Ford dealership and dealer exchanges were NEVER done by driving the car. The only reason cars got driven any sort of distance before the end user got them was:

- we had a storage depot about 5 miles away which we used for the 1st August registration change rush, so cars could easily get 10 miles on them from a trip there and back (or possibly a few trips there and back if something went wrong); and

- FLEET deliveries were often driven to the company's offices because the fleet didn't want to pay extra for transporter delivery and didn't care about 50-100 miles.

Just picked up my Octy... 12 Miles on the clock!!! I'm happy

When i was working doing valeting at the renault dealers there was a new car going out to its firts customer with about 100 miles on it, i was told that this was because they can sometimes be used to take potential customers on test drives with trade plates on them, can be used around the yard etc. It just depends on how long its spent sitting at the dealers. I wouldnt be too hapy myself with one of these cars i must admit.

How could they sell a car as 'new' if they have used it as a demonstrator? That doesn't sound right to me.

Mine had about 15 miles on it if I remember correctly. I thought at the time that that was a little high.

Mine had 30 miles on it!

most new cars are not new... build dates can be upto 4 years prior to registration. most cars have their mileage reset. its very common for cars to be taken stright from the production line driven 50-60miles as part of quality control then have their final wheels and tyres fitted and mileage reset. personally i wish it was possible to know which cars it was - you are at least guaranteed a fault free car......

Exactly...When i went round the showroom, they had a black L&K 2.0 tdi in standard spec. And when asked how long it would take to order one, he said you can have this one! :eek:

Not exactly a nice feeling when you know hundreds of people have sat in your car and played with everthing, and checked for the buttons and dash were secure.

So just added ESP to the bundle and waited for it to be built!!! That way I know it hasn't been sat in a field somewhere for a few years

yeah, odd or unusual spec would normally guarantee a new build

Ive never had a new car as I couldnt bear losing the first year of depreciation.......however do new octys have to be run in???

I say this as the old mans focus 1.8 56plate needed no running in whatsoever

Well I'm not sure what the official procedure is, but with the pool car 1.9tdi (which I mainly drive). Drove the car easy for 1000 miles then hard after that for a few thousand. It has opened up really nicely!!!

Exactly...When i went round the showroom, they had a black L&K 2.0 tdi in standard spec. And when asked how long it would take to order one, he said you can have this one! :eek:

Not exactly a nice feeling when you know hundreds of people have sat in your car and played with everthing, and checked for the buttons and dash were secure.

Doesn't bother me. Ex-Demo bothers me but not showroom unregistered. My last 2 cars were showroom and the easier discounts work for me

Obviously, if the car in the showroom isn't to the spec you want then it's all moot anyway...

6 miles when i got the car

People, get a grip. You are never the 1st person to drive your shiny new car, loads have before you get it, including:-

The person who drives it off the production line

The people who park it and manage the storage yard at the factory

The driver of the transporter to the ferry

The person who parks it on the ferry

The person who drives it off the ferry

The people who handle the storage once in the UK

The driver who delivers the car to the dealer

The sales/prep person who books the car in and parks it in the compound at the showroom

The mechanic/s who PDI the car prior to delivery

The Car Valeter who cleans your car after the grubby mechanic has left his mark all over the car:), oh and he removes the factory protection stuff still remaining on it

The salesman you bought it off (albeit usually just from the valeting bay)

So thats over a dozen people and dont think for 1 minute its been driven with care and attention at the ports, those guys get em on n off the ferries as quick as possible because time really is money.

And cars still get driven from dealerships to dealerships, its cheaper to hire a trade plater to transfer a car than hire a transporter, I did it in the late 80's as a junior salesman, if you were honest you told the customers that it would be driven, if not, you disconnected the speedo cable from the gearbox. The only thing is nowadays ECU's dont like it when you do that and go into limp home mode so that is why dealers can reset the mileage.

Personally I couldn't give a monkeys who has driven a car before me but guess that's what happens with having over a dozen years under my belt being in the trade.

PS sorry if you were the guy that bought a brand new white Sierra GLS 4x4 from a certain Ford dealer in Bradford in 1989 with 50 miles on it, It did do 150mph on the speedo down the M62 but in my defense, I was in a hurry due to taking a gorgeous girl out to lunch:D (120mph exit speed on the M606 bend too - 50mph speed limit now?? Pah!!). Oh the fun days before speed cameras!

P.P.S. Dont worry about buying a car thats pre reg'ed, the car will have done even less mileage than the brand new one been delivered when you bought it as it wont be PDI'ed until its sold, the dealer simply registered the car to achieve some registration bonus payment from the manufacturer.

Some new cars are driven to the dealers from the distribution hubs rather that put on transporters (VW Phaeton, driven all over the UK from QEK in oxfordshire for example)