Behind the Wheel: Test Driving Tips From Our Experts

Test-driving a new or used vehicle is more than just taking your favorite car, truck, or SUV on our lot in Springfield for a drive. We encourage you to drive it on James River Freeway and then come back to our dealership at 1555. E. Independence Avenue to get a feel for the highway and stop-and-go traffic. But you recommend diving deeper into each vehicle before driving on Springfield streets.

Learn how to test-drive like a pro with our tips from the team at Thompson Sales in Springfield, Missouri. We want you to get the most out of your driving experience, whether you test-drive a new Buick, new GMC, or a like-new certified pre-owned vehicle.

Research Before You Arrive on the Lot

Depending on how much time you have to test-drive on a particular day, research the models you want to get a closer look at. Read other people’s reviews, not just those from professional automotive journalists. Find ones from ordinary owners who bought the model you’re interested in or one very similar. Narrow your favorites down by price, features, mileage, powertrain, size, and other criteria based on what you want the most out of your next four-wheeled family member. 

Narrowing down your choices helps you plan how you’re going to test-drive when you arrive on our lot. Let’s say you have a top five on your list. You can let our team know ahead of time that you want to see your five selections up close. They can even be different trims of the same model, or perhaps you want to compare a certified pre-owned model that’s a few years old versus a new vehicle. 

For example, you love the reliability of a 2022 Buick Encore because of the reliability ratings you’ve read on JD Power. But you might favor getting the entire manufacturer’s warranty with a new Encore GX versus a CPO model. You can test-drive the older model year and the new vehicle to compare.

Set Up a Time

Call us ahead of time to figure out a time that works for you and our team. We can also tell you if your chosen vehicles are still in our inventory. We attempt to keep our online inventory accurate, but if a vehicle sells in the morning, it might still be on our website in the afternoon. 

Let us know how many vehicles you want to test-drive. Make an afternoon out of it!

Create a Checklist

Once you have your appointment set up and know what vehicles you’re test-driving, create a checklist of items you want to look at, double-check, and ask about while you’re in the vehicle. As you go through the checklist, write down your thoughts, make notes, and keep tabs on what you like, don’t like, or notice during the test drive.

Include these items on your checklist whether you’re shopping for a new, CPO, or used vehicle.

Walkaround

Get a closer look at the exterior of the vehicle before you get behind the wheel. 

General Appearance: No nicks, dings, or scratches.

Doors and Liftgate: Are they easy to open? How much muscle do you need to get in and out of the vehicle? If it has an automatic liftgate, does it operate as you expect?

Under the Hood: Can you find all of the main engine components easily? If you can’t, have the salesperson point out the battery, oil dipstick, transmission fluid dipstick, windshield wiper fluid reservoir, and engine coolant reservoir.

Cargo Area: Look in the trunk of a car, the rear cargo area of an SUV, or the bed of the truck. Does it have enough space? Can you easily put stuff in and take stuff out? How easy is it to get into the bed of the truck?

Get Inside

Next, inspect the entire inside of the vehicle. Again, this is before you even start the engine.

Front Seats: You’re going to spend a lot of time driving your next car. So, you want to make sure the seats are what you want and that they perform as you expect. Are the seats comfortable? Do they provide sufficient back support with adequate side bolstering? Does the bottom cushion support your thighs? 

Rear Seats: Do the rear seats fold down as they’re supposed to? How easily does this happen? Are the rear seats comfortable or hard as a rock? 

Convenience: Are there cup holders within easy reach? What about side storage embedded in the doors? How big is the glove box? Is there storage in between the front seats? What about underfloor storage?

Infotainment & Front Console: How does the infotainment screen work? What about climate control? Are the controls on the center console easy to use?

Behind the Wheel

Before you start the engine, adjust everything you need for the ideal position as the driver. Can you move the driver’s seat easily to conform to your most comfortable driving position? Does the seat adjust the way you expect? Does the heated and massage function, if any, work properly? What about the seatbelts?

Look over the rearview mirror. Does it give you the view you expect? Can you see the back seats properly from your vantage point? 

Adjust the steering wheel to match your driving style. Push the knobs on the steering wheel to make sure they work correctly. Familiarize yourself with the dashboard and the gauges you see in front of you. If it’s a digital dashboard, find out how to arrange the setup to see the most pertinent information.

Bring Someone With You to the Test Drive

It’s a good idea to bring someone with you to the test drive because that person might offer additional insights that you might not think of. Plus, the companion can talk to the salesperson while you’re driving. Consider a family member, relative, partner, or close friend you trust to come with you during your test drive.

Have These Items on Hand During the Test Drive

Driver’s License: In general, only drivers with a valid license over the age of 21 can test-drive a car.  

Insurance Card: Your current insurance card is needed to test-drive a vehicle.

Smartphone With Charging Cord: You’ll want to make sure the connectivity options and USB ports work properly.

Your Focus: You’ve set aside an entire afternoon to test-drive your favorite vehicles. Keep your head in the game by staying focused on the goal of narrowing down your top choice of vehicles on the lot. Plus, you’ll want to stay focused while driving.

Drive the Vehicle

Now, for the whole reason why you test-drive a vehicle! The salesperson will accompany you in the passenger’s seat. Start by telling the sales associate what route you plan to take. Think about finding a highway to drive on in addition to city routes.

First, drive around the block near our dealership to get a feel for the steering, acceleration, braking, main controls, handling, sightlines, comfort, and gauges. The goal here is to get used to how this vehicle handles on a basic level. Consider heading north on Weller, then along Bradford Parkway, and up to Primrose. Then, make the right turn on Primrose to get to Glenstone. Turn south on Glenstone to head to James River Freeway. 

Head to the nearest highway. In our case, that’s James River Freeway. Head west to get to Kansas Expressway. The reason why is that you can drive on city streets on the way back to Thompson. Consider driving along Republic Road as you head back to our lot. 

Pay Attention to These Aspects When Driving

Visibility: Before you pull out of the parking spot, check the visibility with the mirrors, any camera views, and blind spots. Do things look as you expect? Adjust the mirrors before you hit the accelerator.

Noise: Don’t turn on the radio when driving. You already tested that before starting. Pay attention to the noise level in the cabin with all of the windows up during city and highway driving. How much road and engine noise do you hear? Can you hear other vehicles if they honk or pass you on the road? 

Turning: How does it feel to turn the car at stoplights and when changing lanes? You want steering that isn’t overly responsive. You want a steering wheel that turns easily but doesn’t move a lot with a simple movement. Changing lanes on the highway should have a little bit of resistance. When driving on a straight part of James River Freeway, the vehicle shouldn’t drift out of the lane if you don’t move the steering wheel.

Accelerating & Braking: When you ease on the accelerator and brakes, do they work as you need them to? Are the brakes smooth or grabby? How far down do you need to press the brake pedal before they engage to slow the vehicle? How much pressure do you need to apply to the brakes before the vehicle fully stops? Do the same tests on the accelerator. How much do you need to press the accelerator to speed up to 30 mph? 55 mph? Can you merge easily into highway traffic?

Ride: By ride, we mean how the vehicle feels when traveling on roads and highways. When you hit a slight bump, does it feel jarring? As you drive, do you feel every nuance of the tires, or do you barely notice? The suspension shouldn’t be so stiff that every grain of sand you drive over is felt in your spine. However, it shouldn’t be so soft that you can’t feel anything when the rubber meets the road. Pay attention to what happens when you hit a small bump in the road.

Shifting Gears: As your vehicle accelerates and decelerates, you should notice the subtle gear shifts up and down. Does the shifting seem smooth or rough? Shifting should be smooth without any abrupt changes. 

Pro Tips for Taking a Test Drive

Study the Safety Features: Most vehicles built in 2017 or later have advanced safety features. Understand how these work, what to look for when driving, and what safety features you want most with your next vehicle. Things like rear-view cameras, parking sensors, and collision avoidance features are the most prevalent.

Ask Questions: You and your companion might think of questions to ask while you’re driving. Always ask questions with the salesperson there. The questions you’ll ask with a used vehicle would be different from a new one. For example, ask about service intervals, any recall issues, financing terms, etc. Most of this information you can find online, but it helps to understand the salesperson’s knowledge of the process.

Warranty: Discuss the warranty. How long does it last? What parts are covered? Is there optional coverage to buy once the factory warranty expires? 

Test-Drive Vehicles Back-to-Back

Set aside an entire morning or afternoon to test-drive your chosen vehicles back-to-back. Set a time that avoids rush-hour traffic. For Springfield, that means from 9 to 11 am. or 1 to 2:30 p.m. Around 2:30 is when parents start to pick up kids from school, so traffic starts to get more hectic. On Saturday, try to get a test drive in before 10 a.m. when people start shopping on the south side of town.

Test-drive your vehicles back-to-back to get a good idea when comparing multiple models. Do the similar models compare well enough to go with the cheaper model? Does a car give you what you need versus an SUV? Which pickup truck’s capabilities fit your lifestyle? 

Make sure to take notes on your checklist, whether you have it on your smartphone or with old-fashioned pen and paper. Make sure to refer to these notes later when making your choice!

Take Your Time Afterward

There’s no rush when making your final decision. If you need time to process your test drives, think it over for a day, a week, a month, however long you need. But keep one thing in mind. The vehicles you drove may not be on the lot a week later. So, if you have your heart set on a particular model, new or used, balance waiting to make your decision and finding your perfect vehicle. 

If you need to compare vehicles with other dealers, we encourage you to do so! Your perfect vehicle might not be at Thompson’s lot in southeast Springfield. But we will show you courtesy and respect, and put no pressure on you.

Schedule a Test Drive With the Thompson Team

Contact us, call (417) 763-6811, or schedule a test drive with our team whenever you’re ready. We’re happy to help in any way we can!