6 things to keep in mind when test driving a new car

1. Learn about the vehicle before driving

When sitting in a new car, you need to check the equipment around the driver's seat including the steering wheel, gear lever, accelerator, brake pedal, driving position, seat, dashboard, rearview mirror... Along with that, try adjusting each equipment 1 to 2 times to see if it is easy to use and think about the actual situations when using each individual.

2. Acceleration and braking ability

Typically, these are the first two tests in a test drive. The acceleration of a vehicle is often determined by the engine power, but it is also related to the transmission. A good engine with a bad transmission will result in subpar performance. Meanwhile, a small engine can perform to its full potential when paired with a well-designed transmission, whether manual or automatic.

After accelerating, try braking hard and soft to get a feel for how well the car responds. When you don’t have to use too much force and the car doesn’t stop too quickly or too slowly, the car has good braking. This will help you feel comfortable and less uncomfortable when encountering unexpected braking situations.

3. Feeling when turning the car

Whether driving at low or high speeds, turning the vehicle helps the driver clearly feel the steering wheel, suspension system and active or passive safety equipment on the vehicle.

This is one of the important factors that help the driver decide whether or not to buy a car because a comfortable driving feeling helps the car buyer feel more secure and the car feels more friendly and comfortable to the user.

4. Sit in the back seat

In addition to experiencing the car yourself, you can spend some time in the passenger seat and let someone else drive. Then, continue sitting in the back seat. This will be an opportunity for you to evaluate the noise, quality of the car as well as know the level of suitability of the car for your family. Along with that, talking with other test drivers will help you have more feelings about the car model you are looking at.

5. Check actual fuel consumption

A road test drive is a great opportunity to gauge fuel economy under the conditions you will use the car in. When you take the car for a test drive, you should reset the odometer and trip computer. When you leave the test drive, check the fuel economy reading - it may be completely different from the number quoted on the windshield.

6. Check all the features

New cars come with a lot of features. Check out all the features of the car: connect Bluetooth to your phone, listen to music, use cruise control, paddle shifters...

Also, is the air conditioning cool enough, are the heated seats uncomfortable, or does the voice recognition system recognize and respond to your voice? Does the navigation system work properly? You should also check the rear luggage compartment to see if it can hold common items and some items that you will need to carry at some point.