Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive?

embee · 29th October 2019, 12:47

We bought Toyota Innova Crysta 2.8L without test driving the vehicle.

superbad · 29th October 2019, 12:48

Bought my first ever car, a Ciaz, without a test drive, heck, when I drove it off the showroom, it was only the second time I'd sat in it. Team bhp review helped a lot. Plus thought you can't go wrong with a Maruti. Wife was already liking it. So no further considerations needed. Haven't regretted it ever since.

.HEM · 29th October 2019, 12:56

Yes, I do!

My first car was 2013 Ertiga and I never test drove it. I just sat inside the car and finalized the deal and took the delivery.

The reason was obvious, I was yet to get my licence and the first car I drove after getting my DL was my own Ertiga

EvilZombie · 29th October 2019, 13:38

I bought my 1st car Alto 800, when I was learning how to drive from a neighborhood driving school. Hired a driver to bring the car home and then for the next few days, kept taking driver services, as I was not very comfortable driving on my own. Most of these driving schools have cars with master clutch on the passenger's side, and I was essentially just controlling the steering. But when it came to driving my own car, it took some time to get adjusted to the clutch. Looking back, I wish I knew how to drive, and had taken a TD. Probably would have altered my choice.

KungFuPanda · 29th October 2019, 13:53

Yes. Bought our current car, the Skoda Octavia VRS without a test drive, mainly because one wasn't available. However, the fantastic official Review on Team BHP and Nikhil's detailed ownership review meant that I never needed a test drive!

shivamk11 · 29th October 2019, 14:03

We bought our Brezza without even sitting in the car once. We had bought a second hand EcoSport first but it had some engine fault which needed the engine to be replaced. That frustration led my father to book the available Maruti alternative. So far, we don't regret our decision.

sunsetorange · 29th October 2019, 14:10

Yes! The VW Polo GT TSI. I wanted to make it a birthday gift for my wife and went to have a test drive. To my surprise the dealers , VW Trichy said they don't have a GT TSI to test drive. I booked it anyway since I had the Vento already and I also had read up every one of the reviews here on Team- Bhp. I wasn't disappointed and wife was overjoyed!

vkrmchauhan · 29th October 2019, 14:16

I bought my petrol Beat LS without a test drive - but did check out the car a few times at different showrooms first. My budget was just enough for a 1.2 L hatchback in 2011, and the fact it had HPS over i10 and Ritz won me over - though I didn't drive any of the three. The car stood out from the competition when it was introduced and that was enough back then. But no complaints till date - even though GM abandoned India I still get it serviced regularly and it's giving me the same FE in the city as it did in 2011.

akshay_ritz · 29th October 2019, 14:36

I brought my Bajaj Avenger without test driving it because I just fell in love with it, and it was perfect for my height when I sat on one in the office parking. I also bought my Maruti Ritz without a test drive because I did not know how to drive then. I bought the car and enrolled myself in driving classes. Bought the car home in two weeks, tried to park it like a pro and ended up driving it into the parking wall, and got over my fear of putting a scratch on it. Drove pretty well aftewords.

headbanger · 29th October 2019, 14:56

The newest car in the garage, Swift Vxi 2018 was bought without test drive. Reason was the sudden decision of getting beloved zen exchanged due to 15 year NGT rule. Having Dzire type 1 and Ritz with the same engine, there was little doubt that the drive will be similar and hassle free. End result we have 3 different cars, or should I say body shells, with same heart.

Hells Bells · 29th October 2019, 15:03

The often repeated car on this thread - the current Octavia vRS! It was my first vehicle which was a blind purchase. I at least had it better than Nikhil and got to see a car in flesh before I booked one.

mobydick1983 · 29th October 2019, 15:07

It might seem weird but I'm hesitant to drive any vehicle that doesn't belong to me, my immediate family or closest friends. I simply am not wired to drive a showroom owned test drive vehicle. Bought 2 cars within the family without a test drive. A 2008 fiat palio and a 2014 tata zest. Both purchases turned out OK though.

PearlJam · 29th October 2019, 15:22

Test-driving a car before purchase is a relatively new luxury that we have taken for granted today!

I remember that in our Dad's generation, new vehicles like Tata Sierra, Tata Estate, Contessa Classic, and the iconic Maruti 800/Van were launched and opened up for booking. There used to be months and months of waiting for delivery, after paying the advance. Allotted deliveries of those bookings used to be sold at a huge premium to other desperate buyers who were not allotted their vehicles yet.

After all this, you still did not know how the vehicle even drove. No reviews, blogs, Whatsapp, or Facebook

The manufacturer had a "take it or leave it" attitude, and even thinking about asking for a test-drive was something strange.

We've definitely come a long way.

vijayshouree · 29th October 2019, 15:24

I bought the Hyundai Santro without even driving one, I was a newbie car driver back then. I have taken another newbie driver with me to help me finalize the deal. I have learned driving on WagonR and I remember the tutor saying Santro is any day better than WagonR. I bought it and never regretted it. It was an awesome car, we can easily potter around all day in that 3rd gear

. Sorry for the bad quality image, it was shot on my iPhone 4

Vikki@Hyderabad · 29th October 2019, 16:05

All vehicles I've bought have been technically without a test ride/drive. The RX-135 I bought back in 2005 was because production had stopped and I just didn't want to miss buying a new RX-135.

My first car purchase was in 2011, a Wagon-R from TrueValue, and I didn't have a license nor did I have enough driving experience to gauge if the car was good enough. A good close friend of mine, who already owned a Wagon-R, test drove it for me.

My second car purchase in 2013, a Figo TDCi, was without a test drive as well. I had driven my uncle's Figo a few kilometers though, but had learned enough about the car from TBHP.

My third car purchase in 2017, Tiago XZA, was no different. The only time I had driven an automatic/AMT was when I had test driven a Nano XTA for about a kilometer in 2015/16. Also, I had test driven a manual Tigor. But I had made up my mind on which AMT I was buying.

29th October 2019, 12:47	#61
embee BHPian Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: DL/GBN Posts: 224 Thanked: 315 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? We bought Toyota Innova Crysta 2.8L without test driving the vehicle.
	(1) Thanks

29th October 2019, 12:48	#62
superbad BHPian Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Pune Posts: 314 Thanked: 995 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? Bought my first ever car, a Ciaz, without a test drive, heck, when I drove it off the showroom, it was only the second time I'd sat in it. Team bhp review helped a lot. Plus thought you can't go wrong with a Maruti. Wife was already liking it. So no further considerations needed. Haven't regretted it ever since.
	(1) Thanks

29th October 2019, 12:56	#63
.HEM BHPian Join Date: May 2019 Location: Chennai Posts: 171 Thanked: 366 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? Yes, I do! My first car was 2013 Ertiga and I never test drove it. I just sat inside the car and finalized the deal and took the delivery. The reason was obvious, I was yet to get my licence and the first car I drove after getting my DL was my own Ertiga
	() Thanks

29th October 2019, 13:38	#64
EvilZombie BHPian Join Date: Oct 2019 Location: Pune Posts: 71 Thanked: 101 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? I bought my 1st car Alto 800, when I was learning how to drive from a neighborhood driving school. Hired a driver to bring the car home and then for the next few days, kept taking driver services, as I was not very comfortable driving on my own. Most of these driving schools have cars with master clutch on the passenger's side, and I was essentially just controlling the steering. But when it came to driving my own car, it took some time to get adjusted to the clutch. Looking back, I wish I knew how to drive, and had taken a TD. Probably would have altered my choice.
	() Thanks

29th October 2019, 13:53	#65
KungFuPanda BHPian Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Mumbai Posts: 52 Thanked: 174 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? Yes. Bought our current car, the Skoda Octavia VRS without a test drive, mainly because one wasn't available. However, the fantastic official Review on Team BHP and Nikhil's detailed ownership review meant that I never needed a test drive!
	(1) Thanks

29th October 2019, 14:03	#66
shivamk11 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2019 Location: Bijnor Posts: 137 Thanked: 200 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? We bought our Brezza without even sitting in the car once. We had bought a second hand EcoSport first but it had some engine fault which needed the engine to be replaced. That frustration led my father to book the available Maruti alternative. So far, we don't regret our decision.
	(1) Thanks

29th October 2019, 14:10	#67
sunsetorange BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chennai/ Trichy Posts: 468 Thanked: 365 Times	Yes! The VW Polo GT TSI. I wanted to make it a birthday gift for my wife and went to have a test drive. To my surprise the dealers , VW Trichy said they don't have a GT TSI to test drive. I booked it anyway since I had the Vento already and I also had read up every one of the reviews here on Team- Bhp. I wasn't disappointed and wife was overjoyed!
	(1) Thanks

29th October 2019, 14:16	#68
vkrmchauhan BHPian Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Bangalore Posts: 36 Thanked: 40 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? I bought my petrol Beat LS without a test drive - but did check out the car a few times at different showrooms first. My budget was just enough for a 1.2 L hatchback in 2011, and the fact it had HPS over i10 and Ritz won me over - though I didn't drive any of the three. The car stood out from the competition when it was introduced and that was enough back then. But no complaints till date - even though GM abandoned India I still get it serviced regularly and it's giving me the same FE in the city as it did in 2011.
	(1) Thanks

29th October 2019, 14:36	#69
akshay_ritz BHPian Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Pune Posts: 47 Thanked: 143 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? I brought my Bajaj Avenger without test driving it because I just fell in love with it, and it was perfect for my height when I sat on one in the office parking. I also bought my Maruti Ritz without a test drive because I did not know how to drive then. I bought the car and enrolled myself in driving classes. Bought the car home in two weeks, tried to park it like a pro and ended up driving it into the parking wall, and got over my fear of putting a scratch on it. Drove pretty well aftewords.
	(1) Thanks

29th October 2019, 14:56	#70
headbanger BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 567 Thanked: 1,630 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? The newest car in the garage, Swift Vxi 2018 was bought without test drive. Reason was the sudden decision of getting beloved zen exchanged due to 15 year NGT rule. Having Dzire type 1 and Ritz with the same engine, there was little doubt that the drive will be similar and hassle free. End result we have 3 different cars, or should I say body shells, with same heart.
	(1) Thanks

29th October 2019, 15:03	#71
Hells Bells BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 339 Thanked: 576 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? The often repeated car on this thread - the current Octavia vRS! It was my first vehicle which was a blind purchase. I at least had it better than Nikhil and got to see a car in flesh before I booked one.
	(1) Thanks

29th October 2019, 15:07	#72
mobydick1983 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: cochin Posts: 54 Thanked: 119 Times	It might seem weird but I'm hesitant to drive any vehicle that doesn't belong to me, my immediate family or closest friends. I simply am not wired to drive a showroom owned test drive vehicle. Bought 2 cars within the family without a test drive. A 2008 fiat palio and a 2014 tata zest. Both purchases turned out OK though.
	() Thanks

29th October 2019, 15:22	#73
PearlJam BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 658 Thanked: 1,790 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? Test-driving a car before purchase is a relatively new luxury that we have taken for granted today! I remember that in our Dad's generation, new vehicles like Tata Sierra, Tata Estate, Contessa Classic, and the iconic Maruti 800/Van were launched and opened up for booking. There used to be months and months of waiting for delivery, after paying the advance. Allotted deliveries of those bookings used to be sold at a huge premium to other desperate buyers who were not allotted their vehicles yet. After all this, you still did not know how the vehicle even drove. No reviews, blogs, Whatsapp, or Facebook The manufacturer had a "take it or leave it" attitude, and even thinking about asking for a test-drive was something strange. We've definitely come a long way.
	(1) Thanks

29th October 2019, 15:24	#74
vijayshouree BHPian Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 107 Thanked: 271 Times	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? I bought the Hyundai Santro without even driving one, I was a newbie car driver back then. I have taken another newbie driver with me to help me finalize the deal. I have learned driving on WagonR and I remember the tutor saying Santro is any day better than WagonR. I bought it and never regretted it. It was an awesome car, we can easily potter around all day in that 3rd gear . Sorry for the bad quality image, it was shot on my iPhone 4 Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

29th October 2019, 16:05	#75
Vikki@Hyderabad BHPian Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 97 Thanked: 134 Times View My Garage	Re: Have you ever bought a car / bike without a test-drive? All vehicles I've bought have been technically without a test ride/drive. The RX-135 I bought back in 2005 was because production had stopped and I just didn't want to miss buying a new RX-135. My first car purchase was in 2011, a Wagon-R from TrueValue, and I didn't have a license nor did I have enough driving experience to gauge if the car was good enough. A good close friend of mine, who already owned a Wagon-R, test drove it for me. My second car purchase in 2013, a Figo TDCi, was without a test drive as well. I had driven my uncle's Figo a few kilometers though, but had learned enough about the car from TBHP. My third car purchase in 2017, Tiago XZA, was no different. The only time I had driven an automatic/AMT was when I had test driven a Nano XTA for about a kilometer in 2015/16. Also, I had test driven a manual Tigor. But I had made up my mind on which AMT I was buying.
	() Thanks