Auto Polish Online.com

Many people are interested in purchasing a used Corolla or a used Demio Japanese vehicle.  As the customer, you are always right and you are the one who sets how and where you test drive the used car.  You are the one that is buying the car and you are the one who is responsible for determining whether or not the car is worth purchasing.  If you make plans to take your used Corolla for a test drive and something does not feel right about the situation, walk away.

When you are test driving a used Starlet to purchase you should not try to diagnose any problems you may encounter.  Instead, make a note of them mentally or tell whoever is driving with you to make a note of what you observe.  This way you have your mechanic inspect the car and identify the problems for you.  Here are a few tips for test driving that you can follow to help you decide whether or not you should proceed with the purchase.

1. Map out the route of your test drive before you even go to look at the car.  To get a good feel for how the vehicle handles, make your route a combination of local streets, highways, and parking lots.
2. Leave your children at home.  You do not need the distraction while you are driving.  An adult friend to ride along is a good idea, however, as they can take notes and may notice things that you do not.  If you have small children you may want to bring a car or booster seat along to see how it will fit in the car.
3. Make sure you and the car’s owner agree on how long the test drive should be.  A half-hour drive is optimal to get a good feel for the vehicle’s performance.  Additionally, it is all right for you to ask the owner for any maintenance records they have and to check for both the owner’s guide and original tire changing equipment that came with the car.
4. Visually inspect the car for any body wear that seems excessive, chips in the windshield and the condition of the tires.
5. Check the trunk to make sure there are no signs of water leakage and to ensure that it will be large enough for your daily needs.  If the backseat folds down test it to make sure it works.
6. Inspect the interior for spots and stains and actually smell the car to see if the car has any lingering odors in it that will not come out.  While this is not necessarily a problem, heavy lingering odors could indicate damage or bad upkeep.
7. Get in and out of the car in all seat positions to see if it is comfortable and to test how well the doors open and close.  Do not be afraid to get into the driver’s seat and adjust it to make sure everything works properly and if all of the options are in reach.  If the steering wheel is adjustable, move it to see if it fits you properly.
8. Test the air conditioning and heat to make sure they work.  Do not forget to work the vents to make sure they open and close easily.
9. Shift the transmission from park to drive and see if there are any loud noises with it and that it shifts smoothly.  If the car is a manual transmission, engage the clutch and run through the gears.
10. Turn the key and start the car.  Pay attention to how well the engine turns over as well as whether or not turning the key is a problem.  Take the key out and put it back in.  It should move smoothly in the tumbler.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 3:18 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.