Kelley Blue Book's Micah Muzio test drives a lot of cars in his line of work reviewing them. Some of his ability to quickly summarize the good and bad qualities of any vehicle comes from experience -- but there are some critical techniques you can learn in five minutes to make you a better test driver.
- Start your test drive in the parking lot by checking things like seat comfort, feel of materials, smartphone pairing, intuitiveness of buttons and controls, sun visor location, item storage, and infotainment system.
- On the road, be sure to drive exactly as you would in your daily life, whether that means finding a steep hill, accelerating sharply, or heading for the highway.
- Assess cabin noise by having a conversation with your passenger, and listen up for any weird squeaks, grinding, or rattling.
- Assess ride quality by feeling for vibrations in the steering wheel and seats.
- Test the acceleration and brakes, noting smoothness of shifting.
- Ask your Philpott Pre-Owned Super Center sales associate to demonstrate or explain any new features you may not be familiar with, like adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, etc.
Come find quality used cars for sale in Nederland, and see how they compare using expert test driving techniques.