Extended Test Drives...

[myriagon]

I would like to buy a new car with a budget of ~£20k. Initially I wasn’t sure whether I wanted a RAV4, Avensis or Verso. So a few weeks ago I tried to get an extended test drive with the RAV4 because my wife was keen. On that occasion I was told that an extended test drive wasn't possible at the weekend but it would be possible during the week. As I work for a living taking time off just for a test drive is not ideal. In the end I settled for a short drive which unfortunately I had to cancel due to business reasons. Since then after reading this forum I have decided that a RAV4 is not really what I want so that left the Avensis and Verso.

Yesterday I had two quick 15 minute test drives with a Verso and an Avensis. The ride on the Verso was too hard for my liking so today I phoned to request a decent length test drive with the Avensis. Initially I was told that this should be ok although I would need to wait until the person I spoke to yesterday to call back to give me confirmation. Based on this conversation and the fact that I want to get my new car ordered asap, I decided to take the day off work. When the dealer hadn't called by 10:30am I called them again. This time I spoke to the same person as yesterday. He said he would speak to his manager and get back. He never did. Eventually I called round to the dealers in person. After speaking to the sales manager it was made clear to me that they do not loan out cars for more than an hour.

Can someone from Toyota please explain to me why I should spend ~£20k of my own money on a car without first properly testing it. If after having the new car for a week I find that I get back ache with the driving position then will they give me a full refund? I don't think so.

How do other people on here get on with letting Toyota garages try their products. Perhaps I should swap my jeans for a suit?

BTW I did try to post a review of the dealer on this site but had a sql error.

Cheers, Jeremy

[matty2767]

maybe try another dealer. there are plenty of others to try. the dealer i go to is spot on and i have seen on some of their loan car stickers that they do 24/48hr test drives although i carnt confirm whether it applies to all the cars or just a selection.

i had a problem i wanted to test the new vectra esta a few years back and the dealer said they didnt test drive at all to private buyers. if i hired one and then decided to buy they would deduct the hire costs off the new car but that was it. hence i bought an avensis

[myriagon]

The service manager at the garage told me that the Aurix is available for 24 hour test drives but he did mention something about Toyota paying for it. That's not much good if you want to buy an Avensis though. As far as I can tell all the other demo cars are run by the salesmen so they need them to get home each night, hence no 24 hour test drives for them. However I don't want a 24 hour test drive as I had to repeatedly tell the sales manager this morning. Having a car for a day would be more than enough.

As you say I will try another dealer. It does frustrate me though that business users appear to get a much better service when it comes to test drives - even when they are not spending their own money!

[matty2767]

what part of the uk are you in?

[Red Yaris 54]

The salesman at my Toyota dealer usually throws me the keys and says "We will see you about 5 o'clock"

I am not a business user :)

Superb service

[myriagon]

what part of the uk are you in?

North Buckinghamshire

[bjw]

Any dealer which is half decent should offer you a 24 hour test drive I suggest you remember that when you purchase a car !!!

If you really want a 24 hour test drive at that dealers ask to speak to the dealer principal and ask why they cannot provide one for you!!! to be honest it has never been a problem with myself and lets face it if you are spending £20,000 you need one .

Like you I was going to buy a Rav but after the test I thought the driving position was not right for me and to be honest thought it was uncomfortable

[Parts-King]

You are using the wrong dealer...........why give then the chance to phone back, call in, bla bla???

Anybody who doesnt call you back doesnt deserve your hard earned...go somewhere else

It is not always possible to have all models available for extended test drives, but an Avensis should be on the dealers demo fleet, and you should be able to use one for several hours

Kingo

[myriagon]

You are using the wrong dealer...........why give then the chance to phone back, call in, bla bla???

Anybody who doesnt call you back doesnt deserve your hard earned...go somewhere else

It is not always possible to have all models available for extended test drives, but an Avensis should be on the dealers demo fleet, and you should be able to use one for several hours

Kingo

Agreed - I am using the wrong dealer but he is just around the corner from where I live which is why I *was* hoping to buy my new car there.

The same salesman who didn't call back also thinks that the Verso and Avensis models are made in Derby with the parts imported from Japan. Not sure if he told me that because he thought that's what I wanted to hear or he really didn't know. At least he got part of it right.

[peterc.lewis@blueyonder.co.uk]

Sales prevention officers have left Ford and infiltrated Toyota now then?

I remember going to a Ford dealer because the wife wanted to look at a cougar (yes I know , but you know it's better to find out yourself sometimes). Anyway the guy kept asking me when I was thinking of changing my car (Lexus LS400 for a Ford, Right, like that's EVER going to happen). I kept saying I was totally happy and personally wouldn't buy anything that wasn't Japanese again.

He kept talking to me though, my wife was stood right next to me. In the end I just said to my wife "This guy obviously doen't want to sell any cars today" and left. Luckily the whole thing put her off and she kept her , much better , Honda Civic.

Alas both cars have moved on, and I assume so has that sales prevention guy.

As for Toyota dealers beind like that I have noticed that wandering in to Toyota first then Lexus doesn't have a major impact. Do it the other way round though and even with Toyota , you notice the service isn't quite so good (though tha is a major generalisation I admit) .

If you want a real treat though go Ford, Vauxhall then Toyota. You'll think you ar in heaven.

Personally I would go to another dealer buy the car then drive it on to the forecourt of your local dealer and re-enact that wonderful scene in pretty woman ..." are you on commission?".

Al the best , Pete.

[Mkuk0]

what part of the uk are you in?

North Buckinghamshire

Steven Eagell in MK then? Sales staff are USELESS there, try talking to David Saunders, of the business sales section, the guys bends over backwards to help, and is very knowledgable too. get all the info you need, then buy elsewhere is my advice!

[myriagon]

what part of the uk are you in?

North Buckinghamshire

Steven Eagell in MK then? <cut>

MK is about 20 miles away but otherwise correct.

[OldSkoO1]

If you EVER get that response even the first time round just walk away. If i'm paying 20k for a car i expect them to do everything in their power to satisfy me.

If you have to chase them or they prove to be difficult just walk away and go somewhere else.

You have to be realistic, some people can't offer 24hr test drives and the weekend point is valid. If they only have 1 demo car in that range and its out all weekend they could loose business so thats fair enough.

JUst go somewhere else, and its your money but a 2nd hand avensis would be a better option at the moment. The new avensis is due out soon, doubt 2008 but suggested beginning of 2009. I think they are in production now.

good luck

[cabcurtains]

I've been a car salesman (7yrs ago though), its tough in retail world, its very difficult to work out who's a genuine buyer and who's a test pilot (no offence intended myriagon). If the salesman lets a car out for a long period i can guarantee the sales manager will be all over them saying "they had better buy one", and lets be honest the retail buyer will probably get a better price online anyway. The dealer then becomes a test drive service for informed buyers, as a dealer is only a franchisee for the manufacturer its understandable them not want to be used like this.

Putting a call into Toyota UK and requesting a 24hr test drive may yield better results, they should ask/tell the dealer to provide the car for the period you want or provide a corporate demo to use. If they wont buy from someone who will.

However as OldSkoO1 says unless the 08 Avensis is heavily discounted hold out for the new 09 car.

[TheNissanMan]

Most dealerships now do not offer extended test drives, partly insurance purposes, partly the fact that if a car is out for 24 hours its 24 hours where other customners can't drive the car and potentially buy one.

I run a Sales Team (not Toyota, although next door :) ) in Hampshire and we don't run extended test drives, if you want to take the car out for an hour with a salesman no probs at all...

Times have changed...

[bjw]

Most dealerships now do not offer extended test drives, partly insurance purposes, partly the fact that if a car is out for 24 hours its 24 hours where other customners can't drive the car and potentially buy one.

I run a Sales Team (not Toyota, although next door :) ) in Hampshire and we don't run extended test drives, if you want to take the car out for an hour with a salesman no probs at all...

Times have changed...

I would have thought a dealer would have more than one Avensis demo on call !!!

Perhaps one of the salesmen could get the bus home that night

Regarding insurance that should not be a problem as you can add it on to your policy as a TAV in most cases

[TheNissanMan]

Each dealership can only register a certain number of cars at a time according to what is on the Demo Matrix, this will depend on the size of the deaslership as well...

Salesman work long enough hours, telling them their car was being lent out would cause a mutiny lol

[myriagon]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply.

Thankfully another Toyota garage has offered an extended drive next weekend although I'm now having second thoughts about the Avensis so probably won't take up the offer. After the problem with my local garage I started thinking about other marques. There are a few options which I want to check out before returning to the Avensis again.

I'm also not sure whether to go for a car that's about to be replaced or not. Given that I tend to keep my car a long time the depreciation on a soon to be replaced model isn't a big concern. In some ways going for the old model has its advantages. The Avensis has many years of development behind it and should by now have had the bugs ironed out. However any new model is likely to have teething problems. Also sometimes a new model can be worse than the model it replaces. This was the case between the old Mk2 Golf and the Mk3. With the ever tighter emissions regs and cost cutting being introduced this could be the case with new models coming to market now. Then there's the question about how the new Avensis will look. Often the styling of a new model is IMO worse than the styling of the car it's replacing. However making the new Avensis look worse than the old model is going to take some doing even for a modern day car designer!

Having said all that I do like the look of some of the new models coming onto the market now.

[igormus]

I would like to buy a new car with a budget of ~£20k. Initially I wasn’t sure whether I wanted a RAV4, Avensis or Verso. So a few weeks ago I tried to get an extended test drive with the RAV4 because my wife was keen. On that occasion I was told that an extended test drive wasn't possible at the weekend but it would be possible during the week. As I work for a living taking time off just for a test drive is not ideal. In the end I settled for a short drive which unfortunately I had to cancel due to business reasons. Since then after reading this forum I have decided that a RAV4 is not really what I want so that left the Avensis and Verso.

Yesterday I had two quick 15 minute test drives with a Verso and an Avensis. The ride on the Verso was too hard for my liking so today I phoned to request a decent length test drive with the Avensis. Initially I was told that this should be ok although I would need to wait until the person I spoke to yesterday to call back to give me confirmation. Based on this conversation and the fact that I want to get my new car ordered asap, I decided to take the day off work. When the dealer hadn't called by 10:30am I called them again. This time I spoke to the same person as yesterday. He said he would speak to his manager and get back. He never did. Eventually I called round to the dealers in person. After speaking to the sales manager it was made clear to me that they do not loan out cars for more than an hour.

Can someone from Toyota please explain to me why I should spend ~£20k of my own money on a car without first properly testing it. If after having the new car for a week I find that I get back ache with the driving position then will they give me a full refund? I don't think so.

How do other people on here get on with letting Toyota garages try their products. Perhaps I should swap my jeans for a suit?

BTW I did try to post a review of the dealer on this site but had a sql error.

Cheers, Jeremy

hello mate

as to our local dealer - -they are very co-operative and try to catch each client. they have each model car for test drive.

change a dealer -- i do not think this one is along in yr area.

cheers/igor

[bjw]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply.

Thankfully another Toyota garage has offered an extended drive next weekend although I'm now having second thoughts about the Avensis so probably won't take up the offer. After the problem with my local garage I started thinking about other marques. There are a few options which I want to check out before returning to the Avensis again.

I'm also not sure whether to go for a car that's about to be replaced or not. Given that I tend to keep my car a long time the depreciation on a soon to be replaced model isn't a big concern. In some ways going for the old model has its advantages. The Avensis has many years of development behind it and should by now have had the bugs ironed out. However any new model is likely to have teething problems. Also sometimes a new model can be worse than the model it replaces. This was the case between the old Mk2 Golf and the Mk3. With the ever tighter emissions regs and cost cutting being introduced this could be the case with new models coming to market now. Then there's the question about how the new Avensis will look. Often the styling of a new model is IMO worse than the styling of the car it's replacing. However making the new Avensis look worse than the old model is going to take some doing even for a modern day car designer!

Having said all that I do like the look of some of the new models coming onto the market now.

Its always a good idea to check out what other manufacturers can offer as we can all get a bit blinkered !!

To many people do not take a lot of time researching which car to buy and whether they are getting the best deal for there hard earned cash

While the Avensis is not perfect and has some well known problems !!!value for money it is a good buy .

[hertsnminds]

Had no problems up here in Scotland getting a Verso from Friday to Monday for a test drive but the dealer does have 2 to 3 garages in the area so probably has a few more demo cars to loan out.

If you are looking for a softer ride maybe you should try a Citroen dealer the new C5 might be ok and you have the choice of springs or pneumatic suspension.

[myriagon]

I had a test drive in a Honda today. The experience was so much better than the Toyota garage just across the road.

"Here's the keys sir - do you want more diesel put in? - come back when you are ready."

I couldn't believe it - an unaccompanied test drive for pretty much as long as I wanted and I didn't even have to ask. Pity the FR-V I was driving wasn't to my taste. Hopefully the new Accord that is coming in a few weeks will be better.

[Red Yaris 54]

I had a test drive in a Honda today. The experience was so much better than the Toyota garage just across the road.

"Here's the keys sir - do you want more diesel put in? - come back when you are ready."

I couldn't believe it - an unaccompanied test drive for pretty much as long as I wanted and I didn't even have to ask. Pity the FR-V I was driving wasn't to my taste. Hopefully the new Accord that is coming in a few weeks will be better.

As I said much earlier on in this thread.......................That is exactly what happens to me at the Toyota Centre that I deal with.

Miriagon, you appear to be turning this into a "Knock the Toyota Dealer" thread.

Good Toyota dealers do exist and there are many satisfied and extreemly happy Toyota Owners within this club with some very positive attitude toward their dealers. This positive attitude is usually reciprocated with mutual respect.

Please do not come on this Toyota Owners forum with such a negative attitude and expect everyone to agree with you.

From your previous posts you appear (IMO) to be very undecided about what you really want. Maybe if you kept a more open mind when visiting various dealers it would help you in your quest for your ultimate car. :)

[bjw]

I had a test drive in a Honda today. The experience was so much better than the Toyota garage just across the road.

"Here's the keys sir - do you want more diesel put in? - come back when you are ready."

I couldn't believe it - an unaccompanied test drive for pretty much as long as I wanted and I didn't even have to ask. Pity the FR-V I was driving wasn't to my taste. Hopefully the new Accord that is coming in a few weeks will be better.

As I said much earlier on in this thread.......................That is exactly what happens to me at the Toyota Centre that I deal with.

Miriagon, you appear to be turning this into a "Knock the Toyota Dealer" thread.

Good Toyota dealers do exist and there are many satisfied and extreemly happy Toyota Owners within this club with some very positive attitude toward their dealers. This positive attitude is usually reciprocated with mutual respect.

Please do not come on this Toyota Owners forum with such a negative attitude and expect everyone to agree with you.

From your previous posts you appear (IMO) to be very undecided about what you really want. Maybe if you kept a more open mind when visiting various dealers it would help you in your quest for your ultimate car. :)

I do not see were you find his posts negative or anti Toyota??? he has an opinion which he gave and which he is entitled to do so !!!

You get good Toyota dealers and bad Toyota dealers just the same as you get good Honda dealers and bad Honda dealers .

I think your comments were a bit over the top

[Red Yaris 54]

I had a test drive in a Honda today. The experience was so much better than the Toyota garage just across the road.

"Here's the keys sir - do you want more diesel put in? - come back when you are ready."

I couldn't believe it - an unaccompanied test drive for pretty much as long as I wanted and I didn't even have to ask. Pity the FR-V I was driving wasn't to my taste. Hopefully the new Accord that is coming in a few weeks will be better.

As I said much earlier on in this thread.......................That is exactly what happens to me at the Toyota Centre that I deal with.

Miriagon, you appear to be turning this into a "Knock the Toyota Dealer" thread.

Good Toyota dealers do exist and there are many satisfied and extreemly happy Toyota Owners within this club with some very positive attitude toward their dealers. This positive attitude is usually reciprocated with mutual respect.

Please do not come on this Toyota Owners forum with such a negative attitude and expect everyone to agree with you.

From your previous posts you appear (IMO) to be very undecided about what you really want. Maybe if you kept a more open mind when visiting various dealers it would help you in your quest for your ultimate car. :)

I do not see were you find his posts negative or anti Toyota??? he has an opinion which he gave and which he is entitled to do so !!!

You get good Toyota dealers and bad Toyota dealers just the same as you get good Honda dealers and bad Honda dealers .

I think your comments were a bit over the top

Sorry that you think my comments over the top............................But

"Thankfully another Toyota garage has offered an extended drive next weekend although I'm now having second thoughts about the Avensis so probably won't take up the offer. After the problem with my local garage I started thinking about other marques."...............is a negative comment.

" However making the new Avensis look worse than the old model is going to take some doing even for a modern day car designer!...........................is a negative and anti Toyota comment

"The experience was so much better than the Toyota garage just across the road."...............is an anti Toyota comment.

My comments to Miriagon still stand as I feel that he has come on a Toyota Owners Club Forum and openly criticised the marque and its dealers..............................His criticism IMO needed a reply

I have merely pointed out to him that many of us Toyota owners have built up a very good relationship with our dealers and receive excellent service from them.

I fully agree with you that you can get good and bad in all dealers. This has been pointed out to Miriagon by several posters on this topic.

It will be interesting to see which way he jumps with his £20K :)