What was your first experience test driving?
 

Hey folks!

The 370z is closer in my future than ever, so time to stop lurking and start posting!

What was your first driving experience like? Especially share if it was at a dealership.

A Nissan salesman took me "on the curves around Costco" ..meaning top speed was 40mph.

Nothing like taking a high performance sports coupe to a busy parking lot to dodge shopping carts. I swear I heard a compliment from a mother with her child, but of course I didn't hear it since I was going so fast :shakes head:
I then find a few empty spaces and start doing circles..and this guy goes "watch the tires". Oh sorry, forgot I was in an altima...

Hopefully your experience was more pleasant :p

First test drive was at the dealer on April Fools Day, 1yr before I bought the car. The salesman told me not to be shy and I wasn't. I was just getting the feel for it. After about 5mins I launched hard and had him grabbing for the door handle. I knew then and there that I would have to have the car. But as it was, there weren't any in the exact color/configuration I wanted. I joked to my GF and said I just bought a new car, which really got her good for April Fools Day. She told all her co-workers and they all bought it. I gave up searching over the summer and revisited after the last big dumping of a snowfall. On a whim I found one exactly how I wanted it; 11months to the day later :)

Never test drove it. I walked in to the show room and said "I want to buy this car".

The sales guy was like "uh... um... uh...."

Test drive wasn't necessary ;)

the first day the car came out. First 370z at the local dealership. I walked in, sales manager tossed me the keys and a dealer plate, and off I go. Cruise on my own, burning rubber, getting sideways with a stock car. I was impressed.

Genuinely beautiful stories.
Next weekend I'm going 40 miles out to another dealership, hoping I won't get a minivan salesman for a copilot :P

http://i.imgur.com/zxCUr.jpg

I take it they recognize you from your other purchases?

^they sold me my GTR at the time.

I never did, either. People think I'm crazy for not test driving before a purchase. Maybe I am. But it certainly worked out. This forum and plenty of YouTube videos and 6 yrs of wanting a Z car... I knew it would fit me like a glove. And it does,

First expierence,

Salesman: I only have one rule. Dont go past 140 MPH.

ME: "GRINS" I took a feel of the car, and the first thing i recognize was, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TIGHT!!! "I was like is there something wrong with the car?"

Salesman: no, all sports car are like this.

Me: Oh I gotcha. and next thing i notice i was going 60 and felt like i was doing 20.

The experience was a blast!

The first time I drove a 370Z I was shopping around a few different dealerships.

I drove the Genesis Coupe 3.8 Track hours before going on to the Nissan lot. Once I got there the only 6spd was a non-sport but I decided to give it a go anyway. Immediately I noticed how much better the gearbox felt when compared to the Genesis.

The interior was much nicer as well, just felt quality. The first thing that I noticed was the amount of noise that came though... even with the base 18s it was rough. I was also impressed with the non-sport brakes; they felt really good.

Once I got back to the dealership I looked around for the Sport yet there was none. I drove probably 3-4 non-sports before I bought mine... until I drove my car off the lot, I'd never been in a sport.

I'm glad I chose to wait for it.

Booked a test drive with the sales guy that I know, went for booked appointment and he was busy but said you can go with this girl right here she is not busy. Super hot blonde walks up, I try not to show my excitement.

We climbs in, and go's for a rip up the highway. Car was so tight and so was she.:nutswinger:

The wife and I are always careful with cars that aren't our own (e.g. rental car), so we were very careful with the 370Z. I was more comfortable driving aggressively and making the tires squeeze from a stand still just to experience it. While driving many pick up truck drivers tried to drag us from a stoplight...that was really strange.

i originally test drove a 6MT non-nismo at a dealership that didnt have the PW/PG nismo that i wanted. stalled a few times and embarassed the hell out of myself. later that week i walked into the dealership that had the actual car i wanted (with less 10 miles on the odo also), and paid for the thing before i even test drove it!

My experience was much better. I was allowed to take it over bumpy roads (not crap dirt roads or anything, just a rough bit of pavement), and to gun it on the freeway. The car is deceptively fast, and in no-time we got a fly-by from a local undercover. IT doesn't feel like you are going as fast as you are in the Z.

No test drive, or even looking at the car in person lol

I have 07 G sedan so I knew the engine will be in line of HR but way better, and the time I was buying there wasn't any 370 Z here at the dealership.

So I bought the car online (tried through this forum first) from Texas, get it shipped to Dubai then registered it in my name, and after that was my first drive.

Side mirrors are stupid big blocks view making left turns, drives like a bimmer. Very compliant ride.

I agree. Felt like a chunk of billet on wheels. Solid car.

Do they stay like that, or is it just when new?

Pissing down rain, country roads around Lancaster County and a quick shot down the highway.
About half an hour of exhilaration and sheer terror as I tried to get the feel for what the car was all about without tossing it.

The first dealer I stopped in to refused to let me take a test drive because I was honest with the salesman and told him I wouldn't be purchasing for about six months. He even went inside like he was asking the manager if I could.

I went back about four months later and talked to him again. This time they let me go for a ride. It was a good ride actually. Some back roads and a little highway so that I could punch it while merging.

When I told him about my last visit he made like be didn't know what I was taking about.
I didn't buy from them mainly because they didn't have the combo I was looking for.
It wouldve been a hard decision if they did.

Test drives, usually with a salesman at your side, in a car you don't want to abuse because someone else eventually will buy it, don't fully let you get to know any given car. I didn't detect the road noise I heard after purchase and I was too distracted with so many other observations in the car (and being careful to not damage a strange and very expensive car) to fully evaluate the quality of the ride (harshness). But I was smitten with the car and "felt good" behind the wheel and was sold. I'm glad I bought but a half hour sample drive preliminary to years of ownership is like one evening with a potential spouse compared to the decades of marriage that follow---neither reveal most of the bad or most of the good.

first test drive..

was simple cruising at first seeing shifting, features, ride etc.

then a spirited run from about 10-60 on a back road and then slamming brakes as hard as i could.

turn radius check.

then going around a very nice curved long on ramp, gunning it from 20 to about 80 (it curved left and then right so was really good)

But that was it. I had enough, had to buy the car.

First test drive: Pretty normal. When we got to the highway, I asked the salesguy if he minds me testing the power out a little bit and he said it was find. A few seconds later, I find myself going over 100 and not even realizing it. Luckily, the guy didn't say anything :). I didn't buy it from there because the price was too high.

Second test drive: I really just went in for pricing this time. One of the salesman insisted on taking me for a test drive in a 6MT even though I told him I didn't know how to drive manual and was only gonna buy an automatic. He insisted on showing me the SRM feature and the capabilities of the LSD. I think he just used me as an excuse to drive it himself. He went into a nearby parking lot to do donuts. :rofl2: Didn't buy from here for pricing and other obvious reasons.

Third test drive: This is when I finally bought it. Drove it around the block during a snow storm just to make sure everything was working right.

I first test drove a Z at Carmax. I did only a little spirited driving, but noticed that the turn radius was wider than I'd expected, the car didn't get loose easily in turns, I was unimpressed with SRM, and I noticed that the car didn't feel like it was going as fast as it actually was ("Holy sh*t I'm doing 80?")

But my favorite test drive was the Camaro. First, the dealership is located around some of the nicest driving roads in the state, so I was amped to go drive it there. But I didn't get the chance. There was a car flipped on the other side of the road, so my immature salesman begged me to slow down so he could snap a pic with his camera, and then told me that we needed to get back soon so he could show his buddies. To top it off, the plastic on the interior was peeling. This car was brand new.

Didn't test drive

Like someone else said, I've researched this car so much, wanted one for so long and actually I drove a members car from my350Z back when I was looking into importing an 04 or 05 350Z 2 yrs ago.

All I did for this one was go see it after it came out of storage and was sitting in the dealers garage. Sat in it and was like "yup, want it"

When I went to pick up the car, the wife was pissed I didn't test drive, I was like "don't worry about it. Test drove it in my head many times" She was not amused :)

Seeing as it had some clicks on it already I should have, but I was just so set and excited on getting it.

The thing that I remember the most from my test drive was poor visibility. Just so much less of it than anything else I had ever driven, though of course now Im used to it. My first test drive was actually the AT and I wasnt as impressed as I thought I would be, but I may have been biased already knowing I wanted MT. I didnt drive the sport package (SRM) until I purchased mine and was really happy I got it.

Test driving the car for the first time is awesome, i went to two dealerships and the sales guys definitely encourage you to give it gas and have fun. I think they love the cars just as much as us. The first test drive was incredible, i was on a back road with my father in the passenger seat in a 2010 automatic with sport package. My father owned two datsuns back in the day, i think a 240 and 280, so he was pretty pumped. As we are driving down this back country road, we get out of a corner and I floor the thing and we were both speechless. My dad looks over to me and says "wow this thing certainly has a lot more power than the ones i used to own". I pulled over and made him drive it back to the dealership and we were both sold. The dealership did not have the color/combo i was looking for so i gave up searching, then two weeks later they called me up early in the morning and said "i know you were looking for a silver 370z, we just got a 40th edition coupe which is pretty similar, would you like to come in and check it out".......needless to say i went in at lunch and signed the papers.......I pulled into the dealership and they had just got the 40th that morning, so all the sales guys were around the car during their lunch break.........i still cant believe i own the car......

I already knew I wanted a 370 and was going to buy one so I was recommended to the new car Sales Mgr at a local dealer...they were extremely cooperative. Set me up with a salesman that drives road Atlanta and is an enthusiast. We took out a base '09 MT. He didn't care how I drove it..."do what you want DRIVE IT" he said so I did. Main thing I noted was the clutch...it was hard to master. The salesman had me drive it directly into the service dept to have them check the adjustment but we know it is just the Z clutch...it's tough...it is still a challenge at times. I loved it, they found and went to get the set up I wanted and I bought it two days later.

I found my car at the dealership with 20 miles on it. I test drove it.. kept the revs below 3500 RPM.. I knew i was going to buy it, minute i looked at it..

few hours later.. it was in my garage.

I never test drove it.

I was actually in the market for a used 350z when I test drove a 09 370z. The salesman let me take it down a nice windy road and I was able to play with the shift sync. He didn't mind how I test drove it. I ended up buying my Z from a different dealership off the showroom floor without a test drive. I'm so glad I bought new versus used!

I liked my first expeirence in some parts...

The day i first got to test drive it, i just finished dynoing my supercharged cobalt, got off the dyno, pissed off that i didnt hit what i wanted to after sinking alot of money and time. So i went home, jumped on my ZX6R and went for a ride to cool down. Went by a Nissan dealership and seen a few 370z. I pulled up and while i was still sitting on my bike, taking my helmet off. The salesmen comes up and says nice bike, so we talked about my bike for abit. Then he asked what can he help me with. I asked to test drive a 370z. No questions asked or anything, he said sure. I was shocked. Where im from, if a 23 year old guy, that at least isnt driving a nice car or nicely dressed, they dont get to test drive something like that.

So since i was only 23 years old he took it off the lot. He tried to show me some stuff, in the process he burned the hell out of the clutch. We switched spots, i took it, fell in love, got the dealership a photo radar ticket by doing 120kmh in a 60 zone (opps...lol) Went back and started the paper work.

Theres only been 2 times i been treated that good by a dealership, that time and the day i found my truck.

Well put.

First test drive I hated the transmission and thought the car was woefully underpowered. I did enjoy the ride, though.

First dealership I went to wouldn't let me drive their only z on the lot.
"Will you be looking at purchasing the car?"
"Yes, I'm going to buy one for sure this weekend."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I've waited for quite awhile."
"We're going to have to check your credit."
"I'm fine with that."
"Are you sure?"
"Are you going to let me test drive the car?"
"We don't want to put a lot of miles on the car, but if you're going to buy it, then yes."
"Um... can I at least look at the car before I commit to buy? I don't want to drive it anymore"

I e-mailed a few dealers online, and when I walked into the dealer, the salesman asked me if I wanted to try out the auto gearbox or convertible to see the difference. I didn't even drive it. I did the paper work and drove it home :)

Scheduled a test drive for my wife and myself. Showed up at the dealership, did the required drivers license / proof of insurance, they gave us the keys, and they let us go.
First impressions - visibility - omg!!
Limited the top speed to 70 or 80 just to see how it handled (tight - nice!!)
And that did it.
Had them start looking for the Z with the options that I wanted.

They did the same with me asked some dude for they keys then some hot 25 y/o chick shows up for the test drive. I thrash the gearbox for 5 minutes then realize we are running out of gas. She grabs their corporate gas card and I Tell her I'll heading gonna grab a coke until she gets back. She looks at me and sheapishly and says she'll wait because :icon17::icon17: she can't drive stick.

I would also like to add that the first dealership I visited denied me a test drive.
Needless to say, they lost the sale.

sucks to be them huh. When i was in the market for a new car/truck when i was selling my 370z, i went and looked at a SRT-10. Dealership wouldnt let me test drive it. I told the guy that its bs but oh well. 3 months later i went back to that dealership with another SRT-10 that i bought. Needed to speak to a Viper Tech and that dealership was the nearest. Talked to the sales guy that denied me the test drive and i said to him "well i really did like the yellow fever one you guys have....and still have. If you had let me test drive it, you would have sold it...but you didnt so i bought this one...."

His co-workers laughed at him as he was getting pissed off...lol.

:rofl2:


Why would they deny a test drive?
I like to call ahead first before I come and make sure I can drive one.

My dealership is connected to ~20 banks. Is it a good idea to ask them to find the APR % from those banks? Do you think it's rigged?

First I couldn't figure out how to adjust the touring seats.

Then I stalled it.

They must have had a good laugh about that at the dealership. But then our new puppy peed in their lobby. So everything turned out fine.

I drove from Cincy to Indy just to get to the dealership

My research was done and a deal was very likely

I remember how loud the Z was (coming from an Si)

The salesman, Nate, said at one point

"turn up here...go ahead and get on it a little bit"

The drive back home after I bought it was amazing....

I do love this car