Taking a Toyota for a Test Drive....is it possible to ask to go alone ??? without Sale person ???

[leeland]

hello,
me and my wife are planning on taking a test drive tommorow and just curious if anyone else has any experience with this ?

we want to go for the test drive without having a salesman with us...i don't know how you all feel...but for us it is a distraction...having someone talk to you the entire time...

has anyone ever asked to go alone when they are on a test drive ?? do they view this as an insult ??? or are they generally cool about it ? it isn't the end of the world if they come along....just don't want to ask and make it an uncomfortable situation


thanks in advance

leeland

 

[Ryan]

They shouldn't have a problem - if they say no, ask to speak with their manager. I've never had a problem test driving by myself, and I'd test driven 10+ cars

 

[AnyMal]

Depends on dealership policies. Also, in my experience country dealerships tend to be more friendly and relaxed. When we were shopping for a new van we went to the country, the dealer told us to keep the van over the weekend.

 

[BornStar]

The only time I've every test driven a vehicle the salesperson's only requirement was that someone be over 21 in the vehicle. Since neither of us were he had to go along but he asked us so many times, I was thinking he wanted us to lie and just say that we were so he didn't have to go.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

THey shouldn't, when we were looking at cars we gave SUV's a very slight thought, but didn't want to rule them out so we checked out the Volvo SUV and in that the dealer just handed my dad the keys and my dad took my brother and I for a drive. SHouldn't be a problem unless you look like you've come to just floor a car faster than yours

 

[thomsbrain]

i've done it without the salesperson, but when we went to drive a new prius, they wouldn't let you.

 

[RossMAN]

I've test drove a brand new Saturn SL (on sale for $9,995) without the sales man.

He just had three conditions:
1) Had to take a photocopy of my drivers ID
2) Had to keep the keys to our current car
3) Had to see our insurance card and confirm it was still valid

He gave us the keys and said to be back within 30 minutes. We just drove it for 10 minutes then returned to the dealership.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I've test driven a number of cars alone (up to a loaded Maxima SE with a $30K sticker). I have never ASKED to do it, though, and I think it is probably a function of the dealer's policies. In my experience, they have more or less thrown me the keys and encouraged me to take the car out.

 

[iamwiz82]

The first car I bought at a dealer I was allowed to test drive without the salesperson even though both of us were under 20.

 

[CraigRT]

I've driven many cars without any salesman in them (I was only around 20 at the time).. you just gotta be serious about buying

 

[LakAttack]

When I bought test drove my truck, the salesman just looked at my license. He never even considered going with me.

 

[shenaniganz]

Most our local dealers will let you take the car home for the weekend if you are somewhat serious about buying the car. We did that a couple years ago. But it is a smaller town and we knew the salesperson a little bit.

 

[Frdm51472]

I have never had a salesperson insist on riding along with me. But then they all know me pretty well. A couple months ago they threw me the keys of a new Z06 for the weekend and said "Have fun, this car will sell itself" and it did, if I could just convince the wife that her son would be perfectly safe strapped to the roof. But then, they had my $40k+ car sitting there so it wasnt like I drove up in a Geo and asked for the Vette keys.