Test Driving a New Car Under Severe or Extreme Conditions

If you are planning to buy a new vehicle, it is vital that you test drive the vehicle/s that are on your short list to help you decide which among the cars you'd spend your hard-earned cash on. You should consider fuel efficiency, handling, electronics and sounds, air-conditioning, comfort, space and overall typical experience. However, for people like me, I tend to think out of the box and if I test drive a new vehicle that I'm considering buying, I'll also try to expose the car in different severe or extreme situations.

Before we proceed, always make sure you have permission from the manufacturer or from your dealer. They will most certainly ride along with you on your test drive so make sure you inform them of your plans and do it only if they agree. Some of what I'm about to share with you may not be allowed during test drives. Before you proceed, please make sure that you prioritize safety above anything else. If you have a helmet, then wear them. For more extreme tests, do not do them on public roads where you'll be risking everyone's safety.

I have a passion for speed and one way of testing a car's performance is to push the engine to its limits. I would check its quarter mile run, 0 to 60 miles per hour, maximum speed (if possible) and drifting. You can even ask the manufacturer/dealer's representative to time it for you. A long strip of road will be ideal or if you can bring it to a racing circuit then why not?

Handling will be one of my top priorities when test driving under extreme conditions. Although it's hard to time it right but if you can test drive a car while raining or on wet roads, do so. Driving on ice/snow is also very ideal for extreme testing but do this only on clear and private roads. Check if the car handles tight turns well. Feel the tension on the steering wheel and observe the weight distribution while navigating those turns. You can even check the speed threshold during turns.

On straight roads, see how the car handles at high speeds. Will it hydroplane easily? Check the brakes while you're at it. Evaluate its braking distance compared to its performance on dry roads. This will also be a good evaluation on the tires especially if the tires are the ones that come along with the new vehicle.

Testing the car's suspension is also important. It maintains good handling while you are on rough roads and it also provides comfort to you and your passengers. Here in Manila, road constructions are everywhere and you can test the car on really rocky roads. You can also try it on dirt if you'd like. Just don't push the car too hard under these conditions. Navigate bumpy roads fairly slowly. You should feel the suspension working for you while you drive over rocks, debris, sand, etc.

Not to worry, there are certain situations on public roads where you can test more of a car's abilities. Drive normally on city streets but when you encounter situations on the road, take advantage of it. Test the suspensions on humps, navigate 90-degree turns, check ideal speed and acceleration on city streets and check the brakes. Is it comfortable to drive on bumper-to-bumper stop and go traffic? (Automatic transmission vehicles drive like a charm during traffic.)

Just remember, for extreme testing, if you don't have experience or just want to try some of the moves out, I strongly suggest you stop now and just test the car under normal driving conditions only. Leave it to professionals and highly experienced drivers.

While testing the car, have fun but at the same time, carefully evaluate the car's overall performance. Again, make sure your manufacturer/dealer agrees to what you will be doing if you're taking it out for more extreme testing. Prioritize safety all throughout the test and don't forget to give feedback about your experience. Point out things that you have observed especially those that need attention like braking distance, handling and transmission responses. Compare it to another car if you'd like and tell them what you like or dislike about the car. Talk about it then thank them for the test drive. Now, you can now evaluate your experience and decide which car suits your standards best.