Test drive and roving display units

[niky]

Customer test-units aren't that bad... most engines are broken-in at the factory already (they only need to be run-in to reach their full-power and fuel-efficiency)...

It's media units you should worry about, but some manufacturers are honest about this, and sell these units as secondhand. I've seen the Lynx RS media unit (memorize ko ung plate number, hehe) for sale in Carfinder before.

[alwayz_yummy]

pa pm naman nung plate # nun, o.. red rs ba?

[niky]

Red nga... shoot... memorized it at the time, but I'm not sure now... basta XLR 653 (hindi na ito sure, ha...) or something like that... Basta, I'd know it now if I saw it.

As for the condition of the car... heck, all you need to do is read the back issues of Top Gear, C! or Rev... the brake pedal is a little long due to overuse (probably warped brakes from too many Hamsters driving it... I know mine are by now...), but everything else is pretty much okay... or was at the time it was sold.

[alwayz_yummy]

parang nakita ko ata yun...

[carlocaraddict]

Red nga... shoot... memorized it at the time, but I'm not sure now... basta XLR 653 (hindi na ito sure, ha...) or something like that... Basta, I'd know it now if I saw it.

As for the condition of the car... heck, all you need to do is read the back issues of Top Gear, C! or Rev... the brake pedal is a little long due to overuse (probably warped brakes from too many Hamsters driving it... I know mine are by now...), but everything else is pretty much okay... or was at the time it was sold.

eh di ba manipis na din yung clutch niyan? hehehe.

[niky]

I'd expect Ford to have replaced the clutch... but on a car with that many kilometers, road tests, drop-clutch launches (especially nung Car of the Year), you'd have to anyway...

Nauubos na nga yung sa akin... 53,000 kms, two track days plus lots of hard driving... pero not many drop-clutch drag racing launches... I'm gentle...

Yung nakakatakot kunin yung Jazz na ginamit sa mga media challenge... ...grabe yung pinagdaanan nun!

[alwayz_yummy]

bata iwas nalang sa jazz media units...pero kung 75% off sa unit, pwede na?

[niky]

75% off and a certificate saying: "I was never crashed..." :hysterical:

[charriolkid]

we just did a testdrive on the new civic 1.8S AT yesterday, although it was pretty fast... is it just me or talagang MATAGTAG xia?

i wasnt impressed at all.. its a far cry from MAZDA3's superb comfort experience..

[niky]

Matagtag? I felt it was kind of soft, actually.

Pero, the shock valving is looser than in the Mazda, so maybe, with a full load, the ride is less controlled. Have to verify this with my uncle... he offered me a test-drive of his 2.0 Friday, but I didn't have time, too much work!

That's why I prefer firmly set up "sports" vehicles... the ride may feel harsh, but on really bad roads, it's actually more secure feeling than soft ones.

[SlickStock]

idol, how will you know if the car you are buying is really brand-new or one of those test units?? what are the signs that one should look for??

[alwayz_yummy]

missed the ride of my former delica starwagon 4wd-> front torsion bar, rear leaf springs on gas-charged shocks w/ 30x9.5r15LT at 32psi gliding on rough roads...konti nalang parang horse na!

natesdrive ko na ang civic 1.8s. ok naman ride yan, between sporty ans soft, pero ayaw ko lang is WALANG D4! and slightly mabigat ang steering even at speed.

[niky]

Odometer for one... unusual wear on tires, etcetera... check the condition of the oil and radiator... they might use new items when they place it in the showroom (if they actually DO cheat like this), but you can't disguise all signs of use, like rock or pebble chips, a dirty underside or grease marks and such on suspension members.

But then again, some manufacturers (Isuzu and Toyota, for one) actually drive their units to the dealers... and often at high speeds... so these signs will naturally be there.

[SlickStock]

idol niky, if all possible signs of usage can be disguised,
( dirty undersides can be washed, odometer cable can be disconnected, oil can be changed, etc, etc. ),
then a dealer can actually sell a test unit as a brand new one??

is there one sign of usage that cannot be disguised by the dealer??

[OTEP]

Combination of signs pwede pa. Pero a single sign? Wala atang ganun.

You can always see if they have worked on the vehicle. Magkakaron ng gasgas ang mga bolts, the paint marks on critical bolts will not line up anymore.

No matter how you clean a vehicle's underside, it will never be the same as brand new. There are too many nooks and crannies. They will never take the time out to take everything apart and clean with a tootbrush.

[alwayz_yummy]

tama, pansinin nyo yung bagong sasakyan, may line of pain on every bolt, dapa not a single millimeter nakalihis yon, its a good marker..

[KoKoNAT]

Technically they're second-hand units (or 'pre-owned' or used), as they are already registered for road use to the dealer. Price is their advantage over 'brand-new' cars, as registration and dealer delivery is already paid for. Often sold at very low kms (<1,000kms), it is a very very nice alternative for the price conscious. Usually, dealers follow the service intervals of the demo cars (eg, first 1,000kms or first 5,000kms if it comes to that). I said 'usually' because, although I haven't seen a dealer who does not do it, there may be some unscrupulous ones out there.

If the price is right, why not?

[niky]

Tama si boss OTEP. Not all signs of usage can be disguised... or, it might even cost the dealership too much money to disguise such signs... to the point that they'll be giving you a practically good-as-new car anyway.