Test drive and roving display units

[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??