30 ~ Friday, March 20, 1992 - North Shore News

AUTOMOTIVE
Most buyers spend little time on test drive

MOST PEOPLE get quite excited when they decide to buy
a new car. They start buying more car magazines and
spend hours on dealers’ lots viewing and studying the shiny
pieces of machinery. Soon the living room becomes flood-
ed with brochures, catalogues, magazines, and they start

seeing cars in their dreams.

Maybe this is somewhat exag-
gerated, but you get the point:
most new car buyers spend a fair
amount of time studying cars
through catalogues and static
reviews (a static review refers to
the studying of a car when it is
not moving). After narrowing
their choice, buyers spend 15,
maybe 20 minutes driving the car
before deciding to buy the car.

This is where we fall short, in
my opinion, of making the best
decision. Think about it — we
spend hours and hours looking at
the car and sitting in it, but spend
15 minutes driving it?

A test drive should be taken
very seriously, and I would
Tecommend at least a 30-minute
drive. A test drive should really be
the ‘foundation’? of your buying
decision, since that is the only way
you can evaluate the car’s per-
formance, handling, ride,
quietness, and level of NVH
(noise, vibration and harshness).

Now, let's get down to some
specifics. You are not going to get
much out of the drive if you only
drive the car around on smooth
pavement. At the same time, it’s
not feasible to take the car out to
a proving ground (test track) for a
’ full road test. So before taking the
- car out, ask the salesman for a

route that will take you through

some curves, rough roads, and a

highway if possible.

David
Chao |

OVERDRIVE

Before you actually step on the
gas pedal, you should check the

interior out. Does the seat adjust

properly to accommodate all the
drivers in your family? Does the
steering column tilt to give you a
Proper reach and clear view of the
instrumentation? What about the
windshield wiper

‘radio, heater,
and headlight controls — can you
easily reach them without taking
your eyes off the road? In other
words, check everything out and
try all the switches. Bring your
favorite cassette to play in the car
— you will be able to compare the

sound quality much more easily.

Once on the road, look, feel,
hear and see carefully. Drive the
car over rough roads and see if
the car loses stability easily. A.
soft-riding car may be comforta-
ble on a smooth pavement, but
can become very ‘‘bouncy"’ when
driven over irregular surfaces.

Make sure you drive through
some turns to see if the car stays
relatively flat during cornering.
This is net to see if the car can
corner like a Ferrari, but to feel
its cornering characteristics so that
you and your passengers won't get
sick during a scenic drive to
Whistler. if the car throws you
around too much during turns,
choose a model with a firmer
suspension. Most manufacturers
offer an option or a different
model with stiffer suspension
set-up for a better controlled ride.

Although acceleration may not
be a very important factor for a
family considering a sedan, you
should still check the available
“‘power’’ to see if the car can ac-
celerate and manoeuvre safely out
of emergency situations. When
there are no cars in front of you,
carefully but quickly indulge
yourself by stepping on the gas
pedal and allowing the car to ac-
celerate up to the speed limit.
Does the car accelerate fast
enough to steer out of emergency
situations? Again, you can usually
choose a bigger or more powerful
engine in the model line-up you
are buying.

Don’t forget to pay attention to
the brakes and transmission, too.
Make sure that the brakes do not
feel spongy or mushy. If the par-
ticular model offers anti-lock

Sidekick voted top 4X4 vehicle

From page 29

choppy. Handling is reasonably
stable, but its high centre of grav-
‘ity necessitates some ‘care during
cornering. The Sidekick is quite
manoeuvrable with a short turning
radius of just 5.4 metres (17.7
feet),

_Rear anti-lock brakes are
standard on all Sidekicks, but
function only in the two-wheel

drive mode. For improved side-
impact protection, all Sidekicks
now have door-beams; however,
airbags are not offered.

Base price of the JX model is
$14,895. Standard equipment in-
cludes 4WD, power steering, ta-
chometer, split folding rear seats,
rear anti-lock brakes, intermittent
wipers, rear wiper/washer/
defroster, tinted glass and centre

console.

For a base price of $17,795, the
JLX model adds alloy wheels, tile
Steering wheel, power windows,
power door locks, AM/FM stereo
cassette with four speakers, and
electronically operated outside
mirrors.

brakes, buy it. Even at $1,000 or
more, I feel that it’s worth every
penny. It basically allows you to
retain control over your steering
under slippery conditions by
‘“*‘pumping’’ the brakes
automatically for you. It’s an
amazing system that works ex-
tremely well in wet weather or
snow.

For the automatic transmission,
pay particular attention to the way
it shifts. Some automatics shift
harshly, and can be quite annoy-
ing to passengers.

During the test drive, ask the
salesperson for information on
warranty, service department

We offered you the best and you've responded
The best sefection
Tne best quality

The best backad warranties

hours and availability of rebates.
The salesperson may also want to
point out features you did not ze-
alize were in the car.

If you test drive the car proper-
ly for 30 minutes or longer, the
chances of finding out ‘‘surprises”’
later on are greatly reduced. If
you are still uncertain about your
purchase, try taking a test drive
again, but under different condi-
tions (eg. day versus night). Of
course, a proper test drive is not
only part of the car-buying pro-
cess, but it is one of the more.im-
portant factors that. is often
overlooked.

WE SELL TIRES

THAT'S ALL WE 50 AND wWE DO: (T BEST ;

| Coming, Soon

Now is the time to see how your car weathered through the
winter. Watch for the Spring Car Care Guide
in your Friday March 27th edition
of the North Shore News.

Look for practical advice on
products and services to keep
your car performing. Fram hints

for the experienced do-i
to words of advice from
seasoned veterans.

‘north. shore

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