Loco

So if there's anything that you think I may not have already checked out during my test drives of TLs before that I should know please speak up.

ndx2

pack your shit and run!





on a more serious note, try panic braking, emergency maneuvers, check out the stereo system (there should be a DVD-A intro disc), check wind noise/flow w/ various window settings,

Loco

Good ideas

Teh Jatt

you'll love it... enjoy teh car

AMIC

My dealer let me have a TL and a TSX for a couple of hours too and it was a great opportunity to test everything about the cars without the sales rep around.

Enjoy and take it on every possible road you would encounter in your normal driving. Hopefully you'll get one with navi. Play with it and all of the voice command features. Once you've experienced it you'll want it. If you have a Bluetooth phone, try pairing it and making some calls. It was actually raining when I took out the TSX so that made for a good test of rainy driving conditions. Pretty much push all the buttons and bring some CDs to try out the stereo.

caball88

one thing i do for most vehicles i test drive is roll the windows down and drive. it's silly but there are a couple of things that bother me when i do this on some cars. one is wind noise, all cars have some but if the side mirrors are poorly designed it will make loud wind noises. then there is the wind in your face factor. i hate it when you just roll down the driver's window and the wind blasts your face. On the TL the wind glides nicely around the car.

crashish

How'd you manage this? Almost the test drives I went on before purchasing my TL were incredibly anal to the point of not going outside of their designated test drive route.

van_man888

I think it has to do with the fact that your just 21. Im 23 and the dealer was just as anal

crazymjb

my dads 45 and the sales man was all whiny about not going fast(normal speed). In fact he made us take it to a parking lot. THat could have been cause it was a snow storm last time we tested.

6mtV6

It also depends on which dealer you go to.

Steel

I'm 23 and they offered me the car for a few hours after my initial test drive.

Loco

I'm 24. It varies by dealer & salesman. Also depends on your attitude.

DanUC

Yeah I'm 23 and everytime I wanted to go for a test drive he would just throw me the keys, I'd come back about 30 mins later no problem

AMIC

It probably also has to do with how serious they think you are about buying soon. They want to make a sale and if giving you the car for a couple of hours will seal the deal, they'll do it no matter how old you are.

Loco

Well, the Honda dealership would not gimme an Accord for a couple hours.

I asked on my SECOND trip to that dealer too & this was after I was already there for 3 hours that day.

Yea, that doesn't say I'm serious. I guess they don't want to seal the deal sometimes.

Loco

Well, after driving the car around for a couple hours I really like it. I think I'm going to go w/an auto though due to the traffic in my area. My only complaint is that I did have some lower back pain, but I think I have that fixed w/adjusting the power lumbar support to the max setting.

I also could not find the climate controls via the touch screen. Are they not there or did I just not look hard enough?


Here are some pics I took.
http://community.webshots.com/album/370785207fqaBpC

She looks right at home next to my sleeping Mustang.

Loco

No replies huh?

Ron A

Try posting your navi screen question in the BT/Navi subforum, or maybe do a search there for climate controls.

AMIC

Looks like they put quite a few options on it already (spoiler and visors). All the ones at the dealers in my area had nothing on them. Which was ok with me as I didn't want any of the options.

As to your question about the climate control, you can't control it using the touch screen. You can using the voice recognition, though.

Good luck with your purchase.

CFIMIKE

I found it made a difference if I arranged the visit through their web site. In my case it made a WORLD of difference vs. just showing up off the street.

Steel

Now all you need is the a spec package! DO IT!

WdnUlik2no

Most luxury car dealers will let you take their cars on extended test drives if you show you are serious about making a purchase. Both Acura and Infiniti let me take the automatic and manual TLs and G35s overnight for 24 hour test drives.

I drove them to and from work to get a feel for what I would be doing in the car everyday. Ask and see if you can take it home overnight, they may just do it. You DO have to ask though, they won't voluntarily offer it to you.

If you only have it for two hours, then I suggest you just take some routes that you normally take in everyday driving. Sit in the car for a few minutes in each seat of the car and examine everything, be very picky and pay attention to every detail. Takes notes of everything you don't like and think to yourself would those things turn into a big problem in the future.

Of course test things like acceleration, turn radius, braking, radio sound quality, etc etc.

Loco

Read above, I already took the car. They would only allow a couple hours not overnight.

WdnUlik2no

sorry congrats though!!

djskyy

Almost the same situation, but I had service done on my NSX in a neighboring state(3 days), and they let me pick any vehicle of my choice and I picked a TL(I should've gone with the RL, but oh well)...and now, I'm a proud owner of a 05' TL....

JetJock

I've found that the way you dress sometimes determines how you get treated by the dealer. Show up dressed in rags and they treat you like s**t. The preppy look usually gets me the keys. Also, they check what you drive into the lot. If you're driving a piece of crap, they probably think you don't have the $$ to purchase the car. Borrow a nice car if you have to, dress great and you're on your way. I got the keys to a new RL a few weeks ago. Dealer let me take it all day.

Loco

Unfortunately, that is true a lot of the time, but I never go in like a slob. Khakis & a nice shirt is what I have worn. I come in my GTP in my sig so no POS car either.

Steel

This is exactly why every car I have bought I wear a tank top and jeans to the dealership. The guy that treats me right gets an easy cash sale.

I do have to say that it's harder now to get mistreated, although it happened at the first Acura dealership I went to. Made sure they knew that this 'punk' kid left with his checkbook in hand because they were clowns.