Recall

Today I went to test drive a 2009 Acura TL SH-AWD at Acura 2000 in Brampton,Ont. Canada. The car was amazing but I was totally disappointed though, when the salesman told me that I could not make a left turn and I was only allowed to drive around the block.
Does anyone know of a safety issue regarding left turns on this car, I was wondering if its the front pillar on the drivers side. The explanation was safety reasons and thats all. My experience with this salesperson wasn't good I walked away mad they obviously lost a potential sale of course.

docboy

Eh?? That's news to me. Why not "no right turns?" Left, straight, right, reverse. If no can go, no can drive.

Either the salesperson was playing with you, the 09 model you drove had a defect, or maybe the streets were 1 way right turn only?

Go to another dealer. And test drive a 6MT. You'll be blown away

Rugel

I been to Acura 2000 many times and they normally take customer around a block which results in only right turns. Nothing wrong with the car man.

Litt

Dude, my salesman just gave me the keys and said come back when you want. Of course I fell in love with the car. I drove it for maybe 20 minutes on sidestreets and freeways by myself.

A couple months later I took my wife to test drive an MDX. We took it for like 30 minutes and even went through the drive through at starbucks.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

No safety issues making left turns. Just a salesman who did not want to indulge you.

Don1

I've bought 2 TLs, a 2001 and a 2006 from Acura 2000 and they let me test drive for an hour on my own. No problem with any kind of roads or turns. I went out of town into the country, down 410 and around Brampton streets. Pick a different salesperson.

pimpin-tl

He just didn't want you to cross traffic. Nothing wrong with the cars.

tapht

Erin Mills in Mississauga let me take the AWD for over 30 minutes, so did Oakville Acura...also took an RDX for a spin. I never had the salesperson come with me. Try a different dealer.

6SpdTerror

I work for a Honda dealership and we are also instructed to only make right turns. Its simple common sense.....youre less likely to get in an accident making right turns rather than left turns where you may have to deal with on-coming traffic. Dealers pay hefty insurance premiums and yes they do go up if you have too many "incidents" not to mention.....the majority of the customers are horrible drivers. I usually use my own good judgement and decide which clients i will take on a more comprehensive drive based on certain factors. Please dont take offense to it.....hes just doing his job.

ladiesman217

I remember when i test drove my TL at acura 2000 it was pretty much all right turns

lpe387tt

^^^ Ditto..........It's a safety liability issue with car company's during test drives. Some don't bother to worry about it as that's what insurance is for. However, you do have some that have to go on test drives with the client and not allow them to make left hand turns.

Kingmeow

So you can't be on the left lane then?

Takehold66

When I test drove the G37 and my TL, they were both all right turns. The two dealers are on the same side of the road about 2-3 miles apart. They were different routes but now that I think of it they were all rights. Even getting on the highway, driving and then coming back to the dealer were all rights during the TL drive.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

Hmmm...I guess it makes sense.

graphicguy

Hmmmmm....I usually pick my own routes, whether a sales person is with me or not. If I'm about to drop $35K-$40K large on a car (heck, I'll do the same if I'm only dropping $10K on a car), I'm going right. I'm going left. I'm going straight. I'm going in reverse. I'm on the highway. I'm on streets with broken pavement. I'm going fast. I'm going slow.

If they won't allow me to do that, I'm definitely going away......from that dealership.

spence341

Interesting, when we bought our MDX, the sales person went with my wife for the test drive. When I bought my Audi, they let me take what ever I wanted. My Audi cost more then the MDX...

Recall

I certainly agree with you on this Graphicguy, post#15 if I am spending so much money on a car like that and cannot drive the car to the left, straight or on the highway, I would never buy the car from that dealer and thats what I did I walked away. however I did spoke to the Sales Manager and he wants me to come back and drive it. I haven't got time yet though I told him I would also like to see if it fits in my garage. My 2002 Maxima 6spd. fits quite OK

BigBunks

i test drove a bunch of cars over the summer including a g37x, a4, 535xi,e350, etc and i never had any problems with the saleman saying where to drive or not to make a left turn...and im 21. guess its all how the dealer views their rep and treats their customers.

erick3

poor sales tactic...
i usually get a set of keys tossed my way - "just don't crash it" is all i hear...lol
+1 for acura of lynnwood

TouringLow

it all depends on the location. for the most part, the company has a demo route which employees HAVE to take customers on. also, if your left turned involved oncoming traffic to watch out for, it is a safety issue, obviously its more likely to be in an accident. believe it or not, there are many accidents on test drives.

simply put, the salesman was doing his job.

anyone interested in a low speed evaluation?

TouringLow

i actually find myself scared and worried on MANY test drives. we get a lot of older customers and also female drivers.

and sometimes its not just because they are bad drivers, but they are getting into a car they have NEVER driven before and are NOT comfortable with, and thats a huge factor.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

you misunderstood me. i was answering the OP's question on whether or not there are safety issues with the TL in making left turns. there are not. i understand a dealers' safety policy in only making right turns. if my experience on a test drive was the same as the OP's I would have done the same thing, i.e. walk away.

Kingmeow

And what do they do with the cars that have been in accidents during test drives? I hope they don't fix it and sell as new!!!!

StonedCL

iTrader: (1)

Unfortuatly most dealers do fix them and sell them as new.. If the accedent is not enough to report to insurance then they fix it so it does not pop up on a carfax..
The dealer I work at now does not.. well never had a issue yet but did work at a few that had body shops and did do this..
And yes most test drives are all right turns the dealer I work at now it is immpossible to do all right hand turns but most do.. I always let the customer go where they want, customer has to fall in love with the car to buy it!

Kingmeow

So you just don't know these days! Yes, there are tell tale signs but if the body shop is good....

kingofire

Not to take this thread more off topic but I was looking at a 2009 Lexus GS350 with 17000 miles at Lexus of Watertown and they had a free carfax online and had a clean history. Incidently the same dealership had the car listed on Ebay and they use autocheck and autocheck showed that the car was in a front quarter panel accident in Newton, MA. Now I have lost all credibility in Carfax

TechnoCat

Just a prop to Acura of Bellevue (WA) - when I was looking, the salesdroid handed me the keys, rode shotgun but let me do as I pleased. Which, considering I've done a lot of (legal track) racing in my time, was probably a bit nerve-wracking to him.

And now I drive one.

docboy

+1 to Acura of Bellevue

On my test drive, I roasted a Dodge Challenger off the line.

The salesman seemed to have enjoyed it as well

TLNV

The Acura Dealership here is awesome as well. Pretty much go where ever you want to go. I always will take it through town, get on the freeway, then take it up a long grade we have here before returning to the dealership. Usually at least a 30-40min drive.

Props to Acura of Reno for insisting on really driving the vehicle before purchasing!!!

Kingmeow

When I bought mine, he just tossed me the keys and said have a blast.

kingofire

Anybody in Mass try to get a solo test drive? I have tried to at many different dealerships and I have always gotten a big fat NO. Maybe because I am not dealership or brand loyal?

Pete2010

^^ The only solo test drive I got was in 1999 for a brand new Chevy S10, that was back in my "American car phase" Also when I lived in Michigan, so you understand.

StonedCL

iTrader: (1)

WE can not let the customer go alone on test drives in NJ..
We used to let them but not anymore..

TouringLow

was it a demo vehicle? dealerships will do this only with vehicles saved for only test driving. if you put 40 minutes of driving on a new vehicle, its no longer new to anyone. most our new cars have under 10 miles.

thats what i do too when people buy their car...give them the keys. the tl ignition isnt voice activated...yet

TLNV

Yes.......

Kingmeow

@TouringLow - hahahaha, but you know what I meant.

@StonedCL - Why? Wreckage? Ramsey Acura down the road just tossed me the keys when I requested a test drive. No dealership people was in the car.

MyT6MT

Your dealers must have watched Zoolander too many times! If your seen it you'll know what I mean.

graphicguy

A drive in a demo car is all well and good, but I'm driving what I'm buying during the demo. If not, I'm not buying.

TLNV

FWIW, I drove an SH-AWD HPT for the long drive... I then drove the car I was buying before I bought it, in case there is any confusion. No dealership in their right mind is going to let you take a brand new car out and put 40-50 miles on it only to have you say, you know what, I don't like this... And I don't blame them for that. Would you buy a brand new car that has a couple of hundred miles on it from people that changed their minds?

KeithL

Back in 2000 when the 2G came out I went to test drive it, the dealer had 1 car they let people drive I had to wait 30 min and I was allow to drive around the block. Needless to say I bought an I30. Since then dealers have gotten better, but if a dealer won't let me drive the car for a reasonable test drive (I am ok with them coming if they want to protect their assest), then I won't buy it. Funny when I drove the A4 last year the dealer scared the crap out of me trying to show off thier AWD, flying into slippery leave covered turns ona rainy fall day. Then he let me have the wheel and said give it a try.