I would have told him to kiss my a$$.

 

2 small-town dealers within 12 miles of me. Both have offered test drives of Vettes. While driving a pickup truck, the next town dealer let me test drive the PR 05 coupe that I eventually bought.

The local dealer in Tullahoma has asked me to test drive 3 different ones, including the MR 06 coupe that I eventually bought from him 3 months ago.

 

I have the same thing happen to me the 1st time I went in for a test drive. At Tustin Chevrolet in California. Of course, I was stunned as I have test driven all sorts of cars, Escalade twice, the new Mercedes RX something, GTOs, Chargers, Trucks, Minivans, c320s, s420s, etc. This was the 1st time I had ever been told NO!

Now this was the usual sales guy who just greets and tried to make a sale. He said once I signed the contract, then I could test drive. Being both shocked and determined, I jumped on the Internet. Went to carsdirect.com which then sent an email to 3 dealers near my work. One dealer let me test drive both a MN6 and an A6, another dealer would have let me, but they did not have any MN6's on the lot and I had already driven the A6. A third dealer had to MN6 either.

Lesson:

#1 Go through the Internet... even kbb.com will work to send out an inquiry to the various local dealers.

#2 Speak to the Internet Fleet Manager or Internet Sales Manager. They don't make the commission that the sales guys do, and they have more power to let you do what you want.

#3 Confidence: Go in saying you WANT to buy and that all you need to do is take a test drive. After the test drive, if you don't want to buy right then, make up an excuse to get out of there, or given them a price you will pay which is lower than they will deal. Lots of ways to get out. Like, well, let me think about it for 24hrs.

Not all dealerships are the same, call them all, sound very interested and just leave if they do not meet what you want.

Don't give up hope... you are not alone. Some sales guys think the vette is too much car, when in fact it is really middle of the pack when it comes to price.

Good luck!

ps. I still need to get a vette... too bad my DUI is slowing down my ability to purchase one.

 

Be thankful you're only "slowed down". I ever got nailed with an OMVI & I can kiss my Corvettes good-bye.

That threat's the A#1 reason I do ALL my "partying" right here at my own home, period.

 

If you owned the new Corvettes on the lot, would you let people drive them at will?

Would you buy a new Corvette that has miles on it from who knows who?

No and no, so I wouldn't be so surprised that you can't just pop in off the street and go corvette driving. What they ussually do is qualify you as a buyer, then maybe if there is a used one around take a test drive in that one. Then you do all the paperwork for the sale, and here's your keys.

I worked at a dealer for many years and the Corvette test drives stories are legendary. Countless people would come back after putting on 100 miles, start dickering about the price, then say I want one with no miles on it. Because they just beat the hell out of that one for 100 miles. Or I remember one guy that comes back with a bent wheel after curbing it. Decides he loves the vette, but doesn't want this one because the wheel is bent and maybe the alignmnet is screwed. Deal with crap like that a couple times and the boss will come out of the office one day and say - there will be no more Corvette test drives. period. They sell themselves, so it's not like your hurting sales.

 

AFvette-- thanks for the offer. I wouldnt feel right driving somebody's personal car- but would let you take me for a ride sometime. Im sure we will meet up at a st. louis get-together.

Yes, because I would be trying to sell them.
Would you buy a house, without going in it and checking it out?

I did. I bought a 78 pace car. So in 28 years a lot of different people put miles on it. If that new corvette had 527.9miles or 530.1 miles (after I drive it a couple)-- I dont think it would make or break the deal.

Hell, I wasn't going to take it to the dragstrip. I would love for the salesperson to ride along and point out features and options I may miss.
I dont even need to take it above 70mph. Im interested in the handling, the new paddle-shift (hows it work, feel, placement, etc), the quietness in the cabin, etc. etc.
So tell me, how do I learn these without taking one for a spin.

 

I have had only one car dealer do that and was when the Aurora came out. And that was because there was a line of folks waithing to drive and the wait was going to be over an hour.

For my C4,C5 and C6 there was no problem at any of the dealers (3). Now they won't let you test the New Z06 but the C6 is no problem.

For my .02! I was impressed in the difference between the C5 and C6 both were similarily equpped except the C6 has the F55.

Good Luck with you search.

 

Plenty others will.

WB

 

Dont get me wrong , Im sure the C6 is a great car-- salespersons think aaww its great, why the need for a test drive.
Well let me tell you why.
I have a 99 hardtop.-- C5's were the sheeot. Greatest sports car for the money. So, I bought one (after a test drive), and they were right.
Now I have 440 horsepower with HUD. What do I gain getting a C6 and dropping another 25 grand. Not more horsepower. Not a HUD. I might gain a paddle-shift if I knew what it was. It might be the coolest thing since sliced bread. I might gain a quieter cabin. I might gain a smoother ride and shift.-- But im not going to go roll the dice with another 25 g out of pocket and "hope" I like these different features. Just want to see if the C6 fits me better than a C5. I will check out other dealers- but Im not as excited. Now I feel like next time Im gonna have to beg to get in the car. Can I pretty please drive your shiney car a couple of miles.

 

I was on the fence too. I had this:

with 367 RWHP


Dyno'd at Mustang Muscle.

One drive in a C6 and I sold the 03 Z. There is a difference between the C5 and C6, just like there was between the C4 and C5 (and I went through that change too). Offer still stands on the demo.

Tom

 

I wouldn't buy without a test drive. Their nuts!!!!!

 

It just depends on the dealer. Ask to talk to the sales manager about it, or just go to another dealer. Many dealers do ration Vette test drives to keep the mileage down and prevent joy rides. The key is to make the salesman comfortable that you are a serious buyer and won't tear up the car. Read this: http://www.caranddriver.com/article....ticle_id=10574, and this thread http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1298753.

I ordered my C6 coupe to replace my C5 coupe without ever driving a C6, but I knew that I wanted the same tranny (manual) and suspension (Z51), and I had a pretty good idea how the C6 would feel after reading how it was an "evolution" of the C5 with similar frame, etc.

 

There have been many threads on this topic. Everyone seems to think they should let you test drive a c6. But when you ask any of them, they wouldn't buy a new vette with even 20 miles on it for fear someone else beat the car.

 

I think the salesman's comments are the real problem. Two kinds of people, LOL, who does he think he is.

That is what would pi$$ me off. The proper way would be to tell you it was against their policy. Not some condescending comment like that.

If the owner had heard a salesperson say that he would have been standing tall before the man.

 

I was in the second category. I never owned a Corvette before. One dealer had a new VR coupe in the show room. He didn't want to let me drive it. After talking to his boss for a very long time they finally let me drive it. After that I went to another dealer who was much more customer friendly. I ended up buying my C6 from the second dealer. When the first delaer called me back in 2 weeks I told him I had bought a similar car from another dealer. Revenge is sweet!!!

 

[QUOTE=1999PewterCorvette]Its unbelievable. I guess a lot of people buy without driving it. Im sure some forum members have done this,

I did, but had I wanted a test drive it would not have been a problem. Find another dealer. If you have a high credit score, let them run a check first. If it's over 800, they will fall all over you like you're Mick Jagger...

 

This issue comes up a lot. Let's put it in some perspective. Every few months we see a thread where someone asks how many miles were on their car at delivery. We have had some guys "outraged" that there were 15 miles on delivery. And no, this isn't just in cases of factory orders. We can't have it both ways. We want a car with virtually no miles on it from the dealer but want to take it for a test drive. Large dealers can afford to keep a Vette around for tests, but smaller dealers probably cannot, especially if after 150 miles of test drives, a customer says that's too many miles for a "new" Vette. Deaerl can't win on this situation.

 

Would you want to buy a Corvette that someone has test driven? I wouldn't.

 

A good salesperson dominates over his buyer.
The better ones do it without you realizing it, and still not offend you.

 

Looking at in another way the dealer realizes that he should have stuck to his guns with you before! His ego is pissed that he didn't, not that you bought the car elsewhere.