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February
2nd - 5th |
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Thurs, Feb. 2nd
[3 pm - 9 pm] |
Fri,
Feb. 3rd
[11 am - 9 pm] |
Sat,
Feb. 4th
[10 am- 9 pm] |
Sun,
Feb 5th
[11 am - 5 pm] |
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Seagate Convention Centre - Downtown Toledo,
OH
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Maximize Your Test Drive
Finally, you know what car you want to buy. As long as the test drive goes well, the car will be yours. Stop!
There's more to a test drive than a few spins around the block. A 10-minute cruise bears a lot of weight on what car you could own for a few years. Follow this guide to make your test drive a smooth ride.
Before you even start the car, take a good look at it. Seams should be straight and uniform, and exterior panels should match up.
Test the door handles to see if the doors open comfortably. Remember that you'll be wearing gloves or mittens in the winter: If the doors are difficult to open with bare hands, it will only be worse in cold weather.
Hop into the front seat. Play with the radios, gauges, windows and other controls, making sure they are easy to reach, operate and adjust. Fiddle with them now, not on the road when you should be paying attention to your driving.
Don't forget to look out for your passengers. See what it's like getting into and out of the car from the passenger side and backseats, noting the width of door openings and the height of seats. Compact cars have smaller backseats. But if it's really tight and you will often have backseat passengers (like children), you may end up with unhappy riders.
Pop the trunk. See if your suitcases, golf clubs, stroller or other gear you regularly stash in the trunk fit in easily. See how high you have to lift items to get them inside. You want it to be easy to load, not a daily struggle.
Now it's time to hop in. Don't start the car until you are ready, having adjusted the mirrors, steering wheel and seat. The seat should be comfortable enough to provide long-distance support, and the head rest should lock in place and adjust to your height.
Choose a route that covers an array of surfaces like streets, towns, country roads and highways to test how the car handles and feels on different terrains. The ride should feel soft and cushioned, and you shouldn't hear strange noises when traveling over rough surfaces.
Put the car through the rigors of driving. Test steering by taking long curves, short curves, lane changes and swerves. Gauge how the car reacts to changes in direction. Steering should feel stable and precise enough to help you avoid an accident.
Test the car's power. Accelerate onto ramps, pass at high speeds, and accelerate at normal conditions. You should be able to go fast enough to avoid accidents and pass slower cars.
Test the brakes as much as possible. Carefully, use the brakes softly and then more forcefully. They should slow you in a straight, controlled fashion.
You won't just be driving the car; you'll be parking it, too. Parallel park to check for blind spots. Park in a lot to test the mirrors and maneuverability of the car. It's up to you to get the most out of your test drive, so take your time.
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