Question: Do car salesmen have specific routes they want you to use when test driving a new or used car? And if so, why?

December 03, 2005

Hello Tony

I appreciate your site. It helped when I got my Wrangler in 2003 and now I am going to get a 350Z in the spring. I have a question for you.

I test drove the Nissan 350Z last week. My boyfriend and I arrived, in his 99 Solara, and no one came to help us. Not that we where surprised, which is one reason we took the older car. We did not want to be mobbed. This was about one in the afternoon on a Wendsday.

The one salesman who was very polite we told that we were interested in test driving the 350Z. He said yes, but that he would have to show us the test drive route and then I could take the boyfriend with me for a ride.

We blinked at each other but said okay. We where only test driving, and unless they handed the car over free with tags title and tag paid, we would not leave with a vehicle.

So the salesman took me about 2 miles down the road, traded places with me, and drove back. He didn't say anything and I was also quiet, although I did examine the interior from the passenger side.

Then I took the boyfriend out. We went out further, played with the car, came back and gave the keys over thanked the salesman and left.

However this whole thing "we have to show you the route" I have never heard before, nor has my boyfriend. He thinks the salesman just wanted to drive the Z. I think that he was hoping to get me comfortable and chattering to him on the drive. What is your opinion on this?

Mels

Answer:

Hi Mels,

I have worked at car dealers where they had designated routes for the salesmen to take customers for test rides. We were to drive the first half of the ride then pull over and let the customer drive back. This was mandatory on every test ride.

It's all about the salesman keeping control of the situation. Also, the route they follow is designed to exaggerate the good points of the car. It's usually a smooth route with few bumps and so forth.

During the test drive the salesman is supposed to ask the customer questions to find out what it's going to take to put a deal together, and to point out various features of the car in order to find your "hot buttons" so they can then use them later when they are trying to close the deal.

The whole car selling process is a big psychological game to coerce the customer into making an emotional buying decision on the spot. They don't want the customer to leave without buying, because the chances are good that they will never see them again.

Sales Managers put a lot of pressure on sales people to follow a certain script, and some sales people do a better job than others. It doesn't seem like your sales person was completely following his script. He probably got a real a-- chewing for letting you leave without telling his Sales Manager what was going on!

All my very best...

Tony Iorio