Test Drive Checklist

A test drive is not a formality. It is the only chance to find faults that no listing mentions and no static inspection reveals.

Before you move

• Start the engine cold if you can. Ask the seller not to warm it up beforehand, since cold starts reveal noises and smoke that disappear once warm.
• Watch the dashboard through the ignition cycle. Warning lights should illuminate then extinguish. A light that never comes on may have been removed.
• Check that the air conditioning blows cold and the heater blows hot.
• Test every window, lock, mirror and seat adjustment.

The route

Insist on a route rather than a loop around the block. You need three types of road.

• Rough surface at low speed, windows down, listening for suspension knocks and rattles.
• Highway at sustained speed, checking for vibration, wandering, wind noise, and that the transmission reaches top gear and holds it.
• Stop-start traffic, checking low-speed shift quality, brake feel and any hesitation from a standstill.

Things buyers forget

• Brake hard once, somewhere safe and empty. Pulsation through the pedal points to warped rotors; pulling to one side points to a caliper or suspension problem.
• Reverse and turn the wheel to full lock in both directions, listening for clicking from worn joints.
• Turn the radio off for most of the drive.
• Try the parking brake on an incline.
• Look behind you after a hard acceleration for smoke: blue means oil, white means coolant, black means fuel.

Before you go, check the vehicle for open safety recalls by VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup, and look up its crash test ratings through NHTSA's safety resources.

Afterwards

Park, leave the engine running, and look underneath for fresh drips. Open the hood and look for leaks and steam. Then switch off, wait a few minutes, and check the oil and coolant.

None of this replaces a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic. It tells you whether the car is worth paying one for.