Adawg1203
Well-Known Member
Iās not too often i disagree with you but on this I do but not in its entirety. There is absolutely every reason in the world to test the vehicle you are brining home. I get your point but when you are dropping 40K, 50K, and higher that to me is reason enough. Knowing what you are getting for the money you are spending in my eyes is due diligence. That falls completely on the buyer.Any car or truck, you should be able to test drive one on the lot and get a feel for how THAT model with THAT engine and THAT transmission and THAT gear ratio handles and drives and rides.
Then, as in my case, you order one in the color you want, the interior you want and should be able to feel confident that your vehicle will perform, steer, handle and ride like the one you drove.
There should be no reason to have to test drive every individual example of a given model, given engine, given transmission to make sure the steering isn't loose.
If you are satisfied with one on the lot and say to them, yes, but I want one in blue, black leather and not brown, with the larger screen system and know it's going to be fine because one almost like it was perfect when you drove it.
There's no reason in the world you have to test drive every single example of the same make and model because the color is different or the fenders are black instead of blue.
The consumer must be able to have some expectations that if the one they build for you has a problem or a major difference, the company will take care of it.
I drove 'em on the lot but they didn't have the color we wanted with the blue fenders and blue roof and a couple of other options. So we ordered. We were VERY happy with how the ones on the lot drove and handled and felt. Very happy - and that should be enough. You should not have to expect that every one off the line is going to be different in how it steers - the steering should be identical on every Overland ever made, every Sport S made, every Rubicon made - there should be little difference in ride because of different options, some, but not night and day. But the steering parts are the same on all of them - the track bar, the control arms, the steering sector, drag links, etc. (ok, there MAY be a tiny difference because of the wider axles on the Rubicon and Sport S max tow but even that shouldn't impact steering - just perhaps a bit on the ride or handling in heavy winds)
The track bar and links and other stuff I got as "Rubicon take-offs" are identical to the parts on my Overland.
I picked mine up at 6 pm in the middle of West Des Moines rush - it took several minutes just to get onto a street, then it was crazy stop and go to get to the interstate and I got to test that 3.6's guts and acceleration risking my life getting onto I35 southbound.
(anyone wonder what it's like - people from other states cuss our drivers - a friend from Toronto flew to Eugene, then drove his wife-to-be's car back to Toronto and came through Iowa - he said Iowa drivers sucked the worst of his whole trip - rude, cutting him off, fingering him, he was glad as heck to get out of Wes Des Moines especially)
The only way to have gotten a "test drive" for my specific special order JT would have been to gone back mid-morning when it was a bit calmer - but why? I already drove JTs from the lot.
We drove examples on the lot, they steered, handled and rode great. The expectation was that a truck made with my colors and radio screen size should do the same. IF not, then that's their problem - fix it.
When we trade GCs every 2 to 2.5 years, we drive one or two examples, then pick the options we want when we are satisfied that the trim level she wants is what we're going to get - no need to test drive the exact specific vehicle if the others were fine - unless FCA screws one up - then it's up to them to make it as good as the others we drove.
My son test drove a couple of Compass Jeeps - but they weren't the options he wanted. So they found him one - he had no need to test drive it because he knew he wanted on. If that one had steered badly or had some issues - then THAT one has a problem - they would have needed to fix it.
I can see the ultimate protection would be a long 15 minutes test drive of the exact vehicle you are getting, not just examples, and on all road surfaces, all road crowns, all speeds, wind, no wind and so on. But that's not always possible or practical. Maybe it's not windy that day, maybe the roads there don't have a crown and your roads do - maybe the opposite, maybe the speed limits in that whole area are 55 - and you travel interstates at 70....... you can't test for all situations, all roads, all wind speeds and directions, all highway speeds.
Just laying out some explanations for the numbers of those with issues vs. why wasn't it found before driving away with it..........
Look this isnāt some Camry, accord, and whatever extremely high quality vehicles there are out there we are talking about. Those vehicle i agree choose the color and throw me the keys and Iāll sign and drive away.
The vehicle we are talking about is a FIRST year model. Not taking it even around the block would be irresponsible on the buyerās part. Look i special ordered my LE. Doesnāt mean i wasnāt going to give it a whirl before signing on the dotted line. You beat on the test vehicle you donāt plan to buy and you baby the one you plan to bring home. Regardless, if you order different color or features.
My whole point to making a comment was out of curiosity, to identify was the vehicle āunsafeā at point of transaction or did it ābecomeā unsafe later on. Maybe because of modifications, I donāt know but was curious.
Anyway, in my case I wouldnāt gamble on not testing the vehicle Iām actually purchasing prior to bringing home. I do get your point some cases/circumstances you roll with it.
Buyers have to take responsibility on knowing what they are purchasing BEFORE they purchase. Donāt say after you brought a new vehicle home, that is when you discovered there was 6 inches of play in the steering wheel. It wasnāt there when you test drove it? Obviously Iām making that up but you get the point I was trying to make.
Anyway thatās my two cents or less.
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