Do People Really Buy a New Car Without Test Driving it?

I've been seeing new car commercials where they say that they'll
deliver it to your door.
Do people really do that?

Yep. They don't know how buy a car or sit long enough for finances. They see price guarantee, warranty, and don't have to leave PC, phone or ipad to pick up. Usually 25-30 crowd.

"Millennials". Cars are a conveyance, something to be looked at with disdain. Necessary evil. Only thing that counts is the nose badge, a BMW trumps a Kia... unless they get a Prius. :smirk:

Just think of all the people who buy used and classic cars on online auctions without ever seeing them. I think that's even riskier than buying a brand new one.

HealeyRick said:

Just think of all the people who buy used and classic cars on online auctions without ever seeing them. I think that's even riskier than buying a brand new one.

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No kidding! And way too many of those online sellers know nothing about the car, or they're "selling for a friend". Not reassuring when the only photos of the online sale show the car still on the trailer which delivered it to the seller.

yeesh

DrEntropy said:

"Millennials". Cars are a conveyance, something to be looked at with disdain. Necessary evil. Only thing that counts is the nose badge, a BMW trumps a Kia... unless they get a Prius. :smirk:

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With respect to legit Beemer drivers including IIRC his Basilness himself. This made me laugh out loud because at least in this part of the world it isn't far from the truth. (in other news while other crimes are down in the area due to Social Distancing - stunt driving is up 200%)

I agree about test driving if possible. Buying a classic is of course a much bigger crapshoot. But since there are not Daimler SP250s on the local car lot to try out, I might just do that.

I have bought newer cars sight unseen including my last two daily drivers but both times I test drove the make/model locally, then bought online (dealers around here don't deal).

Unless I'm buying something I know isn't drivable, like the pile of parts MGs, I will drive. I also actually go to a store for some things like pants and shirts. I want at least to hold them up and examine then if not try on before plunking down the cash. The youth prefer the convenience of order on the phone and door deliver. Of course, you also see a lot more online complaints that things are exactly as billed in the ad, which could be prevented if you actually see what you're buying, for real, first.

As has been said the new generation doesn't put as much personal attachment to driving as we did. Having said that i have bought two daily drivers without ever seeing them first. Both brand new and from a dealer that I have done business with for near 40 years. I started not being so concerned with my daily driver some years ago when I started using company vehicles. I drove every day in a vehicle not of my choosing. All i needed was that it was configured to do the job. For many years it was an AWD SUV. Got a new one every 3 or 4 years just transferred equipment and drove the wheels off of them for about 150k miles each time. So when it came time to buy my personal SUV I just went to the dealer told them I wanted a new Explorer, or Blazer etc with the options accessories I wanted and said let me know when its in. I have had at least one I wasn't too crazy about. Interior egonomics had to be designed by an idiot. But when i want to drive for fun I take how the Healey, MGB or Vette. Since I drove company car for mostly 24/7, for years then the personal car hardly got used. So just order it and get used to it. It's alot easier.