test driving a used car that I don't intend to buy?

I have always bought my cars third party(I think i am using that term correctly) and face to face. no stealerships, no used car lots. lots of CL and friends of friends, that sort of stuff.

I am currently thinking about moving on from my swapped BMW e30. I have narrowed down my choices to 2 or 3 models(ok maybe like 3 or 6) and they are all pretty different from my past car experience. So, the question is, would it be scummy of me to go to used car lots to test drive my options even though I have absolutely zero intentions of buying a car from them? I would really like to try out the different options a little just to get a feel for things and maybe rule out 1 or two choices.

In reply to Daeldalus :

If you can tolerate dealing with used car dealers, go for it. 

Go for it.  Keep an open mind and try to look at cars that you may consider.  You might find that the used car lot one is the best value.

Dealers don't expect everyone to buy the car.  Also they know that you surely won't buy the car if you don't come to check it out and drive it.

I usually line up a few test drives for one day and be honest with the salesmen that I am looking to try several options before making a decision.

I've done it quite a few times. My Method has always been to be upfront with the salespeople and tell him that I ain't buying a car from them today or more than likely ever. I've very rarely received anything less than courteous service when I was upfront in the beginning

I think it is a bit underhanded, but I bet you'll suffer more than they do. 

Most salesmen work off commission, so you are wasting their time and money. 

Be up front with your intentions. Who knows, you might actually come across a car you'll end up buying? If nothing else you might send them a referral if they treat you well because regular folks are always asking "car guys" like us where to go buy a car.

i always said i'd never buy a used car from a dealer, and i always said i'd never take dealer trade-in.

guess how we got mama's latest minivan?   guess how we got rid of mama's previous minivan?

if they've got what you want and are OK to deal with, there's no shame in buying from a dealer.

I do it all the time.  I'm not afraid to buy a car from anywhere, even if I have to ship it in (as long as it makes financial sense).  So when I'm car shopping and narrow it down to a handful of models I'm interested in, I just find the nearest one to me and go test drive it.  I have no intention of actually buying that specific car.  Just did it 6 months ago with my G37.  I test drove BMW 3 series, Honda Accord, Toyota Avalon, G37 all locally but had no intention of buying any of the cars I actually drove.  Bought my actual car 300 miles away, where it was $2000 cheaper.  I did a one way rental through Avis to go get it, cost me $80

Tire kickers are part of the job for dealers. I'd just tell the dealer, "I'm not ready to buy a car today, just out doing some research, and I've got several cars I want to drive." And keep an open mind about buying from the dealer - you may well find the right model at the right price there and decide you want to buy it. The dealer can decide how much time they want to risk with you after you've established a sale may take a while - they may just get a copy of your license, hand you a key, and just let you take the car unaccompanied, or they may decide to send a high pressure salescreature with you in the hopes of closing the deal anyway.

Keep in mind that not all car salesmen are scumbags, and many are trying to make a living just like you are.  It's part of their job to convert "lookie loos" into sales, so they are used to dealing with folks who "aren't buying a car today".   They are actually trained to ignore that statement, and go about their business.   They realize that if they show you the right car, and offer the right deal---- you really will buy that car today--- regardless of what silly words come out of your mouth.  

Be as honest and courteous as possible, and don't visit the dealership to do this on a Saturday afternoon.  (their busiest time)   Head over on a Tuesday afternoon, when they are slow, and let the salesperson know you are not prepared to buy.   That said, if they have the perfect car, and offer you a great deal---- -there is no reason you shouldn't consider buying from them.  

You can't go wrong treating people with respect and being honest.  If they get too pushy or piss you off, walk out.   There are reputable dealers out there, no sense dealing with slimy facilities. 

Part of the cost of doing business for dealers.  If you're looking for something very depreciated, then you'll probably be visiting the place right between the check advance and the pawn shop.  Those folks scrape together their living by reading people and they'll figure out you're a 'be back' and not a 'fresh up' pretty quick.  They will assess your buying propensity regardless of what words you say, and if they don't have anything else going on (and don't have to get it off the rotisserie or move 3 rows of cars,) they'll send you off with the keys and a dealer plate.

Cash buyers with other options are not the buyers these places are looking for.   Can't hurt to poke around, though. 

If the stuff you're looking at is new enough to be at Carmax, I'd go that route.  

i have another question now.

how do I search for cars on dealer lots in my area? carmax was a bust and when I put manual transmission into the dealer search on CL I get less than a page of actual crap. hmm.......

In reply to Daeldalus :

Try cars.com, autotrader.com, cargurus.com, etc.  I personally like Searchtempest.com to browse Craigslist and the other outlets through a single search engine.  It remembers your last 3 searches by default, so it's quick to re-seach.  

Set it to search title only within For Sale - cars and trucks...from there you can click dealers if you just want to see that. 

Example:

In reply to Daeldalus :

Cars.com

Autotrader.com

eBay Motors

This was exactly my jam in High School.  I always looked a little older than I actually was.  A snappy shirt and nice shoes with the story of "mom and dad are buying me a car for college graduation" got me a lot of fun test drives in Ferraris, Vettes, NSXs, AMGs, and a Delorean.

I never lied.  Mom and dad DID buy me a car for college graduation, I just omitted the part that it wasn't going to be for another 5 years.

I came to say what has already been said.

Be honest

Be open-minded

Buy a Honda 

Curtis said:

This was exactly my jam in High School.  I always looked a little older than I actually was.  A snappy shirt and nice shoes with the story of "mom and dad are buying me a car for college graduation" got me a lot of fun test drives in Ferraris, Vettes, NSXs, AMGs, and a Delorean.

I never lied.  Mom and dad DID buy me a car for college graduation, I just omitted the part that it wasn't going to be for another 5 years.

That's a scumbag move. I like it.

barefootskater said:

I came to say what has already been said.

Be honest

Be open-minded

Buy a Honda 

one of the cars I am looking into actually is a honda.

I've done it more than once. As long as you're up front about it, that's their job. Actually, it's their job to make a deal good enough that you will buy it today that makes them money. So they'd much rather you were on the lot driving a car that you "didn't intend to buy" instead of just driving by.

I also figure it's better than bothering an individual selling a car.

Just tell them the deal, shopping and doing research.  I looked at about half a dozen cars at one Carmax, not even counting the MINI and the Solstice.  One look under the hood of the MINI and I walked away, sitting in the Solstice was enough to make me look elsewhere.  Test about everything that had that was sporty and/or convertible, even a convertible Volvo(heavy like a tank)  Ended up doing a fly and buy on a Mazdaspeed Miata from a private party

It's pretty normal to visit a dealer a few times before buying, and most people test drive at least 5 cars.  Research and diligence is fine. Maybe they'll surprise you and sell you a car at private-party prices.

I also try to pick a dealership that has at least two cars you'd want to evaluate.  Carmax is good since they tend to have a lot of cars, and many brands. I tend to plan test drives around noon (lunch break), and say I need to be back to work by 1 PM. If you have a hard stop, you won't have to sit around while you "meet the manager before you leave."  Call or email ahead and a good salesman will have the cars lined up and ready for you in advance.

I just went through a car buying experience.  I was actually looking at buying from a dealer, but wound up doing a private party purchase.  It took me at least 8-10 test drives stretched out over 3+ weeks.  In the first week or two, I was pretty specific that I was still narrowing things down, but I needed seat time to really help me build an internal database.  Once or twice I drove a particular make/model again to recalibrate myself and better compare the new makes/models.  

Salesmen know that you're going to look at multiple cars, so don't sweat it too much.  I'd agree, though, that you should keep an open mind.

Also----- visit the car lots, don't just look online.

Many of the cars are sold off at auction, or just plain sold before they ever make it to the interwebs.  Online listings are also a great way for a dealer to pull the "bait and switch".   

I do this occasionally.  If there is absolutely no way, under any circumstance, I would ever buy the car, I don't do it.  Since there's always the chance of a killer deal, a sudden "must have it" urge to buy and an unexpected blessing from SWMBO (this coincidence of variables has happened at least once), I can usually test drive with a clear conscience.  I'm up front about what I'm doing and exactly one time had the dealer say "unless there's a good chance you're going to buy it, no test drives".  Incidentally, I believe that dealer is now out of business.  I usually pay for my test drives by at least politely listening to "the hard sell" about why I absolutely MUST buy this car TODAY.  That's usually enough of a penalty to keep me from abusing the arraignment.

When my friend was shopping for a sports car, we used to hit dealerships during the lunch hour.  You'd be amazed the keys they'll throw at you if you're wearing a decent suit. 

In reply to Tyler H :

you have opened new doors to me sir. thank you