I've never driven a manual before (although i have studied it off youtube lol and i think i could do it pretty easily).
Do you think a ford dealership will allow me to test drive their manual car even though i have never driven a manual before? Or will they at least take me out to an open lot or road and let me give it a try there?
Hm.....they 'might', but I dunno...bit of a risk. You could go screaming into a set of brand new cars...lol
Can you get a friend to let you try it out in a parking lot in their car? Might be a better idea.
no...........go with a friend that drives stick and let him leave the lot with you, then hit up a parking lot and test it out there.
yeah usually they dont let ppl take the car if they dont know how to drive stick. also they shouldnt let two guys take the car out without the sales guy as well.
Go around to different dealerships until you find one that will let you and someone else take a car out without the sales person.
I HATE when they come with you, as usually YOU the potential buyer are likely better educated about the car you're looking at (usually the case for me anyways), as well as the fact that THEY are not buying the vehicle, so why should they be in it? I find that if you look at economy cars, or "Regular" cars, you're less likely to have a sales person tag along. They are with you when you take out something worth more though...
Anyways, I'd find a dealer like I mentioned, or even go to a lot that sells used cars, and drive something with a stick there....Just bear in mind that cars from the GTA or Ottawa (or other major urban centres) will almost always have more use and/or abuse on their transmissions from all the stop-n'-go traffic...so when you are looking to buy a car with a stick, buy it outside of town if you can help it
Hope this stuff helps...
When I was going to buy my car, I told the salesman I never knew how to drive stick, but if he wanted to make the sale, he would have to show me the basics.
So the salesman brought me to a dirt stretch near the dealership and the lesson began. Only took 5 min of his time, I stalled twice, but it made me feel confident that they will take the time to show people how to drive it correctly before the sale.
I drove my focus off the lot a newbie to stick. Although I had prior lessons when my dad let me drive 2 times in his VW rabit.
learn to drive with a friend's car or buy a beater and learn on it
it is hard to properly evaluate a car on a test drive if you are too focused on how to change the gears or not stalling
EDIT: and drive a few examples of the car before you buy it really helps you get a feel for whether the clutch and trans are messed up from abuse.
I told my sales man I didn't know how to drive standard, but that's what I was going to buy. He drove the car out of the lot and out the highway to an industrial area, then in an empty parking lot he let me drive, then drive all the way back to the dealership cuz I was just that good :D Even tho never really driven a standard car. b4. Couple forklifts but that's about it. Anyways more fun to wreck some dealerships cars then your own :D
cornflakes,Sep 20 2007, 07:31 PM Wrote:I've never driven a manual before (although i have studied it off youtube lol and i think i could do it pretty easily).
Do you think a ford dealership will allow me to test drive their manual car even though i have never driven a manual before? Or will they at least take me out to an open lot or road and let me give it a try there?
[right][snapback]249193[/snapback][/right]
Would you test drive a vehicle if you didn't know how to drive at all?
Don't see much of a differene.
By driving a stick without experience you are putting the sales person, yourself and everyone else around you at risk. Though many of use pick it up very very quickly, I know others that just can't get it.
LEARN STICK, YOU WONT REGRET iT auto blows. also, read about how the clutch/tranny works on howstuffworks.com or something. If you learn how it works mechanically, you will learn it even easier and appreciate it more.