SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Today's Why Guy question is from Renee Hargrove: "Why don't car dealerships send a salesperson on test drives with prospective buyers these days?"
Renee shared a story with ABC10 about an 80-year-old female friend who had not test-driven a car in 30 years and was told by the salesperson to go solo.
During the test drive, Renee's friend had confusing issues with buttons and then the wipers came on. All in all, it was an unpleasant test drive.
There are different policies on salespeople riding with you based on what dealership you're visiting and what city or state you're in.
So, what can you do?
"Tell the salesperson you'll get a better feel for it if you go out alone, without any distractions. If he insists on coming, make it clear that you want
to drive the vehicle on your terms and experience it on multiple road surfaces and at varying speeds," according to Car and Driver magazine.
The magazine adds that buyers should ask to take the vehicle home overnight, let the whole family ride in it and maybe even kick the tires.
So, while many prefer to test drive alone, in some cases like Renee's friend, driving alone with an unfamiliar car may not be a good idea.
Watch more on ABC10: Why do people propose on one knee?
