You’ve requested a vehicle history report and finished the pre-inspection for your potential next vehicle, so what’s next? We’ve compiled a checklist for any person to go through before you test drive a used vehicle.

Before you drive the vehicle

• Get a second opinion
  When test driving a vehicle, you might not have time to remember all your thoughts about test ride. Bring along a friend or family member to help you take notes and be a second pair of eyes.
• Research first
  Get familiar with the vehicle you will be trying test driving and go into the test drive with an idea of what the features of the vehicle are and how you envision using the vehicle.
• Plan a route to drive
  Planning a route can be crucial to experiencing the vehicle’s performance in a variety of conditions. This can allow you to focus more on the vehicle and how it feels rather than worrying about where to go.
• Evaluate visibility
  Adjust the mirrors and seats, check for blind spots and assess overall visibility.
• Test non-driving features
  Test anything from the electronics (e.g. Bluetooth, parking cameras, radio, windshield wipers), to the passenger leg room, storage space or even the cup holders!

When test driving the vehicle

• Vehicle start-up
  Assess how smoothly the engine starts and listen for any unusual sounds during startup.
• Acceleration and braking
  Test the vehicle’s acceleration on different road conditions and evaluate how responsive the brakes are.
• Handling and steering
  Assess the responsiveness of the steering wheel and how the vehicle handles at various speeds.
• Suspension check
  Drive over bumps or uneven surfaces to evaluate the suspension and overall comfort of the ride.
• Parking
  Practice parking the vehicle to evaluate ease of maneuverability, especially in tight spaces. Use this time to check for blind spots!
• Test any special features
  If the vehicle has special features such as cruise control or parking assist, be sure to test them during the drive.

Can’t remember it all? Don’t worry! We’ve created a test drive checklist to take with you. 

BCAA Auto Marketplace

We understand that shopping for a used vehicle can be a bit overwhelming so that’s why we created BCAA Auto Marketplace, British Columbian’s trusted place to buy and sell your car.

BCAA Auto Marketplace was designed to make the used vehicle buying and selling process easier. Built on a trusted community of verified users, BCAA Members, and access to vehicle details and reports so you can navigate the used vehicle market with confidence to find your perfect vehicle match.

• Buy or Sell for Free: No cost for listing or selling on BCAA Auto Marketplace
• Simple and Straight Forward: Transparent pricing identifying vehicles by “great price”
• Verified Members: Buy and sell from verified users and BCAA Members
• Customer Support: Access to resources and a dedicated BCAA Auto Marketplace customer support team

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