Hi there,
Wonder if someone can give me guidance on how to get a test drive?

I'm thinking of a CX3. Simple really. Obviously I would like a test drive first. That's where the problems start.

My local dealer - David Hayton in Southport, had 6 or 7 used/nearly new on their forecourt, one of which was the spec I was looking for. I couldn't drive any of them. All I was offered was to take the showroom car out, providing I only did 1 or 2 miles. Lots of chat and e-mails, but until a demonstrator was registered that's all I could get.

I tried Arnold Clark in Liverpool No problems getting a test drive. I fact I could have as many as I wanted. I had to fill in a big application form. A member of staff would accompany me - in the front seat, so Mrs. would be in the back like a bag of shopping. I had to go on their pre-planned route, and follow their map for a 2 mile drive round the traffic lights in central Liverpool. No divergence allowed. Is this what CX-3s are designed for?

Next I tried Warrington Mazda who have the exact car I want at the price I want and the colour my Mrs. wants. (That's important because she is paying!). They won't even talk to me.

All dealers are more than happy to e-mail me about their "fantastic" finance deals. This seems to involve me paying them 10% because they won't let me buy a car outright. But that is really secondary. Until I can actually drive the thing I don't know if it's the car for me.

Is this normal Mazda practice, or is there anywhere I can go to actually sit behind the steering wheel on the open road/

 

I am shocked to hear your experience. I cannot comment on how typical it is for Mazda dealers in the UK. In the US, I have found Mazda dealers to be better than average, however, I have never heard of anything close to your experience. I would not even expect this level of disrespect for someone trying to drive the most expensive car car on the lot (GT-R, ZR1, NSX).

Do you and others you know get the same disrespect from other brands?

If it is only Mazda, I would complain directly to Mazda. I bet you could get some respect from Mazda itself.

Let us know how it turns out.

 

Thank you.
I have tried to contact Mazda UK, but fear my computer skills are insufficient to find my way to a contact page. Whenever I try to contact them I am always asked to choose which dealer I want. So I get nowhere. I presume there are contact details somewhere, but they are too well hidden for my skills to find. Also, I do not use Facebook/Twitter so that avenue is closed to me.

I haven't tried other brands. Looking around the CX3 seems to be just about what I want, and other makes seem to fall a bit short of my requirements. (They are all more or less the same!) Basically I like a car that I can drive when I'm out in the less well populated areas that I frequent, not just go shopping in, or run the kids around!!!

I'll keep plugging away, more in hope than expectation.

 

Very odd, as mazdaCPA says, here in the States things are very different. Our Mazda dealership gave us a brand new car to take home for the night; we probably put 60 miles on it before returning it and then putting in an order for the exact car/color/configuration we wanted.

 

If only!!!
Interestingly BMW are now advertising 24 hour test drives over here. I have no idea what the terms and conditions are, but there won't be a member of staff sitting in the car, and mileage cannot be restricted.

My last car was a Ford, some 6 years ago. Bought "nearly new". Showroom lent it to me for the weekend on my verbal promise that if I liked it I would buy it from them. I must have put 250 miles on it, but I bought it!!!

 

You may need to put the screws to your local dealerships to ease up on their restrictions; either that, or shop for a BMW. FWIW, we've had three BMWs and five Mazdas in our family, I love both brands.

 

My questions about other brands is to figure out if it is the local standard, is it only Mazda or is it discrimination.

It sounds like they need to register demonstrators which does not need to occur in the US or at least in the States I have been. Ask your friends and family what they have found trying to test drive a car.

While I love Mazdas, I would never buy one if I would have to deal with a dealership that treats me the way you have been treated. (Again unless this is the way everybody is treated at all dealerships due to a difficulties in having cars available for test drives.)

The comment about the sales person needing to sit in the front is disturbing on a different level (again unless required by law) Every time I have had 2 people go to test drive a car, either the sales person sits in back (and comments on how spacious it is in the back) or he stays at the dealership. If a customer is married, two people are making the decision. You can't tell who is the deciding party.

I test drove a Subaru. My wife sat next to me and the sales person sat in the back. He asked how I liked it. I said I hated the way it drove. We bought the car a few hours later. I drove because my wife didn't feel comfortable with the roads near the dealership. She drove later. My wife drives Subarus and I complain about the handling/brakes and so on. I drive a Mazda and she complains about the size/road noise/brakes and so on. Could you imagine how successful the sale would have been if my wife had to sit in the back?

 

I suspect the insistence on a staff member being in the car is to do with insurance requirements. If a staff member is in the car then silly antics are unlikely to happen.
I also suspect they want to sit in the front to point out "interesting features" on the car.

 

I notice at my dealership, if there are two people looking at a car, the salesperson always heads for the backseat.

 

Maybe I'm just not use to the new way of buying a car in UK.
Make that leasing a car, because car ownership seems to be a thing of the past.