5 ms·

How do test drives work in this model?

by tocomment 14y ago

djt 14y ago
you go into one of their showrooms or you drive a friends car.
- brown9-2 14y ago
  I think this is a fair question - it's hard to see how you could take a Tesla for a test drive if the showroom is located in the middle of an indoor shopping mall. Would they keep a small fleet on-hand in the mall's parking lot?
WiseWeasel 14y ago
With a considerable amount of imagination. At least they allow us to get our grubby hands on them, if briefly.
URSpider94 14y ago
Given that the waiting list for a car is somewhat over a year at this point, Tesla have mounted a nationwide tour of test-drive cars. However, I'm pretty sure that you either have to own a Roadster already, or have put down a deposit on a Model S, in order to get a test drive slot.
brc 14y ago
Any high-demand cars are usually not available for test drives, unless you know the dealer or someone with one. It's not unheard of for people to have to purchase a car sight unseen, never driven. Dealers may give you an 'out' - as in final delivery is subject to a satisfactory test drive - but few people are going to knock back a car they've been waiting months for.
- cincinnatus 14y ago
  Indeed I purchased a Mercedes ML in 1997 having not even seen one on the road yet, it was not out yet and 1998 was the first model year. Got one of the first thousand off the assembly line with mixed results (used to call it the 'beta'). I will likely be buying a Tesla X without ever seeing one.
  - brc 14y ago
    "mixed results" boy, you're being kind. They released way too early on that model - new model, new factory, first consumer SUV for the brand. You might have been lucky but they did have a lot of problems. Ironically now they make an excellent used buy - like evolution, all of the buggy ones have been crushed, and the ones that remain are the solid examples. But their terrible reputation means they don't cost much at all. Incidentally, my boss at the time bought one as well, and weirdly enough he let me drive it on the first day he owned it. There is no freaking way I'd let an employee drive my brand new car, but he seemed to think it was cool. Still weirded out by that to this day.
    - cincinnatus 14y ago
      Yea I kind of which now I had kept the 98. It was working quite well by the time I gave it up, but there were safety related upgrades on the new build that caused me to switch.

How do test drives work in this model?

djt 14y ago

you go into one of their showrooms or you drive a friends car.

brown9-2 14y ago
I think this is a fair question - it's hard to see how you could take a Tesla for a test drive if the showroom is located in the middle of an indoor shopping mall. Would they keep a small fleet on-hand in the mall's parking lot?

WiseWeasel 14y ago

With a considerable amount of imagination. At least they allow us to get our grubby hands on them, if briefly.

URSpider94 14y ago

Given that the waiting list for a car is somewhat over a year at this point, Tesla have mounted a nationwide tour of test-drive cars. However, I'm pretty sure that you either have to own a Roadster already, or have put down a deposit on a Model S, in order to get a test drive slot.

brc 14y ago

Any high-demand cars are usually not available for test drives, unless you know the dealer or someone with one. It's not unheard of for people to have to purchase a car sight unseen, never driven. Dealers may give you an 'out' - as in final delivery is subject to a satisfactory test drive - but few people are going to knock back a car they've been waiting months for.

cincinnatus 14y ago
Indeed I purchased a Mercedes ML in 1997 having not even seen one on the road yet, it was not out yet and 1998 was the first model year. Got one of the first thousand off the assembly line with mixed results (used to call it the 'beta'). I will likely be buying a Tesla X without ever seeing one.
- brc 14y ago
  "mixed results" boy, you're being kind. They released way too early on that model - new model, new factory, first consumer SUV for the brand. You might have been lucky but they did have a lot of problems. Ironically now they make an excellent used buy - like evolution, all of the buggy ones have been crushed, and the ones that remain are the solid examples. But their terrible reputation means they don't cost much at all. Incidentally, my boss at the time bought one as well, and weirdly enough he let me drive it on the first day he owned it. There is no freaking way I'd let an employee drive my brand new car, but he seemed to think it was cool. Still weirded out by that to this day.
  - cincinnatus 14y ago
    Yea I kind of which now I had kept the 98. It was working quite well by the time I gave it up, but there were safety related upgrades on the new build that caused me to switch.