Can You Buy a Test Drive Car from a 4S Store?
4 Answers
You can buy a test drive car from a 4S store. Here are the specific details about test drive cars from 4S stores: 1. Low Mileage: Test drive cars usually operate near the 4S store, with each test drive covering only about three to four kilometers, so the mileage is relatively low. However, test drive cars are like "public buses"—every consumer, regardless of their driving skills, gets to try them out, and some might even floor the accelerator. 2. High Configuration: Test drive cars are always high-end models. This is a strict requirement from manufacturers, who hope consumers will purchase the more profitable high-end versions, as the low-end models offer minimal profit margins.
Last week, I accompanied my childhood friend to test drive a demo car at the 4S dealership and realized how tricky it can be. Although these cars are 15%-20% cheaper than brand-new ones, they've been subjected to countless hard accelerations and emergency brakes by test drivers. I specifically checked the wear on the chassis bushings and reviewed the maintenance records—the SUV with 8,000 kilometers on it had already gone through three sets of brake pads. The biggest pitfall with demo cars is hidden accident damage, so I strongly recommend checking the insurance history. One reliable aspect is that the warranty period resets from the day you take ownership. We eventually chose one showing 3,000 kilometers on the odometer and used a little bargaining trick: intentionally negotiating at month-end when salespeople are pushing to meet targets.
As someone who has gone through three demo car transactions, I believe the key lies in three points: first, check if the odometer reading is genuine (some dealerships disconnect the sensor), second, bring a seasoned mechanic to inspect the screw marks in the engine bay (any tampering leaves traces), and third, examine if the tire tread wear is symmetrical. Last year, I was interested in a demo car labeled with 5,000 kilometers, only to find the driver's seat side bolsters collapsed—this indicated it had been aggressively test-driven by at least 200 people. Never trust the sales pitch claiming 'only used for client transfers'—I've seen demo cars being used as inventory shuttles.
Buying a demo car is like opening a blind box. Last year, I took over a BMW 3 Series demo car and saved 70,000 yuan, but ran into trouble: the steering gear started making abnormal noises just three weeks after the transfer. Later, I learned that demo cars suffer the most damage to their suspension systems, especially since speed bumps are often taken at over 30 km/h. Key advice: insist that the 4S dealership provides a complete PDI inspection report, which must include data on the chassis and suspension. Additionally, the electronic systems in demo cars are the most prone to issues—the automatic parking function in that car worked intermittently because the sensor connectors had become loose from frequent plugging and unplugging.
