Take a test drive

With all of the online sources available for your basic research, we believe the importance of the test drive has been marginalized. Virtually nothing is more important in your decision process than how you feel behind the wheel. And so many variables come into play -- seat height, wheel adjustment, steering feel, throttle tip-in, outward visibility, control layout, etc. -- that you simply must spend a reasonable amount of time driving the car. And that time should be more than five minutes on someone's idea of a stop-and-go test route. Take at least half an hour, while trying stop-and-go, freeway merging and freeway speeds. And if your sales rep -- you know, the normal guy trying to make a living -- doesn't have the 30 minutes, find a time when he or she does, or take the time to find another dealership.