Test Drive Checklist
A test drive is your one chance to feel the faults a parked car hides. Here is how to use the twenty minutes properly.
How do I prepare for a test drive?
Sort the legalities first, because a test drive without cover is not worth the risk. Check that your own insurance extends to driving another car third-party, or that the dealer's trade policy covers you and what its excess is, which can run past £1,000. Bring your driving licence; no licence means no drive, and a wasted journey. Then plan a route rather than circling the block: aim for twenty to thirty minutes taking in a residential street, a faster A-road and a hill or two, because each road type exposes a different weakness.
Where you can, be the first viewer of the day so the engine starts from cold. A warm engine at a viewing is sometimes simple courtesy and sometimes a way to hide a difficult cold start or a puff of startup smoke. It is worth reviewing the car's MOT history before you go, too, so any advisory about brakes, suspension or steering is something you can deliberately feel for on the drive.
What should I watch when starting the engine?
Stand where you can see the exhaust as the engine turns over. A healthy car catches quickly and settles to a steady idle. Blue smoke on start-up means the engine is burning oil; white smoke that does not clear can point to a head gasket; black smoke suggests a fuelling fault. A little water vapour on a cold morning is normal and disappears in seconds, so do not confuse it with real smoke.
With the engine running, the dashboard should be clear. Watch the warning lights come on with the ignition and then go out; an engine-management or airbag light that stays lit, or one that suspiciously never appears at all (a bulb can be removed to hide a fault), is a reason to pause. Let the car idle for a minute and listen for any knocking, ticking or rattling that rises and falls with the revs.
What am I feeling for on the move?
On a straight, level road, ease your grip on the wheel: the car should hold its line rather than drift to one side, which would point to alignment or, worse, accident damage. The steering should feel consistent with no vagueness or clonks when you turn, and on full lock a knocking sound from the front suggests worn CV joints. Over bumps, the suspension should absorb and settle in one movement; a car that carries on bouncing has tired dampers, and bangs or rattles over potholes mean worn bushes or linkages.
Test the brakes properly once you have checked your mirrors: they should pull the car up straight and firm, without grinding, squealing, juddering through the pedal or pulling to one side. For a manual, the clutch should bite somewhere around the middle of its travel and gears should select cleanly with no crunch, especially into second; a clutch that bites right at the top of the pedal is near the end of its life. For an automatic, shifts should be smooth and prompt, not jerky or hesitant. Find a safe stretch to accelerate firmly through the gears and listen for whines that track engine speed, which can signal gearbox or bearing wear.
What should I check at the end?
Park up but leave the engine running for a moment, then walk to the back and look at the exhaust again now that everything is hot; smoke that only appears under load or when warm still counts. Glance under the car for fresh drips, and after you switch off, look beneath the engine bay for the start of a leak forming. Back inside, run through the things that are tedious to fix and expensive to ignore: air conditioning that actually blows cold, every electric window, the heated seats and rear demister, the infotainment and reversing camera. A long list of "that one doesn't work" either knocks the price down or warns of an electrical gremlin.
Throughout, drive with the radio off. Sellers reach for the volume knob for a reason, and the cheapest diagnostic tool you have is a quiet cabin and your own ears.
Noises that mean money
- Knocking on full lock — worn CV joints
- Continued bouncing after a bump — tired shock absorbers
- Whine that rises with speed — gearbox or wheel bearing wear
- Grinding or squealing under braking — pads or discs
- Rattling over bumps — worn suspension bushes or links
Prepare for Your Test Drive
Review the vehicle's MOT history before your test drive to know what advisories or issues to specifically check.
Check MOT History