Naperville, IL gets it right (Test Track for new car buyers) - Subaru Enthusiasts Car Club of the Sierras

Nick Koan · 2011-08-30, 10:51 AM

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/08/29/i...share_facebook

Quote:

If you're shopping for a vehicle near Naperville, Illinois, you may have a chance to put your possible purchases through the gauntlet on at a new facility. The town has joined forces with local dealers to create a driving course that would reduce the number of test drives on public streets and give buyers a better sense of the type of vehicle they were purchasing before they signed on the dotted line. The course features a variety of pavement types, a small parking area and even a sprinkler system to allow for foul-weather evaluations.

While the entire facility is housed in an area roughly the size of a mall parking lot, Cars.com reports that the course gives buyers a safe way to more or less fully evaluate a vehicle. Given that most dealers simply offer up pre-planned routes that give only the faintest impression of what a vehicle will be like to live with, we wish more dealers and buyers had access to similar test track. Head over to Cars.com to check it out in greater detail.

EDIT: Link to the referenced cars.com article.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cars.com

The emergency braking area is one of the most valuable sections of the track. It allows drivers to slam on the brakes without worrying about what’s behind them. We did so with sprinklers spraying water on the braking zone, activating the antilock brakes. When shoppers do this, they’ll get a sense of what the antilock braking system feels like. It’s an odd sensation for anyone who hasn’t experienced the pulsating brake pedal in an emergency stop.

^^ All drivers should experience this.

sybir · 2011-08-30, 11:32 AM

That's awesome!

WRXlerate · 2011-08-30, 11:34 AM

That is a great idea! Granted the size is to be desired but better that trying to hot rod that new STi around the 5pm rush hour traffic on 395 or Kietzke.

MattR · 2011-08-30, 12:10 PM

I would hope they have room to practice handbrake turns, I've always thought that to be an important part of a test drive.

silversuby · 2011-08-30, 05:15 PM

That sounds awesome. Just have to make sure that you don't get a car that's had the tires hammered from people testing that car before.

Kevin M · 2011-08-30, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattR

I would hope they have room to practice handbrake turns, I've always thought that to be an important part of a test drive.

That comes after the Rockford on my test drives, but before the Scandinavian Flick.

2011-08-30, 11:32 AM	#2
sybir The Don Real Name: Aaron Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Sacramento Posts: 3,097 Car: '97 Legacy / '05 FXT Class: low	That's awesome! __________________ Tact is for people who aren't witty enough to be sarcastic.

2011-08-30, 11:34 AM	#3
WRXlerate EJ22 Real Name: John B. Join Date: May 2005 Location: Behind a brick wall. Posts: 471 Car: 02 Soccermom Wagon Class: "sleeper" Destroying V8 Egos 4 cylinders at a time	That is a great idea! Granted the size is to be desired but better that trying to hot rod that new STi around the 5pm rush hour traffic on 395 or Kietzke. __________________ Stuff sold by the gram is always more exciting than stuff sold by the pound. JC

2011-08-30, 12:10 PM	#4
MattR El Matador Real Name: Matt Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Reno, NV Posts: 10,660 Car: 2012 Toyota Tacoma Class: ?	I would hope they have room to practice handbrake turns, I've always thought that to be an important part of a test drive. __________________ "Dallas..We have a problem.”

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silversuby EJ18 Real Name: Charlie Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Truckee Posts: 53 Car: 02 wrx	That sounds awesome. Just have to make sure that you don't get a car that's had the tires hammered from people testing that car before.