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Buying a new car is a serious matter. It is unlikely that anyone is willing to spend about 500 thousand rubles on a pig in a poke. It is necessary to feel everything, try on yourself. It is to such a curious official dealers propose to make a test drive on an attractive specimen.
But how does such a service meet customer expectations? We selected the five most popular models of our market and went to find out whether it is possible to try them out. The list includes Ford Focus, Kia Rio, Hyundai Solaris, Renault Logan, Lada Kalina. For the purity of the experiment, we visited a couple of dealers of each brand, paying attention to how quickly we overcome the path from filling out all the documents to the test drive itself, the competence of employees, the duration of the test drive, and much more. At the end of the tour, it will become clear which of the dealers cares better for their customers, and who believes that the test drive is nonsense, which should not be spent.
FORD
Ford
"Independence", st. Pavel Korchagin, d. 3, p. 2
At this car dealership, they immediately responded to a request to take a ride on the new Focus: they checked the documents, wrote out a power of attorney and sent the manager to wait. He, however, was in no hurry - twenty minutes passed. And then it turned out that the model we need here is only with mechanics. An unpleasant surprise was the warning that the client himself was responsible for damaging the test instance: insurance in this case supposedly does not work. According to the representative of the salon, they have OSAGO and they will receive money from the insurance, but the tester will still have to fork out if an accident occurs. Not the best incentive for a test drive on a Ford! I cautiously get behind the wheel and continue to watch the escort.
Vyacheslav, that’s the name of the manager, spoke in detail about the car, clarified when exactly I plan to make a purchase, patiently answered all questions and even allowed me to travel more than once along the route that ran along the surrounding streets - the time for a test drive is not limited, ride you can as much as you like.
Ford
But the condition of the car is so-so. Outside, everything is in order - the Focus, despite the rain, is clean, but it would be nice to walk in the cabin with a damp cloth. After the trip, a price list was printed out, a catalog was given and my car was also rated - in case I want to turn it into a trade-in.
"Avilon", Volgogradsky Prospekt, 43, building 1
They are not ready to indulge in spontaneous gusts of customers: a test drive is possible only by appointment. Queue for a test drive form the day before the event. Do not want to adapt to this dealer - you need to go to another salon.
Our assessment: C grade (if Avilon hadn’t stinted on an extra manager, and in Independence didn’t intimidate customers with the consequences of a possible accident, the score would have been higher).
KIA
Kia
"Autohermes", st. Red Pine, d. 3, p. 1
It took no more than five minutes to complete all the documents, and it’s possible behind the wheel. And again, a car with mechanics! True, Kia dealers are still aware of the drivers' love for automatic transmissions, and therefore, according to the manager, they will soon have a car with such a box.
The attendant knows all the subtleties: he talked about the configuration, and compared it with Solaris, and advised him to read “Behind the Wheel” in order to learn more about this model. True, all the information had to be pulled out bit by bit. The test drive time for the “Kia” is also unlimited, no one will object to a couple of extra circles. It’s a pity, the route was not planned in the best way: the test road rests on a highway clogged with vehicles, which is why you have to turn around in an uncomfortable place.
Kia
"At Service +", st. Shosseynaya, d. 1
At first, this dealer hit the top line of the charts. How it all started well - two cars in different configurations, a choice of transmissions (automatic, mechanics), music in the show room, improving mood, friendly staff. By the way, “U Service +” turned out to be the only salon where, while waiting, they offered coffee and a corporate magazine. The receptionist promised to send me on a trip in five minutes. But the trouble is that five minutes turned into a half hour spent reading and accidentally overheard the remark of a potential guide to me: “I don’t have time to ride now, let it wait.” Warn the administrator right away, I would have been patient and resignedly flipping through the magazine. But time is money, and the unforeseen loss of these is not the most pleasant prospect. Had to leave not salty slurp.
Our rating: three (Kia customers need to try to try out their car).
Renault
Renault
Autocentre "Gadfly", Kulakov per., D. 15
This Renault dealer seems to be a specially guarded facility. Getting into the territory is not so simple: the barrier to the guests is reluctant to open, parking is allowed only where the guard indicates. If you need a showroom, God forbid to stop near the service center! But you can leave your car by blocking the parking lot with test cars. And later it turned out that no samples could be taken here - there is no such service in Gadfly. According to the administrator, the test Fluence will appear soon, but when exactly, no one knows. But “Logan” is not going to buy client pokatusks.
RenaMAX, Leningradskoye Shosse, 5a
Another attempt to try Logan failed. At Renamax, customers are accepted by appointment only. The manager strongly recommended making an appointment for the weekend: “On weekdays, Leningradka is standing tight, we will not go far.” Yeah, this dealer was not lucky with the location.
Our assessment: unsuccessful, for retake (you can’t dream about the Logan test).
Lada
AvtoVAZ
"Autohermes", st. Red Pine, d. 3
I asked to give me anything to test, because this "anything" still occupies the top lines of the sales rating. Then I came up with a legend: I need Kalina, but before buying I want to make sure that the choice is right. According to the manager, it is impossible to find a test Lada in Moscow. “It makes no sense to keep cars for test trips, you are not choosing a car for a million. This is Kalina, everything is clear here! Take it right away, you don’t need any test drives,”said a car dealership employee.
Our rating: not even a deuce - count! (it’s easier to ask a neighbor for a ride).
Hyundai
"Rolf City", Yaroslavl highway, 31
Salon in Yaroslavka was the only one where they offered to fill out a questionnaire. It has a dozen questions: what car are you looking for when you plan to make a purchase and other similar ones. But there were not so many cars available for a test drive. More precisely, only one. Test "Solaris" in "Rolfe" - in the maximum configuration and with a gun, such a combination is likely to positively affect a doubting buyer. But the escort turned out to be too silent. At the end of the event, they asked me to fill out another document, this time I was asked to rate Solaris in several ways. The idea is good: they introduced both the car and the customer’s data unobtrusively. But I would like to receive more information from the salon.
Hyundai
"Irbis", st. Academician Korolev, d. 13
There are no profiles, but the choice, on the contrary, is: a sedan or a hatchback, rich or simple equipment. And even the route of the test drive can be changed at your discretion (within reason, of course). The escort allowed me to drive around the Ostankino television tower and showed me the way only if I did not know where to go. And most importantly - a minimum of expectation, polite and competent employees. Here, as in Independence, they offered to evaluate my car for free, wrote down the phone and gave a brochure. Well done!
Hyundai
Our rating: EXCELLENT (Hyundai customers don’t put sticks in wheels).
During the raid, it turned out that of the five best-selling cars, it is easiest to test the Hyundai Solaris. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why these machines diverge like hotcakes. The remaining experimental subjects were too secretive. De jure car dealerships offer such a service as a test drive, but in reality it’s not so easy to test the model you like. And the level of service leaves much to be desired - perhaps managers do not see potential buyers in the test pilots, and therefore they are not trying too hard.
It is good that no one except Ford transfers the responsibility for the accident to the driver, otherwise the test drive service would be completely unclaimed. The biggest drawback of almost all car dealerships is that they manage to find out negligible information about the car from the manager.
In general, the results of the raid were bewildering: customers will have to try not to buy a pig in a poke.
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