test drive - what do you do?

Is there any point in test driving yourself, or could you find out as much in the passenger seat? In particular, if you know the model already and it is just a matter of keeping ears and eyes open as a passenger.

Yup.

I bought a Laguna 1.9DCi this afternoon that felt fine from the passengers seat, but upon driving it there was a pretty serious lack of response to the accelerator. Air flow meter was knackered on it, but it wasn't immediately noticeable without driving it.

Knocked £75 quid off the price, bought an AFM and it's dandy now :-)

johannes (johannes ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

I bought a GSA once. Fine from the passenger seat. From the driver's seat, the clutch was slipping something awful.

Mind you, I didn't notice the lack of one rear brake disc until later.

How did you ever notice?

Duncan Wood ("Duncan Wood" ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

I took the wheel off. And just stared at it for five minutes before it dawned on me what was wrong.

Sounds familiar :-)

In the past I've taken people for a test drive (usually just one if there are more of them to cut down on car jacking risk), but I have asked for a test drive when buying, knowing I'm 3rd party on any other persons car (interestingly, my insurance states 3rd party on any other person's car, who no other insurance covers the risk, not the normal where the car owner has cover).

A clutch slipping would sound like a hydromatic gearbox. Always ask the vendor/driver to switch of the sound system and the air blower!