Did anybody else NOT test drive their FR-S/BRZ before purchase?
 

After months of perusing these forums, I can't even begin to count the number of test drive threads or test drive discussions I've come across.

My first experience sitting in, let alone driving this car, was when it rolled off the transport truck at my doorstep. Surely I can't be the only one :iono:

hahaha i didnt test drive it either !! creeped this forum FOREVER before i finally got mine i february

I didn't test drive mine as it was special ordered.;)

I sat in it and started it up. That's it. There was a serious accident being cleaned up just down the street from the dealer, and I just didn't want to drive the car near such a mess. Seemed like it would be inviting bad luck. Besides, I knew I wanted the car as soon as I saw it sitting on the walkway near the dealer's lobby entrance. It really does look even better in person. No regrets.

I ordered mine a month before I even got to see one in person.

I drove one before I ordered mine. In all fairness the road test was in a city environment and I really didn't appreciate the car for what it was except I knew I liked it. I also test drove the one I bought before I bought it but again it was in a city environment. It wasn't till after I owned it that I began to appreciate it for what it was.

i test drove an fr-s, then special ordered a BRZ. did not test drive a BRZ before buying it though

I am surprised how many people did not test drive. Shocked actually. I test drove everything under the sun and then some. Probably 15+ cars before I bought the BRZ. I just love cars, and any excuse to take one out was good enough for me :)

There was a lot of choice in the $25-30K range. Some of the other cars I drove over the past 12 months:
Hyundai Gencoupe (well, I owned it)
Hyundai Sonata SE Turbo
Hyundai Veloster Turbo
Ford Focus ST, and SE
Ford Fusion (previous and new model)
Ford Mustang (V6, have driven numerous V8's in the past few years)
Chevy Camaro (V6)
Mazda Speed 3
Mazda Miata
VW GTI
VW Jetta GLI
Subaru WRX (non-Sti)
Scion FR-S
Kia Optima EX (turbo)
Chrysler 300
BMW 1 Series Coupe

The BRZ, for me, was the one :)

I put my name in for one at the dealer and when it showed up and walked in and paid for it. The dealer asked, "Do you want to take it for a drive first?" and I figured, eh, I'll be driving it home.

I told the dealer to surpise me, i didnt know what color or transmission i was going to get and i never test drove... lol

nope, creeped these forums for a few months, i knew i would love it regardless

Test drove others in diff colors, but no to my own

Order it sight unseen, never see a real one.
Only sit inside it once when mine arrives.
The test drive is the moment I first own it.

I knew I was going to buy the BRZ. Test drove once and bought it afterwards. Didn't even bother test driving other cars.

Test drove an AT on Thursday and ended up choosing the MT that was at the same dealership but a different part of town. Didn't even know what color it was lol. Turns out it is Raven black, and I get to pick her up tomorrow after work!

1.8 miles in that AT and I fell in love..

I'm equally shocked; I was expecting maybe 10 or 20% not ever test driving before purchase, not the majority. Those who test drive the FRS/BRZ and other cars just speak louder apparently, but then again who's gonna post about their experiences not driving the car.

Probably safe to say most/all people on the forum "just love cars" otherwise they wouldn't a) buy a sports car or b) be on a sports car forum, but I guess that doesn't translate to test drives.

Yes, I would never buy a car without test-driving it first. Even after doing the FR-S autocross event and ordering my FR-S, I still insisted on test-driving my actual car before signing for it.

I also test-drove a bunch of other cars before deciding on the Scion:
- Mini Cooper S
- 370z
- Evo X GSR
- Cayman S
- Mustang GT 5.0
- S2000
etc.

I ordered mine sight unseen. I had access to the order process before they were available and my dad (who works for Toyota and who's benefit this is) told me if I wanted to make sure I got one I should order it right away, so I pulled the trigger. I did test drive one a couple of months after placing my order though. Ordering early didn't get it to me any faster unfortunately. But I still ordered it without the test drive.

I drove an AT and have a 10 series MT on order. Seems odd to me that one would not test a car before purchasing it. But, I guess if you have driven similar set ups and know your Japanese RWD cars then why bother. This is a new engine though, no?

This is a first for me. A light-ish RWD car. I had a RWD 328 back in 1999-2001. This is the main reason that I am getting another RWD. I loved that car.

Personally, I find it crazy that so many people bought it without test driving it first. Granted I didn't go crazy because I wanted to see how it drives on my typical DD-ing and testing the suspension on bumps.

This. This forum was the very reason I was able to buy mine without test driving one first. From car comparisons to problems and gripes and owner impressions, I more or less knew what to expect (and not to expect). Hell, I hadn't even seen one in real life until after months of browsing the forums and already deciding I would get one. Thanks FT86!

Likewise. That feeling was satisfying as hell.

Test drove a 6MT, never test drove the 6AT, I knew I'd love the 6AT and got it without even driving it.

Drove Manual twice in my life. But I've rode my motorcycle for 4 years everyday so it should have been simple. Still was afraid to test drive.

Worked out the deal, drove it off the lot and peeled out. Couldn't find reverse and a guy came over and showed me.

I knew I made the right choice though, all the car magazines and reviews raved about it so I didn't need to test drive it.

I have no idea how people can be proud of the fact that they didn't test drive their cars before buying them. That's like saying that you should buy a new suit with trying it on.

I got mine with the very first wave that came to the US. I was the second person who ever even looked at the car and they tried to get me to just jump on it right away. However, I HAD to test drive it.

You all have to realize that the car could have easily been a huge flop when it first came out. Being proud of not test driving a car is silly. :/ It's ignorance at best.

I don't find anyone saying they're particularly "proud" of not test driving it, more the fact that they did not test drive and things worked out just fine. Also, buying a new car w/o a test drive at it's initial release vs. a year later is a very different scenario, if only for the sheer difference in available information.

True ignorance would be purchasing the car without test driving it OR doing any research whatsoever on what you're putting your hard earned money into.

This is true. I'm not entirely proud of not test driving it it's just I didn't have enough confidence to drive manual yet. But I knew the car isn't a flop it was right for me especially since my dad loved his Toyota's.

YouTube
 

I watched numerous videos reviewing and testing the car before visiting a dealer.

Test drives make me a little nervous. I HATE the feeling I get driving someone else's car. The accident I passed turning into the dealer made matters worse.

Finally, I had my two boys with me. There was no way the three of us plus a salesman would fit in the car, and I would not have left them alone at the dealership. Sitting in the car and hearing the engine run was good enough for me.

I wanted to, I saw the car twice and both times my brother drove it. Didn't know how to drive stick then haha.

Been test driving the car since I picked it up last May.

I have been reading car magazines for well over 20+ years (got my first subscription to Car And Driver when I was 13). They hype cars all the time. When the fifth generation Camaro was released in 09, C&D praised it tremendously. Even the interior and handling. I test drove one. I was finding it really hard to believe that the car they reviewed and the car I drove were the same car. Since then C&D has been more honest with their review of the car, and while I like to read glowing reviews of a car just as much as the rest of you, I just don't put that much stock in them. Especially when journalists start to go overboard with praise.

The twins, IMHO, are slightly overhyped in the media. Now, before you want to tar and feather me please understand that I traded in a 14 month old 2013 Genesis Coupe that I was more than happy with. I love my BRZ. A lot. But I still think there have been cars out there recently (S2000, RX-8, MX-5) that are every-bit the drivers car the twins are. In some ways I would say even more the drivers car. That said, for me, none of them have been practical enough for everyday driving, and the fact that I occasionally have to put a kid or two in the backseat, that means the MX-5 is not going to work. And I am not particularly fond of convertibles since I am in Minnesota. I almost bought an RX-8 twice, but having owned three RX-7's in the past I was not sure I was not sure how practical the Rotary would be as a daily driver (rotary upkeep, and poor gas mileage).

The point is folks you really should drive what else is out there and certainly test drive your car before you buy it. A car is a big investment. For many people it is the biggest investment they have ever made. I cannot imagine buying a house or renting an apartment without taking a tour of it first.

Jeremy Clarkson did it for me.

Nope. My Subaru dealer doesn't let anyone test drive there BRZ, STi, or WRX. Makes sense really.

Saw it when I was on a business trip in Miami on a Monday, put a deposit down Wednesday, flew back home Friday morning and drove off the lot with it by 2 PM. No test drive.

I don't think it makes sense. Now if you told the dealer you have zero intent of buying one but just want to go for a joyride? Yeah, I can see the dealer saying sorry, but no. But I cannot imagine having a dealer deny me a test drive of a car I am interested in buying. I would run, not walk, out of that dealer.

Chris Harris did it for me.

Watched his GT86 review a million times.:bow:

Conversely, many of us purchasing this car have followed it since day one - before the hype machine kicked in. We followed it here as people explored it's plusses AND its negatives and we gained confidence from both.

We know what we've been looking for in a vehicle and the FRS/BRZ fit the bill both on paper and in reviews. I knew this was the car I've been looking for for some time. The only thing I was uncertain of was the color.

Ignorance is assuming you can really tell much of anything driving a car around the block and for one entrance to exit on the highway. That has as much to do with how the vehicle will drive for forty-five minutes in rush-hour traffic or for a ten-hour road trip as it does the price of tea in Wisconsin. But - we're happy it makes you feel better. ;) :D

There is not too much point to test drive <back then> because:
1. A year ago no dealer has any FRS BRZ.
2. Even they have one, that is preordered by someone, so they will only let me sit in, not start engine.
3. There are plenty of expert reviews and good comments that worth me roll a dice.
4. Even a test drive is available, I don't think they will let me go up to the mountain twisties and really test it...a few stop lights on a not break in car is not going to tell the whole story.
5. Ok.. If it is not what I like, I can always sell it and take a small hit. But this is NOT the case, and I like my BRZ more and more each day!

I didn't have to because my brother had his frs 3 months before me so I drove his plenty of times

I had to wait till the dealer got one to make sure i was going to fit in it. after that it was waiting to find one in a color i wanted. :D
but i did get a test drive two and knew i wanted it bad.

I must have been one of the lucky few that found a good dealer that let me take the car and thrash it for about 15 minutes down some back roads. Hell the salesman was actually surprised I was driving it as reserved as I was (never drove a RWD). Got back to the dealership and started signing paperwork. Took a few days for my banks financing, but drove the car off the lot less than a week later with 10 of the 22 original miles being my own test drive.