how can a dealership sell a car thats been test driven a lot as new?

[pr086]

i took a FRS out for test drive last week, it had just come in and i was third in line to test drive it that day they said. the car already had 50 something miles on it.... a week later and it's still sitting outside the showroom.

the minute i buy the car and drive it out of the parking lot it becomes a used car and loses a big chunk of value. how can a dealership sell a car with 100 or so miles on it at full price?

[robo_robb]

It's probably considered new because it has had zero owners prior to the first person buying it.

I guess legally it is considered new, but in reality not so much. But still, 100 or so miles is really nothing in the long run.

[brz007]

It's new until its titled. Also you warrenty started from the current odo, so if you have 100 miles , then your warrenty will run till 36,100. Not really a big deal, though I do like my cars to have less then 6-14 (which is normal - pdi, loading unloading, stress test etc.) I did buy my 05 Legacy Wagon GT Limited with 867 miles. The manager drove it as a demo. It was what I wanted color/options etc. Of course with that many miles I negotiated the price. If it has more then 14 miles, negotitate.

[Nevermore]

The Ultramarine I test drove at my dealership had 87 miles on it when I took it out, I brought it back with only 5 more, 92, because the dealer said he had someone coming that wanted to buy it and he told me to make it short. Ironically I think that car is still there and god knows how many miles it has now.

[EDub]

It's called a Demo. Usually that car will get the miles racked up a bit and sold at a slight discount.

[blu_]

Got mine with 4 miles on it :smug:

[Tanuki]

There is a mileage limit for this. I think it can be sold as new up until 4500 miles or something crazy like that. We got a good deal on a demo Mini Countryman last year. Only had like 1000 miles, but the warranty was extended an additional 6 months and 5,000 miles. Also sold it to us for 2k off the msrp because of it, and yet we were still titled as the original owners.

[Yruyur]

The very first frs I drove had technical issues we told the dealer about but the didn't believe us. It was running in safe mode I think with half power. It sat on the lot for weeks and had 260 miles on it before they fixed the issue and sold it.

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[oso_25]

I think most people bought their cars with 100 miles or less on it

[gily25]

Yup demo car...if you decide to buy it negotiate real good...there are plenty of threads on here of people who gave their demo a hard test drive and I'll admit I did it too. The car I took out had 1100 or so miles on it, they were still offering it for sale as "new."

[wbradley]

Cars that are in short supply might be used as testers when new, plastic protection still on everything, etc.

If it bothers a buyer that much then they can just order one and wait. That's what most people willl haveto do anyway.

Inventoried models usually have demos, which may be driven by employees after hours.

My info is somewhat dated as my last job in the car bus was in 1990.

I laugh at some of the negotiation comments people make. Yeah, like if you dont buy that one, there are a ton of them on the lot elsewhere...not!

My favourite hard core negotiation line when I used to own a retail business years ago was, "Go to the other stores, negotiate them down as far as they will go until they throw you out. Then let me know what you got and I'll beat it". Of course if they weren't looking Id be doing the "beat it" sign with my hand

[Propaganda]

When I wanted mine, the dealership was trying to make a trade with one in Boston (500 miles away). They said they could get it driven down (500 or so miles on it from trip (would be about $500 or more to flatbed it with the original <15 miles). I said no, I'll wait. Picked mine up 4 weeks later with 11 miles ...but it came with wheel locks and rear bumper applique -____-

[civicdrivr]

Some states have laws on this.

[Leonardo]

My FR-S had 131 miles. It was a lot transfer from Portland OR to Springfield OR. My wife was shocked that it had so many miles, our Ridgeline had 11 miles when we bought it in 05.

I am just happy to have been able to find one. I called every dealership in oregon. Three different times someone bought the car before I could get there.