Let test drive steer you in the right direction

Whether your dream car is factory new or lovingly used, a crucial part of the decision process is the test drive, even if you are replacing your current car with a newer version of the same model.

Start your test drive in the driver’s seat in the showroom. This seat is more expensive than any piece of furniture in your home — and you will be sitting in it many hundred hours in the next few years — so be sure it’s comfortable for you and for any other family member who will drive this vehicle regularly.

Raise and tilt the seat to the perfect position and then adjust the steering wheel. Check the dashboard gauges and consider the problems you will face driving this car if the speedometer or gas gauge are partially obscured.

Can you see comfortably through the rearview and side mirrors or are the headrests blocking your view? How is your view through the back window when you turn around in the seat, as you will be doing when you are backing out of the driveway or out of a parking spot? Is the seat easy to get into and out of?

Can you open the door easily when you are seated — or is it a stretch? That’s especially important to check if you are buying a two-door.

Ask the salesperson to turn the vehicle on battery power so you can check the heat and air-conditioning vents and the wipers. Better to find out now that your face will freeze or fry because the directional flows of the vents aren’t comfortable or that the wipers are noisy enough to really annoy you.

If you don’t like what you experience in the showroom, you’ll like it less on the road. Look under the hood. Is the dipstick easy to reach? Are caps for checking and refilling fluids clearly marked?

Look inside the trunk or cargo area. How accessible is the spare tire? How high is the “lip?” Will it be easy or a strain to put in and take out a few year’s of groceries, baby strollers, suitcases, golf clubs and such? If it’s a sport utility vehicle without a power door close, can you reach up and grab the handle without stretching or straining — or both?

Can the kids climb in and out easily by themselves or will this model turn you into a forklift?

When it comes time for the actual test drive, be sure you take the exact model you are considering.

Expect to have your driver’s license photocopied, but it’s not just for legal or identification purposes.

While you are test driving with your salesperson, a colleague will be checking your credit rating to adjust the down payment and finance charges. So, it’s important to arrive at the showroom armed with information.

Check Cars.com, Kelley Blue Book (www.kbb.com), Edmunds (www.edmunds.com) or another reliable automotive website for model and options package costs. Know what you can afford for a down payment and monthly payments, and calculate several financing scenarios on the Internet before you begin negotiating your purchase. Be clear about the options you want on the car.

On the test drive, check braking, acceleration, steering and cornering while driving local streets and the nearest highway. A salesperson may have a preset route that’s designed to showcase the car’s strengths while diminishing any weaknesses. If the route doesn’t have enough variety for you, change course — even if it’s just turning into a stranger’s driveway that’s similar to your own. And nevermind zero-to-60 — is there enough power to get out from behind an 18-wheeler? The freeway on-ramp? A hill?

Find an empty parking lot or quiet street to simulate an emergency maneuver, such as braking or steering hard. Listen to the sound system, of course, but also turn it off and talk to the salesperson in the passenger seat. Does the vehicle have a hum — and can you live with that for two or five years? A 15-minute test drive is the bare minimum you need to get the feel of a vehicle. Don’t limit yourself to a quick spin around the block when making this expensive decision.