Some one in three British motorists (29%) didn’t arrange a test drive with their most recent new car lease or purchase, a new study has revealed.

Karl Howkins, managing director of Sogo

Flexible vehicle leasing firm Sogo researched attitudes towards the popularity of the traditional test drive. Its findings indicate that although 88% of motorists feel that a test drive is beneficial when leasing or buying a new car, only a third actually arrange and take a test drive in practice.

The research, carried out in June among over 2,300 adults, highlights several reasons for people not taking test drives before deciding on their new vehicle, with one in four (25.2%) disliking being in the car that they are test driving with a salesperson. One in 10 felt that the majority of vehicles drive the same, so they didn’t warrant a test drive.

While 7% were fully confident with their vehicle choice and didn’t need one, 5% said that test drives are a further inconvenience and take up too much time, and 1% admitted to not caring about how a car drives.

Attitudes towards test drives from male and female drivers are remarkably similar, with 29% of men not arranging one, compared with 27% of women. Younger people are the most likely to not bother with a test drive, with 34% of 18–24-year-olds giving them a miss compared with 21% of motorists aged over 65.

Karl Howkins, managing director of Sogo, said: “Our research findings show that although the vast majority of drivers think that a test drive is a good idea, the picture, in reality, is entirely different with a third choosing their car without the need for a trial. This reflects what we see at Sogo, where short-term leasing means that if someone is dissatisfied with their choice of vehicle, they can swap it for a completely different one with a new, short-term lease.”