Originally Posted by pbm317

You're missing the point. It's more about the psychological effects of actually seeing yourself living with the car day to day, physically seeing it at your house in your garage. For many consumers this can be the tipping point to getting them excited about the purchase and following through.

Originally Posted by LexBob2

As odd as it might be, ]the Encore is Buick's top selling vehicle just ahead of the Enclave. Sales are +33% for June and +29% YTD the Enclave is down for the month and YTD...

Originally Posted by LexsCTJill

however I would think that the longer you have the vehicle for a test drive, the longer you have to talk yourself out of the purchase.

Originally Posted by LexsCTJill

http://m.buick.com/testdrive.html

So apparently Buick has sales that are starting to sag a little. They are bringing back the 24hr test drive. I hear the dealer supply is higher than usual.

Good or bad for the brand? How do 24hr test drives do historically?

Originally Posted by mmarshall

IMO, doesn't make much difference either way. I test-drive a lot of cars (sometimes written up in reviews, sometimes not), and my experience is that one does not need anywhere near that long to get a pretty good accurate idea of what the car is going to be like. If you can drive on enough different road surfaces, sometimes you can tell in just a few minutes, though sometimes backache-producing features in some seats may not make themselves immediately apparent, and take some time before your spine really starts to react. But that won't usually be that long a time, either.

One of the most important things on the test-drive, though, is correct tire PSIs. New vehicles typically come off the transporter with tires pumped way up to 40-50 PSI, to keep the vehicle or ship's rocking motions (or an aircraft in turbulence) from causing the alloy wheels from contacting the vehicle's bed through thin or soft rubber. When the vehicles get to the dealership and are unloaded, one of the things that the PDI persons at the dealership are supposed to do is bleed the front and rear tires down to their normal recommended PSIs, which are usually between 30-37 PSI (posted on the inside of the door-jamb). But, but for whatever reason, they often don't, even if they SAY they do, and I often have to do it myself before a test-drive or when a car is delivered. (I carry two mechanical gauges with me in my briefcase wherever I go.....one pencil-type and one dial-type). Then, since all new vehicles have on-board PSI-monitors, I check them after the engine starts to verify there are no further problems.....THEN I test-drive. Tire pressures are important because they are critical in determining how the vehicle will ride, steer, handle, and react over bumps. One also must remember, when checking them, that they increase and decrease roughly 1 PSI for every 10 degrees Farenheit of air temperature, and tires sitting with bright sunlight hitting them will be higher then those sitting on the opposite side of the car, in the shade.

I also don't particularly care for the idea of 24-hour test-drives because, even though I am a careful driver and not likely to wreck a car from my own stupidity or carelessness, the longer you have it out on the road or away from the dealership, the better the chances of something happening to it, whether it being stolen, hit by someone else, vandalized, damaged in a storm, or whatever.

Originally Posted by mmarshall

I disagree. I don't think it has anything to do with sales. Much more likely, It has to do with the still-lingering image among many of Buicks being Geezer-Mobiles, and a chance to prove to more people that that image is (now) a simply inaccurate stereotype.

Originally Posted by tex2670

I'll put a bit of a different spin on this. If the car is for family use, even if on occasion, having it for 24 hours, and carting your kids around beyond a 20 minute test drive, can highlight some shortcomings that may not be evident during a normal test drive. How does it fit in the garage? Can little Johnny easily get his cello in and out of the trunk when I drop him off for school? How is access to the 3rd row going to be for car pool? How legible is the dash during different parts of the day/night?

Originally Posted by mmarshall

Actually, you bring up some good points. I can't disagree in principle, but a number of those things can be checked in less than 24 hours. Of course, on the other hand, if you check the car out, say, at noon or in the afternoon, it makes little sense to bring it back that night at at 10 or 11, after dark, since the dealership will obviously be closed. Might as well keep it all night and bring it back in the morning..and make sure the Kiddies don't drop ice cream or juice all over the upholstery.

Originally Posted by tex2670

Keep in mind that you have tested a lot of cars, and it's easier for an expert to quickly identify quirks or issues. During the typical test drive, the salesman is yapping away, distracting you, and many people may feel funny about driving the way they normally would with him/her in the car, and may be on an unfamiliar route.

Originally Posted by tex2670

I'll put a bit of a different spin on this. If the car is for family use, even if on occasion, having it for 24 hours, and carting your kids around beyond a 20 minute test drive, can highlight some shortcomings that may not be evident during a normal test drive. How does it fit in the garage? Can little Johnny easily get his cello in and out of the trunk when I drop him off for school? How is access to the 3rd row going to be for car pool? How legible is the dash during different parts of the day/night?

Originally Posted by LexsCTJill

Agreed

However, I would argue that it would not be long term for the brand. Car buying is so competitive that Buick is making it way to easy to figure out that you dont want the car.

I would say that it converts more to a "no" than it does into a "yes" for a particular model.

Originally Posted by LexsCTJill

Agreed

However, I would argue that it would not be long term for the brand. Car buying is so competitive that Buick is making it way to easy to figure out that you dont want the car.

I would say that it converts more to a "no" than it does into a "yes" for a particular model.

Originally Posted by tex2670

I would think most people signing up for a 24 hour test drive are 75% of the way there in choosing that car anyway--at least if they are shopping for a Buick. It's not a small hassle to go and do that just "for fun".

Originally Posted by LexBob2

I agree there are risks involved but I would think that the brand would have considered this, among other things, when weighing the risks of the program. If the report is accurate, they do have the results from the last time they did this 24 hour test drive program to aid in their decision to go ahead.

Originally Posted by LexsCTJill

True. But if this gimmick was such a game changer I am sure we would see most manufacturers offering this. Buick incentives are at an all time high righ now. The cars are simply not moving all that well.