Insurance waiver?! LOL. What the heck are you guys signing?! I've never even been presented with such a document by a dealer and certainly I would never sign it! I've never been to a dealership with a "You brake it, you buy it" policy like that.

 

agreed!

 

In all my test drives at three dealerships, I drove from the get-go. Only one was with a salesperson, and only one asked to see my license.

 

The same thing happened at the Tustin dealership in southern californial The sales person drove the car out of the lot into a near by parking lot and then changed over. Needless to say he didn't drive stick all that well.

As for the auto vs manual. Don't listen to other people about it. Get what you want. The manual is better performance wise. Don't believe those that say it's not. Though the automatic does get slightly better torque than the manual Yep, weird isn't it? The main advantages of each one are

Manual: more control over the car, more horse power, more fun (if you like shifting).

Automatic: Less worry. No stalling, no worries about rolling back on hills, traffic is no big deal, cheaper.

I got the manual and learned how to drive it just because I've always wanted to learn stick and more importantly, I wouldn't have felt right getting a sports car with an automatic transmission. But driving it around, I totally see the advantages of automatic. While it's not as fun to drive IMO, there's so much less to worry about. I hate first gear. There's always that fear of stalling (or staying too long on the clutch) and there's the hill issue. Even with that though, I'm very happy I got the manual.

 

If you have an accident on the Dealers lot, in some states, that is considered Private Property, and since they allowed you to drive the car, and it happened on their property they are responsible. You could actually get in the car, drive right into a pole on their property, and sew them for not properly informing you that there was a pole there, or claim that there was a blind spot in the car, that you weren't told of. Once you leave the lot, you become responsable.

 

Well, I suspect you haven't been test driving cars in the Seattle area. Virtually every dealer makes a copy of the test driver's license and many require proof of insurance. (Some simply ask for the insurance company name.) In virtually all cases the driver signs a document that indicates his/her insurance will be used in case of an accident.

Can't speak for other locales. Been a long time since I've test driven a car outside Washington. But having recently driven Mazdas, Infinitis, Lexi, Mini Coopers, Volvos, Saabs, Nissans, and Acuras, I can assure you it's a uniform policy in the Seattle area.

Considering I'm in my mid-50's and look like a Republican (looks can be deceiving), I doubt that dealers have any grave suspicions about me.

I will admit that some of the concern about test drivers in this area stems from the fact that a salesman was murdered and the car stolen a few years back in Seattle, but I've been told repeatedly it's an insurance issue. And since a local dealer was sued a couple of years ago for allowing a minor to test drive a car in which he was killed, I know that's a major motivator.

 

Never give your license to the dealer, they are using it to run a cedit check to see if you can afford the car. Too many checks look bad on your score!

 

I believe that they want you to get a feel of the car before you take control. Like if you were to let your buddy drive your 8 you would tell him what to look out for and what might be diffrent from his ride. Before i bought my 8 I took an IS 300 and a 350z for a test drive they all did same thing your talking about.

 

Credit checks cannot be done without permission and a SS#.

Different dealers have different policys. When a friend of mine wants a mercedes, they drive it to his house on a flatbed and let him drive it for a couple of days. That's because he's bought a few AMG versions. I've bought several new cars in my lifetime - I've been treated like **** while trying to test drive an Infinity, been refused test drives in cars that I could easily afford, and been treated like gold at a Lexus dealer (which lead to me buying one - great customer service!). I have never and would never let a bad experience with an unknowledgeable salesperson dictate what kind of car I buy. Although I was once a car salesman.

Cars like the 8 speak for themselves. My first couple of threads on this forum dealt with the nightmares I encountered while trying to buy this car from a horrible dealer. I realized it wasn't the car's fault, comparison shopped on the internet, and came out with a great deal with little hassle. Btw, you can find a car you want on the Mazda website. You can search dealer inventories and even build your exact car and locate it by vin# and dealer.

In summary, a lot of dealerships have this policy. You shouldn't let it get in the way of you appreciating a fine automobile.


Take it for a drive at another dealer (6MT ). If you're not sold it might not be for you. Good luck.

 

I used to believe that too, but it's not true.

- indeed a car dealer can run a credit check solely with possession of your driver's license. Don't ask me how because as far as I know, to get data from Equifax, you need to provide the "victim's" SS#.

- an AAA insurance agent told me over the phone that insurance companies also can check your score without letting you know about it directly. I don't recall for sure now if they obtain your SS# first though. Not all car insurance companies do it and I think the legal constraints also depend on the state you live in.

-Peter

 

There is a difference in "checking your score" and having that show up as an inquiry. A lot of people can "check" your file, but unless you give authorization, whatever they do can not show up as an inquiry. If you aren't sure what they did, call your local Credit Bureau (or the 800 number), request a copy of your credit report. Some places say you have to be turned down before they give you a free one; just say you were turned down. Once you get your credit report, check the inquiries. If you see one from the dealer, start a dispute and state that you did not authorize the inquiry. It will get fixed.

 

Ok-I'll bite at this one....

It's too bad you live in NC or I would make you a wager you cannot beat my manual 6s no matter how many runs we do.

 

One shouldn't be buying an RX-8 to begin with if all you were worried about is 0-60 times. I never even consider 0-60 times myself when I buy a car. Either I like it in a daily driving routine, or I don't. Any car is capable of going 60+ mph in a straight line if you step on the gas long enough. In the case of the RX-8, I specifically bought it because of its looks and handling. I've said this before, and I'll say it again...I'm just as capable of making a passenger scream "OH SH*T!!!!!" going through a corner in my AT RX-8 as somebody who drives a MT RX-8. Which, to me, is what the RX-8 is REALLY about.