Buying a car can be confusing.  To help you get the best deal on the right car for you, we’ve put together some simple tips to help you through the car buying process and here we look at a useful checklist to take with you on a test drive. 

We'd also like to try and save you some time and money on your car insurance so get an online car insurance quote today and find out how much you could save with Churchill.

Nothing tells you more about what a car is like to drive than driving it yourself. Always try to arrange for a test drive before committing to buying a car. During a test drive, make sure you check the following and are happy with the results:

Steering – is it tight and responsive?

Gear change – is it smooth, or can you hear strange noises when you go up or down a gear?

Acceleration and brakes – are there any odd noises here, or do the brakes (including the handbrake) function as you would expect?

Overall size – are you comfortable in the driver’s seat?  Can you see the road, the traffic and your mirrors clearly? 

Ride comfort and noise – does the suspension feel smooth over road bumps? Can you hear yourself think while driving?

Seat adjustability – is it possible to move the seat so you can reach the pedals in comfort?

All-round legroom – if you regularly have backseat passengers, will they be comfortable?

Boot and storage space – is there enough for your needs?

Entertainment systems (radio, CD, DVD etc) – do all the features and functions work? Remember to bring a CD and/or DVD to test any fitted players.

How to test drive a car

Used car precautions

Where to buy

Used car inspections and tests