An At Home Car Test Drive is Preferred by Most Car Buyers in Shropshire & Powys

In the past, test driving a car meant one thing: visiting a dealership and taking a drive on a predetermined route.

At JT Hughes, we've come to understand that some of our customers are not comfortable test driving a new car on the nearby roads of our Honda, Hyundai, and Mitsubishi dealerships. After conducting a survey in Shropshire and Powys, we found that 80% prefer to test drive a car from their home.

While some consumers will always be okay with the idea of test driving a vehicle at the dealership, the majority have come to realise the benefits of an at-home experience. In addition to the low-pressure environment, you’re in position to use the vehicle as you would in your day-to-day life.

When asked why they would prefer to test drive a car at home, as opposed to a dealership, one answer was more common than the rest: it makes it much easier to include the entire family in the decision-making process.

JT Hughes Group Sales Director Paul Tench was not surprised by this, adding the following:

“We see a lot of families come in to our showrooms together to test out new cars, so it’s not a real surprise that the results of our survey show this.”

Furthermore, many respondents agreed with the idea that a 15-minute test drive isn’t enough time to make a final decision. For example, one person noted “it can take a few hours to try a car thoroughly, rather than the 15 minutes one is given at a showroom, taking a route chosen by the salesperson.’

And of course, there were quite a few people who said they would feel less pressure to make a purchase if they were able to test drive at home. Take for instance this feedback:

“It is always difficult to drive a different car especially when the sales person is in the car. It would be more relaxed driving at one's own pace and in normal driving conditions.”

Taking into consideration this data, JT Hughes has rolled out a pilot scheme in which it delivers test drive cars to a potential customer’s home or workplace.

With the ‘from home 24-hour test drive’ buyers are in position to better examine the vehicle, either alone or with their family, to decide if it fits what they are looking for. All the while, they never have to worry about communicating with a salesperson.

At this time, the new scheme is available on a new Honda HR-V, Hyundai Tucson, and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

When it comes to buying a car in Shropshire, JT Hughes has always been at the forefront of innovation.

We’ve been searching for new ways to make the buying experience more enjoyable, all with less stress. After receiving feedback, we know our new test drive experience will excite local buyers.