It is all too easy to base an important decision, like purchasing a new car, on price and looks alone but have you ever really considered what your chosen vehicle is like to live with? Any car dealer will offer you a test drive if you seem genuinely interested in purchasing a car from them, yet twenty minutes driving around an old industrial estate isn’t going to really give you a decent idea as to whether the car suits you as a driver. One problem often encountered after the deal has been done is limited visibility that you wouldn’t necessarily notice when taking a test drive. Using your new car out on the roads, especially around junctions and roundabouts where visibility is of utmost importance, can make you realise that perhaps the car you have chosen may not be right for you after all.

When browsing the local car dealers for your ideal car try to keep in mind how you are going to be able to see around you as you drive. Look for decent sized mirrors, un-obscured back windows and pillars that won’t block too much of your view. Sit in the driver’s seat and adjust the mirrors and seating until you are in your usual driving position. Just sitting down and trying to work out what you can see is not going to give you a fair idea of visibility unless you are in your ideal position for driving the car. Once you have familiarised yourself with your surroundings try to imagine scenarios that would require you to use mirrors, check your blind spot and reverse. Would you see a cyclist stopped next to you at traffic lights? Can you see out of the back window enough to anticipate changing lanes on a motorway? You will soon realise that visibility is of paramount importance, especially in a time when safety regulations are rendering cars less gifted in the window department.

Driving a car in which visibility is not great can feel very claustrophobic and unsafe. Not being able to see around you when driving is a very uncomfortable experience and not one that anyone should have after paying a lot of money for a vehicle that they have fallen in love with. Car dealers everywhere will be very quick to tell you all the big benefits of your chosen car but cannot tell you how driving the vehicle will feel like for you, so make sure that you demand a comprehensive test drive and really research the car you are about to buy.

Try parking the car when test driving it as this will give you a good idea as to how well the mirrors allow you to see outside. The pillars are always going to restrict vision but some will do this more than others. Parallel park, reverse in to a bay and try to park between two cars as these exercises will help you to see whether your vehicle is going to be safe for you. Car dealers should be willing to let you do these manoeuvres if you ask nicely, remember- they’re trying to make a sale so negotiate your terms. You are going to have to live with it, after all.

Author Bio: Pete J Ridgard is a writer and a car enthusiast. He currently writes for the automotive industry. Here he discusses Car Dealers cars.

Category: Automotive
Keywords: Car Dealers,Cars,Automotive