25th Dec 2012, 00:04
Demos are the most abused and neglected cars on any dealers lot. Warranty or not, you are far better off buying a used rental car. You will also save thousands of dollars. It is also a myth that you can buy a demo much cheaper than a new car. At most you might save a couple of hundred dollars. Frankly, having worked for a dealership I would not buy a demo at ANY price. We've owned three totally flawless rental cars, but I would never even look at a demo.
25th Dec 2012, 10:41
I kinda disagree. A demo car, you do not know it very well, and likely have a salesman with you. I look at all the accessories etc, and likely am driving slower. In turn, if I rent a car for a few days or a week, I know it well. I have rented many cars, and truthfully they get a workout on return day back to the airport. During the week you take it easy so it doesn't break down.
Also I read that some rental cars may have had the recalls overlooked. Maybe that was resolved, but I would make sure.
Also rentals are the perfect venue for many to practice their race car aspirations on. I do not like many people having driven my car for a day week or month. I have ordered cars with 10 miles showing. Even then a car could have been damaged in a factory with robotic or human error moving around. We had a plant near me with a test track. I don't know if the cars were kept or sold however. My guess is dealers prep the cars when they arrive, and put them out to buy.
25th Dec 2012, 14:32
With all due respect, that mindset & driving in the manner you describe is exactly what endangers innocent potential victims on a regular basis. EMTs and emergency personal often have to risk their own lives prying people from twisted wrecks - people who also over-estimate their driving skills or unfortunately encounter those have no regard for other's safety.
If this is the way you *really* drive, there is no reason on earth you should have that privilege. Heaven help us from those self proclaimed "expert drivers".
25th Dec 2012, 15:47
No amount of rapid acceleration, spirited cornering or panic braking will do the slightest harm to any new vehicle. If they were that fragile, the manufacturers would go broke overnight. Even more poorly built Japanese cars such as Toyota can handle a tremendous amount of aggressive test driving. Modern cars are much better built than older cars, and have rev limiters to prevent the engines from being damaged. A few years back I watched a demonstration of a new Oldsmobile being floored and continually shifted from drive to reverse for 15 minutes. You could hardly see the car for the tire smoke, and I'm sure the tires showed some wear. As far as I know, the car was checked out, found to be perfect and sold as a new car.
26th Dec 2012, 11:32
I posted comment 00:53, and apparently those commenters citing it obviously didn't read all of it. I clearly stated that in over 50 years of driving I have never had an at-fault accident. How that can be remotely construed to be a "danger to other drivers" is beyond me. How can 50-plus years of accident-free driving be "dangerous"? We should all be lucky to be so "dangerous"!!
The incorrect and unsubstantiated myths that full-throttle acceleration, fast cornering or braking somehow "damage" a vehicle need to be soundly refuted. One of the owner's manuals for one of my new cars (one of my Fords I believe) stated that during the first 1000 miles of driving short bursts of "full throttle acceleration" were BENEFICIAL to the car's performance.
Over the years I have belonged to four car clubs and known many mechanics, including one racing mechanic for a Honda racing team. Every one of them advocated full-throttle bursts of acceleration and high speed driving during the first 1000-5000 miles of a car's life. The close tolerances of modern car engines make slow break-in periods a thing of the past. Not since the 50's or early 60's have those requirements been necessary.
And no, I do not drive in as spirited a fashion as I did in younger years. The fastest I have ever driven was on a deserted stretch of rural road with no curves or intersecting roads for other drivers to pull out of. It was in a very high performance vehicle with high-performance disc brakes. It was totally safe and endangered no one (including myself).
Now that I am elderly and legally blind in one eye, and have admittedly slower reflexes, I seldom exceed the average fast-lane speed on our inter-city freeways. Even at my advanced age I am a safer driver than most 40-year-olds. I attribute that to an excellent knowledge of the laws of physics and an intimate knowledge of my vehicle's performance parameters.
So if you must refer to me as "dangerous", please explain how 50-plus years of accident-free driving and a total of only TWO speeding tickets over all those years constitutes "dangerous" driving... please... I'm anxiously awaiting the answer to that one!!
26th Dec 2012, 13:43
"Even more poorly built Japanese cars such as Toyota..."
Would that include 2006 Ford Fusions too?
27th Dec 2012, 09:02
Check out the "2006" Camry reviews on this site. Why do you have hatred for the Fusion? Did you actually drive one and dislike it, or is this just a game to provoke arguments with the "Fusion guy"?
27th Dec 2012, 09:55
But there are large tracks available to avoid a 4 digit ticket and added difficulties if pursued. Best to drive the legal limit; at least its 70 here. It depends on the car you are buying and your skill set. Some cars are a real handful in the wrong hands, and a driving school is really a necessity
27th Dec 2012, 11:14
You will find that the 2006 Camry has worse overall reviews than just about any car on this site. Almost all frownie faces.
28th Dec 2012, 18:05
I am in total agreement with 09:55 about the need for ALL drivers to attend some sort of performance driving school before even being issued a license to drive. It would save tens of thousands of lives each year. Most drivers know next to nothing about emergency accident avoidance maneuvers, or about how weather conditions or mechanical failures affect a vehicle's control.
Few people know that oil residue on roads after a long dry spell will create almost icy slick conditions after even a gentle rain. Some don't even realize that traction is greatly reduced just by rain alone.
Many drivers are clueless about how to handle unexpected skids. In a front drive car, you steer the car in the direction you want it to go and apply power to correct under steer. In a rear drive car, you steer in the direction of the skid to correct oversteer.
If you accidentally slip off the edge of the pavement, never, ever violently jerk the steering wheel to correct. GENTLY steer back onto the pavement. In fact, never violently steer or brake during any such incident or after a tire blow-out. It makes matters much worse.
Never stop on a freeway ramp. Not only are you likely to get rear-ended, but when you pull onto the freeway from a dead stop, drivers are forced to dodge you or brake violently possibly causing a serious accident. The proper way to merge onto a freeway is to spot an opening in traffic well in advance and accelerate to match the speed other vehicles are traveling. The greatest cause of accidents is not high speed, but great differences in speed.
When there is an accident or traffic stop that is not obstructing a driving lane, DO NOT slow down to rubber-neck. More freeway pile-ups are probably caused by this than any other factor.
If you are caught in a torrential rain storm on the freeway, try if at all possible to keep going as fast as you safely can. Often if you pull onto the shoulder, drivers coming up behind you will mistake your vehicle for a moving vehicle in a traffic lane and hit you. This happened to a dear friend of ours, who was killed in such an accident.
Finally, if roads are ice-covered, STAY AT HOME! Not even 4-wheel drive vehicles can maneuver on solid ice. If it is only snow, do everything SLOWLY. Never accelerate, brake or steer quickly on snowy roads. If at all possible, never stop at the bottom of a hill. If you do, you will likely stay there. If you are going down a slippery hill and don't have anti-lock brakes, gently pump the brakes to slow the car without locking up the wheels.
22nd Dec 2012, 13:49
Obviously one can negotiate a lower price on a demo vehicle. Also have the factory warranty. I also get the Carfax as well.