Hey guys, just wanted to run by this with you. I reached out to a dealership to enquire if I can test drive rs3, and the sales rep said there is no demo cars only for sale. They said I could test drive if I make a deposit.

Does this mean I pay a NON REFUNDABLE deposit?
is this pay to test drive ?

 

Um I would say that your dealer is the only one that can answer your question. Having said that, I don't have any idea what they mean by a deposit in order to do a test drive. Perhaps a security deposit in case something were to happen to the car while driving it? You need to ask them for clarification.

 

They probably want you to start the purchase process and then they let you test drive it before you sign on the dotted line. You still have the possibility to back out. This is what I'm getting with all the BMW dealers around here when trying to test drive an M. They basically want to run a credit check and everything and start the paperwork before handing over the keys for a test drive. Some dealers don't have demo cars, especially for models that are hard to come by or have limited production and RS buyers just like M buyers generally are particular about buying a car off the lot that has been driven before, so they don't just let anybody who strolls in test drive these cars, unless they have a demo car.

As for the deposit being refundable, that depends on your state as far as I know. Here in CA, the deposits are fully refundable and more of a gesture than anything else. I guess it is sort of a litmus test for the dealers to see if somebody is willing to part with a $1000 for a while in order to test drive. Not sure how this particular dealer would handle this if you write them a check for a deposit, then test drive the car and tell them you don't like it and want your deposit back. I'm guessing that they are banking on you placing an actual order after the test drive right then and there. It does sort of put you under pressure to be ready to purchase and it's the reason I haven't really considered buying another BMW yet.

I accepted that I couldn't test drive an RS5 before I bought mine back in 2013, but that was because there were simply none to be test driven. All orders were already sold and none was sitting on a lot.

 

My dealer(s) did a great job of working with me on the non-refundable deposit(s). I initially went with the TTRS, but was able to cancel due to lack of ETA, plus received my non-refundable back. High integrity, plus they wanted my order to sell when it does come out. These RS models will go fast.
The RS3 dealer negotiated with me on the non-refundable amount the next day, and it was a done deal. Very happy with these guys as well. I never met them in person until today, and they were all down to earth and did me right.
The point is, if you are looking to make the plunge, there is room to negotiate the dreaded "non-refundable" deposit. I just think the demand will make this a non-issue. Or, maybe the people in CO are swell lol.
Your situation may be a bit different, but something tells me they are trying to get your order...

 

My deposit to order the car was fully refundable, in writing, and easy to work with. I've had lots of dealers where test drives are more work to negotiate than actually buying the car. I do see some of their position - it's all about the bottom line, and how they read the market and how many $ signs they estimate as we walk in.

 

It's a bit silly that I can walk into a Porsche dealership and they'll happily let me test drive their 100k+ cars, but Audi won't let you test drive their most affordable RS.

It reminds me of my experience at the Nissan dealer when I was considering getting a GT-R but they wouldn't even give me a chance to drive one until I signed the contract. I'm not gonna buy a car without seeing if I'm gonna like it.

Ended up buying an ACR instead from a Dodge dealer who wanted my business and let me test drive the car before discussing numbers.

 

Porsche has their cars in inventory - and their market is people routinely shopping $100k cars....and often drive in with $100k cars

An Audi dealer, while expensive models do exist, isn't necessarily the same arena.

Given that it's their most affordable RS, how many tire kickers do you think they get? How many cars do you think any one dealer even has? Would you want to buy your RS knowing it had 100 miles of test drives on it, without having a personal relationship with the people who drove it?

 

It is best to ask your dealer what they meant by deposit. Is it a security deposit? Or, a deposit towards purchase? I would expect the former. And, with all deposits, inquire before even giving them a check or your credit card whether it is refundable or non-refundable. Decide from there whether the terms are OK with you or not.

RS cars are not produced in large quantities and, as a poster mentioned above, dealers most of the time just get one of each model to sell. So, they don't have an abundance of demo units like the mainstream Q3, Q5 or A4 units. I understand the dealer for hesitating to let you test drive it without a deposit. They do not want test pilots who are not seriously looking at buying this top shelf model. If I were buying an RS model, I would like it to be as factory fresh as possible. I wouldn't spend that much money on a car that has been used and abused by test pilots.

 

I agree. Given the shortage of vehicles, I would think that getting (refundable) deposits would give the dealer some confidence that the customer is relatively serious and not just tire kicking for a lark. The process of some earnest money and paperwork would likely discourage people who aren't seriously looking.

 

All the dealers I have talked to, repeatedly state that they do NOT offer test drives of their RS and R8 vehicles. For many of the reasons mentioned above, their biggest reason for not offering test drives of the RS and beyond vehicles was because of the effect it would have on their potential buyers.

Nobody wants to buy a new car that has been driven, hard, and before broken in, by any number of people. I would be bothered by the idea of having so many extra butt's in my seats in a "new" car, especially an RS or higher car. I totally understand why they would not offer test drives on these, or want serious signs of interest/commitment before letting you behind the wheel of someone else's baby if you decide to not take it home with you.

Porsche from my experience moves cars in a very different way. The dealerships I have been to often have a car that they are "demoing" that is intended for purchase by the sales manager after so much time of use. Or by another employee. I imagine they work out a deal to knock so much off the price for the eventual employee buyer. I imagine that Porsche still struggles with very similar issues however. I would imagine that people negotiate decent chunks of change off list price for vehicles that have signs of being test/joy driven. As it should be.