That's a hell of a purchase to make effectively "sight unseen" without the ability to test drive the vehicle first which you would do at a dealership.
The last vehicle I purchased was certified preowned and I went through several models before landing on one - much of my decision was based on how the vehicle handled to me.
I've been in rental cars that I wouldn't buy based on driving them for 5 minutes. IMHO, a test drive is to confirm the car basically works. Some of the value is just from sitting in the car, but is there any thing terrible going on with steering, visibility, pedal feel, shifting, etc.
For my car shopping, I've usually been locked into a model before I visit the dealer/private party, but if I test drive a car and it drives like some of those rentals, I'd be back to looking at other things. I also just recently test drove a lower trim / different engine/transmission configuration vehicle than I wanted, because that configuration was available to test drive and the desired one wasn't... and I was pleasantly surprised by the drivability, so I broadened my search (helps that the configuration I wanted is more expensive and less produced; it's easier to compromise towards something that I might be able to buy for less)
Yep, I've never gotten anything out of the test drive either - my mind was already made up based on price/features when I went to the dealership. I'm more-or-less just looking for something that gets me where I need to go safely, I don't care about "handling." My last car purchase (a Nissan Sentra) I didn't even bother with the test drive, I felt it would just be a waste of time.
The other thing is that some "car people" that I know will rent a car before purchasing it because the test drive is far too superficial for them.
I already answered in the comment you are replying to -
"my mind was already made up based on price/features"
and
"I'm more-or-less just looking for something that gets me where I need to go safely."
I know that "car guys" can't fathom this but I've driven a LOT of car models (as I've rented a LOT) and they are (mostly) the same to me; I consider cars almost a commodity. I wouldn't even know how to compare vehicle "handling."
>You’ve driven a lot of car models yet you wouldn’t know how to compare handling?
Correct. I've also been driving for a quarter of a century.
>That claim seems disingenuous, in order to serve up a point.
>You most certainly would be able to differentiate and compare
No I wouldn't. I swear to you I'm not lying. A car is a car to me. There are different sizes and some are a bit more comfortable than others but they are mostly the same to me. I don't even know what "handling" even means, I've never had a car behave unexpectedly when turning the wheel.
In sure I would notice a difference if I was racing or something, but I'm not, I'm just going to the god damn grocery store.
>We buy so many things "sight unseen" because of the quality and reliability.
Name 1 or 2 other things you buy "sight unseen" that are remotely close to the cost of a new vehicle.
>I will buy a reliable car sight unseen like I bought my big screen t.v.
If you have zero preference for the multitude of ways even similar cars can vary, you aren't an average car buyer. Most people care about these things, be it sight lines, headroom, where the chargers are, driving dynamics...
>Name 1 or 2 other things you buy "sight unseen" that are remotely close to the cost of a new vehicle
That question cannot be answered, we all know that nothing is comparable to that price in an average household's shopping list.
But a few years ago a shoe purchase was in store only but a month ago I bought a new pair online. Because I knew that I could try it and return it easily.
> I will buy a reliable car sight unseen like I bought my big screen t.v.
A few years back I was convinced I wanted a certain model Hyundai (Elantra), researched the hell out of it, figured I didn't even need to test drive as I had owned the previous model. Got to the dealership, sat in the drivers seat and found there was no headroom. I'm not that tall, but the new model was so "aerodynamic" (swept back windshield) that it felt claustrophobic. I bought another model (Sonata).
There are Tesla showrooms where you can do test drives.
The key difference that the place is owned by the car company instead of rich middlemen that engage in regulatory capture, add markups that don't go the manufacturer and degrade the experience.
The last vehicle I purchased was certified preowned and I went through several models before landing on one - much of my decision was based on how the vehicle handled to me.