Used car test drive checklist

Before you drive

• Do the papers, the walk-around and the cold start first. If the car fails there, you do not need to drive it.
• Ask whether the seller’s insurance covers you as a driver, and take your licence. Never drive a car that is not registered or insured.
• Choose a route with a bumpy stretch, a straight and empty road, a safe place to brake hard and, if you can, a road where you can reach higher speeds. Go with the seller, but drive the car yourself.
• Radio off, windows down, phone on silent: you are there to listen.

1. At a standstill

Turn the steering wheel fully left and right with the car stationary: no knocks, squeaks or heavy patches. The steering wheel should sit straight when the car goes straight.

2. Pulling away and accelerating

Pull away gently, then accelerate firmly in second or third gear. The car should pull strongly, with no dips, jerks or sudden loss of power (limp mode). On a manual, the clutch should bite in the middle of the pedal travel and not slip, that is, the revs rise but the speed does not follow. On an automatic, the shifts should be smooth, with no flare, slip or bang.

3. Braking

In a safe, empty place brake firmly from about 50 km/h (30 mph). The car should stop straight, with no pull to one side and no pulsing through the pedal or the steering wheel (warped discs). A soft or sinking pedal, or a grinding noise, is a problem. Try it a couple of times.

4. Driving in a straight line

On a straight, level road hold the steering wheel lightly: the car should not pull to one side. A pull with a straight steering wheel points to an alignment or tyre problem, or to a body that has been repaired.

5. Speed bumps and rough road

Drive slowly over speed bumps and a rough patch. There should be no knocks, clunks or rattles from the suspension, and the car should settle after a bump without bouncing.

6. Speeds above 80 km/h (50 mph)

On a suitable road bring the car to 80 km/h (50 mph) or more. There should be no vibration through the steering wheel or the seat, no wobble and no hum. A hum that changes when you steer slightly left and right is a typical sign of a wheel bearing. Listen to the wind noise too: it can show badly fitted doors or glass.

7. Air conditioning under load

Keep the air conditioning on while you drive. It should stay cold in traffic and at speed. A car that cools only at idle, or warms up while driving, has a problem with the system or with the cooling of the engine.

8. A full-lock turn

At walking speed turn the wheel fully one way and drive a slow circle, then do the same the other way. A clicking or clunking noise points to worn drive-shaft joints or steering parts.

Hybrids, electric cars and diesels

• Hybrid: the petrol engine starts and stops by itself without a jerk, a vibration or a knock, and does not run all the time at low speed.
• Electric: a strong, smooth pull with no noises, regenerative braking that feels even, and no warning lights.
• Diesel: strong pull under load with no sudden loss of power, no particulate filter or engine light and no thick black smoke.

After the drive

Park, leave the engine idling and open the bonnet. Look under the car for fresh drips and sniff for burnt oil, coolant or hot brakes. Check that the temperature gauge stayed normal, that the fan works and that no new warning light came on. Then go through How to check a used car before you buy it again for anything you missed, and read Cold start: what to listen for and look at if you have not yet.