“The sales guy was stressed.”
A test drive is supposed to help you decide whether a car is worth buying. You get behind the wheel, see how it handles, and hopefully walk away feeling confident about your decision.
But sometimes, the car makes that decision a little easier for you. Though perhaps not in the way you expected.
In a video with more than 127,000 views, content creator @disco_doge shares the tale of the bizarre misadventure he experienced while test driving a Mercedes-Benz.
“POV Your Mercedes breaks down on the test drive,” the text overlay reads.
In the video you can see a dark-colored car pulled over on the side of the road. A man wearing a navy suit stands beside it, watching as another man lies on his back with his head and arms underneath the vehicle.
A white car is behind them with its emergency lights on. It doesn’t seem the two cars were in an accident, so it might be someone from the dealership come to the rescue.
“The sales guy was stressed,” @disco_doge added in the caption.
A test drive isn’t just about getting behind the wheel and seeing whether you like how the car drives, Kelley Blue Book also recommends you inspect a car’s exterior and interior—and don’t let the salesperson rush you through the process.
Some things worth checking include:
Kelley Blue Book also recommends bringing a friend. They may notice something you miss or help keep the salesperson occupied while you concentrate on evaluating the car.
And don’t forget to look under the hood. At the very least, you should know how accessible basic components like the battery and windshield washer fluid reservoir are.
Consumer Reports recommends buyers spend at least 30 minutes on a test drive, ideally on a route they planned themselves.
That’s because a salesperson’s suggested route may avoid certain roads or driving conditions that could reveal problems with the vehicle.
Consumer Reports says you should test the car on city streets, highways, and uneven pavement to see how it performs in different situations.
Here’s what to pay attention to:
Consumer Reports also recommends testing basic maneuvers like parallel parking and three-point turns. This gives you a better idea of the vehicle’s turning radius and how easy it is to handle in tight spaces.
And don’t get too attached to the first vehicle you drive. Test several cars back-to-back so you have something to compare.
People were less troubled than relieved on @disco_doge’s behalf.
“That’s when you make your way to the Lexus dealership,” one person wrote.
A second said, “The fact he down there doing that lets me know he already knew it had issues.”
“Love this for you. Saved you really,” another wrote.
One person recognized the Mercedes and suggested that the car breaking down was a stroke of luck.
“We have that car. It’s terrible. The AC only works when you are accelerating. We are literally sweating in a 70k car in the middle of the summer. Will never get one again. Dealership said it’s the environmental friendly AC and won’t fix it. Never again.”
Motor1 reached out to @disco_doge via Instagram and TikTok direct message. We’ll be sure to update this if he responds.
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