Sitting in front of your computer delving into all the raw facts of an automobile will help you obtain the facts and figures. But, there really is no way that you can get the feelinng of the car's particular driving characteristics. Request one. The very best source of information about a car is the car itself. All the reading and comparison of data (though very important) won't tell you exactly what any car is really like to drive under various conditions and situations.

So, test drive each of the cars of your choice to get a good feel of what it is like to be at the wheel. Try to select a demonstrator as close as possible to the exact model you want, with as much of the same equipment on it as you think you will be getting. You may have to test drive more than one car to check out all the features that are of interest to you.

Taking the test drive.
As soon as you get behind the wheel, adjust the seat so that you have the maximum comfort and can operate the foot pedals and hand controls easily. Then adjust all the mirrors so you can see as much as you can to the rear.

Next, check out all the controls. If you don't understand what they all do or where the commonly used controls are located, make sure someone at the dealership explains them to you.

Then, fasten your seat-belt. Perhaps the car has the new motorized shoulder belt. If so, don't forget the lap belt must still be fastened by hand. If the car has an adjustable steering wheel, set it for maximum comfort. Also, make sure it does not hide important instruments or controls. Now, you are ready to move out onto the street and into the traffic, and find out how the car actually handles. You should check the following points:

• Are all the foot pedals comfortably located and easy to operate?
• Does the car accelerate smoothly and quickly?
• Is there plenty of power to accelerate when passing other traffic?
• Does the engine have enough power to climb steep hills?
• Does the manual transmission shift easily and have a positive feel?
• Does the automatic transmission shift smoothly and at the right times?
• Is the steering responsive?
• Does the car lean when turned sharply in either direction?Do the brakes work smoothly without too much pressure and without wheel-lock?
• Is visibility good in all directions?
• Can you see all the necessary instruments and controls?
• Does the engine idle smoothly at stop lights?
• Is there an undue amount of engine noise, especially under hard acceleration?
• Is there too much wind noise at high speeds?
• Does the car feel stable at highway speeds?
• Do you feel or hear any vibrations at any time?
• Does the suspension smooth out the bumps, yet maintain stability?
• Do all the options function properly?
  
  

Try backing into a parking spot. Get into the back seat and check it out for comfort, especially for leg room with the front seats moved all the way back. Open the trunk to see if it is large enough for your needs and does not have an awkward shape.

Just driving around the block is not enough. To give the car a thorough test, drive several miles. Don't abuse the test car, but make sure you test it in situations and under conditions as close as possible to those you normally drive.

Consider renting a car.
Have you ever thought of renting a car like the one you are thinking of buying? This is an excellent way to try out the car of your choice for several days. Call different rental companies to see if any have the model you want available. Most of the popular models from both domestic and foreign manufacturers are available through rental companies these days, although you may have to search around a bit for the precise make and maodel you want. It can be well worth the trouble, though, because even a day behind the wheel of a car will tell you much more about it than a short demonstration drive at the dealer. The cost of a rental is cheap compared to the cost of a mistake when buying a new car.

Summary.
Don't skimp on the test drive! You cannot get the true measure of a car until you get behind the wheel for some period of time--and, the longer the test drive, the better. If you can rent a car similar to the one you think you want to buy, that can be money well spent, too.