When you’re getting ready to test drive cars to pick out a new or used car that you want to take home and drive, you should ask questions.

This is going to be your vehicle, and you should be able to test it the way you want and ask all the questions you’d like. In fact, most dealerships will encourage you to ask questions and learn all you can before you make a buying decision. Let’s dive in and talk about some of the questions that will be important to you.

What are the Safety Features of this Car?

Safety features have come a long way from the time of our grandparents and parents. You might hear stories of driving around without seatbelts installed in cars and then about a time when all that was offered was a lap belt. Today, safety features are made to not only protect you in an accident but help you avoid them altogether. One of the first questions you should ask will be on the topic of safety features. Ask your dealer to give you a tour of these features before you take a ride.

Has the Car Been in Any Accidents?

The use of Carfaxreports typically gives you all the information you need about a vehicle. Any service or accidents that have been reported and recorded will be part of this report. This is important information for you, and the report you’re given at the dealership is something you should scrutinize and review before you take a test drive. If you’re not comfortable with a vehicle that’s been in an accident, this report will narrow the number of models you might take out on the road.

Will All Types of Car Seats Fit?

No matter what stage of life you are in, it’s possible you might need to put a car seat in your vehicle at some point during your driving time. You might be an empty nester, but your kids will be bringing grandkids by that will want to ride with you. You might be single and not ready for kids, but that could change in the next couple of years. You might have kids and bring the car seats to the test drive to take the seats with you when you head out on the road. This is an important question to ask.

Are There Any Special Features of this Car?

Every vehicle brand has something they do well and that people love when they drive these models. Audi has some of the best interiors, BMW models are sporty, Ford has excellent SUVs and trucks, Hyundai packs a ton of features into their cars, Volvo excels with safety. These are just a few of the examples and why this question is important. This also allows the salesperson to show off and show you the vehicle you might want to take home with you today.

Some questions you might want to ask yourself during the test drive:

Is the Vehicle Comfortable Enough?

Can you imagine your spouse or partner sitting in the passenger seat? Would you feel comfortable with your parents sitting in the rear seat with the need to get in and out of the car? Do you have enough legroom? Is the cabin quiet enough? Comfort is a considerable factor and something you need to think about when you’re ready to purchase your next vehicle. This is not something to be taken lightly since you’re going to spend several hours each week behind the wheel.

How Easy is it to Connect to the Infotainment System?

It might be annoying to a car salesperson, but they need to be patient with you. When you take a test drive, you should take along items you normally take when you leave your house. This means you have your charging cord and your smartphone. Before heading out on the road, figure out how easy it is to get connected to the system and where you can plug in your device to keep it charged when you’re out on the road. Also, do you need to use your phone for navigation, or is that part of the features of the car?

How Big is the Cargo Hold?

When considering a pickup truck, you have the entire bed as a cargo area, especially if you put a cover over it, and that will be a large area for you. Even so, you should check out all the places where you can have cargo in the cabin of the vehicle. In other vehicles, you should see how large the cargo area is, whether or not folding the seats gives you more space, and how easy it is to fold the seats or remove them to open a more expansive cargo area.

How Does the Car Handle Your Normal Route?

While most dealers aren’t going to be too happy if you take a test drive from one town to the next, especially if that town is several miles away, you can test drive a vehicle on the route you choose. Tell your salesperson that’s what you’re doing. Try out the vehicle in a parking lot to see how easy it is to get in and out. Park next to other vehicles to see how difficult it is to put into a space. Find a place to parallel park and see if you can perform this action as easily as you do in your current ride.

What Does Your Friend have to Say?

If you know that you turn into the salesperson and get overexcited about items that you might want to buy, bring your most critical friend and let them help you stay grounded. Ask them to ride along and point out items that are concerning to them so that you can think critically about the vehicle. Once you make this purchase, you’re going to live with it for a few years, which means you should have as much information as you can.