When it comes to buying a pre-owned car, the first thing that comes in our mind is its condition, and we know that the best judgment can be derived only through self test-drive; rather than depending on assumptions. But mere 5-10 minutes of spin is not really enough, you’ll need to do lot of checks before you take any decision. Don’t miss the last chance to validate the car before buying it.

Dealers are comfortable giving test drive after verifying your documents but individual car owners might be reluctant for the same. You can have them accompanied on the passenger seat, but make sure you don’t get indulged in much of a conversation and concentrate more on the car’s performance during that 20 minutes drive. Here is the list of practical checks which you should be looking at –

•    Check if the car starts up easily and at the very first go
•    Analyze the manual transmission and shifting of the gears
•    Easiness of the clutch and examine its hesitation and clutching sounds
•    Look if there are any abnormal sounds while changing the gears
•    Also see whether the car moves smoothly while switching different gears
•    Are the acceleration good and smooth on every pull
•    When you step on the brakes, do you notice pull on its either side
•    Quality and strength of the brakes
•    Turn signals’ functionality
•    Does it reach variable speeds merging with the traffic flow
•    Check for blind spots
•    During the lane changes, is the car easy to maneuver
•    The functionality of cruise control
•    Check if the acceleration is strong starting off on the green light
•    Well and steady handling of the car around the town
•    Is the heating and air-conditioning working fine
•    Is it easy to park the car on numerous spots
•    Even after closing the sun or the moon roofs, is the air still penetrating
•    Are the windows closing properly and not whistling during high speeds
•    Clarity of radio reception

If you have doubts, consulting a mechanic is always a good option than encountering surprises later.