How to test-drive a car with temporary car insurance

Think you’ve found the perfect set of wheels? Whether it’s a new car or something with a few miles on it, there’s no better way to decide if it’s the one for you than to take it out for a spin. But before you do, you’ll need to make sure you’re properly covered with car insurance, like short term car insurance.

Test driving isn’t just about getting a feel for the car. It’s also an important part of evaluating the reliability and safety of your potential ride. It allows you to check out the performance of the car first-hand.

You can see how it feels on different road surfaces and winding turns, as well as check out any special features like cruise control. Plus, you can get an idea of how comfortable the ride is and whether it works for you. Because after all, you’ll be the one driving it. 

It’s easy to be dazzled by aesthetics alone, but looks aren’t enough here.  After testing out several cars within your price range side-by-side, it will be much easier for you to narrow down which one works best for you based on feel rather than just looks alone.  

 

But, while test-driving is important when buying a car, it’s still your responsibility to make sure you have the correct insurance in place to drive it. 

If you’re buying from a major car dealer, then they may have insurance in place to allow you to test drive their cars. You should always double-check though because it’s on you if you drive without insurance. 

But if Keith down the pub is selling his car and you’re really keen to buy it, then you might find he doesn’t have car insurance that would cover you to test-drive it. 

In the UK, it’s illegal to drive without the proper car insurance in place and this is especially important when it comes to taking a spin in someone else’s car. Imagine if you wreck it. Could you ever look Keith in the eye again? Think a pint would solve it? Think again. 

Even if Keith has his own policy and gives you permission to drive his car, chances are, your own insurance won’t cover you if something were to happen. Even if your car insurance covers you to drive other cars, this usually comes with all sorts of limitations and restrictions. And it will almost never extend to test-driving someone else’s car. 

The good news is that there are now plenty of insurers who offer temporary car insurance policies.  These policies provide cover for periods as short as one hour – so as long as the car is MOT’d, taxed, and roadworthy, you can go ahead and test-drive it. 

A small word of caution though – while you might trust Keith with your life, if you’re planning on test-driving multiple cars, you should always exercise caution. As in, if you’re meeting strangers from the internet to check out their cars, make sure they’re legit. Ideally, meet in a public place, or at least bring a friend to the appointment. 

Also, get the car’s reg before you head over to check that it’s got an MOT and make sure it’s taxed. If it isn’t, you won’t be able to test-drive it anyway, which might defeat the purpose.