Imagine shopping for your next car, taking a shiny, new model for a
test drive, having knowledgeable experts show you the features and get
a price quote – all at your own pace – and without having to move an
inch. CARandDRIVER.com and ROADandTRACK.com’s
“Virtual Test Drive” now brings all the fun of visiting a new car
dealership - without the hassles. Car-buyers can go online, thoroughly
examine new models and virtually test-drive them along with expert
commentary and reviews from the magazines’ editors, as well as from
manufacturers' engineers.
Consumers can join famed automotive
expert race car driver Tommy Kendall for a virtual one-on-one road test
as he takes the vehicle for a drive on a winding country road. Tommy
provides running commentary and on-the-spot impressions while the
consumer can choose from four vantage points; from the driver’s seat,
the passenger seat, the exterior side and over the hood.
So is
it cool? Yeah, it is. Is it helpful? Sure. It’s definitely better than
clicking through pictures on the manufacturer’s site. You can hear the
engine and see how much (or how little) the camera bounces when he
drives over bumpy roads, and you can listen to the reviews all while
you click and explore.
As Tommy was talking about the horsepower and torque numbers of the
Ford Edge (which are impressive), I found myself musing, “Yeah, but I
bet the gas mileage sucks.” As if reading my mind, Tommy jumped in and
added that the EPA estimates are better than most full-size SUVs and
trucks and the Edge gets about 18 city and 25 highway. It’s no Toyota
Yaris, but it’s better than I expected.
You
can virtually walk around the car in any direction with features that
spin the car so it can be viewed from any angle from both the exterior
and interior. The section lists all the normal specs you would be
interested in as well.
From details on the frame construction to
the interior of the glove compartment, each vehicle can be thoroughly
examined and explored. For example, a click on a “spotlight” on the
hood of the new Chevrolet Silverado pops it open to slowly bring the
viewer in for a closer look under the hood.