CAR-SHOPPING 101: Test Drives Matter. “I’m not just talking about taking out a car that you might buy one day, and then test driving another car you might buy a few weeks later. While that’s better than no test drive at all, the true value of a test drive lies in your ability to compare cars within hours or days of each other. When you drive cars back-to-back, you are much more likely pick up on certain nuances, personal preferences, and, most importantly, shortcomings, than if you were to test a car on its own. Sure, it’s hard to block out an entire day or weekend to test drive all the cars in a segment, but it really is the best way to car shop. You might be blown away by the quality of a new sedan only to find that the competitor you drive later in the day has even more refined interior styling or driving dynamics.”