Why you should take advantage of drive tests

 

Reading a product manual is like going on a trip to the dentist; it is something that needs to be done, but would only get done when trouble crops up.

 

I know most men (my husband would definitely be one) who would say they don’t need a product manual. Most women, on the other hand, just simply wouldn’t bother; or they’ll have their men read through the manual instead.

 

This is why companies created active product experiences, to make sure that customers, especially the ladies, understand what the additional dollar added to the price tag is all about. From free makeup classes and cooking demos to intensive driving activities at the track, all these live product manuals made things easy for the lazy consumers.

 

For us women, whenever we get invited to these drive events, we either pass this on to a significant male or decide not to go at all. But letting go of these experiences is like passing up a chance to shop at a 70-percent-off Givenchy sale with matching 12-months, zero-percent-interest credit payment terms.

 

So what are the advantages of going through these drive events? Below are some reasons why you should mind:

 

1. It teaches you what ABS really means.

 

Let’s face it: there are a lot of high-tech terms and abbreviations that you don’t understand, like ABS and EBD. While a technology may be unique to a particular car, others could just be a new way of re-imaging an already existing feature.

 

Drive experiences usually come with a quick product presentation to highlight technology. This presentation aims to help you justify, either to yourself or your significant other, why you have to pay more for a higher model.

 

2. It’s a free driving class.

 

Of course, before you are let out on the track, you are equipped with the appropriate skill to lessen the possibility of you crashing a P5-million car. The day usually starts with exercises that will, without doubt, improve the way you drive. Plus, you learn the basics of high-performance driving (HPD) without shelling out a lot of cash.

 

3. You get to drive the car the way it was designed to be driven.

 

Some driving experiences are so high-tech that they fly in instructors or product specialists from other parts of the world. These people have been trained for years so that you will get a crash course on how your car would behave in certain conditions. Some of these lessons, especially when dealing with safety features, could actually be life-saving.

 

Abrupt lane-changing or braking during an emergency situation are some simulation exercises worth learning. Not only do they test the threshold of the vehicle’s technology but they also give you a first-hand experience on how to react and utilize the car’s safety features.

 

These are valuable lessons that prepare you for real-life driving. And if you do get into one similar situation, it would probably not result in having to fork out cash for a fender bender.

 

4. You get to drive faster but under safer conditions.

 

Let’s face it, when you think of luxury cars, you often think of speed. High-end cars such as BMW, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz all talk about big horsepower and engine size—all of which are useless with the Metro Manila traffic.

 

In a drive experience, the programs are designed with great care so that you can experience what can these high-tech machines really do, but in a safer environment, usually a closed road or at the tracks.

 

The most important point of all is that it is not your car. You don’t have to think of the high cost of gasoline or the tires’ wear and tear; these are all taken care of. Of course, some idiot could still trash a car, but that idiot would come home with a very expensive event souvenir.

 

5. You are treated like a VIP at the tracks.

 

Of course, this is relative to the price tag of the product being featured, but some high-end car events spend more than $2,000 to $5,000 per slot on drive events, especially if the experience is held abroad, as the Mercedes-Benz AMG test-drive in Germany.

 

Locally, BMW partnered up with Eurocopter to fly in VIPs for half-day drives at the track. Some people may opt for an equivalent cash discount, but still, a cash discount may not equal the experience of a lifetime.

 

6. You can avail of special promos and discounts.

 

At the end of the day, these events are a selling tool. There is no such thing as a free lunch. They can convert you to a brand loyalist, make you want to upgrade to a more expensive car, or even ask you to bring a potential customer.

 

They usually offer an enticing option to make you spend more. It can come either as a big discount or a gift. Others sell the vehicle used in the driving event with a big discount, which makes refusing difficult.

 

Last but not the least, there are the freebies. In events like these, T-shirts, caps, umbrellas and similar items come standard with the loot bag that contains brochures. And just in case you couldn’t afford the cars you drove, you would at least have a couple of Facebook-worthy selfies.

 

 

For comments and suggestions, e-mail me at [email protected], follow me @chicdriven/Instagram, or like me on Facebook/Chicdriven.