THE 10-SECOND VERSION (AI SUMMARY)
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What happened: Hertz expanded its TestDrive+ program, letting shoppers drive a used car for up to three days before buying.
Why it matters: Shoppers increasingly expect more time and less pressure when making a big decision.
What to do: Consider whether a longer test drive could help your store close more confident deals.
Honestly, the next time I need to move a couch, I might just grab a three-day Hertz test drive.
Jokes aside, Hertz is onto something. We dug into its newly expanded program on today’s episode of the Automotive State of the Union.
The longer a customer drives a car, the more it starts to feel like theirs.
How Hertz TestDrive+ Works
Hertz Car Sales has expanded TestDrive+, formerly called Rent2Buy, to more than 300 neighborhood rental locations, according to Auto Remarketing.
Hertz isn’t the only one giving used-car buyers three days, either. California’s new CARS Act gives many shoppers three days after the sale:
Hertz TestDrive+ | California’s CARS Act | |
|---|---|---|
When | Before buying | After buying |
How long | Up to three days | Three days |
The cost | A daily drive fee, waived if you buy | A restocking fee of 1.5% of the price, between $200 and $600 |
Which vehicles | Mostly 2025 and 2026 model years | Used cars under $50,000 with fewer than 400 added miles |
“Buying a car is a big decision, and customers have told us they want more time and flexibility to get it right.” Jeff Adams, Hertz Car Sales
Why Longer Test Drives Could Help Dealers Sell More Cars
This is a classic sales technique: transfer of ownership. Retailers have known for decades that once a customer holds the product, they start to picture it as theirs. Three days in a car means three days of driving it to work, showing it to friends, and fitting it into real life.
It also takes the pressure off. When a customer knows they have time to decide, the decision gets easier, and that kind of confidence leads to fewer regrets after the sale.
Not every store can hand out three-day test drives. But an overnight test drive, a longer weekend option, or a simple satisfaction guarantee can give shoppers the same kind of confidence.
Give customers time to fall in love with a car, and they’ll be far more likely to buy it.
Hear the full conversation on today’s episode of the Automotive State of the Union.
