At-Home Test Drives Are Definitely Convenient, But They Come With A Catch

Buying a new or used car can be a stressful and time-consuming process, and dealerships have long looked for ways to reduce the friction. One method some have embraced is at-home test drives, where a salesperson takes a vehicle to a potential buyer’s home or office so they can take it for a spin without needing to get themselves to a showroom. That’s undeniably convenient, but there are a few things to keep in mind when doing so, in addition to the questions you should be asking yourself (like “What’s my budget?”) and the classic mistakes to avoid (like revealing your budget). First, you may not get to drive the actual model you’re interested in, depending on which vehicles the seller chooses to use as demos. Second, you may find the dealer unwilling to talk about terms or financing — let alone seal the deal — without going to the dealership.

At-home test drives have been popular with luxury brands for decades, but became even more popular during the COVID pandemic when many people sought to avoid public transport or unnecessary in-person interactions. Tesla’s started using the technique in 2025 to demonstrate its full self-driving (supervised) feature. At-home test drives are offered by the likes of Nissan and Kia, and sometimes on a dealer-by-dealer basis for brands that don’t offer the service themselves. What’s common regardless of marque, though, is that salespeople are reluctant to talk terms, because of Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules and regulations around door-to-door sales. In essence, if you get down to brass tacks with a salesperson during a test drive in the U.S., you may be entitled to a three-day cooling-off period during which you can change your mind. That’s good news for buyers, but it means dealers are more cautious.

The FTC’s cooling-off rule states that “it is unfair and deceptive for sellers engaged in ‘door-to-door’ sales valued at more than $25 to fail to provide consumers with disclosures regarding their right to cancel the sales contract within three business days of the transaction.” The rule covers any transaction made at a place other than the seller’s place of business, so a driveway or curbside sale counts. There are a couple of key caveats to keep in mind, though. First, sellers should remember that, even if the buyer requested the test drive, the rule still applies. However, buyers should bear in mind that if they’ve already visited a dealership and negotiated the terms, and the driveway interaction is only a delivery or signature or other perfunctory process, the cooling-off rule doesn’t apply.

There’s also an exception for deals closed at auctions, pop-ups, roadshows, or other temporary sales locations that aren’t the seller’s lot, but also aren’t the buyer’s home or office. If someone does a driveway deal and the seller doesn’t inform them of the three-day cooling-off period, the seller can be fined up to $53,088. So while salespeople might try to get you to a dealership afterward, at-home test drives can still be incredibly convenient for would-be buyers. Making sure you do a test drive is important. It’s one of our top tips when buying any car, whether new or used.