Are you actually going to BUY the Slate Truck without a Test Drive?

[UFO CTR]

I've driven many EVs and I'm sure this Slate truck will be no different! I'm in if $$$ is not an issue

 

[cvollers]

All new cars drive "okay". I expect it to be slow, clunky and have an overall very low-level finish to it. I do not imagine they could miss my expectations.

That being said, my biggest hold-up is price. SUV, Extended Range and a Wrap, are a bare minimum for me. That being said... if pricing on these is not favorable, this has potential to be the worst $40,000 car ever released.

It’s not going to beat a Tesla in a drag race, but I bet it will be quicker off the line than you think.

 

[E90400K]

Been here and done this with the Bronco. Was a Reservationist for the Bronco, but I did not sign the sales contract until I took it for a test drive.

Slate needs to solve this issue and provide opportunity to test drive one prior to sale. Or have a 10-day/1,000-mile buy back period. IMO.

 

[Sparkie]

Been here and done this with the Bronco. Was a Reservationist for the Bronco, but I did not sign the sales contract until I took it for a test drive.

Slate needs to solve this issue and provide opportunity to test drive one prior to sale. Or have a 10-day/1,000-mile buy back period. IMO.

I have the same intent as you, so I responded maybe.

For me, there are 2 things that are very important to me - steering and braking. I expect them to be tight and responsive.

This will be my first EV.
If my Slate has "spongy" brakes due a regenerative system, or if the steering is loose and sloppy (like a Toyota) then I won't feel comfortable driving it.

 

[Sparkie]

I want to see if Slate happens to be at the LA Auto show later this year. If they are, I'd love to play around with it, see how it feels. The ride shouldn't be any worse than my 1979 Dodge W150, which has leaf springs all around and 31" BFG KO2s. Either way, I want to drive it before buying it. Seeing as how my Dodge and my 2020 Civic both have manual transmissions, we'll see how many times I'll go the the non-existent clutch pedal of the Slate out of habit.

I know exactly what you mean.
Every time, I need to move my wife's Hyundai out of the driveway, my left foot stomps on the floor before I even hit the start button.

 

[Mad Mac]

Whenever I bought a new car, I was usually already highly motivated and felt little need for a test drive.

This was confirmed when I made the mistake of allowing my bride to accompany me on a test drive in a 1970 BMW 2002 that I coveted. She did not like it. I have regretted not purchasing one ever since.

My '74 Honda Civic was chosen based on an article in Car and Driver praising it and comparing it to Samuel Colt's iconic Peacemaker. I was not disappointed. It was my all time favorite.

Another purchase based on a review in a magazine was my 1980 Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo. But the salesman absolutely insisted I take it for a test drive because it was company policy and he could not close the deal otherwise. I loved that little car.

My 1998 Yamaha V-Max had been on my wish list since they came out in 1985. All I needed to do was sit on one and make sure I could hold it up with one toe; not that they were likely to let me take one for a spin anyway. Sold it reluctantly 67,000 miles and six years later. Lifetime adventure fulfilled.

A used car is a different matter. Definitely need to carefully check it out.

Except I bought a two-year old Jeep Gladiator pickup, never having driven one, from the Internet, only because I wanted that color and because I had a 1998 used Wrangler TJ and had advocated for a Wrangler pickup on Wrangler forums. However, I was thinking something much smaller, like a Slate!

I've already owned and enjoyed two small pickups. A 1995 Nissan Hardbody single cab and a 2009 Toyota Tacoma "club cab". I liked both of them a lot.

 

[DarkHorse]

For $20K, I'm not expecting much more than a tuna can that rolls forward and backwards. I'm also hoping the battery lasts more than a few months, and the 1 wheel peel doesn't get stuck on some spit. Anything above all that and it's fine.

 

[bartflossom]

Hoping in July there will be one of these events closer than 1000 miles from me. I'm retired so I'll just hop in my hybrid maverick and ROAAAAADTRIP. And yeah, I'm all in even it it goes to 30K starting price. It's exactly what I've been telling everyone I want for 10 years.

June Events

 

[E90400K]

For $20K, I'm not expecting much more than a tuna can that rolls forward and backwards. I'm also hoping the battery lasts more than a few months, and the 1 wheel peel doesn't get stuck on some spit. Anything above all that and it's fine.

That's called, "The low bar".

 

[GaRailroader]

I think it is much more important to test drive a used vehicle than a new one. I am going to order a new Model Y. I sat in one, I don't need to drive it, I am sure it is fine.

 

[The Dude]

I bought a 1940 Willys Pickup from Cali delivered. Drives like a champ. Im sure this will be no different.

 

[Swinefuzz]

Let's not overlook the fact that you cannot "test drive" this vehicle until it's delivered to your door, or at a nearby regional center.

This is simply false. Slate Auto has said, repeatedly, that showrooms will be open in all major metropolitan areas where a prospective customer can test drive it, put their hands all over it, ask a thousand questions and maybe, for a small fee, make sweet, sweet love to it.

I made that last bit up. But the rest is true.

 

[TheShark]

I'll be following the media test drives and write-ups.

 

[GreatLakes]

I think I'll be able to sit in one next month in Detroit. (Hmmm, I was probably within ten miles of Troy HQ last week). And I would certainly take a drive to Warsaw for a test drive, if necessary.