I was reading some autoblog reviews of different cars earlier... got me thinking of a specific test I always have done. It stemmed from driving to college with my coffee in hand when I was 19. Going over the bumpy back-roads out of town my car would shoot coffee thru the lid... ending up on the headliner, on me, on the console etc... The "industry standard coffee-cup test" as I call it was born.

Basically anytime I look at a new/used/my friends new car I will get coffee... and just see how the car handles the bumpy road. If I can't drink it - bad ride quality. If I can but it drips a bit - medium ride quality. If it's easy to drink even when completely full and nothing gets anywhere - excellent quality.

Basically the little hole in the cup allows a bit out if the car was unable to absorb a very sharp impact that would cause a harmonic in the cup to make it shoot the coffee upwards.

So that's my ride quality test... my friends think it is a pretty good one. Lets hear some of your unique ways to test the various parts of a new car!

 

POWERSLIDE FTW!!!!


laugh.gif laugh.gif laugh.gif

 

push the car to the limits, if it cant handle it, what makes you think it will last the miles you need it for. i like testing on this stretch of highway near me that has a few 90 degree turns and one exit that is a complete 360 degree circle. the speed limit is set at 80 for a nice long stretch of it including a couple of the turns so i can really test the car for potential. and if you know anything about ny roads, they are terrible and potholes are every where. lets me test everything on the car including acceleration, traction, lateral g's, breaking, transmission quality, etc... i love going on that highway for all testing