[SNAP]
Once upon a time, there was a TV host named Jack Rico.
And he wanted to pick out the perfect car from three
very different choices.
Hm.
This car's too big.
This car's too blue.
And this one's just right.
Jack wanted the shiny red one as soon as he laid eyes on it.
But then Consumer Reports' Kelly Funkhouser magically appeared.
Kelly!
Hi.
What are you doing here?
I'm actually testing this car.
Well, this car is super fun.
I think it's just right for me.
I want to give it a spin, if I could only find
the keys somewhere around here.
Looking for these?
Yes!
Not so fast.
Why?
You can test drive this car without actually driving.
But, wait a minute, Kelly, that doesn't make any sense.
Well, there's a lot of things to consider before you even
get on the road.
So where do I start, Kelly?
Well, Jack, you already did.
Huh?
How was it getting into this car?
Uh, it was a bit difficult. I was struggling to get in.
Yeah, it sits a little low to the ground
and it's a small car.
Mhm.
So getting in is something to consider
when you're buying a car.
Absolutely.
Remember, you're going to be doing this every day,
sometimes multiple times a day.
You want to make sure that it's something that's easy to do.
And what's next?
Well, you want to make sure you're
comfortable in that driver's seat.
OK.
So find those controls on the side, make adjustments.
Hold on a second.
Next, you'll want to check that you're actually
sitting about 10 inches away from the steering wheel.
OK.
You can adjust the steering wheel, too.
There's an adjuster on the side of the column there.
Next, you'll want to check the visibility around your car.
OK.
Take a look in those mirrors, check those blind spots.
OK.
Oh--
It is a little hard to see out with the top
on this convertible.
Yeah, absolutely.
So what's next after that?
Next, you'll want to see if you can hook up your phone.
OK.
Uh--
Some cars aren't compatible with your phone.
Good point.
After that, you'll want to see all of these controls that
are right here and make sure you can reach them,
understand what they all mean, and use them on the fly.
Some cars, you have to reach quite a ways
to reach that touch screen.
And a lot of them get washed out in the sunlight, too.
Good point, Kelly.
You know, it's very important for me
to use the infotainment system.
I use it so much.
But we do want to make sure that it
doesn't become too distracting.
[SIGHS] You know what, Kelly?
I don't know if this is the car for me.
You've got two other cars.
Should we try one of those?
All right.
Let's go.
The sports car was too small for Jack.
So he tried something much bigger.
How was getting into this car, Jack?
Well, it was definitely much easier than the other one.
But I felt like I had to climb up to this one.
This one sits a whole lot taller.
But now you can see more of the road.
That is true.
All right.
Let's get comfortable.
OK.
All right.
Hey, does this seat belt fit around here?
Interesting you asked that, Jack.
You actually can't adjust the height of this seat belt.
It looks like it actually fits you pretty well in this car,
but something you'll want to consider for people
who aren't as tall as you.
Mm.
So next is visibility, right?
That's right.
We want to make sure you can see all around your car.
Take a look in those mirrors.
Ah, these mirrors are huge.
They really are.
You can see a lot.
What about your blind spots?
Um, it's a little hard to see.
Especially in a car this big.
You want to make sure that you can
see all the way around the car.
Next, we're going to hook up your phone
and use the infotainment system.
OK.
Can you reach that screen?
Um, it's a little too far away.
It's a pretty long reach.
In addition, the controls to adjust
the audio and your climate system
are pretty far to reach, as well.
Yeah, you're right.
Definitely don't want to get out of driving position
to adjust the temperature.
Car number two was too big for Jack.
So Kelly showed him one more.
How was getting into this car, Jack?
This was pretty easy.
Excellent.
Now let's make sure you're comfortable in that driver's
seat.
How does it feel?
I like the way the seat feels.
Yeah, this one's chair height.
So it makes getting in and out of it every day
a whole lot easier.
Yeah.
Next up, visibility, take a look around.
What do you see?
Everything.
What about those blind spots?
Well, it's better than the last two cars.
And, if I'm out on the road, it's probably easy to merge,
too.
I agree.
What do you think of the design of this infotainment system?
Uh, pretty straightforward and I can even reach the knobs.
Definitely a plus and it's less distracting.
One more thing to check out is the gear selector.
Each one of the cars we sat in has a different style
and they're not always easy to understand at first.
For example, on some newer electronic shifters,
pushing the handle all the way forward
may put you into Reverse instead of Park.
And the Park position may be located on a separate button.
This car's shifter has clearly labeled positions
that follow the PRNDL layout.
And that's common in many vehicles.
Now, Jack, imagine if you had bought
this car without looking for all of these important things.
Hm.
There's a lot that you should look for before
taking the car on the road.
You don't want to regret your purchase.
Here's Kelly's top five tips for testing a car without driving.
Access, make sure it's easy for you
to get in and out of the car.
Comfort, can you get comfy in the seat
and adjust it properly?
Visibility, look around and make sure
you can see out over the hood and that blind spots aren't
too obtrusive.
Controls, simple is better.
Make sure you can easily manipulate
climate, audio, et cetera.
Phone compatibility, is your phone compatible?
And is there a safe place to store it while you're driving?
I think this is the perfect car.
Jack, slow down.
You haven't even taken it for a drive yet.
[SIGHS] All right.
Let's take it for a drive.
OK.
Where are the keys?
I thought you had the keys.
No, you gave them-- what?
Where are the keys?
What-- where are the keys?
Didn't you have them before?
I-- I could have--
[SNAP]