So we have showrooms where you can check out cars without driving them they ' re usually charged , available to sit in , play with , and go over in detail all on your own without taking one on the road . I firmly believe that you ' ll be able to significantly narrow your list down simply by exploring the cars in person . There will be an ergonomic or aesthetic quirk that you won ' t be able to get over and no amount of test driving will change your mind . I ' d start by going to look at the cars at a slow time of day and bringing a notepad . If and when you ' re approached by a salesperson simply say the following Hi , I ' m just doing some research . I ' m looking at this list of cars name them and I ' m trying to narrow my choices down before I start driving cars and taking up someone ' s time . Can I have your card ? I ' ll track you down if I have any questions but for the moment I ' m just trying to sort this out .