12th Sep 2010, 18:12
No car built today (with the possible exception of some imports) is NOT made to never have the engine red-lined or the brakes forcefully applied. Referring to using a car's full potential as "abuse" is wrong. If any car manufacturer says their vehicle's full potential can't be used, I'd love to know what manufacturer that is so that I could avoid wasting time test-driving their poorly built cars.
11th Sep 2010, 13:40
I have never, and will never buy any car that I cannot check out the overall performance parameters on. Any dealership that refuses me a test drive will end up sending a potential customer to another dealership. If a customer is refused a thorough test drive, it strongly indicates a lack of confidence in the product.