kick the tires
Check before buying
To kick the tires is to give something a cursory examination before committing to it, especially when considering a purchase.
The expression comes from the practice of literally kicking a car's tires as a superficial check of its condition—a gesture that reveals little about the vehicle's actual quality.
Today it applies broadly to any preliminary inspection: I'm just kicking the tires on a few laptops before I decide.
The phrase often implies skepticism about whether the examination is thorough enough.
Pre-purchase vehicle trial
- demoShort trial presentation
- previewAdvance showing sample
- dry-runPractice session beforehand
- pilotOne who steers aircraft
walkthrough · hands-on · proof-of-concept · tryout · run-through · sample · field-test · shakedown
Formal assessment of condition
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- scrutinyClose, careful examination
- appraisalEstimation of worth
- examinationMethodical assessment or review
review · vetting · checkup · analysis · investigation · audit · consideration · judgment
test-drive
Pre-purchase vehicle trial
pilot · walkthrough · hands-on · proof-of-concept · tryout · run-through · sample · field-test · shakedown · road-test
inspection
Formal assessment of condition
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- scrutinyClose, careful examination
- appraisalEstimation of worth
examination · review · vetting · checkup · analysis · investigation · audit · consideration · judgment · estimation
- car talkpedal to the metal, hit the gas, step on it, floor it, burn rubber
- travel idiomshit the road, in the same boat, miss the boat, end of the road, crossroads
kick the tiresdeep dive
Comprehensive examination of topic
scrutinize · forensic analysis · leave no stone unturned · audit · dissect
kick the tirespull the trigger
Initiate the irreversible action
commit · take the plunge · sign on the dotted line · go all in · seal the deal
kick, kicks, kicked, kicking, kicker, kickers, tire, tires, tired