CarMax Invites Customers to 'Do Donuts'

Jason R. Sakurai
by Jason R. Sakurai
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carmax invites customers to do donuts

CarMax has invited customers to ‘do donuts’ during their test drives, a promotion with Dunkin’ Donuts. For shoppers who take part in CarMax’s 24-hour test drives today through May 16th, they’ll receive a $10 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card.

What encouragement does the general public need to do donuts in CarMax vehicles? The vision of drivers fueled on sugar and caffeine hot lapping used cars is laughable but entirely possible.

“At CarMax, we believe the car-buying experience should be as enjoyable as possible,” said Sarah Lane, vice president, marketing at CarMax. “We want customers to experience a day in their life with their new ride. Since America Runs on Dunkin’, we know that includes a trip through the Dunkin’ drive-thru for their favorite order. Collaborating with Dunkin’ on “Doin’ Donuts” makes CarMax’s 24-Hour Test Drive experience that much sweeter.”

CarMax customers also receive a checklist of ideas of what to do with the vehicle for 24 hours. This includes taking your dog for a drive, packing the trunk to ensure things fit, and going through a drive-through to see if you have enough cupholders. No word on whether they ding you for pet hair, grass, or sprinkles found in the car upon its return from the test drive. Apparently, this was Dunkin’ Donuts’ thinking, too.

“You never know if a car is right for you until you’ve taken it through a Dunkin’ drive-thru,” said Dunkin’s Melanie Rabino. “Making sure your vehicle’s cup holders perform perfectly is the perfect test.”

The other type of donuts, the unsanctioned kind, were not mentioned by either CarMax nor Dunkin’. This promotion marks the second time in recent weeks where CarMax has amped up its media presence.

[Images: CarMax]

Jason R. Sakurai
Jason R. Sakurai

With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.

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  • SCE to AUX What is a coupe and why should I care?
  • MaintenanceCosts Supercharger inop, and hasn't been fixed before sale? That is sketchier than a guy sitting in front of an easel on the sidewalk.
  • Danddd A friend of mine bought one of these. I drove it a bit. If you're looking for a street legal go cart it's fun. Folding yourself into this thing is something else and I'm 5'9" 152lbs.
  • Thehyundaigarage This was a recall on my spouses 2013 fusion, back in 2017-18.So now they’re recalling it again?Wasn’t an issue on our fusion however, as it sat at the dealer more often than not for warranty work.
  • Art_Vandelay That low mileage combined with the mods on this make it hard for me to believe this has never seen the track as the owner claims
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