Sometimes when people go to look at a car at a dealership, they are too nervous to take it out for a test drive. I would always encourage everyone to drive the car prior to buying it as every make and model is different and you need to know that it suits your driving style. You are normally covered by the garages insurance on a test drive and you may want to double check this and see if there are any excesses to pay should you have to make a claim. Very often I have looked round a car, read all about it and decided that it was the one for me to drive it and actually be really disappointed. If this happens on a test drive it is fine as you can change your mind, but once you have signed a contract it may be a lot harder to change if at all possible. Do not be afraid to ask to drive a few different models so you can compare.
If you are adamant that you do not want to drive one, then either ask a friend or partner or the sales person to take you out in it so you can get a feel for how it handles and the smoothness of the drive.