morcus
|
| posted on 10/7/12 at 09:15 PM |
|
|
Best car for a learner to practice in?
My brother has finally decided he wants to learn to drive at the age of 23, mostly because noone will even consider him for a decent job wiothout a
lisence. He's planning on having propper lessons but wants to get a car to get extra practice in and so he has something to drive after
he's passed his test, when ever that might be.
I personally think he should get something old and as basic as possible to make things more difficult so he'll be confident when he's sat
in a brand new modern car for his test, and possibly something larger so he'll again have had practice at something harder than it actually
would be on the test.
What sort of thing would you go for? he has a budget of £1k but I reckon he could get away with spending half that and buying a propper banger.
What cars did people on here learn to drive in?
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
|
|
|
|
|
austin man
|
| posted on 10/7/12 at 09:23 PM |
|
|
My Daughter bought a Peugot 206 a 1.4 engine insurance was good she also got the price of lessons down by using the car for her lessons and test she
paid £500 and still has it problem free running
Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone
|
|
|
morcus
|
| posted on 10/7/12 at 09:25 PM |
|
|
I didn't realise you could have lessons in your own car. He really doesn't want to sit a test in his own car, not after what my 205 did
when I thought I'd save myself £50.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
|
|
|
austin man
|
| posted on 10/7/12 at 09:30 PM |
|
|
The advantage of using your own car is that you dont have to keep getting used to changing vehicles.
Life is like a bowl of fruit, funny how all the weird looking ones are left alone
|
|
|
morcus
|
| posted on 10/7/12 at 09:31 PM |
|
|
I'd never really thought about that.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
|
|
|
mark chandler
|
| posted on 10/7/12 at 09:42 PM |
|
|
I'd get a peugoet 106, nice airy seating position with good visibility.
A nice one will only come it at £400 as well 
|
|
|
macc man
|
| posted on 10/7/12 at 09:45 PM |
|
|
My daughter used her mums fiesta to take her test and the instructor also took her out for lessons in it. She could not get used to his Fiat punto,
which he changed for his old car. She passed on her second attempt. She found it best to stay with the same car.
|
|
|
PAUL FISHER
|
| posted on 10/7/12 at 10:07 PM |
|
|
Ive just bought my 17 year old Daughter a little car to learn to drive in, its a VW Lupo 1.0E mpi for £900, well built car, easy to drive, very very
cheap on insurance, and its doing over 50mpg, very pleased with it 
[Edited on 19/05/04 by PAUL FISHER]
|
|
|
zetec
|
| posted on 10/7/12 at 11:38 PM |
|
|
He could build his own for £250. Was joking with my daughter today about doing her test in my MK.
Not my favourite car but a Micra might be a good choice, plenty of glass so easy to see out of, cheap and probably very reliable.
" I only registered to look at the pictures, now I'm stuck with this username for the rest of my life!"
|
|
|
morcus
|
| posted on 10/7/12 at 11:42 PM |
|
|
I've often wondered what would happen if you turned up for a driving test in a seven or something simillar, I've got a feeling
they'd find some excuse to just fail you fro not providing an adequate vehicle.
I will pass these sugestions on.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
|
|
|
Westy1994
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 12:24 AM |
|
|
With fear of being mocked, and bearing in mind I had ridden motorbikes till I was 25 , I learnt in a Robin....
Not as daft as it sounds for bikers, able to drive on your own on a bike licence.... had that for 2 years, then took the car test.
I also can't really see a rational excuse why someone could not take a test in a 7, you could actually argue that it takes more skill to drive
one, not having all this ABS and other electronic aids that the modern car gives you, not to mention being more ' road aware' due to its
size.
I would suggest something like an old Corsa or Micra, something manageable for parking.
|
|
|
skov
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 04:49 AM |
|
|
If you can find a good one in budget, a Focus is worth considering.
I got one for the wife when she was learning to drive a couple of years ago, and she seemed to get on pretty well with it.
It was surprisingly cheap to insure too.
|
|
|
Proby
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 07:16 AM |
|
|
I learnt back in 1995 in a 1.0 Nissan micra. To be honest, it was the perfect car to learn in, although not the prettiest! I also had use of a 95
Vauxhall Cavalier, and an 88 Mini whilst learning, which soon got me used to 'jumping in & out' of other cars.
|
|
|
britishtrident
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 07:44 AM |
|
|
The base model Rover 25 is cheap to buy , cheap to fix cheap to insure and easy to reverse, same goes for the 45.
52 plate or earlier are better as they introduced a different alarm immobiliser unit on later cars.
[Edited on 11/7/12 by britishtrident]
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
|
|
|
BenB
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 08:31 AM |
|
|
I see a slight problem with taking a test in some of our cars.
Examiner: "Right, now please reverse round this corner"
Me: "Ah.... slight problem. If I get out and push will you steer?"
|
|
|
HMSMotorsport
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 08:37 AM |
|
|
My girlfriend is learning at the moment, she's 22 and I thought insurance would be horendous. Pleasantly it wasn't too bad so we are
looking at Ford Puma's. She thinks they are cute and I know what they can do down a twisty road
You might find because he is 22 he won't need to rag around in 1.0 Micra's, we can insure a fair few interesting cars for less than a
grand. Also, insurance is cheaper as a learner bizarrely.
Autosport International Kit Car Chap.
|
|
|
stevegough
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 08:49 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by BenB
I see a slight problem with taking a test in some of our cars.
Examiner: "Right, now please reverse round this corner"
Me: "Ah.... slight problem. If I get out and push will you steer?"
Better still - YOU get out and push, and I'LL steer!
Can just imagine the old biddy's face - strutting out the test centre, clipboard in hand - her Horn-rimmed glasses and tweed skirt-suit. - Ok,
hop in and put the 5 - point harness on..... (especially if its pissing down).
By the way, to answer one question the OP asked, I learnt and passed my test in a Mk 1 Ford Cortina GT, though there aren't a lot of them about
now!
Luego Locost C20XE.
Build start: October 6th 2008.
IVA passed Jan 28th 2011.
First drive Feb 10th 2011.
First show: Stoneleigh 1st/2nd May 2011.
'Used up' first engine may 3rd 2011!
Back on the road with 2nd engine may 24th
First PASA mad drive 26/7/11
Sold to Mike in Methyr Tydvil 19/03/14
|
|
|
hughpinder
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 08:54 AM |
|
|
I got my daughter a polo 1.9 SDi (the non turbo one). Its low power, but hard to stall and very cheap to run. Insurance is group 2. We got the saloon
version as she wanted a big boot.
Learner insurance can be had for (pretty much) any car you own via halfords/marmalade for £80 per month as an add on to your current insurance- sounds
expensive, but then you don't need to buy a car/tax it/fix it etc, and it may only be for 2 or 3 months.
Regards
Hugh
|
|
|
mcerd1
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 09:47 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by austin man
The advantage of using your own car is that you dont have to keep getting used to changing vehicles.
Is that really a good thing in the long
run ?
I know a few people (mainly girls for some reason) that apparently can only drive the same kind of car they learnt in....
every time they get a new car it can only be exactly the same as the last one or apparently 'they can't drive it'
these people all seem to have been taught to pass the test rather than actually drive 
The instructors they had taught them to park in test sized spaces by counting the number of times they turned the steering wheel (in one case I know
of they even had stickers on the rear windows to line up the car !! ) - if they find a real life space thats not perfect they don't even
try...
one of these people despite driving for over 10 years has never driven in edinburgh (lives 10min outside of edinburgh!) or any long distances
{rant over}
on the other hand I learnt in 5 different cars at the same time (mostly my parents of course): 1.8 sierra estate (for about 2 lessons before the sold
it), mk1 mondeo TD, mk3 fiesta 1.8D, Landover 110 station wagon and the instructors 1.0 micra (no ABS or power anything)
then a couple of weeks before my test the instructor got a new car, still a 1.0 micra but with power steering and a horrible light clutch and throttle
that drove me nuts
The end result is I'll happily jump in any car and drive it
As for the car you should be looking for, just get anything in decent nick with a low insurance group - something you wouldn’t care about only having
third party insurance for (or TPFT at most)
[Edited on 11/7/2012 by mcerd1]
-
|
|
|
Steve Hignett
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 09:57 AM |
|
|
I had a 1 hour lesson and then the 1.5 hour test on my 17th birthday and passed with no minor/major faults in a Nissan Micra. And whilst I thought I
was an alright driver back then after being legal to drive for 8 hours ( ), I think a lot of it had to do with the 1.0 L Micra being such an easy car
to learn in.
They've got to be pretty good to insure too I bet.
Having said that, I would rather have what Paul has bought his daughter, a little VW Lupo is at least a gazillion times cooler than a Micra!
|
|
|
morcus
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 04:13 PM |
|
|
Thanks for the tips, I know a few people who can only drive one kind of car aswell and I though practicing in multiple cars was a bonus. I personally
learnt to drive in a series of BSM corsas (Of which I always though the Corsa C's were muich better to drive than the D, but the D did have a
button under the throttle that made it hold the gears longer) but I had my own 205 that I bought once I could drive but didn't have a license, I
also had some practice in my dads Ranger and his XJ6, which bar parking was the easiest car to drive. I failed a test in the 205 because it threw a
wobbly and get lighting up the hand break light, then was in neutral with the selector in drive on a hill start (only time it ever did this) then
stalled.
Of the suggestions so far Focus seems to be a good one. I said I'd let him have a go in the eunos if he paid the issurance but he didn't
fancy that. He said he doesn't want something too small, he didn't specify why.
The DVLA recomend that you don't take you test in a convertible citing visability which to me suggests they wouldn't let you go out with
the roof down, which is a shame because the visability is just incredible.
In a White Room, With Black Curtains, By the Station.
|
|
|
coozer
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 05:29 PM |
|
|
I learnt and took my test in a Morris Marina TC.. then I sat in with my mate while he self taught himslef and took his test in a 3500 Rover!
The last test I took was in a 38 tonne Daf combo
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
|
|
|
Ninehigh
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 08:32 PM |
|
|
Pug 106, the mk1 version with a 1.0 engine.
Then my first car was a shed of an escort, and I put my fair share of dings in that too
|
|
|
SteveWalker
|
| posted on 11/7/12 at 09:50 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by morcus
The DVLA recomend that you don't take you test in a convertible citing visability which to me suggests they wouldn't let you go out with
the roof down, which is a shame because the visability is just incredible.
Well it's not a convertible if you haven't got any weather gear!
|
|
|
mcerd1
|
| posted on 12/7/12 at 07:12 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Ninehigh
Pug 106, the mk1 version with a 1.0 engine.
is it weird that I still want one of these ? (preferebly with a carb and 4 gears)
had one for my second car - great cheap fun
-
|
|
|
.jpg)
