Learner Cars

[McRoflSandwich]

Very good point that most drivers seem to forget. I remember my dad saying to me, "Driving lessons are only to show you how to pass your driving test. Once you've passed, then you learn how to drive."

Precisely. I remember my driving instructor saying that to me as I left the car just after passing my test. He said "now go learn how to drive"

I got to drive a Ford Focus, that was about 2 months old when I started to drive it. It was a nice size car to learn to drive in actually.

 

[Hugo Boss]

Had my first two lessons in a Corolla E10 diesel. Dreadful car

Luckily this soon got replaced by a sunflower yellow New Beetle TDI. First thing I learnt was using the side windows since it drew a lot of attention from girls I'd never buy the car myself, but as a learner car it was great. The view around the car was so inconvenient that it forced me to learn the correct viewing habits.

Right after I passed my driving test I bought a Polo 1.3 Coupe. In possession of it for almost 10 years now. I can almost drive well enough to buy something quicker Don't have a picture of my car here, but it's this one, only in green:

 

[axletramp]

Right after I passed my driving test I bought a Polo 1.3 Coupe. In possession of it for almost 10 years now. I can almost drive well enough to buy something quicker

10 years! You must have the patience of a saint. I think it's time you moved on...

BTW your pic reminded me that I saw a Polo G40 the other day. I don't know about you but I haven't seen one of those since they were new as they must be quite rare. Perhaps you could upgrade to one and own a little modern classic!

 

[Hugo Boss]

I'm not there yet. Have to wait until March before I can celebrate my 10 years of ownership

I'd love to own a G40. G40's sold relatively well here, so there's still quite a few. Problem is only that cars are expensive here and that most Dutch ain't car enthousiasts. As a result all interesting hot hatches from the 80's and 90's are either gone to waste or the body work and interior are so heavily mutilated that you'll truly need the patience of a saint to get one back into original state... Most of them look like this, or even worse

But hey, next summer I'll try to have my modern classic. Either a G40, Mk2 GTI or otherwise a car with 4 rings and 5 cylinders

 

[NINE_HUNDRED]

Did my lessons and test in one of these, they seem to be quite a popular learner car around here, I see quite a few.

 

[Grayfox]

Never saw the point in learning Auto. Don't know if it's the same down under, but in Blighty if you pass the manual test you can drive auto as well, but if you take the Auto test, you can't take manual.

Can sort of see the appeal of Auto's in stop-start traffic but in terms of learning to drive, manual all the way. Just no real point when you'd have to take another test and probably some lessons in a manual and before you know it you're looking at £150-200.

Also, you tall? I had fun in the Panda (new shape) I did my test in. My elbow came to rest on the edge of the passenger seat. Headroom wasn't bad though.

Here if you pass your learner test on a auto you are restriced to autos on your P1 license for 18 months but if you pass on manual you can drive any car.

I learnt to drive on an auto because my olds drive them and i was not going to spend money on driving school as i had no money.

After my Honda Accord 1987 Si(first car) died and i was looking for a new one i thought why not learn manual so i can save money when buying a car or not be limited to auto.

The other fact that car lovers must know manual was in the list.

I am 5'3" or 163cm, so i am short and i have the seat as far as it will go forwards lol.

 

[Sniffs]

consider yourselves lucky, kids. I had to take the test twice, 4 YEARS apart.

there were really no "learners" vehicles in my situation. you couldn't even talk people into bumming one to practice in. people only had one car apiece, and ran to work in it (including weekends). also, no-one that had one of the few manuals was willing to risk their clutch. even now, I can't run stick...even on a motorbike

what few "training" memories I have are in a USDM Golf 1 (Rabbit in the US)
I took the test the first time in a real land yaght even by american standards. they expected me to do a 3 point turn (part of the testing at the time) in a car that was longer than the street was WIDE (84 Olds Delta 88 Brougham)
ask a few americans to show you THAT one

by the time I could take the test again, the permit had long since expired (everyone was "too Busy" to give me a hand). i didn't get another permit till after I got out of school...in other words, at 21, when my mother needed a "chauffeur" to get her to work

I passed my test in a car that some of you Europeans would recognize. a Pre GM Geo brand import Suzuki-made Chevy Sprint (i THINK it was a Suz, anyway)
confirmed. by the looks of the pics I found, it was an 88. being barely 5'7", i could fit in it easily enough (my six and a half foot uncle, however...I dunno how he did it)

I had to learn the hard way in what euros would consider a family sized car