When learning to drive, what is the best car to practice in?
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doesent matter really, as long as you use the same one that you take your test in!
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Don't think make/model really matter. Front wheel drive euroboxes are much of a muchness and as soon as you've passed your test you'll need to be able to adapt from one to another. There's certainly no type that makes it easy.
My 17yo daughter is learning atm. She has lessons in a driving school Micra but practices in my Xantia turbo-diesel estate car. There's a bit of adaptation involved dealing with a heavier clutch, ultra powerful brakes and a feeling of being sat in a bathtub but OTOH it's capacity to hill start on zero throttle is a great training aid.
Much more important to ensure that practice supervisor does not assertively contradict the paid instructor or instil bad habits.
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Try to find one that has good visibility all round.
There are some cars whose stylist has forgotten that you need to be able to see out of the back when reversing. People rave about the looks of the new Ford Fiesta but th reverse in ine you'd need to use your mirrors. The Honda Civic is another bad one.
The Nissan Micra is fairly good - so is the Fiat 500 which BSM are starting to use.
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All modern euroboxes will have over sensitive brakes and over light steering with no feel to it. In fact you don't drive modern cars as such.
Much more important is to choose an ADI with a good local reputation and that you also get on with them. It took me a very long time to find a driving instructor that understood me and could teach me. After many years of feeling useless and giving up within a few months of having lessons with my last ADI I passed.
The car was rubbish, it was a new shape Clio with about as much feel as [I am very drunk so I won't say] but the point was my ADI was good. It didn't matter if it was a Clio MK3 or a Ford Cortina it was the instructor that made me pass, not the car.
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Good points above, the anti stall capacity of old fashioned Diesels is great and apart from proper auto's make the best town cars, unlike many of the newer Diesels which are as easy to stall as petrols cars imo.
And as for visibility out the rear and rear three quarters it's hopeless now in many, though Fieseta's (Italian influenced model.;) stablemate Mazda 2 better and in imo nicer to control.
Pity as the previous models of many of the latest wedge shaped little cars were great for seeing to reverse.
I'll stick me neck out and depending on budget...Pug 106 pref in Diesel form nice to drive excellent visibility, if more modern Citroen C2 (though many others equally as good), again Diesel preferred but the petrols don't stall as easy as some others and it's quite good for visibilty...bit of a forgotten car now and i see some excellent pre reg bargains at Cit garages.
Ratties got a good point about the ADI but the OP asks for a good practice car and i assume means accompanied practice as against paid for lessons.
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Make sure that a practice car is similar in size and controls to the driving school car (especially having the indicators on the same side).
A small car with good all round visibility is preferable, like a Micra or Corsa etc.
Last edited by: Glaikit Wee Scunner Snr. {P} on Sun 14 Mar 10 at 11:13
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My old Corsa B would be a perfect car, very light electronic power steering and great visibility and enough power to get out of trouble but not enough power to get into trouble. Sadly the head gasket blew up in my face so that was the end of that.
Not sure if a Fiesta MK4 would be as ideal, its the car I am currently driving and there is too many blind spots in the mirrors and the drive as a more old fashioned feel to it.
A post 2002 Micra would be idea reliable and easy to drive.
It would probably be a good idea to try and find something with good brakes too but on the used market it seems to depend on the car due to different levels of quality in the after market brake parts.
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actually a 1300 ohv fiesta is an ideal learner car,the engine and gearbox take loads of abuse are not sensitive to kangaroo starts as say a zetec engine is and in my opinion all round vision is superb
its the car most hated by hj so ive got to love it
cheap as chips too if you enjoy a bit of diy rust prevention on a sunday morning before you have the fry up
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Yeah that is one good thing about it, you can be very very lazy on the gear changes, on my Corsa I was constantly changing gear but on this if you slow down to 20 due to traffic and leave it on fourth it dosn't go mad.
The hydraulic clutch is also much better than cable ones, its so much smoother I really like driving my dads (well my car now) but its made out of rust and the suspension still clonks.
I wouldn't buy another one now because even the newest are now too old and they all suffer from rust and suspension problems. Great engine though. 23,000 miles in ours (its on 85k now) and apart from the over revving problem which I fixed the only thing to go wrong with the engine was the drive belt needing replacing and that was due to age.
They all like to drink a little bit if oil but thats no problem for a leaner as they won't be doing enough miles to make it a problem.
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What do we think about a BMW 1 series as a driving school car?
Such a beast followed me through Sainsbury's fuel station on Saturday. Instructor and pupil both female; instructor filled up. Daughter's instructor made her do it.
Registration has been doctored (spacing) to spell a name - hope she was better at respecting other traffic laws.
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Seems mad to have a rear wheel drive as a learner car unless its been used for advanced driving stuff.
I am surprised any of her pupils pass as you will think the examiners would refuse to take a test in the car due to its ilegal number plate!!
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i laughed at one at christmas totally stuck in the snow as i filmed a 4 wheel drive volvo also stuck as beat up front wheel drive cars just tootled past parked up and nicked all the turkeys from M@S
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I thought about rwd/advanced as well but apart from the clue of L plates the student was (a) very young and (b) evidently struggling to manoeuvre off the pumps and onto the exit lane.
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I could think of better L cars than a 1 series, not the ideal learner car I would have thought.
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There is only one reason to have a 1 series as a learner car - Snobbery and image. Those people who pass in that car will probably go out and buy a brand new Golf while working in Tesco for £6 an hour!
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What is the best car to learn to drive in? - Zero
