Reply With QuoteAre you not better off doing your CBT and getting a small bike and then learn to drive at your new location?
Gents,
I've a relocation coming up for which I need to be able to drive. Having lived in city centres my whole adult life, I've sadly never learned (although I did do about 20 hours of lessons when I was 17).
It's only a small island we're moving to so I'm not overly concerned about being the best driver on the road - no busy motorways or high speeds. Just pootling to shops, work, etc.
I need to have passed by December, realistically.
There are plenty of "condensed" courses but it's hard to gauge whether these are any good. I can also imagine that taking the test in London would not be ideal, and would decrease my chances of passing.
Cost is no obstacle.
Any tips?
Are you not better off doing your CBT and getting a small bike and then learn to drive at your new location?
I had the same thought. Unfortunately bikes are very expensive and not at all practical where we're moving!Originally Posted by jaytip
Get an Automatic licence and just learn to drive auto. Will be so easy. You can always do manual later.
I have a manual license have been driving 12 years- haven't driven a manual car in 11.5.
My son is planning on doing an intensive course soon - around £1300, ‘guaranteed pass’ - he thought it would take months to find a space but he’s looking at 6-8 weeks wait tops. We pick up his car on Saturday so he’ll get some practice in first - personally I wouldn’t do an automatic test, I’ve owned about 20 cars, 2 of which were automatics, wife and I never really liked them (even though most people say the opposite) - very limiting when hiring and buying cars imho
You must know how to drive having done 20hours. Could you brush up on Highway Code have half a dozen lessons as a refresher and book a test? You might want to consider booking a test first, I’ve no idea what the wait time is for a slot.
If it’s a small island just get an Ebike. Good for 40km a day etc
Edit you say in the original post that cost is no obstacle but then you say later that bikes are too expensive. Bit confusing
Thanks. Which provider did you go with, and do they do the test at the end of the week?
Do be, please. Passing the test is only your first step on the driving ladder, the rest of your driving career should be about ongoing self appraisal and learning. Every time you are behind the wheel is an opportunity to change someones life for the worse and the better you are the less chance there is of that happening. When you are driving it should be your main and ideally sole focus which is not to say that many aspects of the process will not become automatic or at least sub-conscious.
On a more practical note. Find a driving instructor with good reviews and books some time with them. If you can spare the time I'd have though a semi intensive approach of two or three times a week would be good and I'd go for 90 or 120 minute lessons or you'll spend half the lesson getting started and winding up. And after you've passed do a Pass Plus course.
Just do it on London. If you can drive there you will be able to drive anywhere. A test is a test and it’s a basic test.
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You say that but good luck taking your test in Wood Green with a 38.5% pass rate.
OP, get 4x1 hour sessions per week in (maybe a few early 2 hour weekend slots) and book a test for 3 months out. You'll be fine, just don't put yourself under stress about it and fail due to anxiety.
Depending on your budget for a car it might be worth getting auto only as others have said. I wouldn't get a Clio or Fiesta in auto but on the other end I wouldn't get a BMW or Mercedes in manual. I have a manual licence and wouldn't buy a manual again. Good to learn in but if you're under time pressure just skip it.
Same here, automatic all the time over manual. I sometimes drive my sons manual and do question why anyone would choose that option.
That said OP do the manual test so you have options. Good luck with whatever you get sorted.
How can anyone guarantee to pass people?
Surely that's one thing not guaranteed. Or is it a guarantee or you're money back type offer.
PS:
Modern day automatic are as smooth as butter and a lot more pulling power than they used to be. However having passed a manual driving test gives you the option of driving both and deciding for yourself which you prefer.
My own suggestion would be pretty much what some other's have already said.
You've already had about 20 lessons a while back but it's still in the memory bank should we say.
Have a refresher course of about 10 lessons all while learning the theory test because you can't have the actual driving test until you pass the theory test first.
Then see if you can get a 1 week intensive course if you see them as a better option.
Also someone mentioned 90 minutes driving lessons.
I would recommend them as my daughter was doing 1hr lessons and getting quite frustrated but after doing the 90 minutes lessons believes she is much better and more relaxed about taking things on board.
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He’s organising and paying for it himself so not sure - apparently there are about 3 around Norwich which is near to us. The ‘guaranteed pass’ means they’ll keep teaching you until you pass apparently, it includes the theory, practical and test booked for the end of the course. I’ll make sure to read up on the terms of the ‘guarantee’ but I was chatting to a bunch of his mates (all 19-20) and some of them had used similar companies and said they were very good - and worked out cheaper and more effective than staggered lessons across a longer period. Good luck!
I'd agree on the automatic test, it doesn't take long to get the hang of clutch control and it doesn't restrict your choice of cars.
Sure most new cars in the UK are automatic now, but I don't know if you'll have the luxury where you're going, OP.
I've got an automatic, but I wouldn't choose on (the specific model I wanted, sadly, didn't come in manual)
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
you may get an idea of the better pass rates by location here https://www.gov.uk/government/statis...by-test-centre
Biggest thing is finding someone with a car you can get out and about in between lessons and so on, you need to work on what you learn, especially mirror usage and checking.
As for the test, make sure to put a bit of thought into the test centre you use, some have harder routes than others unfortunately, cities tend to be harder tests than those in small towns or outskirts as well.
Shetland must be the easiest place to pass. No dual carriageways, level crossings, low bridges, yellow box junctions, only four roundabouts, very little traffic etc. etc. I have never heard of anyone failing, but I am sure some must have.
Last edited by Templogin; 13th August 2020 at 18:38.
Daft question - are all electric cars classed as automatics?
Full electric Yes. Accelerater and brake only.
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Last edited by sickie; 13th August 2020 at 18:57.
Getting a test booked might be a problem, they're months behind and working on a reduced number a day now.
Sister in law is an instructor just outside London and is having all sorts or problems apparently. Huge number of prospective pupils wanting lessons too.
Do electric cars even have a gear box?
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Theey have made electric cars with manual gearboxes, but I think this was just a one off.
https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/5/2...hium-sema-2019
Tips, yes learn the theory very very well. Try and do the lessons and test out of London ( nightmare place, i would not even attemp to drive there )
Now here is the best tip, learn to drive and do the test in a small Diesel car. Easier clutch control for learners than a Petrol so easy to do hill starts etc.
That's just an opinion.
After some 30 plus years of driving (12 years taxi driver) and at least another 14 year's driving for a living there is no difference whatsoever between a petrol clutch control or a diesel.
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Last edited by sickie; 14th August 2020 at 07:15.
There’s very little difference now, probably mostly because modern 16v diesels drive a lot more like petrol engines, but I remember the old ones that were anti stall - I remember driving a 1988 or so Jetta D that you could bring to a stop without dipping the clutch and it would bounce along the road. Clutch needed two feet to operate as well.
Another opinion...
The often increased torque means it’a a lot harder to stall a diesel, can pull away in second etc.
A lot of the electro converted classics use an electric motor bolted straight onto the original gearbox, but I think most are driven as autos as the electric motor won’t actually stall.
Conversions usually do... They replace the engine with an electric motor and connect it to the existing transmission.
Check out Vintage Voltage 9n the tellybox.
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I echo some of the other sentiment in the thread about avoiding automatic only tests. But my additional reasons for going fully manual are:
- Hiring cars on holiday, often poor choice and further restricted by auto only
- If you’ve an auto only DL your insurance can often be more expensive
- What happens if you suddenly become a petrol head and want that AC Cobra?! You’ll have to take another expensive test later down the line
- Learning in a fully manual gives a better feel for what the car is doing - IMHO teaches you mechanical sympathy much faster.
However if you’ve avoided cars this long, why not hold out a little longer and try an e-bike or scooter? So much cheaper in the long run.
I find these comments about driving in London quite frankly ridiculous. It's the same as driving anywhere else! Unless of course the highway code magically changes once you pass the M25?
OK, there are some narrow streets and sometimes confusing one way systems around Soho but you'd almost never find the need to drive through Soho.
I learned to drive in London and lived there for 40 years - as a result I find heavy traffic, myriad traffic signs, bus lanes and speed cameras pretty straightforward. When me moved to North Norfolk a few years ago, the almost total lack of street lights, empty and winding country roads (with the narrowest and windiest being 60mph limited, the broader straighter ones through towns and villages being 20-30 limited) really took some getting used to. Getting out of third gear and actually ‘driving’ as opposed to organised queuing was a real eye-opener, and obstacles like tractors, blind bends, mud strewn roads and suicidal pheasants certainly keeps me on my toes!
City driving and rural driving aren’t easier - they’re just different. I’ve seen plenty of prangs in London but here in Norfolk it’s not unusual in the winter months to see a car on its roof in the middle of a field - usually a teenager applying their X box training to real life, finding out too late that they’re not Colin McRae, and their 15 year old Corsa isn’t an Impreza!
Found out today, they are not accepting new test applications until the backlog is cleared
Get the theory test out of the way.
Read the highway code and a few days revision with a decent online mock with video test and you should sail through it . You then have two years to sit the practical otherwise you have to redo the theory as well.
Do an intensive 10 day course with at least 3 hours of driving each day with the test already booked for the last day . Most instructors will offer this.
Nothing is guaranteed but this is your best bet. Do it sharpish as you may not get either the theory or practical bookings inside 3 months.
due to Covid it really has slowed down getting a licence.
my Mrs was cancelled because of covid and we got a test when they were able to start dealing with the back log...….. happy days!rocked up to the test centre and my f ing cars MOT had ran out! in FEB. To say I was in the dog house is an understatement, and even worse we are now months off being able to book a test.
been told it will be another 4 months at least until people who are not in the back log can book a test. So there is no quick way.
Februaryhow did you forget that lol.
Sent from my SM-N960F using TZ-UK mobile appdue to Covid it really has slowed down getting a licence.
my Mrs was cancelled because of covid and we got a test when they were able to start dealing with the back log...….. happy days!
been told it will be another 4 months at least until people who are not in the back log can book a test. So there is no quick way.
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