Driving Lessons in large car

Jellab

Hi
Can anyone tell me is it possible to get driving lessons in a large car. The car I will be driving when I learn to drive is our family car, ford mondeo, so it would be good if I could learn to drive in a large car so I will be use to it.
I live in South Dublin so if you know of any instructors can you let me know.
Thanks:o

Anyone will give you lessons in your own car.

Jellab

Hi Moonbaby

Getting lessons in my own car, would that not mean I would need to be insured in it. I don't want to get insured just yet until I can drive.

Thanks though

If your just learning as opposed to preparing for a test.
The size of the car doesn't matter, the skillset is much the same.
I think most people wouldn't feel they were getting use of their lessons,
unless they had a car to practice in on their own time.

Red Alert

I'd personally learn in a driving school car. Most use Yarises or Micras, which have a very forgiving clutch/gearbox. The skills are the exact same and it is easier to get a handle on manoeuvering the car. I did my test in a Focus and to be honest the smaller the better as that can be hard to manoeuvre into and out of tight spots.

scuttlebutt

Once you have taken the lessons in a driving school car and reached a certain standard, the instructor will not be relying on dual controls.Then you can get your insurance on the family car and the instructor will teach from that vechicle. But it doesnt matter what car you lern in as its all transferable from car to car

chris85

scuttlebutt wrote: »

Once you have taken the lessons in a driving school car and reached a certain standard, the instructor will not be relying on dual controls.Then you can get your insurance on the family car and the instructor will teach from that vechicle. But it doesnt matter what car you lern in as its all transferable from car to car

+1

Jellab

A small car it is then. It was just I was told if you learn in a small car and you have a large car it can be hard to go from one to the other.
But I will give it a go anyway
Wish me luck

Alanstrainor

Jellab wrote: »

A small car it is then. It was just I was told if you learn in a small car and you have a large car it can be hard to go from one to the other.
But I will give it a go anyway
Wish me luck

Driving experience should be very similar, as others have said, get a 3 or 4 lessons in an instructors car so he/she has the dual controls and after that you should be fine. Good Luck with your driving by the way!

rain on

Red Alert wrote: »

I'd personally learn in a driving school car. Most use Yarises or Micras, which have a very forgiving clutch/gearbox. The skills are the exact same and it is easier to get a handle on manoeuvering the car. I did my test in a Focus and to be honest the smaller the better as that can be hard to manoeuvre into and out of tight spots.

I actually find my da's giant 4x4 easier to maneouvre into spaces than my ma's little Mazda Demio - the mirrors on the 4x4 are huge and you can see everything.

coolshark

I'm a driving instructor. I used to have a '02 Nissan Primera but had to sell it start my business as I knew nobody would want to learn to drive in a big family saloon so now I use a Fiat Punto. It is better to learn in a smaller car until you are confident with driving in city and on dual carriageways as well as tight narrow roads with parked cars on both sides. Until you're comfortable with that on then use a bigger car like a Mondeo. I find alot of beginners and inexperienced drivers lack the ability to know the size of the vehicle and try and squeeze through tight roads with a bus coming towards them instead of stopping etc. A smaller car wont be as powerful so a bigger car is more difficult to handle and an inexperienced driver may want to exceed the speed limit knowing they can go faster in a lower gear. Average is bout 10 lessons for a beginner to reach that comfort zone and be able to safe and competent in their own cars with an experienced driver beside them.

Alanstrainor

coolshark wrote: »

. I find alot of beginners and inexperienced drivers lack the ability to know the size of the vehicle

+1, totally agree, i had this problem starting out too, it took a good while to finally get a handle on how big the car actually was.

prodigal_son

I learnt in a salon, and did the test in a small yaris with a much more forgiving clutch.

Im glad i learnt in the harder car first, as when i got in the yaris, i thought it was so easy in comparison, that it took a ten ton weight off my shoulders and i felt so relaxed for the test.

The only mark i got was because i was used to more power in the salon and tried to pull away in a rolling stop in second and the car struggled. (something the bigger salon would have done with ease).

I cant say if going from a small car to a big car is hard, i have heard people say it, i think its more to do with mindset than anything. The person has allready decided its gonna be hard so it is hard.

I can say that going from an older car to a newer one is a lot easier, and going from a big one to a small one, is roughly the same, once i was used to them.

It took me about 2 mins to get used to the yaris in normal driving, and it took about 5 or 6 reverse manoeuvres to get used to it reversing, the biggest difference was, it didnt need gas pedal pressed when reversing, and the salon did or it would stall, took me a while to figure that out, and for the first few goes was reversing a lot faster than i expected to lol...

I would not have done the test in the salon, not with easier options available.

edit - i also had a problem judging the length of cars, but not width, normally thinking they were a bit longer than they were, but maybe its because i was always para about not seeing where the boot ends.

Wishbone Ash

prodigal_son wrote: »

I learnt in a salon

Hairdressing?











OK - I'll get me coat!:eek: