Rascal's Learning to Drive

[TheQ]

I'm not suprised you giving up with that instructor, using a mobile phone to text while instructing a learner is unprofessional  and I believe Illegal. As she is counted as being as much in charge of the car, as you are...

[NeilB]

17 hours ago, TheQ said:

Swindons got it's own magic roundabout ( that is its official name..)

and from above,

Boy did i hate that one I used to come in from Oxford then head south or from the south head to the ring road up to Blunsdon. I also hated the trial one they had to the north of Edinburgh at one time..

My first test was, the day the 1976 heatwave broke in Milton Keynes. my two failing points..

I went for 5th gear, unfortunately it wasn't the avenger I learnt in, and it only had 4 gears,

On the emergency stop, after 6 months of no rain it was like a ice rink the roads were foaming as it bucketed down, so the car slid into the kerb when I braked..

 

I then moved and on my first lesson the new instructer said had that been my test I would have passed, unfortunately there was a six month waiting list for tests then, so a lot of money later.

I took my test and did two emegency stops.... one was the required one, then shortly after a lorry reversed out in front of us and I had to stop in a hurry again.. I passed...

 

There's a Magic roundabout in Hemel Hempstead as well, it has 6 mini roundabouts on it as opposed to 5 at Swindon.  I don't live close to it anymore but it was quite easy to negotiate.

[Polly]

Yes I have been around that one too, Neil

[Chris1986]

Robin your first post makes me laugh every time! 

Your description of a knackered Micra is very comical! I can picture it now! 

[MauriceMynah]

Ahh, to learn in an auto or a manual is an old chestnut.

I would recommend a manual for several reasons.

1. It enables you to drive either

2. A manual is easier to get out of trouble in snow.

3. Far more options when looking for a 2nd hand car, and

4. More economical (more often than not)

As far as your own abilities go, you are more than capable of driving either to pass your test, It's just practice.

It is my opinion that an examiner will know whether you have passed quite soon after getting in the car. If he feels fundamentally safe, many minor errors or lack of smoothness will go "unnoticed". if he thinks you either unsure or over confident you will not pass unless he can find absolutely no fault in your driving. (something many of us would still struggle to achieve).

It is also my opinion that the entire nature of driving and car ownership will change beyond all recognition within my lifetime. the "self driving car" is not so many years away, though I suspect the rules as to who can be "in charge" of said cars and whether said person should hold a license, will take longer to evolve. SO YOU STILL NEED TO GET ONE !!! 

[grendel]

5 minutes ago, MauriceMynah said:

I would recommend a manual for several reasons.

1. It enables you to drive either True

2. A manual is easier to get out of trouble in snow. not if the automatic has traction control

3. Far more options when looking for a 2nd hand car, and have you tried to find manual cars

4. More economical (more often than not) not necessarily with modern automatics, they tend to change gear more intelligently nowadays

answers to your points above in Red MM

[Chris1986]

I passed in a manual and had manual cars for 10 years but have had autos for the last 4 or 5 years and now prefer them. 

As Grendel said modern autos tend to be better on fuel than manuals. 

However I do prefer a manual in the snow, with a clutch pedal you just feel like you have abit more control. 

[Guest]

My wife learned 'late' and ended up taking her test (and passing first time) in an auto as although she could drive a manual just fine once she tried the auto car at the suggestion of her instructor she never looked back.

Years ago auto meant worse fuel economy and performance and a narrow choice of cars for sale especially in smaller cars, but that is not the case these days.

[MauriceMynah]

Sorry Gren, Have to Agree to differ on that!

[finny]

If you want to buy a hgv  (waggon ) from new you have to advance order should you want manual gears most operating fleet buy or lease auto because it can drive more cost effective than a human

Finny

[FairTmiddlin]

Ah but finny mosst of the HGV trucks are not just Auto. They are intelligent manual/autos, which are computer aided driving as it learns your style of driving. I first drove one of the new Mercedes in the early 90's and it took about 7 miles of roads to learn when I changed gear, at what revs I changed after that it just picks up other small parts of your driving style. 

[scaniaman]

Do you think that Robin should take an HGV test instead? it would be about right and could double up as an indy test as well.

teehee

paul

[finny]

A lot has changed from the 90,s - the cost of fuel and excessive wear and tear on the machine being the only factor, today's gearboxs work with load cells and select which gear is suitable to set off as such it's saves fuel by not going through the gears and reducing clutch wear amongst many other factors and to be fair it does a better job than most drivers .......it's all good stuff until it defects which is rare if serviced properly 

with regards cars today's auto box have come on leaps and bounds ,my brother in law is a auto gearbox specialist he does manual gearboxs too . I often chuckle when he is asked for his opinion........which is " mini,s have a crap gearbox and keep off anything French most other stuff if serviced usually is fine - but that only his opinion 

i will say one thing and this is only my opinion - its harder to go back to a manual gearbox after driving auto .......lazy I know 

finny

[finny]

8 minutes ago, scaniaman said:

Do you think that Robin should take an HGV test instead? it would be about right and could double up as an indy test as well.

teehee

paul

Those where the days when I did my class one on a crash course the range finder switch broke in the morning of my test and my instructors garage could only get a generic part but the switch worked the opposite way ......that mashed my head on the test but we got there 

finny

opps miss read your post I though you meant doubling your clutch up 

[scaniaman]

Better than my test Finny,I was reversing on the test square quite well untill I got it wrong and mounted the armco,much to the amusment of all the fitters taking hgv's in for mot at the adjacent test lanes. Oh eck thought I.

paul

[Polly]

We just changed to an automatic, it is an easy life  and is a turbo so she will go, but I do miss my feisty little  106

[Siddy]

I used to tow a trailers of air cond units to sites using the old Carltons 2.0 but never felt In control using the auto one, I like the manual as you seemed to have more control with the gears & breaking.

These days an auto could be better in normal use when they have the speed limit options to limit you to 20 or 30mph, The new i20 we had whilst ours was in the garage had extra buttons on it more than ours so had to play and at one point I couldn't get passed 20 mph and that was on a manual box.

One thing I've noticed in the last few month stuck on the A1 to Newcastle a lot is why is everyone towing at 70+ mph these days when the limit is 60 mph.

 

[Broads01]

I only had manuals for the first 28 years of my driving life and then tried and bought an auto last year. Now I never want a manual ever again. Its so much more relaxing to drive in modern traffic conditions because living in a city and heavily using a nearby congested motorway, I'm stuck in traffic a huge proportion of the time. I have a Mini Cooper 1.5D auto and I'm averaging 54mpg combined with 116bhp and decent performance, so I'm a very happy driver. My wife is learning in an auto at the moment (which is what got me in to them in the first place). 

[ExSurveyor]

I passed in a manual 40 years ago and drove them for about five years because very few autos were available.

I have driven autos ever since,  as I drive a big jeep or a 4.3 Lexus they are only available in auto. 

I drive a manual about once a year and strangely never have a problem,  I suppose it is a bit like riding a bike.

The only drawback to an auto only licence is you can't hire a van.

[Guest]

45 minutes ago, psychicsurveyor said:

I passed in a manual 40 years ago and drove them for about five years because very few autos were available.

I have driven autos ever since,  as I drive a big jeep or a 4.3 Lexus they are only available in auto. 

I drive a manual about once a year and strangely never have a problem,  I suppose it is a bit like riding a bike.

The only drawback to an auto only licence is you can't hire a van.

Most automatics have a manual "tiptronic" style override giving all the advantages of a manual when needed.

[Vaughan]

I took my HGV class 11 test in a DUKW, on the streets of Barnstaple. Left hand drive, 6 speed "crash" gearbox and no wipers, because no windscreen. Luckily the test didn't include driving it into the sea! That came under seamanship, not road craft.

I agree with what someone said about French gearboxes as two of my company cars blew theirs within a few months. I have an old Citroen Jumper van, where all the synchromesh stripped off about 7 years ago but I drive it around quite happily by double de-clutching. A new box would cost more than the van is worth!

I like a manual box because I like to feel that I am driving the vehicle and not the other way round and I can't stand cars that keep going "beep" for no apparent reason. If I did a lot of city driving though, I am sure I would have an automatic.

[MauriceMynah]

I remember driving a Vauxhall Astra (pool car) through Harlow one night with a snapped clutch cable. when an auto goes tits up it's going nowhere!.

[grendel]

I once drove back from southampton to kent with no clutch (the pedal had bent as the cable had jammed) stopping involved stalling it, and starting up again was on the starter in first.

[MauriceMynah]

Yep Grendel, that's the way of it. Fun eh?

 

[DaveB]

1 hour ago, MauriceMynah said:

I remember driving a Vauxhall Astra (pool car) through Harlow one night with a snapped clutch cable. when an auto goes tits up it's going nowhere!.

Most people in Harlow seem to be driving with a snapped clutch cable! Lol