Best car for the learner test
Discussion
When I was taking my driving test I had just bought my first car which was a 1300 fiat X19. Up till then I had been having driving lessons in my Dads lancia montecarlo.
I didn't have any formal lessons with a driving instructor beforehand
When the examiner came to the car he commented on the fact that I had put the learner plate in the rear window and told me to take it out. He couldn't find anywhere to put it on the back of the car so left it in the passenger footwell. I asked him if he'd prefer the ride without the roof on, he said no.
I failed the test.
Which was a side issue to the fact that I took my test in possibly the coolest car a teenager could muster.
Can anyone better that?
I didn't have any formal lessons with a driving instructor beforehand
When the examiner came to the car he commented on the fact that I had put the learner plate in the rear window and told me to take it out. He couldn't find anywhere to put it on the back of the car so left it in the passenger footwell. I asked him if he'd prefer the ride without the roof on, he said no.
I failed the test.
Which was a side issue to the fact that I took my test in possibly the coolest car a teenager could muster.
Can anyone better that?
I've always wondered if there was a statistically noticeable difference in Pass Rate between people who turn up in their own car versus people using a driving school car, as using your own car would make you stand out from the crowd or perhaps make the examiner more nervous as they have no dual control pedals.
kiethton said:
Best car would be a mk1 yaris I'd have thought - speedo completely un-readable from the passenger seat as it's projected within the dash giving plenty of opportunity to slow down should the examiner try to really lean over and look.
You think someone who spends their whole day in a car judging peoples speeds can't tell how fast you're going with their eyes?kiethton said:
Best car would be a mk1 yaris I'd have thought - speedo completely un-readable from the passenger seat as it's projected within the dash giving plenty of opportunity to slow down should the examiner try to really lean over and look.
I was told recently by someone who had just done a test that the examiner set up a satnav to see the speed readout. Apologies if that's guff, but it would be a logical thing to doOne of my sixth form friends turned up to take his test in a 3.2 V6 Vauxhall Omega and the examiner refused point blank to go ahead due to obvious lack of dual controls, etc. Evidently his dad thought it was a good idea instead of going in the Corsa he'd been taking his lessons in.
On a similar note, a few months later, another lad in the same sixth form went to his test in a Rover 220 Tomcat Turbo. Again it was his dad who thought it was a good idea rather than just letting him go in the BSM Rover Metro that he'd been doing his lessons in.
On a similar note, a few months later, another lad in the same sixth form went to his test in a Rover 220 Tomcat Turbo. Again it was his dad who thought it was a good idea rather than just letting him go in the BSM Rover Metro that he'd been doing his lessons in.
AlexRS2782 said:
One of my sixth form friends turned up to take his test in a 3.2 V6 Vauxhall Omega and the examiner refused point blank to go ahead due to obvious lack of dual controls, etc.
I didn't think that a lack of dual controls was an issue. I passed my test in my mum's Polo which obviously didn't have them, and that was only four years ago.AlexRS2782 said:
One of my sixth form friends turned up to take his test in a 3.2 V6 Vauxhall Omega and the examiner refused point blank to go ahead due to obvious lack of dual controls, etc. Evidently his dad thought it was a good idea instead of going in the Corsa he'd been taking his lessons in.
On a similar note, a few months later, another lad in the same sixth form went to his test in a Rover 220 Tomcat Turbo. Again it was his dad who thought it was a good idea rather than just letting him go in the BSM Rover Metro that he'd been doing his lessons in.
There's no reason why an examiner would refuse an Omega - loads of people, including my gf last summer, do their test in their own car without dual controls. The only cars that seem to be deemed unsuitable are those with restricted rear visibility. On a similar note, a few months later, another lad in the same sixth form went to his test in a Rover 220 Tomcat Turbo. Again it was his dad who thought it was a good idea rather than just letting him go in the BSM Rover Metro that he'd been doing his lessons in.
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/minimum-requi...
angels95 said:
I didn't think that a lack of dual controls was an issue. I passed my test in my mum's Polo which obviously didn't have them, and that was only four years ago.
snowandrocks said:
There's no reason why an examiner would refuse an Omega - loads of people, including my gf last summer, do their test in their own car without dual controls. The only cars that seem to be deemed unsuitable are those with restricted rear visibility.
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/minimum-requi...
Oops, sorry. I guess I should have made clear in my post that this was back in 1997 & 1998 (I'm feeling old now https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/minimum-requi...
). Based on your posts above it seems you've both either sat, or been involved in, tests fairly recently with the current rules, etc, that will obviously be much clearer in what is / isn't allowed, etc.Back when I sat my test in '97 the examiners round my way were known for refusing to undertake a test if it was felt the vehicle a young learner arrived in wasn't "appropriate" compared to what they'd learnt to drive in (normally a BSM / RAC Rover Metro / Vauxhall Corsa, etc). In fairness I'd probably agree with the examiners as I'm not sure I'd want to be in the passenger seat of a car capable of 0-60 in 6 seconds, in the case of the Tomcat, or circa 8 seconds with the Omega, with no dual controls and a learner who took nearly all of their lessons in a low power Vauxhall Corsa.
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