I've been thinking about this for awhile, the other day I saw a Mk2 MR2 with L plates, it was most likely the worst example of an MR2 I've ever seen with huge amounts of smoke pouring out of it and covered in Dents, scratches, rust. What are the worst choice L plated cars people have seen and what do you think is the best choice for a Learner car. The other thing is sometimes I see Driving school cars that don't really seem the best choice, I saw one on an old Mercedes Saloon (Not sure what it was specifically but it was a big one) and I sometimes see them on cars that I think are too old (I went with BSM who swap cars once every 6 months, I wouldn't want to go out in a 15y/o car unless is was considerably cheaper).

Thoughts.

why does it matter you can learn to drive in any car. i learnt in a clapped out peugeot 309.

at the end of the day you want to be paying for the experience of the instructor not the finance on the new car they purchased to teach you in.

[Edited on 4/3/10 by ashg]

Once saw a 911 with L plates on it!

around here theres a one man drivng school that uses a civic type r
looks strange with the big white triangle on the roof

Least appropriate (theoretically)
Lambo Countach (for just about every reason I can think of

Best car I've seen used is a classic mini, guess a smart car would also be good. (though perhaps not ideal to move on from).

I learned in a brand new Mk1 Escort.
It was a while ago though!

Worst choice Lancia Stratos.

Best choices any small cheap shed with power steering.

Steve

Took the ( now wife ) out with L plates in my 2.0 gte Manta !

Regards

Agriv8

I was taught in a classis mini - so easy to drive. Hill starts are a delight - when the bonnet rises, release the handbrake!

took mine many years ago in a brand new Austin Allegro, the one with the odd shaped steering wheel if any one remembers that?

I learnt & passed in a Mk2 Cortina. Used to take the wife out in my P6 Rover 3500S when she was learning (she loved driving that car).

I learnt in:
Sierra estate (1.8 CVH)
Mk1 mondeo (1.8 TD)
Mk3 Fiesta (1.8 D)
110 Landrover (200 TDi)
Micra in poverty spec. with no power anything (1.0)
but sat the test in a brand new 1.0 micra (T reg) with all the extra's
I think I prefered the older micra without the power steering (both micra's were driving school cars btw)


wasn't there some guy in the papers a few years back that passed his test in a 360 modena (london I think)

[Edited on 4/3/10 by mcerd1]

i learnt, did my test and passed in my Dads 5 week old Range Rover 4.2
i was taught my a family friend advanced police driving instructor too

I learnt in an ex police Rover P6 - 3.5

Hugh

I learnt in a Talbot Samba, driving instructor marched to the beat of a different drum in a lot of ways

A friend of mine learned and took his test in a 14 seater minibus...!

There is a instructor near me that use an Impreza WRX to teach in!

I learnt in:
A Magenta kit car.
A Mini Van.
A Reliant Ant TW9 which had a habit of falling over.
A Sinpar Renault 4 with the gearchange poking out from the dash.
A Hillman Hunter with the hand brake on the right of the drivers seat.
A Series 1 Landrover with no starter motor.
A Grey Fergie tractor usually pulling a trailer.
None of these vehicle were ideal for learning to drive!
I passed my test on my 17th birthday...

[Edited on 4/3/10 by owelly]

learned in a mx5 for 1 day before getting my mk1 mr2

but then i have a few years of motorcycle riding before that too

I saw a Jag Xtype with l plates on last year in Lewes.

And what car did people drive straight after passing their test?

I went from learning in a Mini to my dad's Rover 100 (P4) - big and heavy, 2.6 litre straight-6 engine, etc. etc.




[Edited on 4/3/10 by David Jenkins]

^^ just back to my dads landrover for me

but a while later, I got my first car of my own (the one that really tought me how to drive) - a 21 year old 1.1L Fiesta MK1 in gold

I failed my first test in a Chrysler Sunbeam, but that was a fun car. The instructor was an ex rally driver, and used to let me play in snowy car parks. Taught me loads, except how I should have given way to that bloody great bus on my test .
Eventually passed in a heavy old Lada Riva. Quite possibly the worst car I have ever sat in!!

Mother taught me to drive in a 50 Meteor on a back road, 11yrs. old. Licence 54 Ford Customline 2 dr. V8 column shift.

dad taught me in his toyota hiace van, big old thing with no power steering and rear wheel drive, took me through london in it! and i got flashed by a camera through a 20 mile an hour camera, doh. was a real joy when i got my little corsa!

been taking by brother in law out in a mk2 mondeo,

I tought my sister to drive in a mk2 MR2 wasnt the best thing to teach her in but its all I had to do it in, was quite handy as it didnt stall when she tried to pull away in 3rd thinking it was 1st!

I Drove my dads Jag (Though not for the first time) when I got back from passing my test, I'd had a car for almost 6 months so the first thing I wanted to do was pick it up from my Grandads house (Which we did in the Jag. (I didn't drive all the way there, we swapped when we got to the main road as I wasn't insured and its not worth the risk.)

I remeber reading on Direct.Gov that they don't like people bring convertibles for driving tests, I wonder if anyone's ever had a go in a seven?