Car for 21 year old learner

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karatestu
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Re: Car for 21 year old learner

Unread post by karatestu »

I learned to drive in a battered old Renault 4 with gear stick out of the dashboard :lol: Started blasting round the farm from 12 years old. Tractors came not long after that. By the time i was 17 i sailed through the test first time after six lessons.

I remember my first driving lesson on the road. I accidentally put it in third gear to set off (Nissan Micra) but my clutch control was so advanced by that stage that i didn't stall. Instructor was amazed.
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Lindsayt
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Re: Car for 21 year old learner

Unread post by Lindsayt »

karatestu wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2019 4:06 pm I learned to drive in a battered old Renault 4 with gear stick out of the dashboard :lol: Started blasting round the farm from 12 years old. Tractors came not long after that. By the time i was 17 i sailed through the test first time after six lessons.

I remember my first driving lesson on the road. I accidentally put it in third gear to set off (Nissan Micra) but my clutch control was so advanced by that stage that i didn't stall. Instructor was amazed.
And looking back on it now, would you say that you didn't really need those 6 lessons?

All you needed was a bit of practise at 3 point turns, reversing round corners etc?

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karatestu
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Re: Car for 21 year old learner

Unread post by karatestu »

Yes i think i could have gotten away with a couple or maybe none if i had someone who was familiar with the current requirements of the test. There are written tests now i gather.

Experience out on the road is very valuable, there is no substitute. But you need somebody for quidance and to stop you getting in to bad habits. If that person is you Lindsay then i would say go for it but make sure they have plenty of road experience.
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Re: Car for 21 year old learner

Unread post by Ali Tait »

I would only go for a diesel if you can be sure of giving it a good run on the motorway for at least 30 minutes at least once a week, otherwise you are likely to be looking at egr/dpf problems.

For the stated purpose I think you’d be better with a petrol.

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Re: Car for 21 year old learner

Unread post by CN211276 »

karatestu wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2019 4:48 pm Yes i think i could have gotten away with a couple or maybe none if i had someone who was familiar with the current requirements of the test. There are written tests now i gather.

Experience out on the road is very valuable, there is no substitute. But you need somebody for quidance and to stop you getting in to bad habits. If that person is you Lindsay then i would say go for it but make sure they have plenty of road experience.
I learned to drive in a mini. My Dad gave me a lot of lessons and I had around six with an instructor as an 18th birthday present. One of the lessons was early in the morning after I had been celebrating my 18th. :guiness; Not a good idea. I was still a bit wrecked and think I would have crashed the car but for the dual controls. The instructor advised me to cancel the test I had booked two weeks later. I did not and passed first time. I learned a lesson and have never drank and drove since, including on the morning after. I gave lessons to two step children who went on to pass first time
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Re: Car for 21 year old learner

Unread post by Lindsayt »

Ali Tait wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2019 5:24 pm I would only go for a diesel if you can be sure of giving it a good run on the motorway for at least 30 minutes at least once a week, otherwise you are likely to be looking at egr/dpf problems.

For the stated purpose I think you’d be better with a petrol.
That's a good point about the DPF. Especially for the sort of well used car we are likely to end up with.

He does have a choice of 2 routes for his journey to work. One that includes 15 miles on the motorway or one with 15 miles of quiet country A roads. Although there's no guarantee he'll be in the same job in 6 months time...

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Re: Car for 21 year old learner

Unread post by Lindsayt »

We had a look at a car on Tuesday. Didn't buy it because the interior was tatty and was showing signs that the previous owner had been running it on the cheap.

On Saturday we're looking at another car that I'm more optimisitic about.

It has leather seats, aircon, should do a real world of about 60 mpg, pretty cheap annual road tax (below £50), not too bad on the insurance, no DPF and it will cost about £1000.
Would anyone like to guess what make and model of car it is?

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Re: Car for 21 year old learner

Unread post by slinger »

I'm torn between guessing Ford Fiesta or Bugatti Veyron. I'll go with the Fiesta.
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Re: Car for 21 year old learner

Unread post by zebbo »

Another option, although often not cheap in comparison to others, is the Honda Jazz. It's a little bit "old biddy" but they are bloody brilliant cars. Excellent build quality & easy to work on.
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Re: Car for 21 year old learner

Unread post by Hannes-Gregor »

Lindsayt wrote: Thu Oct 24, 2019 9:32 pm We had a look at a car on Tuesday. Didn't buy it because the interior was tatty and was showing signs that the previous owner had been running it on the cheap.

On Saturday we're looking at another car that I'm more optimisitic about.

It has leather seats, aircon, should do a real world of about 60 mpg, pretty cheap annual road tax (below £50), not too bad on the insurance, no DPF and it will cost about £1000.
Would anyone like to guess what make and model of car it is?
Is it a 40th anniversary mini?

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