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Old 07-02-2019, 10:09 AM   #51
Plaz
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My daughter took the classroom instruction and written test through her HS, then we hired a local company (who was very good) for behind the wheel instruction (6 hours, then a refresher before her road test). Lots of time with me and/or the wife doing "real world" driving after that. Maybe should have done that more, but life and stuff.

She failed her first road test try (hit the curb with rear passenger side wheel parallel parking, otherwise fine). Took it again a few weeks later and passed.

She's "green," but all her shortcomings are just a matter of lacking experience. She's still having to think about it all a lot, but she's very cautious and courteous, and seems to have good spatial and situational awareness for her level of experience. Early on she tended to hug the right side of the lane too much, but that's better than the left side, and as she's driven more that's gotten much better. She's still grappling a little bit with the idea of swinging just a little bit in the opposite direction before pulling into a parking spot in order to better line up the back of the car with the front, but that's coming along also.

Mazda 3 five-door has been a great choice.
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Old 07-04-2019, 12:05 AM   #52
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Originally Posted by kognito View Post
I have nothing to add. At the time, my school had a very good drivers Ed program. I got about 12 hours behind the wheel during the summer before I I turned 17 (NJ was close to what FC described 16 1/2 permit WITH drivers ED 17 to get my full license)

Time was spent with one other student from my school (who I didn't know at the time) and a teacher. Funny thing, that other student and I have now been great friends for over 39 years!
I have nothing to add as well, LOL.

My high school also had a great Driver's Ed program. Besides the usual classroom instruction, we had to have 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training. I remember the day my instructor, who happens to be our Spanish teacher, picked me up at my house. I was expecting 2 other students in the car as well, but imagine my surprise when he said, "The 2 other guys aren't going to make it, it's just going to be you and me".

So off we went. We did A LOT of driving scenarios: in-town, parking lot maneuvers including driving on a course in reverse, highway, stop-and-go, parallel parking, you name it. About 3 hours in, he asks, "Do you want to stop or keep going ??"

I said, "I'm having a blast !! Let's just keep going so that I can get all 6 hours done today".

So we just cruised around, had lunch and burned a tank full of gas. We must've put about 300 miles in the car that day.

Needless to say, I aced my driving test at the DMV a few weeks later in my dad's 1980 Chevrolet Impala 2-door sedan.

After I got home from the DMV, my dad says, "Ok, now you're going to learn to drive a stick". So we took my mom's 1984 Chevrolet Chevette out and practiced parallel parking right in front of the house.

With a slight incline. It was here when he showed me the handbrake trick, which I still use to this very day.

After I got the hang of the clutch's take-up spot without stalling and bucking, we cruised the town for an hour or so.

Long story short, I've been driving manuals ever since....
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Last edited by 3LOU5; 07-04-2019 at 12:29 AM. Reason: edit
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Old 07-05-2019, 10:01 AM   #53
Alan
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You guys are bringing back memories, I used to drive to drivers Ed with a junior license in a Black 85 Supra hop into the 4 door crapo drivers Ed car, do the instruction then take off once we got back to the school in the Supra ... I had learned to drive at the age of 9 and learned a manual at the age of 10 so by the time I was 16 I already knew what I was doing so the drivers Ed teacher gave me very little time behind the wheel since the other people needed it.


That was a fun summer and while I was not really supposed to be driving by myself I was lucky to have a cool dad let me take one of his cars.
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Old 07-05-2019, 02:32 PM   #54
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You guys are bringing back memories, I used to drive to drivers Ed with a junior license in a Black 85 Supra hop into the 4 door crapo drivers Ed car, do the instruction then take off once we got back to the school in the Supra ... I had learned to drive at the age of 9 and learned a manual at the age of 10 so by the time I was 16 I already knew what I was doing so the drivers Ed teacher gave me very little time behind the wheel since the other people needed it.


That was a fun summer and while I was not really supposed to be driving by myself I was lucky to have a cool dad let me take one of his cars.
Wow, that's a nice first car.

My first car was my sister's, which I bought from her for $1000. It was a 1980 Toyota Corolla SR-5 Liftback with a 1.8L longtitudinally-mounted inline-4 mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox.

It looked very similar to this, same body color but with stock wheels:



While it was SEVERELY underpowered and couldn't keep up with my other friend's muscle cars (there were a couple of guys who had a Chevelle SS 454, Camaro Z/28 and Mustang Mach 1......must be nice to have a cool first car like those, lol), it offered great gas mileage, had plenty of cargo room and more importantly, was fun to drive (to me, at least). It was a car that was extremely reliable (those Corollas will run FOREVER) and the operating costs were minimal, and for a poor student like me who came from parents who weren't wealthy, it was an AWESOME car.

So, my suggestion for a good first car would have to have those qualities.
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2016 Toyota Sienna SE - hers
2002 BMW 325i - his
1994 Chevrolet Silverado K1500 Sportside Z71 - whoevers vehicle is in the shop
2009 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL883 Low (Vivid Black) - his
2018 Can-Am Spyder RT Limited - hers
2007 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL883 Low (Pearl White) - hers (SOLD 02/29/20)
2011 Tao Tao 50 - whoevers bike is in the shop
2007 Reinell 186 FNS - the dog's
1995 Fleetwood Flair 27R - EVERYBODY'S !

Last edited by 3LOU5; 07-05-2019 at 05:54 PM. Reason: edit
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Old 07-06-2019, 01:49 PM   #55
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Those Manual Corolla's were fun I remember my good friend had a GTS model ...

The Supra was not actually my first car, my dad always had a few cars so he let me use the Supra when I was 16, even though I drove it a lot it wasn't mine.

When I got my full license he got me a 85 Mazda RX7 GSL-SE .. that poor car ... 17 yrs old with a new license, new car and a 5 speed ... lol it was fun !!
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Old 10-29-2019, 03:10 PM   #56
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Well, my parents are going to be looking to sell one of their vehicles next summer and they've offered to give me a nice deal on it. 2015 Ford Escape Titanium, currently with around 32,000 miles. Probably gonna take them up on it for the daughter.
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Old 10-29-2019, 03:13 PM   #57
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Well, my parents are going to be looking to sell one of their vehicles next summer and they've offered to give me a nice deal on it. 2015 Ford Escape Titanium, currently with around 32,000 miles. Probably gonna take them up on it for the daughter.
That seems like a pretty good choice for a first car. Tallish, but not big, good space, relatively fuel efficient.
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Old 10-29-2019, 03:15 PM   #58
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and a backup camera with parallel park assist
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Old 10-29-2019, 03:15 PM   #59
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That seems like a pretty good choice for a first car.
Agreed.
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Old 10-29-2019, 03:21 PM   #60
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I guess CarPlay won't work in this car. I may need Clyde to guide me through Ford Sync
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