Driving school lessons in a diesel car?

[bluey]

So after clocking up her 100 hours before having a paid lesson, she decides to sit her test on Xmas eve with one lesson the Saturday before as a dry run. She had her lesson in our car.

The lesson threw her off a bit, because the instructor told her to do some things she wasn't used to and in part don't make sense.
a. reversing with two hands on the wheel
b. always changing down to third when stopping

So, she did her test in the Polo diesel and passed, yay! Pinged 2 non-critical driving errors for "clutch coasting", because she has been taught to put her foot on the clutch when stopping before the engine gets down to idle speed, or it will stall. She said she didn't put her foot on the clutch until 1000rpm (idle 900-950), in 3rd.

Afterwards, I did more reading. Queensland's "Q-Safe" testing program has a manual describing the testing criteria. Google found a pdf copy of the manual. One of the criteria for "clutch coasting" - "Coasts with clutch depressed for a duration of
between three and five seconds.". I think the examiner misinterpreted the clutch coasting being unfamiliar with a diesel.

The Q-Safe manual clearly states driving with one hand on the wheel is acceptable when reversing.

So, with the benefit of hindsight, I'd say one needs a copy of the Q-Safe manual from day one and no driving instructor lessons would be required.

BTW, talking to my partner, we both agree that driving a manual seems better for driving concentration and awareness. Wonder if any proper studies have been done...

[gldgti]

Good job!

I taught my wife to drive in the cabby (which ofcourse is manual and diesel) and apart form the tester commenting that she'd never tested anyone in a mk1 cabby, she passed without a hitch (no 'professional' lessons either).

I was always of the firm opinion that it would be better to teach to the letter of the book, with some good old fashioned commonsense thrown in, than to employ a driving instructor/school who may or may not instill good and bad habits. (When I was learning to drive my parents got me 2 lessons with an instructor in the week before my test, which only served to make me nervous and he called into question habits my parents had tried hard to instil upon me, rightly or otherwise).

Now 12 months on from my wife getting her license, she drives with purpose, awareness/alertness, and is a better driver than many of my family members are who have way more experience but only drive auto's.

I think it helps!

[jets]

BTW, talking to my partner, we both agree that driving a manual seems better for driving concentration and awareness.

And far more satisfying with more involvement. Before we bought our Polo we both drove a late model Polo auto & both disliked the experience.

[bluey]

Have rented a few Audis over the years with DSG. Generally, the DSG boxes do a pretty good job of changing where a human would in Sport mode. Only noticed the occasional bad/snatchy change. Every other auto I have driven, seems that I'm fiddling with the levers and buttons to try to get it into the right gear.

[Skooter]

Too many years in an underpowered Holden Apollo Executive (the only 16 valve Toyota motor with a carburettor??!!) and automatic. Great for lazy peak hour stuff, but the 6-speed manual Octavia Scout is just fabuleux - throw in a very grunty 2.0 TDI and I'm in heaven.

Been reading a few DSG woes in the Skoda/Octavia thread and I'm so glad I have this slick little 6-speed Manuel (he's from Barcelona )

[spud75]

Too many years in an underpowered Holden Apollo Executive (the only 16 valve Toyota motor with a carburettor??!!) and automatic. Great for lazy peak hour stuff, but the 6-speed manual Octavia Scout is just fabuleux - throw in a very grunty 2.0 TDI and I'm in heaven.

Been reading a few DSG woes in the Skoda/Octavia thread and I'm so glad I have this slick little 6-speed Manuel (he's from Barcelona )

Walked into Audi dealership ready to part with cash and said what diesel manual wagon can I get?

Response was, base model a4 sedan manual, base model Q3, or base model A3. I said, no I want a manual wagon, even a petrol. The sales thought for a few seconds, then said, "you will have to buy a Skoda".

I was looking at the RS anyway. So before I had driven one, I ordered a diesel Octavia RS. I had driven a base model octavia wagon petrol auto before though. rented one for a week. A week later I drove an RS diesel DSG. I am so glad I got the manual. DSG's and I just dont get along.

So now, I have owned a VR Commodore V6 5sp manual, a Barina 1.2 manual, an Astra 1.8 manual, an A4 1.8T manual, and the current A3 1.9tdi manual, and the RS diesel manual.

I think the biggest killer on our roads is lack of attention. Part of this is people learning to drive autos only, one hand on the wheel, the other on the phone. Hard to text and drive when you need to change gear. Driving a manual becomes second nature, but it still requires more involvement than press to go, press to stop autos.

I cant see my next car being an auto.....

[BluChris]

To answer Bluey's question and horrify the rest of you... yes studies have been done and new drivers have fewer crashes in an auto because of the reduced cognitive workload (i.e. don't have to divide attention between so many things). Before you bite my head off both my wife and I drive manual.

How well you feel your children/partners drive is more likely down to the fact that being on this forum I expect you have all taken extra care to instil good habits.

[Ryeman]

I've always thought that if I was just learning to drive in this hectic world I'd want to concentrate on traffic management issues and only when I felt I was feeling fully confident would I want to then adapt to learning this skills for a manual.

[brad]

To answer Bluey's question and horrify the rest of you... yes studies have been done and new drivers have fewer crashes in an auto because of the reduced cognitive workload (i.e. don't have to divide attention between so many things). Before you bite my head off both my wife and I drive manual.

How well you feel your children/partners drive is more likely down to the fact that being on this forum I expect you have all taken extra care to instil good habits.

When I got my licence, Dad insisted I learn on an automatic so I could concentrate on the core job of actually driving. We only had 3 months on Ls back then so it was probably a good idea. I also did the test in his automatic.

The day after I got my licence I picked up a 2nd hand Torana 1200 manual and kangaroo hopped the 10 km home. I'd ridden manual motorbikes for years before but cars weren't as forgiving of ham-fistedness.

I think it was a good strategy & don't like the current "auto licence" thing. I believe it's one of the reasons my daughter won't get her Ls as the only car available for her to learn on is a manual.

[kaanage]

BTW, talking to my partner, we both agree that driving a manual seems better for driving concentration and awareness. Wonder if any proper studies have been done...

To answer Bluey's question and horrify the rest of you... yes studies have been done and new drivers have fewer crashes in an auto because of the reduced cognitive workload (i.e. don't have to divide attention between so many things).

Herein lies the issue - new drivers are coming to terms with the whole driving experience so manual shifting is a distraction from road awareness since it hasn't become 2nd nature to them, yet. But I believe that Bluey is questioning the general driving population and I think (but need a proper study to confirm) that he is correct and that manual drivers will, overall, have higher levels of driving concentration and awareness.

I think the biggest killer on our roads is lack of attention. Part of this is people learning to drive autos only, one hand on the wheel, the other on the phone. Hard to text and drive when you need to change gear. Driving a manual becomes second nature, but it still requires more involvement than press to go, press to stop autos.

Total agreement here.

Personally, I would like all cars to be sold with non-synchro, dog (crash) boxes so that only people who really know what they're doing can drive.

Back to the original subject, my niece is learning to drive on a manual Bluemotion Golf which has the added advantage of basically restarting itself when she stalls it so she is less of a hazard to other drivers while she gets the mechanics of clutched starts sorted.