Rojac replied:

No, let her learn to drive in a inexpensive car first and after a period of time when there is some compentancey then progress.

Member - Reiner G (QLD) 4124 replied:

I would say that depends very much on the kids atitude. I have two doughters one was a wild one she was driving the laser and the other one was a bit smarter she could drive whatever she wanted to. No she is riding a fireblade for 4 years and never had a problem the other one has wrecked two cars.
There is no general rule to that just use comon sense.
My two cents worth anyway.
cheers
Reiner

michael42 replied:

Our daughter is learning on a Pathfinder (because it's an auto), prior to obtaining her licence she will progress to the manual Hilux. It is her preference to learn in a 4wd, she will be able to handle a larger car eg parking etc, rather than a Hyundai provided by the driving school. She has commented that she prefers the height of a 4by. She is becoming quite a good driver actually (even with Dad following and making suggestions over the cb from behind). I have seen some real gooses in small cars doing things that would endanger those around them. Why is it that the little doof-doof cars are the ones doing burnouts, not the 4bys?

Cheers,

Michael

Exploder replied:

Personally I couldn’t care less, as long as they are being taught and getting road time in all conditions.

At least learning in a 4WD you will gain more confidents from driving a large car and have more ability from learning how to Park it, maynover it in traffic and in tight car parks and control on the open road.

Then when you jump into a small car everything will be a breeze, She will go from reverse parallel parking a 2-ton 4WD to reverse parallel parking a lancer or something, my thought are you Kid will walk throe her driving assessment no worries if she can confidently handle a 4WD on L plates.

I remember when I was doing my Truck license 2 years ago, would jump out of the Truck and into the Explorer and it felt like driving a Sports car LOL.

Member - Andrew (Bris) replied:

I lent the Patrol to my 18 year old daughter and her boyfriend a couple of weeks ago. That same afternoon I got the phone call - 'Dad, we've had an accident'.
They were stationary at a set of traffic lights. Another 18 year old driving a small car decided not to stop. Result - Minor damage to the plastic bits on the back of the patrol, other car close to a write-off, other driver badly shaken, my daughter now wanting to trade her commodore for something a little stronger like a Patrol.

Lone Wolf replied:

I learnt in a 4 x 4, did my test in it, everything.

I would much rather her in a 4 x 4, than a V8 Commy or Falcon.

My daughter living in Sydney has just bought a Triton, whew, sigh of relief!

They'll push the limits of any vehicle, you & I did...

Wolfie

Peter 2 replied:

I taught the eldest to drive on a troopy, got his licence on an auto car, the middle one learnt on an turbo auto car and the Humvee, the youngest on a 2 litre auto.
Depends on the person and their attitude and confidence when learning and will vary from person to person.
Also what you as the supervsing driver feels they can handle.
Remember as the supervsing driver you are responsible the L plater is under instruction.
They are all careful drivers but the girls are more careful than the young bloke.

Member - Stephen M (NSW) replied:

Hi there nowimnumberone,mate let her go for it, she will be a better driver I think,just check your insurance and green slip insurance to make sure the vehicle and your daughter are both covered in the event of any accident (lets hope that wont be an issue) but thats why there called accidents. I wish my wife learnt on a big car/4wd as she gets in the hilux and reckons that's big,LOL thats why I have no chance of getting an 80 series cruiser. Go for it and I wish her luck in future learning and when she gets her p plates. Might pay to get a couple of lessons from a driving instructor as they do have more of a chance of passing than some one that is tought by mum and dad. true facts, my old man was an instructor and so was I. The examiner will look at it different if she goes to do her licence in a lancer than dads 4by even if she can drive without any faults they will find one. Some of them are very hard especially these days and will get tougher. They are actually talking of making all people getting a licence to be tought by a profesional instructor. Good luck and take care,Want to know what they will pin her for send another post when the time comes and I will tell you. There's more than what's written in the book as per usual. Regards Steve M

Brian Bentley replied:

I am 18 and bought my 1994 landcruiser ute when i was 16.
I paid $18 500 cash for it after i had my learners for 4months and got my licence first attempt 2 months after that.
I never drove a vehicle until i got my learners and have not had a dent or caused and accident yet or lost any points.
After driving my ute for 1 1/2 years i hate driving around in a car because i feel more unsafe in a car than a 4WD.
In a 4WD you have greater visibility and can prepare for the unexpected that you see ahead on the road than you would in a car.
Learn the basics in a car then it dosent hurt driving different vehicle to understand different driving techniques.

cackles replied:

I learnt to drive in a diesel four wheel drive I think it is just what you get used to.
however due to legalities i did my driving test in zippy little driving school cars, and kept going over the speed limit. It took me long time to get comfortable in other cars and i still prefer to drive turbo diesels

simple replied:

my sister learnt to drive in every car in the family.
a manual pulsar, an auto jackaroo, a manual hilux and a manual barina
that makes for a versatile driver and one who understands the differences betwwen the vehicles

Barnesy replied:

What i say may be unpopular but its what i think. I hate driving my 4.2 diesel 5 speed GQ around the city and suburbs. It's a big lump in stop-start traffic, pain in the arse to drive. I would rather drive a commodore. Majority of severe and fatal crashes occur on country roads so in the city there is really no point in having a fourby unless you go bush or tow. Once i get on the open road i love my fourby though.

Lucky i live in the country.

Barnesy

timglobal replied:

I'd rate learning in a 4x4. To learn a manual it is arguably the best as the clutch is v strong, the gates easier, etc.

I learnt and passed my test in a Landy. Understanding the size, control and power of such a vehicle wasn't lost on me. Especially when I pulled "careless" friends cars from local ditches.

Being able to learn on an airfield or large area of paddock helps. Get boxes or barrels and practice parallel parking. Learn to judge gaps at speed. Try cadence braking, brake-lock in safety, etc.

Just don't instil they're invincible - a few trips to the ex-army wreckers for spares taught me that even Land-Rovers are very vincible in the hands of anyone, esp. squaddies.

When they get a faster car though, be sure to teach speed skills. Vigilance, anticipation, control. When I got my first "fast" car, I went on an advanced and then (arguably unnecessary) close protection course and hell they show you some tricks in any car.

The advanced course teaches you to a higher level what you should be doing safely normally. The close protection course teaches you how to do everything you "properly" shouldn't, to get out of abnormal situations, safely. But they teach you the onus and responsibility of such knowledge - it isn't a hoon academy and I was with "real" professionals learning their trade. Hadn't J-turned an armoured Rangie (or BMW 7) before, or indeed any 4x4 before. Only needed those skills once in real world, but that was enough. That's a side anecdote as it moreover taught the responsibility of such techniques and the empirical nature of defensive driving that must be drilled.

So to sum up - learn in a 4x4, but don't take it's weight or size as a cover for your skills. And finally, practice emergency techniques off with space, not on public roads - gravel ones included.

Amen.

T

Laura B replied:

i learnt to drive in dads work ute but also learnt in mums paj. Almost everyone has some sort of accident by the time they are 20 weather its their fault or not.....i did my p's test in the Paj and did fine....im now 24 and have only driven 4wd and will not change ...

Go for it but i remember that the first time i drove a car in the driveway a ute felt huge and it was a manual....start manual...its so essential imho that they learn in one at some stage....

that guy is a richard cranium!! obviousley if Today Tonight said that its raining outside on a 50 degree day he would believe them without checking to see if its true..

BAN STUPID PEDESTRIANS NOT BULLBARS!!!!

good luck......

Laura B

Truckster (Vic) replied:

All that proves is that the bloke your wife works with is a moron.

peterK replied:

After doing one the best I thing I can recoimmend is a Defensive driving Course - My girls will be doing one when they start
I did the basic with Murcotts - its not about race car driving but car control and scanning. also what ever car she ends up driving make sure thats the one she uses in the course.
My regret was I did it in my car with ABS and not the GQ

Pete

Member - Troll 81 (QLD) replied:

I started in a Landcruiser and that's what got me hooked on the 4x4 thing, from day one I got used to driving big cars so I think that it can only be a good thing

Member - Sam (NSW) replied:

I learnt in a manual tarago and an auto falcon station wagon. Did some lessons with an instructor in his manual pulsar. Drove a manual Suzuki Swift for about 1 year before I bought my first vehicle - a 2.8 Manual Hilux. I now own a GU Patrol. Would never go back to a car. As many have already said, learning in a bigger vehicle has its benefits, but also learning on a range of different sizes helps. It allows the driver to learn to adapt to different vehicle conditions. So tell your wife to tell that bloke to pull his head out of his clacker and wake up to reality.

flappa replied:

My daughter has just got her P's. She started learning in the Patrol because it was an auto. Didn't last long. She found it far too hard because it was such a large vehicle.

We ended up purchasing a small vehicle for her to learn in and then drive . . best money spent.

She went from being barely able to drive , to driving pretty well within a few days. The different vehicle was amazing.

Member - MrBitchi (QLD) replied:

When mine goes for hers in a few years time she will LEARN to drive at a driving school. Then she will PRACTICE in whatever vehicles we have at the time.

As others have said a lot depends on the individual's temprament. Some will be fine in anything while others you wouldn't trust in a tank....

Anyone who watches ACA has my condolences... (they're already brain dead!)

chump_boy replied:

Howdy all.

I learnt in an LJ Torana, and the day I got my P plates I picked up an ex-army series 2 landrover.

I rekon I leant more after about 2 weeks in the landie than I did in 12 months in the Torana. There was no radio, no air con, and solid steel all the way round. I could see above all the traffic, and the speed was governed to 80km/h - sweet for an 18 year old.

I only ever had one incident in the landie - some idiot was parked behind me, and swung out into traffic. She went straight under the back of the car, stuffed her bonnet, side panel, lights, the works. She offered to pay any damages, and was really nice, so I showed her the small scratch on the quarter inch steel jerry can holder.......

When my kids are learning, I will definitely try to get something similar for them. No radio, no air con, nothing to distract them from their driving is pretty important. The 80km/h limit is also excellent, as it ties in nicely with the max speed for P Platers. The soft top and no noise protection also lets them hear whats going on round them, so they can hear that motor bike scooting up the inside, or hear that car in the blind spot.

Off the road, I was a bloody idiot. I used to drive down hills so steep that I had to lean the bull bar against trees to stop rolling down, only to watch the bull bar bend back under the weight of the car. Or slide down muddy hills sideways, or drive through real deep water (old land rovers do'nt float....but sierras do).

All this taught me a lot about driving as well, and let me get a feel for the vehicle in different circumstances away from other traffic. I leant quickly how to break properly on steep muddy hills, a skill which transfered nicely to extreme braking on the road. The manual transmission skills were learnt quickly as well.

All up, I think learning in a 4WD is great, especially if it is old and slow, and you actually take it off road and put yourself in extreme situations. You learn a lot about yourself, your vehicle, and what to do in different circumstances.

Enough of my ramblings now. Time for a prozac....

Cheers,

Chump

Glenn (VIC) replied:

Just wait until I bring the work commodore up next time, she can drive that to her hearts content.

Cheers

Glenn

roofscooter2 replied:

we as a family drove from qld. to Kangaroo Valley ,thats where i got out of the drivers seat & told my L plate 17yr old to drive down the winding road & she did ,teh second hair pin bend school bus coming other way ( narrow road as well) wife was s#@$&*ing herself but not the daughter she handled it like she had been driving for years.that was in short wheel base troopy frp.bob.

roofscooter2 replied:

truckster, we ended up at Berry to get to Shoalhaven Headsbut we did not stop to get any of those berry nice dognuts lol. Bob.