Hi everyone,

I'm a learner driver, and am learning with BSM. I'm currently learning in a Diesel Vauxhall Corsa, however my instructor will be getting his Fiat 500 in about 2/3 weeks. It's going to be a petrol!

I'm just looking for advice for anyone who has driven a petrol Fiat 500 - i think it's the 1.2.

At the moment in the Diesel, i can do the manoeuvers using just the clutch and don't require any gas at all. For anyone who's driven a 1.2 Petrol Fiat 500 - i know some modern petrol cars are just as easy to move with just the clutch as Diesel? But what about the Fiat 500? Will i be able to do the manoeuvers with just the clutch or not?

I'm just abit worried about the change, and am really hoping it won't be too difficult to go from the Diesel Corsa to the Petrol 500.

My 4th test will be at the end of February - so i'll have like a bit of December, January, and 3 weeks in Feb to get used to it - will that be enough?

if you are a competant driver you should be fine.
you will need to use the accelerator more in the 1.2 but that is what learning to drive is all about!
You'll be fine!

It'll give you better clutch & Accelerator control anyway

I am sure it won't take long for you to get used to the change. I can't say how different it is as haven't experienced the diesel clutch thing you mention. Over the coming years you will probably drive all kinds of cars so it will be good experience and you have enough time before your test for the adjustment.

Good luck and hope you pass.

fiatdownunder said:

if you are a competant driver you should be fine.
you will need to use the accelerator more in the 1.2 but that is what learning to drive is all about!
You'll be fine!

It'll give you better clutch & Accelerator control anyway

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Wot he said. You need to experience different cars and be able to adapt yourself to different cars so if it's very different don't see it as a bad thing.

Diesels are certainly easier to manouver and drive in slow traffic for this reason. I'd seriously consider trying to find another instructor with a diesel corsa, especially as it's your 4th time a change might be a good thing anyway.

pearce_jj said:

Diesels are certainly easier to manouver and drive in slow traffic for this reason. I'd seriously consider trying to find another instructor with a diesel corsa, especially as it's your 4th time a change might be a good thing anyway.

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I think a change of car is a good thing though. People will end up driving different cars when they go on holiday, drive their parents or friends cars etc so I think a change of car is a good thing.

To the OP, do you feel that you should have failed your tests or do you think you were unfairly scored? Do you feel that your instructor hasn't taught you well enough?

I failed 3 times and the first time I only failed because I didn't make it painfully obvious that I was checking my mirrors, the 2nd time I failed because the tester asked me to stop outside a house where there wasn't a space and he failed me :crazy: and the third time was 100% my fault. So don't be disheartened at all, sometimes it isn't your fault but if you're getting failed legitimately 3 times then perhaps it is time to swap instructors.

I recently moved from a Vauxhall Diesel car to a 1.2 Fiat 500.

Driving the Vauxhall Diesel allowed me to very very easily use only the clutch, not only to hold position but I could go from 0mph to about 20mph without using the accelator once. This was very useful in traffic jams. Unless you have experienced this kind of driving - its very hard to explain. its almost as though the diesel engine pulls you along. Wonderful up hills as well.

The 500 1.2 will not do this nearly as well. Although is possible to hold position etc only on clutch.

YouKnowWho said:

The 500 1.2 will not do this nearly as well. Although is possible to hold position etc so as to **** your clutch up.

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Edited for accuracy. The clutch is only to be used for setting off, changing gears OR for holding the car for a split second on an incline and no more. If you want to hold the car on an incline the Fiat has a unique feature called "brakes" which work quite well at holding a car on an incline and are cheaper and easier than a clutch to replace when they wear out.

If you are "holding the car in place" with the clutch they would be failed for that anyway. No point into getting bad habits before you pass.

In regards of the car. I would reccommend having a few extra lessons to get used to driving that car. Yes its good practice to drive different cars but when you are wanting to pass a driving test it is easy to make mistakes in a car you are not familiar with.

I learnt to drive in a diesel. After 8 years of passing my test i bought my first diesel last year.

sammiboo said:

If you are "holding the car in place" with the clutch they would be failed for that anyway. No point into getting bad habits before you pass

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Perhaps my wife should get retested.

She can hold her Subaru on the clutch all she wants but every time she does it in the 500 she gets an earful

I wouldn't put any of my fails down to my instructor, he's great. The first two were purely down to me having a memory lapse - i had very few minors and then made one stupid mistake in each (got myself stuck in the wrong lane, and also thought it wasn't safe to overtake when it was). The third one - the weather messed me up - it was absolutely lashing it down! :bang:

I guess i'm not so worried about the general driving of the car - i know that if i feel it's going to stall, just whack some more gas on.

Instructor's got me great on the manoeuvers - when i moved to him, i couldn't 'reverse round a corner' or 'parallel park' for toffee, can do them perfect now. It's the manoeuvers that i'm thinking about though.

The diesel will do them on just the clutch, however in a petrol you will need gas won't you? I presume manoeuvering on clutch and gas - you set the gas to like 2,000 revs, get the clutch to biting point and then when the car starts to move - just dip the clutch if you need to go slower, and raise it if you need to speed up, while keeping the gas constant at 2,000 revs.

306maxi said:

Edited for accuracy. The clutch is only to be used for setting off, changing gears OR for holding the car for a split second on an incline and no more. If you want to hold the car on an incline the Fiat has a unique feature called "brakes" which work quite well at holding a car on an incline and are cheaper and easier than a clutch to replace when they wear out.

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Brakes huh?

Wow you're clever!

Thanks for that.

sammiboo said:

If you are "holding the car in place" with the clutch they would be failed for that anyway. No point into getting bad habits before you pass.

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Very true .. plenty of time AFTER you pass to pick up bad habits

YouKnowWho said:

Brakes huh?

Wow you're clever!

Thanks for that.

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It wasn't necessarily directed at you Just all those people who hold their car on inclines on the clutch which is just a no-no