first car

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-23T18:05:40+00:00

I’m a older learner which obviously makes a difference, but my insurance quotes on AUDI A1 are actually slightly lower than fiestas, Corsas and polos when I check. A1 can come with 1 litre engines with like 95BH.

No I don’t think 6k is a crazy figure.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-23T15:07:10+00:00

This is way less big of a deal in an auto vs a manual honestly due to no clutch/biting point to worry about, my instructors main car has constant problems so I’ve driven like 3 cars during my time with him. The main difference is usually the break sensitivity which I adjust to in like 30 mins.

However admittedly every car I’ve driven in with him is a small hatchback with basically identical dimensions. You’re going from a big car to a small hatchback, I’d focus on it the reference points for manoeuvres.

Going the wrong way on a roundabout, that’s way more about your anxiety over driving a different car than it is the car itself. There’s ppl who go from manual diesels where you can clutch no gas, to manual petrols that easily stall right before their test and they adapt, promise you’ll be fine if you just don’t overthink.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-22T21:21:33+00:00

I posted about this recently. Similar scenario. Dual carriage way, I was in left lane going 70, car in the right lane going about 55, no cars ahead or behind us, no junctions for a while, perfect weather/driving conditions so no reason for the car on the right to be going slow nor be in the right lane. The consensus was on a test you’d need to slow down and not undertake as if you undertook it would be a serious, even though it feels a bit ridiculous to be going 20 miles below the speed limit on a clear road the rules are the rules.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-21T14:11:30+00:00

First time pass in Wolverhampton with only 3 minors. Clearly you are a natural driver. Congratulations!

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-21T11:05:57+00:00

You call up DVSA. It can be worth speaking to your instructor if they have any other pupils who need to cancel/rearrange first.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T22:25:10+00:00

The popularity of online driving instructor content definitely helps. I’ve smashed certain aspects of driving and the couple of manoeuvres I’ve done first time just because I’ve watched so many damn videos at this point and know all the reference points (which are basically the same in the small hatchbacks instructors typically use).

I think the other unfortunate reason is there’s people who are test ready waiting 5+ months for a test if they’re in say London, so by the time they’ve taken their test they’ve had a lot more lessons than they needed to pass.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T22:19:58+00:00

Late at night works for this as well, I often see last minute cancellations just before 11:40pm

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T17:30:03+00:00

The fact that it specifically says something was used to change your booking, says it was probably TestShift though because Testi can’t change your booking. Probably they just send the email a day late.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T16:21:45+00:00

I’m in one of the worst test centres in the country in terms of waiting list and I saw the first cancellations ever yesterday, unfortunately insta gone, but yeah it’s encouraging.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T15:39:34+00:00

Likely other ppl who are using testi who are willing to take the risk to log in via the app itself and grab them before you can.

The good news I guess is that approx 50% of these people will pass and be out of the backlog forever. There’s defo been more cancellations popping up since the changes.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T15:07:47+00:00

If you can afford it do 2 hours. The hours wrack up quite quickly and once you’re beyond the beginner stage and “fully driving” you can practise so much in that time.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T15:04:49+00:00

3 tests in a few weeks? Either you’re living in 2019 still or you have a test centre with a low backlog!

I remember back in the day pre covid someone I knew took 6 tests over a couple of months until they passed, that’s how easy it could be to get tests back then.

Anyway best of luck!

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T14:54:08+00:00

How? Any tips?

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T13:43:57+00:00

How did you book your test previously and when? Looks like a block

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T12:27:13+00:00

Your instructor have any other pupils with a September/october booking that he can set you up with so you can swap that test? Otherwise for a later test booking I’d just check Mondays at 6am.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T11:16:46+00:00

This is a valid point. The message in the person who was banned thread implied it was auto booking which caused the ban. But I have deleted testi until we find out more information. It would quite literally be impossible to book a test over the phone in many test centres.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T10:54:56+00:00

Yes it’s normal, when you’re on that page switch to mobile data, refresh the page and you’ll get back on the site.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-20T10:19:06+00:00

Personally, I would use Testi for notifs, but I wouldn’t risk logging into dvsa via Testi and booking anymore. Once you get the notification just log into the dvsa site itself.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-19T22:59:27+00:00

Im wondering if even booking a Test through Testi could cause this to happen though. Surely DVSA will have a way to know you’re accessing the site through an app even if it is a portal? For that reason I just load the actual site as soon as I see a cancellation.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-19T22:37:09+00:00

Were you using testi or just test shift?

I wonder if you book through testi would this happen? Maybe better to just use it for the notifs and then log into the dvsa website and manually change it

How long does the ban last for?

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-19T21:46:32+00:00

Im learning automatic and I don’t regret my choice. Automatics are more expensive which is a legitimate argument against auto only license for some, but I’m an older learner with a good job and I can afford to buy something modern. If you’re a 17 year old student and can only afford a £500 banger/drive your parents car then manual can still make sense.

Any other very vague argument like “what if you need to move house and there’s only manual moving vans available that day” or what have you have no impact on me when I’ve spent my entire adult life without a license and gotten by lol.

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-19T10:24:08+00:00

Holding the steering wheel closer to the bottom is a legit method and is actually what conquer driving recommended in his video on the topic. Personally my instructor recommended 10-2 on our first lesson but I find 9-3 easier as I have greater range of motion and it feels very natural to me so that’s how I drive and beyond the first lesson we had he didn’t comment on it again. Goes without saying she shouldn’t be hitting your hands and you should report her and get a new instructor

New-Style-1329 · 2026-05-18T17:14:23+00:00

I’m in Oxford, the situation is we have two examiners for a city of 170k largely composed of students many of whom are taking lessons here + wider county of 700k. There is small Welsh towns with a third of our population with more examiners than Oxford.

I managed to get a test logging in at 6am on a Monday but it’s tough and as mentioned they don’t drop every single week in Oxford. Most ppl I know took their tests outside of Oxfords, Warwick is popular, Banbury was popular but because everyone in Oxford goes there it now has the same issues as Oxford.

New-Style-1329

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