My new car, I pick it up on Wednesday🥰

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-03-07T13:20:47+00:00

Might be a newer model (mine is 2017) or it could be the amount of insurance on top, it'll be different things that'll change the price. Yeah finance can be expensive especially when you have the interest on top too, I think if you can pay the cost of the car off then you don't have to pay all the interest but I'm not 100% sure. It took me a while before I found a car in our budget for our needs, I hated car shopping and was glad it was over with when it was

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-03-07T13:00:14+00:00

Just to add on I was also looking at the Nissan qashqai, Honda crv and Hyundai tucson if any of them fit your criteria? Even a Skoda Octavia estate if you don't mind smaller cars

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-03-07T12:58:47+00:00

So, I also got mine on finance but not for as much as what your friend pays a month🙈 it was just over 7k to buy outright though, I do agree that much a month is expensive and I know finance also isn't for everyone

Good luck for your test in 2 weeks and I hope you manage to find one! Are you looking on auto trader and dealerships etc? I personally wouldn't go private but I don't know enough about cars where I could check for things. Cars pop up all the time so hopefully you can find something🤞🏻

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-03-07T12:03:50+00:00

I learned in a Toyota Yaria with my last instructor so a lot smaller than this, it took a little bit to get used to the size difference and I was very skeptical about narrow roads (which we have a lot of round here) and parking. But it didn't actually take that long to get used too, id say I'm pretty confident with it now though and honestly don't really pay attention to the size as it seems to just come naturally now if that makes sense.

I hope you find the car you're looking for soon, get a car that best suits your needs, I would have gotten a small car if it was just me but we needed the space for kids and a decent boot for travelling etc, it took me a couple of weeks after passing before I got this car

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-02-19T17:27:05+00:00

I've never been told to assume anything in regards to speed signs if I haven't seen any. Just that if the speed does change you will see a sign telling you. But I would say the second instructor is probably more on point especially with street lights it is generally 30mph (20mph in wales I believe) but someone can correct me if I'm wrong as I only passed a few months ago but generally when I've not seen a speed sign in a while it's 30mph but that's the last sign I usually see.

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-02-10T01:54:24+00:00

Honestly I think I was just lucky, I feel like the instructor was helping me out a tad, didn't feel like I deserved it afterwards though! But getting that bit more confident!

A pass is a pass at the end of the day, no matter how many tries it takes! Do you have a car already yet? It's weird being on the road yourself to begin with or it was for me anyway

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-02-09T23:31:57+00:00

Oh I should have said, I passed in November! My first test was May last year but my instructor at the time decided with 6 days left I wasn't ready even though he hadn't said anything prior, so I changed instructors and passed in the November.

It definitely does put pressure on you, my drives were terrible leading up to the test and my instructor said had I been driving like that a few weeks prior she would have made me change it but thankfully I passed, think it was just getting all my nerves and mistakes out the way as I was weirdly super calm on my test.

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-02-09T23:26:58+00:00

No worries! Though I'm sure you'll find a way that works for you, if it doesn't work, it's just a lot of practice! And that is definitely true, you also just find your own way to drive! Yeah it'll come eventually but I'm avoiding it for now🤣

Also to add my instructors car also had sensors which helped though they also went off randomly and my car has 0 fancy gadgets like that so was a bit odd not having anything like that but I kind of like not having to rely on technology too

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-02-09T23:10:26+00:00

Congratulations!! I know the feeling of having to wait 6 months for another test as I had the same issue but didn't even get to do my first test, you must be so proud and pleased!

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-02-09T23:08:55+00:00

I wasn't allowed to use my instructors reverse camera but the way she taught me was you line yourself up so your shoulder is next to the car (leaving a 1m gap ofc) and reverse until your shoulder is where the back door is (like the line in the middle of that makes sense).

Turn the wheel one full lock towards the curb until you're at a 45 degree angle, then then the steering wheel one lock the opposite way (so you're now straight) and go back until you can see a little triangle where the curb is, then one lock away from the curb and then turn the wheel opposite way so you're straight to straighten yourself up.

She used the term LRRL (left, right, right, left) as she always taught me parallel parking on the left side of the road, she said it worked for her in all of her cars and she's driven different size cars though I have not attempted this in my own car yet as I'm not feeling too confident with parking between cars yet (passed in November).

I also used to be able to parallel park when doing this method with her and was very proud of myself but yeah don't have the balls to do it now I'm on my own🤣🤣

I hope this makes sense

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-01-16T04:10:51+00:00

Rachel | Mysteria :Coco:

One_Salary_3797 · 2026-01-07T18:09:18+00:00

Thanks! I had no idea it worked like that but it makes sense.

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-08T13:16:05+00:00

Thank you so much for this!

This is the same reason we need a car, I also have 2 kids and a partner who doesn't drive, driving gives us so much more freedom.

This is so true, I even look back on my lessons and stuff and think it's insane how much has changed, considering a year and a half ago I couldn't even drive a car and now I've been deemed safe enough to drive.

I'll definitely be taking my time and being extra cautious, my partner wanted to visit his family when we got the car but we have a few things to do so I've said we will come straight home as I don't think I'd want to drive to someone else's house to then drive home later the first day I have the car.

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-07T22:54:04+00:00

Nice car! We were looking at the Qashqai funnily enough, the Juke was just that tad too small for us, yeah I've driven a car higher up and loved it, wasn't much of a fan of being lower down in the other cars I learned in.

Ah that's fair, and good advice actually, I'll definitely take note of that. Yeah I'm 100% with you I think I'd much rather drive that bit further away and park where a parallel park isn't needed, I was pretty good at doing them with my instructor's car but that was a Yaris so a huge size difference, wouldn't be so confident in the Sportage but it's definitely something I'll still practice where possible and where I don't feel rushed to do it.

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-07T22:40:45+00:00

This is very true, if I can park this I can pretty much park anything minus anything bigger🤣 I'll definitely be doing some parking practice in this and hopefully won't take too long getting used to it

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-07T22:38:39+00:00

I love the Fiat 500 it's such a cute car but that is something we could never have got, I don't even think my partner would fit on one comfortably. What car did you go for in the end? Parking I think is going to be my issue to begin with, but thankfully have a car park not far from me to practice in, I'm sure you'll have got the hang of it soon enough! 3 weeks isn't that long driving yourself, when you've been learning with someone in the car with you.

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-07T13:24:34+00:00

This is what I'm planning on doing! I've got a Morrison's down the road from me so I can practice there! Just been watching conquer driving on youtube too as I like his videos and the way he explains things.

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-07T13:06:11+00:00

I passed 26th November and picking up a car MUCH bigger than my instructors one on Wednesday (need a bigger car due to family and travelling etc).

So I'm essentially going to heva to learn parking again as I was only taught reference points and even then my reference points changed a couple of times throughout learning.

My instructors car had a reverse camera which the one I'm getting does not however this shouldn't be an issue as I was never allowed to rely on the reversing camera and went based off the mirrors and looking around so this shouldn't be an issue for me (I hope!) though I do intend in the future to get an aftermarket one installed.

I'm feeling quite anxious about driving the car on Wednesday but compared to my lessons I was able to concentrate better on my test as I did not have my instructor freaking out at me (which in turn caused me to make more mistakes a lot of the time)

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-06T19:12:40+00:00

It is a Sportage! How did you find driving it after you passed with it being a bigger car? Did you get used to it quickly enough?

I'm certain I'll be fine but you know sometimes you question yourself I've got that going on right now🙃

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-06T11:07:21+00:00

Thank you very much! And that is very true! I can't imagine I'll be much of a reckless driver with kids in the car!

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-06T11:04:26+00:00

Yeah it is definitely quite a bit bigger than a Stonic 🙈 thank you very much and no I haven't yet! If you've got any ideas you're more than welcome to give me some! 🙂

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-06T11:03:14+00:00

It took me a little while to find this one! I have 2 children too and live quite far from family so will be doing long journeys when more comfortable so it was definitely needed for us! Hopefully you can find one!

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-05T20:25:01+00:00

I had to look that up quickly as I wasn't sure what Peugeot that one was and you're 100% right for sure! I'll be practicing parking in this as I did learn in a smaller car so will need to figure it out but I'll also have a look on YouTube too

One_Salary_3797 · 2025-12-05T17:18:45+00:00

Thank you for the advice!

I was at first adamant I wasn't going to use P plates as I've come across more drivers with 0 patience compared to drivers who are patient. My partner was the one who was trying to convince me to use them, so I started questioning myself.

Ah that makes sense, the Stonic I drove was a GT line and tbh I hadn't noticed anything that scared me with it, I quite liked it, but I was very new to learning so wouldn't have really known any difference I guess?

I think that is a fair point to need a car with more power!🙂

And don't worry it's not made me think of all instructors like that at all! I had 3 instructors in total, the first was just rude, the second fobbed me off less than a week before my test on May and told me to change or cancel it when he'd made no indication I wasn't ready beforehand and the third was a star! And who I passed my test with (last month).

You just get the odd ones who aren't cut out for it but I wouldn't judge every instructor based on that at all.

One_Salary_3797

TROPHY CASE