[CEF_Beasts]

Well for me I just turned 18 last year but started learning driving this April only. Since we do not have any car older than 6 years I had to learn driving in our EcoSport. It has been through some dents and scratches in its life so can safely drive it without worrying a lot of small dents and scratches. From April to now I haven’t scratched the car even once, I just hope to fine tune my driving even more till the time I become completely confident of driving(especially picking up a manual car on slopes). Reading, seeing so much about cars since childhood the ABC pedals were easy to get used to.

Now the more important thing in my time is the advent of Automatic cars big time. All my friends are afraid of manual cars big time, they all run for automatic cars! Naturally they are easier to manage but as an enthusiast I can only say that my friends are missing a major rewarding experience. It is always good to drive a 3 pedal first and then move to a 2 pedal just in case of an emergency and if you don’t know how to drive a 3 pedal car you will be in big trouble. Once I got a good handle of the manual I switched to the automatic as well and I can safely say that I have mastered both. Automatics definitely take pressure of your left foot but the fun and feel of revving a car in a gear and then perfectly shifting up can only be had in a manual car!

While learning driving my dad told me it is important to master how to drive a car slow because anyone can drive fast. My mom is strict about me going near our cars since I have been a child and even now after being 19 I can’t go with the car keys and sit alone in it! I am not allowed to drive our Fortuner yet because of its size and power but my dad has allowed me to drive it and get the feel of that raw power once or twice and I have to say it requires a lot of attention, confidence and one has to get used to the size.


The car that made me learn driving and get to know what true driving feel is!


The car which made me learn that automatics can save a leg and also how two cars can be poles apart in driving feel!

[TheHelix0202]

I'm 19, and I learned to drive on the old M800. Absolute hoot to drive. In fact, it's probably the best car to learn in. No other car gives you such feedback as that machine did. It's forgiving and easy to drive but at the same time, takes a fair bit of skill to master.

[rajivr1612]

My first and present car is a 2012 Etios Liva diesel which is as barebones as it can get. It has atrocious NVH, no tachometer - need to keep an ear on engine noise which is present in the cabin at all times, no adjustable headrest and no bells and whistles.
It has taken in lots of dings and scratches which does not bother me much now.
All said and done its mechanically solid and never had a breakdown so far.
With the type of cars that are in the market today, even a Tiago would be an upgrade for me in terms of cabin quality and features, so just imagine what an Ecosport or Jazz would be for me. I am really excited to upgrade to my next car (petrol + automatic) sometime next year.

[utkarshshukla92]

This thread came in for me just at the right time. I am having a hard time convincing my brother that we should buy a Nano/WagonR/Santro as our first car(He wants at least an i20 or Polo). Both of us have attended driving school for a few days and need a cheap car to practice and polish our driving and parking skills.Now with the help of thread it would be much easier to get on a middle ground.

[karanddd]

But what about safety? On the one hand there seems to be an overall consensus across the forum that safety is woefully neglected, and ought to be prioritised and legislated for etc. On the other, there's the recommendation that young people drive old, beat-up cars. Young people like to travel, they'll surely take their cars on the highway, and also, having young blood, will drive fast. Would most forum members who want their next car to be 5 star safety rated also be OK with their 18 year old son or daughter driving an old car without airbags (most likely something zero rated)?

[Sreesh1009]

Originally Posted by karanddd

But what about safety? On the one hand there seems to be an overall consensus across the forum that safety is woefully neglected, and ought to be prioritised and legislated for etc. On the other, there's the recommendation that young people drive old, beat-up cars. Young people like to travel, they'll surely take their cars on the highway, and also, having young blood, will drive fast. Would most forum members who want their next car to be 5 star safety rated also be OK with their 18 year old son or daughter driving an old car without airbags (most likely something zero rated)?

While you're completely right. I don't think any parent will allow their kid to take the car out by themselves unless they feel its alright to. I wouldn't even think of taking the car out by myself for the first year atleast. Only when my dad and mom approve of me driving solo, will I take it out.
As far as highways are concerned, parents usually give us the safer car for the highways. Also in a city like Bangalore where you can't drive at speed more than 20kph, I think it's fine to use an older beater.

[anandhsub]

When I got my license we had an Accent crdi at home and being very confident the day after I got my license I took the keys. It was a big mistake. I scraped the car twice before I could take it out of the parking itself and I lost all my confidence.

Post that and being busy with college I didn't drive much until we got an used Alto as a second car. I just loved how easy it was to drive it in the city and took it to every nook and cranny of Chennai. I made it a point to come home every now and then just to drive the Alto.

You really can't get anything better than the Alto as a first car just to learn the ropes.

[Kingston]

Great post! I was barely 22 when I took my first ever loan to buy my first car. I did not want to go for a used car since reliability was key (I had to drive 50+ kms to office every day).

The Micra Active had nothing on its feature list except for AC, power steering and 'front' power windows - so came cheap! The light yet direct steering and manageable 3 cylinder was peppy enough for the city and once I got used to the limits it was fun chucking around and revving when an opportunity presented itself.

I know am a proud GT TSi owner and cherish all the fabulous memories my first car provided even though it was rather basic.

[7000plusrpm]

I would like to respectfully disagree to learn in a beater car that too a manual.

If I'm going to use an i20 or a Nexon, I would prefer to learn in that car. It will help me understand the car's pros and cons. Understanding and being confident in the car's abilities will boost my confidence in it. Once I'm more capable, it will be easier to take the car to it's limits.

Learning in a manual car is an absolute no-no for me. If possible, I would any day prefer to use an automatic. It does not matter if you don't know how to drive a manual car. As a new driver, I always have the next gear shift or the mishap of stalling the car in mind while driving. And that is distracting. I prefer to focus on the road. I would rather be safe on the road than cause an accident.

And about the scratch or dents on a new car, it's an object so let's treat it like one. If it is going to be in use for 7-8 years, it will be scratched. Get over it. There are important things in life to worry about than a scratch or two in the car!

[gischethans]

I totally buy the logic suggested in this thread - get started with a small car and move upward the ladder. We did exactly that - bought our first car in June 2020, an Alto 800 from True Value. The idea was to improve my driving skills and for my wife to learn driving as well. In addition to driving, we wanted it to cover mostly short distances. Earlier this month we even did a long drive to Hyderabad - ~800 km on an absolute need basis and the car was so much fun to drive. I was sceptical about how a small car would handle a long drive (we did take breaks in between but none longer than 30 mins). This experience boosted our confidence and love for the car. Now both of us are fairly confident of our skills and she would be giving her DL test later this week.

[Cessna182]

Instead of gifting bicycles or bikes, parents should gift decent used cars. 800s, Altos, Nanos, Eons etc. They're going to be happier in college and probably learn a lot about how unrestrained people behave in India, and rules don't help in the NCR.

[raaj.bhalla]

Makes a lot of sense. In 2008, I practiced my driving after learning from driving school in old zen which was a pocket rocket. The way the car was such a good handler and being nimble, it influenced my decision to go for Swift as my first car instead of Santro Xing which was considerably cheaper. I managed to get involved in accident in Zen when a truck literally scrapped through the complete left side though without a scratch on me or the passengers. Had it been my Swift, I would have cried few nights. So yes, start with a beater car if you are new to driving and then go for the one you want.

[drmohitg]

I think we are generalising here. I am not entirely in agreement apart from a couple of points. Also driving a car is not rocket science and is actually rather easy to learn. If you are not an enthusiast, then you don't really need to feel connected to your car. Or can I say, that unless you are an enthusiast, you will not feel any difference in various transmissions, handling characteristics and suspension setups.

• Cheap to buy - You can shell out around Rs. 1 - 2 lakh to get yourself a very useable car. Your first car will always be special, no matter how cheap & basic it is (also because you don't know what you are missing on ).

Thanks to easier access to bank loans, and a whole lot of information available for free and in good detail, most first time buyers are aware of the various features that one can have in a car.

It would depend on your personal preference. I would always cherish the memory of buying a new car with all the features that I can afford, instead of driving around in a used one.

Cheap to repair - Any noob driver is going to damage his / her car. All of us BHPians did, and you will too. Why spend a lot of money while you are still honing your skills?
Dents & scrapes won't break your heart

Again we have zero depreciation policies now where it doesn't cost a bomb to get a car repaired. And if one truly cares for small searches and dents, then this would bother you on any car regardless of its age.

Lesser power = easier to control.

One should start driving only when they know to drive and have a licence. Once you are confident of your skills, and have been legally cleared to drive one, then this wouldn't really matter. Rather a new car or a more expensive car would have better handling, safety equipment and electronic gadgetry to aid you like EBD etc.

99% of cheap cars will be MTs & that's a good thing.

+1. Things are rapidly changing, but to cover all the boxes one should know how to drive an MT car. However, this may change completely in favour of ATs in the coming years. Also one has easy access to UBER and OLA these days for those emergencies.

Smaller cars are easier to navigate in crowded cities - You will appreciate the small size & compact footprint when you are new to the world of driving.

True. But then one gets rapidly used to the dimensions of the car they drive. But yes, this applies to every car driver. A smaller car is easier to navigate in city traffic.

Basic skills like changing a tyre, quick diagnosis on what could be wrong or swapping a blown fuse are important to even average-Rajesh car owners.

Definitely something that every driver should know. But apart from changing a flat tyre, the rest of the stuff is alien to 99% of car drivers. And with the ever-expanding network of RSA facility, one need not worry too much. Probability of a puncture will be same for all cars.

It's easier to move up than down! Start with a basic car, then work your way up. Not only will you be better prepared, but you will also then appreciate the comfort & ability of a superior car.

Some may argue that this is the old generation sentiment. Going by the way our society is rapidly chasing all materialistic pleasures possible, I doubt if this will hold water with them. We all know how frequently people change their mobile phones these days costing almost the same as a beater used car!

[jkrishnakj]

I agree to the fact that we start with the smaller/ older and a lesser powerful car to begin with. That way, not only do we know what the machine is capable of doing, but, over time , we also learn what NOT to do with a machine and this trait is super helpful as we keep moving to bigger and better and powerful cars.

I learnt in a driving school. I somehow can not relate to buying a second hand car. I had to buy a new one and I choose the M800 non A/C one that didn’t even come with a power steering. I thought I’ll keep that just got a year, but it stayed with me for a full 5 years before I traded that for an Esteem.

Ditto for my wife too, who started out on the humble 800.

[1.2TSI7DSG]

I practically lived my first car journey reading through this. Learnt on a Manual Steering Santro(refused to pay till the driving school committed one). Then 4 years drove dad's Indica- a crude vehicle in every sense. That same Indica became my first car 4 years later

My take on the cheapness is slightly more than just the purchase cost. It should be cheap in every sense of the way. I would strongly recommend models which are popular in the taxi segment as you can find n number of FNGs to maintain the car. Also, a visit to the scrapyard can get you great parts at dirt cheap rates. Case in point is my own parked Indica was T-boned by a truck damaging the rear door completely. A new door costed north of 10k including the painting etc. I found a decent one very cheap and managed to trade in the functional parts of my door (total cost ~3k).

Also, certain breakdowns make you learn how to troubleshoot when you are stuck on the road. I learnt that wires can effectively replace fasteners of in the bumper (yes my bumper was held on wires). My alternator went kaput- learnt how to remove and replace it. My glow plugs had gone kaput. Used to gently pour hot water on the head to give the car a cold start.

And then you can put decals, bull bars, fogs, audio to make the ride awesome!

Cheers to the first!