Driving Articles

Anne Reynolds (ADI) surveys 100 ADI's & PDI's to see which training car comes out top

Driving Instructors Training Vehicle Survey

The one thing all driving instructors need is a car, but choosing one can be much harder, cosmetics alone are not enough. Even the most attractive of cars have their problems, the seats are uncomfortable, or the leg room isn't as spacious as it could be, all these little factors help us decide exactly what we are looking for in what is effectively our mobile office.

So, whilst trying to decide myself which replacement car I was going to go for, I took to the local test centre, and nearby cafe and hang out for ADI's in the area. It was surprising how much views varied even on the same car, so much for my looking for conclusive proof that one was better than the other.

Out of the 100 people surveyed, which I did try to split evenly, but couldn't due to the fact there just seems to be more men than women available to ask, the PDI's had the least choice if they wanted to buy within an ADI scheme, but they were also more governed by price than say an ADI who has been working for some years if rental was their option, I think that was more down to hours worked than big financial differences though. The longer you're in the car the more likely you'll get aching knees especially if you have long legs like me.

The vehicles ranged substantially in specification as well as age, but colours were pretty tame, and black came out as a favourite closely followed by metallic blue.

The conclusion reached was that the Corsa scraped through as the lead car for driving, even though when compared to a Clio the visibility is poor. The instructors who worked very long hours, a couple in excess of 60 hours a week, had a car with aircon, and a slightly higher specification of comfort all round. Understandable, when in temperatures in excess of 30 degrees, it can be hot and sticky with no aircon, even if you just work twenty hours.

The next thing I asked was did they buy outright, on finance, or through contract hire. I was surprised by the amount who have paid for their car, which came in at over fifty percent. Another 25% had bought their car through the driving instructor scheme that a lot of main dealers offer.

This varied from dealership to dealership even within the same manufacturer, so it seems to be the decision of the manager rather than company policy. Peugeot did offer free duals, in two out of three garages and a complicated but seemingly good finance deal, which obviously changes throughout the year. Suzuki and Mitsubishi offer duals included, Renault didn't but did recommend a firm with a competitive quote of £295. Ford agreed to fit them before it was ready but at a cost, as did Vauxhall, though again it depends on who is on the end of the phone, as one very helpful chap said he'd have them thrown in. Not sure if he meant literally, but free is free however it comes.

Hyundai and Kia were both helpful concerning purchases, but BMW and Mini were reluctant to discuss anything unless I sat in front of them at a desk. Fiat also didn't offer free duals but I couldn't fault the staff for being over helpful with plenty of options on the new Punto. They even sent me vouchers in post, and rang to see if I'd like a test drive.

Contract hire or finance meant producing a green badge for the instructor package, but a pink badge was acceptable for contract hire. Locally to me little choice, Robinsons were a large supplier, along with a small independent driving school, hiring to anyone. These were at the mercy of credit checks, and contract hire can be quite disconcerting, on top of your deposit, the charges are £25 per panel plus VAT for dents and scratches, easy to pick up at the supermarket, or any car park.

Interestingly, even though I asked about instructor packages they all asked if I would be using the car for work. I was tempted to say "No, I just like the idea of two sets of pedals!". But instead just said yes, this apparently means a larger deposit as the car wears out quicker, but this was more of an issue at Renault than anywhere else.

Continuing with my research, I sidelined two instructors to tell me why they had chosen their car. Diane drives a Fiat Punto, she was tempted by the offers on the older shape, and has an 05 registration, the car is petrol, 1.2 with no aircon, but a sunroof, central locking, pas, and surprisingly comfy seats. The trim colour at Fiat can be a bit loud, and her black car sports bright blue seats, however she was impressed by the durability for teaching, as previously she had a Peugeot 206 and had been reluctant to try something new.

George drives a Corsa, diesel, it's five door, and I thought although it seemed quite basic, it had everything it needed, aircon, pas, clock and a cd player, essential for winding down between pupils. It was a light mint green which you would think would put people off as when I asked some of my pupils about green, it was voted too unlucky for driving in. However George has been teaching for over twenty years and says he likes the Corsa, it lasts for a 100,000 miles before he gets a new one, this was an 04 but actually seemed okay. His diary is full so colour obviously doesn't come before reputation.

Obviously some of the Astra's and Corsa's were BSM cars, whereas Focuses were AA. But not all. The small independent ADI's who worked alone did favour the Corsa because it was reliable, whereas the Fiesta drivers complained of frequent clutch replacements and this was common on all models and ages. I was quite shocked to see an N reg Fiesta roll in to the car park, sign written, but with so many dents it wasn't instantly recognizable. So it seems the mechanics were going strong, even though there was a shadow of doubt over the car itself. On questioning the ADI, he said it was one of the best cars he'd ever had. I made my excuses and left at that point.

Author: Anne Reynolds (ADI) 07725 567902 Anne is a regular contributor to the ADI Forum

The views expressed above are those of the contributing author and are not necessarily the views of Driving Innovation

Driving Instructor Forum Register now so you are able to get the very best advice to become a driving instructor from over 6,700 members. Talk to ADI's and PDI's (trainee instructors) online and get advice, support and insider tips on all aspects of the ADI exams.