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macuserjhs

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 4, 2010
167
0
:eek:
well this is my second time taking my road test. Its in NY. This time i might have to take it in a mercedes C300 because my honda is in for service. A lot of people have told me not to take it in a nice car b/c instructers are more likely to fail you. Anyone ever been in this situation?
 

Mousse

macrumors 68040
Apr 7, 2008
3,495
6,717
Flea Bottom, King's Landing
Anyone ever been in this situation?

Nope. I never had a nice car until after 20 years behind the wheel. I took my road test in a compact Toyota pickup with no power steering, no passenger side mirror and, worst of all, no A/C. I passed on my first attempt.

The deputy conducting the test was impressed that beginner managed to parallel park without power steering or a passenger side mirror. The rest of the test was a breeze.

Anyhow, they won't allow you to use the parking assist capability of the car if it has one. These modern luxury cars parallel can parallel park themselves, so they advertise.
 

macuserjhs

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 4, 2010
167
0
I dont have the parking assist. I do have a backup camera which i wont be using. People just say that the examiner will pre-judge you being an 18 year old kid with a benz.
 

macuserjhs

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 4, 2010
167
0
haha, I might be driving a benz but I do not have a wad of cash to throw down.
 

senseless

macrumors 68000
Apr 23, 2008
1,885
257
Pennsylvania, USA
I took mine in the AAA drivers Ed car and passed easily. A friend took his test in a performance muscle car and failed for "driver inexperience" even though he passed everything.
 

macuserjhs

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 4, 2010
167
0
Looks like my honda will be back in time for the test but im still more used to driving the C300. Decisions, Decisions.
 

malman89

macrumors 68000
May 29, 2011
1,651
6
Michigan
Just don't be a smart ass. I remember taking my test at 16 and for the parking part, the designated stop and Y turn was perfect. For the parallel park, I didn't pull up enough, so I ran out of space backing in. I kind of bumped the rear cones, but I gave it an extra push to get space.

Why? Because it was less points than hitting the cones, going forward, and backing up to adjust. You only got points for hitting the cones at all - not how much you hit them. :p

Needless to say my test administrator wasn't too impressed with that logic. Still passed since I was under my parking points and was perfect on the road, heh.
 

mgguy

macrumors 6502
Dec 26, 2006
484
1,356
Just pay attention to what you are doing, do visual scans throughout the test (examiners love that), and talk to the examiner respectfully. If you are a crappy driver, though, you should fail the test, so make sure you are ready before going in there -- practice, practice, practice. End of lecture.
 

LizKat

macrumors 604
Aug 5, 2004
6,766
36,273
Catskill Mountains
I don't think which car you are driving matters very much. It's best if it's one you're familiar with, obviously.

It's how you are driving and whether you are paying attention, how dealing with any unexpected events. Even though it's a test and you're excited that you'll be so close (again!) to getting your license, the main thing is you're driving a real car during your test, and you must show you can really control that vehicle safely.

Focus on the requests from the instructor and work that into the environment you find your vehicle in at that moment. Like if he says ok cross this road we're approaching, and then parallel park behind that red truck up there? Well, be sure that you cross that road in a safe and legal manner. Don't get ahead of yourself. Is there a stop sign? Worry about the parallel park when you get there.

My first test was arranged so the driver would approach a divided boulevard just at the end of the test. One could actually see where the test had begun up ahead, so that was perhaps arranged as a distraction. The testing hour was middle of the afternoon and hardly any traffic. Naturally since the road I was about to drive across was divided, there were two stop signs. I didn't even notice the second one as I cruised through the mall area of the boulevard and across the other empty driving lane to finish up where the test had begun.

FAIL !! And it was really irritating to fail over something so stupid (and so vital to staying alive, I may hastily add). Anyway ever since then I still grimace when I prepare to cross a divided highway. You can bet I stop in the mall area for that second stop-sign now though. Every time I do that I think back to when I was so close to done, and then had to wait two weeks, then re-do all that other stuff on my second test, the parallel parking and Y turn, wow.

Of course on my second test it was a different route and some other hassle instead of a divided roadway, I think there was a roundabout and I remember having to go around a double-parked garbage truck, wondering what the heck the rules were when navigating past a rule-breaking vehicle... :confused: and all the time totally obsessed over whether I was going to miss any stop signs. I think the guy told me "relax" a few times, I must have looked like a teenager on the very brink of insanity. Anyway I passed that second test.

Good luck! :) Take the car you know best, and just keep your eyes open for extra stop signs :eek: says my long-ago experience.
 

leftywamumonkey

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2010
909
3
California
No one is impressed with a "benz" they are a dime a dozen. If you fail, it will be because you can't drive.

So true. Mercedes are very common cars. They aren't better than BMW's and Audi's (Infiniti's, Lexus') if you're only considering the price of the cars. They're everywhere! An Aston Martin on the other hand... while the lower end models can be just as pricey as the higher-end Benz, they're still not as common in most areas.
 

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
:eek:
well this is my second time taking my road test. Its in NY. This time i might have to take it in a mercedes C300 because my honda is in for service.
OMG POOR YOU!

A lot of people have told me not to take it in a nice car b/c instructers are more likely to fail you. Anyone ever been in this situation?
A lot? Who? They're wrong.

You likely failed the first time because the examiner did not find you a suitable driver. If you fail again I assure you that it will not be because of the car you drove. GL kiddo.
 
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