Which Driver's Ed is Good in Calgary?

[FiveFreshFish]

Recommendations for a new driver, please. She's Canadian, so instruction in another language is NOT required.

For those who've taken it recently, how many hours of instruction are there and what did it cost you?

Thanks in advance.

[EK 2.0]

Rainbow has never steered me or any of my close family or friends wrong.

They offer both Manual and Auto IIRC...

as for pricing I don't remember...but it was on par with what all otehr schools were charging.

[Gurpy]

Foothills is a little cheaper and should get the job done.

Foothills is a little cheaper and should get the job done. I think its like 8 hours of driving and 12 of classroom or something, a little over 400.00? Sorry if this is a double post, I hit stop while it was sending so im hoping it didnt already send my previous one.

[ecstasy_civic]

rainbow:rofl:
I drove that little neon with no power steering and BRUTAL brakes lol

[3G]

try Alpha driving school, its like 265 and if i recall correctly 15 hours in class 10 in car. My instructor smelled funny and could barely speak englishh

[lastprodigy]

depends, if you actually wanna learn go AMA or young drivers, but if you want some ghetto just-for-the-cheap-insurances places open up you rphone directory!:D

[dj_rice]

Originally posted by lastprodigy
depends, if you actually wanna learn go AMA or young drivers, but if you want some ghetto just-for-the-cheap-insurances places open up you rphone directory!:D


Yeah go AMA like he said....

But for ghetto and u wanna get ur license for sure..go to Prepared Driving...I went there and all of my friends did also..and lemme tell ya..you'll pass for sure even if u make alot of mistakes :thumbsup:

[FiveFreshFish]

Thanks for all the responses, guys. :thumbsup:

[Chester]

Originally posted by ecstasy_civic
rainbow:rofl:
I drove that little neon with no power steering and BRUTAL brakes lol


hahaha I drove that for one of my lessons and I drove some other shitty civic that had absolutely NO power at all; oh the memories.

[Celica TVS3]

I took drivers Ed through AMA. That was a while ago but I would reccomend them.

[GQBalla]

i went to A driving school!

it was alright kinda funny cause my inclass instructor was like a hippy x crack whore and we would always go out for smokes and she would give me the answer to the tests!

[dragonone]

i just saw some driving school car that was a silver celica the other day
i learned in some old tercel~

[schurchill39]

I believe your friend is looking at 15hrs of in class instruction and 10 hrs of driving. I am pretty sure thats whats "required" to get the insurance reduction. I cant recommond any one from calgary though because i dont live there but AMA would probly be a good bet

[Xtrema]

AMA is good.

Espeically defensive and winter driving programs after the initial license one.

[Benny]

A buddy of mine took one through some place in Bowness. Real ghetto. Took them all of like 2 classes to get it done.

Maybe an option if you're looking for the insurance rate drop.

[jaysas_63]

Originally posted by GQBalla
i went to A driving school!

it was alright kinda funny cause my inclass instructor was like a hippy x crack whore and we would always go out for smokes and she would give me the answer to the tests!

i went through A driving too (2002).....i can't really compare it to anything else, as it was the only course i took, but they did a good job, plenty of in car driving, with a descent car, and the in-class portion wasn't too bad either

but honestly i learned most by just sitting next to my mom and dad, and driving around town....way better and cheaper than the classes, but no insurance reductions.....

[Pihsiak]

Originally posted by dj_rice


lemme tell ya..you'll pass for sure even if u make alot of mistakes :thumbsup:


Gee thank for letting me know, you wanna tell when and where next time you'll be on the road so i can steer clear of that area?

I got mine done at City Driving School where they teach the correct way to drive and are not after your money.

I went back later to learn how to drive stick from that guy.

Really good an patient with the student.

[LUDELVR]

The only one that was good was A driving but it sucks now that LUDELVR is no longer teaching there! haha:rofl: :nut: :rofl:

[hockeybronx]

Originally posted by GQBalla
i went to A driving school!

it was alright kinda funny cause my inclass instructor was like a hippy x crack whore and we would always go out for smokes and she would give me the answer to the tests!

Yeah I went to "A" Driving School too for my Airbrake course. It was pure-trailer trash. I was on a tight-schedule and it seems their doors are always open.

I went to AMA for my drivers ed. Good experience overall and it's nice to have an instructor who takes things quite seriously.

[lamp_shade_2000]

Originally posted by Xtrema
AMA is good.

Espeically defensive and winter driving programs after the initial license one.

:werd: If you actually want to learn something and retain some real knowledge on becoming a better driver go AMA all the way.

[3G]

Originally posted by Benny
A buddy of mine took one through some place in Bowness. Real ghetto. Took them all of like 2 classes to get it done.

Maybe an option if you're looking for the insurance rate drop.


Lol that's where I went

[Stratus_Power]

AMA has some nice cars too, i've seen accord, Mureno and altima AMA driver ed cars rolling around.. better than the POS neon i drove via highschool drivers ed

[rc2002]

If you want a guaranteed pass on the driver's test, go check out some of the driving schools in Chinatown. haha.

I did mine with AMA, and that was something like 20 hours of class instruction and 10 hours of driving time. But that was almost 8 years ago, things might've changed by now. Plus I think it's easier to get insurance reductions if you go with the more established driving schools.

[hedge]

Originally posted by Benny
A buddy of mine took one through some place in Bowness. Real ghetto. Took them all of like 2 classes to get it done.

Maybe an option if you're looking for the insurance rate drop.

My wife took lessons from that place, it was cheap but I had to teach her myself when they were done.

There course was aimed at 'passing the test' not becoming a good driver. I would also recommend AMA, more $$$ but worth it.

[lastprodigy]

oh yeah about the cars ama has a mazda 3 and young divers has a celica and a mustang.....when i did mine a few years ago it was an explorer sport track....the guy took me off raoding too :D

[FiveFreshFish]

Thanks once again for your input. She will call some of these places to get more details.

[Gurpy]

young drivers has a celica and a mustang? What the hell, I had some old neon at foothills (their course is aimed at passing the drivers and some defensive driving btw) I'm sort of regretting not going to young drivers now. A CELICA?!?!?! Damnit!!! It'll be a year after I get my license (which won't even be until July!) until I can get a car like that lol

Celica...don't know what it is about that car, just the look of basically all generations makes me drool. Hell, someone in my school drives one and I stare at that thing on the way to my friends truck every day. :rofl:

[l8braker]

i'd also say the AMA :)

[GQBalla]

id say A driving school is good you get that car that has the rear wheels turn so you can learn to drift!!!! juss jokin its actually winter thingy they teach!

quite fun i might add though mine was about 500 bucks and like 12 hours in class and like 16 in car or something

[cityhunter2501]

I went to Delta Driving School 2 years before they got busted :rofl:
they still up?

[Trini]

sorry to bring up a very old thread. but I have a couple years driving experience in another country but my license is not transferable to Canada.
Just looking for a school where I can do the damn tests both the knowledge and road test and pass.
Really hate to go through this shit again. :(

[bball2]

Originally posted by Trini
sorry to bring up a very old thread. but I have a couple years driving experience in another country but my license is not transferable to Canada.
Just looking for a school where I can do the damn tests both the knowledge and road test and pass.
Really hate to go through this shit again. :(

So do you wanna take drivers ed? Or just take the tests?

[Mckenzie]

AMA or Young Drivers hands down if you want to learn how to drive. They also include a defensive driving portion too which gives you a bigger discount on your insurance. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[alloroc]

AMA for sure get the licence before summer

then this summer enrollment in CSCC SOLO 2

[Xtrema]

Read the manual and may be get 10hrs o road before you go for the test.

AMA is good.

On a unrelated note, I've seen Acura TL Type-S with AMA driver training signs. Wonder how you request that. :D

[Trini]

Originally posted by bball2


So do you wanna take drivers ed? Or just take the tests?
just the knowledge test and I guess some road time would be good as well before the road test.

Anyone how know how much AMA charges?
or I'll just give them a call.

[Palmiros]

Originally posted by Trini

just the knowledge test and I guess some road time would be good as well before the road test.

Anyone how know how much AMA charges?
or I'll just give them a call.


In the range of $900 for a complete course.
My uncle works for them.

[DeeK]

I went with foothills, they were the best cost to learning ratio. Cost me $262 total. But that was er.. 10 years ago? ImSofaKingOld.

[Trini]

so I passed that shitty knowledge test but I failed the eye test they had so, got to go by an optometrist :( any recommendation's preferably in the NW?

[badatusrnames]

I found AMA was excellent for the classroom component and definitely taught some really good concepts and driving theory that I definitely utilize today.

But I found that the driving component was too "by the book" and completely unrealistic and impractical for regular driving. For example, when making right turns on residential roads, I was forced to turn into the curb lane (ie where the cars park and no where no normal person actually drives) and while continuing to move forward, shoulder check, signal, shoulder check, and then finally change lanes - completely nonsensical and a hazard as everyone behind me thought I was parking the car instead of trying to change lanes.

[Street_Soldier]

Hahhaa Rainbow Driving school. Hahah what a joke i drove the civic with no power steering too. On one of my lessons i went and picked up my instructors brother and drove him around town, then we drove to Cochrane and had ice cream. One time we drove to my instructors house, he got out had lunch came back 40 minutes later.

[weedman]

hey i dont know if anyone mentiod this but i took derek browns academy of driving...its the cheapest place i could find (about $450) and there was 15 hours of in class and 10 hours driving.
Would highly recommend it:thumbsup:

[reiRei]

^^ lol, I went there! .. like 6 years ago.. it always smelled like bread and curry

[Trini]

*sigh* sorry to bring this up again

but a couple weeks back I went to do the road test and the guy said I couldn't as my license was a "GDL Learner" "Class 7"

So I went and surrendered my license from where I use to live and provided the registry with a official letter from where I use to live stating I had a drivers permit since 2001 etc.

Went back today to the registry to see if they accepted the years experience and the lady said yes and that I could have done the test all the time with the learners license I held.

So basically the person who I went by to do the test misinformed me or not?

and can someone recommend where to just take the test...where I can pass:)

[3nergiz3d]

I recommend Beddington Registries.

[Ron Johnson]

My recommendation is based on the experiences of my friends and family who took driving sessions from driving101 (http://driving101.ca).

I guess couple of months back my younger sister joined this Driver's ED school and based on her excellent experience she then recommends the same to one of her friend and two of our relatives based in Calgary.

I remember exactly they provided 15 hours of expert classroom instruction. 10 hours of driving education on the road

In addition, free pick-up and drop-off anywhere in the city
free mock test to prepare you for your road test

Apart from perfect your driving skills they took responsibility to prepare yourself for road test. Also she got some discounted insurance packages.

Indeed, it is the best driving school in Calgary region.

Highly Recommended to anyone.

Thanks,
Ron

[xnvy]

^And you're not affiliated with them in anyway, right? Just a completely impartial review that happens to be 5 years late? :rolleyes:

[jsn]

Those should result in instabans.

Homepage: http://driving101.ca/ :rolleyes:

[DeeK]

Originally posted by jsn
Those should result in instabans.

Homepage: http://driving101.ca/ :rolleyes:
+1 for ban.

[Benny]

You're a sly devil Ron. Could sell a ketchup popsicle, this guy. :rofl:

http://i.imgur.com/Unz2W8o.png

[MalibuStacy]

I took AMA and it served me well as a new driver when I first started. Plus they always got dependable cars.

[raceman6135]

BUMP FROM THE DEAD!

My girlfriend's son will be turning 16 soon and we're looking for some driver's education classes for him.

He has very limited driving experience now, so a combination of classroom and road lessons would be best.

Most of the websites of schools I've checked out are terrible, and while not indicative of lesson or instructor quality and capabilities, they don't inspire confidence.

Thanks in advance.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Where do some of these places get their cars? I drove a Toyota Tercel that for sure wasn't road worthy 15 years ago, and these days I see a bunch of brand new Lexus', G37's, and even WRX's.

[dirtsniffer]

10 years ago it was young drivers or AMA

[NoPulp]

I took AMA in Lethbridge I think 6 years ago. I was happy with the program in class and in car. Would depend on the instructor at your location, but I was happy with the material.

[guessboi]

+1 I took AMA back in 2000. :thumbsup:
I was also happy with the training in class and on the road.