Automatic and manual driving lessons in Caterham and Whyteleafe CR3
ELITE have a fantastic team of driving instructors providing great value manual driving lessons in Caterham CR3 postcode area.
Choosing the right driving instructor to help you pass your driving test and become a safe and confident driver
Learning to drive should be an exciting and enjoyable experience. However, everyone learns slightly differently, and every individual has their own personality, so it is important that you choose the driving instructor that is right for you. Our instructors are trained in-house to the highest standards which results in our pass rate far exceeding the national average. ELITE Driving School have profiles of each of our instructors including a photo of them, the car they teach in, the areas they cover, a short biography about them, and their reviews from previous customers.
Below are some things that you may want to consider when choosing a driving school and a driving instructor that is right for you. Make sure that you read reviews to help you make a decision on who to learn to drive with. See all our ELITE Driving School reviews here.
Male or female driving instructor
All instructors must pass a rigorous training and qualification process, and all are registered with the Driving and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA), so they should all have a high level of competence. However, we understand that you may feel more comfortable learning with a female instructor, or you may feel more comfortable learning with a male. If you have a preference then just let us know when you enquire and ELITE Driving School will try to accommodate that, providing we have an instructor with availability.
Driving lesson times
All driving instructors are self employed, so they all choose their own working hours based around their family lives and other commitments. Therefore, you need to make sure an instructor is going to have availability at the same time as you to ensure consistency in lessons. When you contact ELITE we ask your availability to ensure we find and allocate the instructor that's right for you. Once booked in with an ELITE instructor you will be able to track your bookings and progress through our free Total Drive pupil App. Not all instructors work evenings and weekends, and those that do work evenings and weekends tend to get booked up quite far in advance, simply because they are the times most in demand. So generally there will normally be better availability for weekday daytime driving lessons.
Manual or Automatic driving lessons
Manual - Learning to drive in a manual car means that once you've passed your driving test you will be entitled to drive a category B vehicle (car) with a manual or automatic gear box. This will give you greater flexibility on which vehicles you can drive. However, learning how to drive a manual car can take longer, as mastering clutch control can often require more practice, and therefore more lessons.
Automatic - Learning to drive in an automatic car is becoming more popular as more news cars are being sold with automatic gear boxes than ever before, especially with more electric and hybrid vehicles coming onto the new and used car market. It can also be seen as an easier option compared to learning in a manual car. That is true in the sense that there is one less element to worry about in relation to car control, and that can sometimes help, as more focus can be directed to reading the road and other controls like the steering. The truth is that learning about the clutch is just an additional element to learn, and some learners pick it up sooner than others. You need to bear in mind though that once you pass your driving test in an automatic you will only be able to drive automatic cars. If you want to drive a manual car in the future you will need to take and pass another driving test in a manual car, but you will not need to take another theory test.
The type of car the instructor teaches in
As well as manual or automatic, you may want to consider other factors about a vehicle that may affect your learning experience. The make and model of a car each instructor uses is down to their own personal choice, and they vary hugely. It may make no difference to you which car you learn in, but there are things you may want to consider.
Firstly, the size of the car. Some learners prefer to learn in a smaller less powerful car, and some prefer a larger more powerful car. The reason you are learning to drive and what car you are going to be driving once you pass your test may influence thayour choice. If you are living in a congested town or city then you may be looking for a micro or city car which is easier to manoeuvre and park. Or you might be learning because of commuting, or you are getting a company car, so want more of a medium size vehicle. Or you might be looking to drive a family car or SUV, so learning to drive in a larger car may give you more confidence for when you've passed. You may also need to consider how much space and seating adjustment a vehicle has so that you can achieve a comfortable driving position. You may also want to consider the age of the vehicle, as technologies have advanced quickly in recent years, and modern cars have more driver aids and safety features that some older cars may not, such as electronic hand brakes, hill assist, reversing cameras, lane assist, and traffic sign recognition to name just a few. If you are going to be driving a newer car once you pass your driving test, then it may be beneficial to have had some instruction on how to use them.
Location of lessons
Most learners start and finish their driving lessons from home, but some also prefer to take lessons before or after college or work. ELITE instructors will pick you up for your lessons from any local address, obviously you just need to let them know in advance so that they can arrange their diary accordingly to ensure enough travelling time between lessons. If you want to learn in a different area to where you live, maybe because you want to get to know a certain area due to where you have booked a driving test, then we can arrange for an instructor to meet you at a local train station or bus stop. We'll try and be as flexible as possible to suit your needs.
All of our CR3 instructors have expert knowledge of the Caterham, Whyteleafe and Woldingham area, including test routes and the best training areas for you to take your lessons, and test routes from Mitcham and Wickahm and Redhill driving test centres.
In this area we provide
- Automatic driving lessons
- Male and female instructors
- Discounts on blocks of 10 hours
- Intensive courses available
- Same prices for evening and weekend lessons (where available)
- Motorway lessons
- Refresher lessons for full licence holders
- UK familiarisation lessons
- Driving lesson gift vouchers
- Driving instructor training
ELITE Driving School have manual driving instructors providing automatic and manual driving lessons within the Caterham and Whyteleafe CR3 postcode area including
- South Croydon
- Caterham
- Chaldon
- Woldingham
- Whyteleafe