So.... how are the driving lessons going?

[Satellite 1]

Want to try an experiment. Go on the website of the Smart ForTwo car and look at the prices. You will see base prices for this tiny two seater car with 45 GPM starting at $12,???,00 Now go on eBay and see if the prices you see for used ones don't hit in the $ 19,000-28,000 range.

Try another experiment:

Go to http://craigslist.org/

Then go to sales.

Then type any combination of:

"Salvage Civic"

"Salvage Echo"

"Salvage Carolla"

"Salvage Golf"

All very fuel economical cars, all well below prices you would pay at a dealership or Ebay.

[Blues Fairy 0]

Well probably, but with the current price of gasoline it is hard to find or afford anything that falls into the class of 4 cylinder economy vehicles (you know the stripped down pieces of junk they normally can't give away) She does love her cougar and it does seem to get good mileage.

The primary concern should be the safety of the driver. An inexperienced driver in a light responsive car with a powerful engine can wreak havoc, even if she tries to drive extra carefully.

[akdiver 3]

The primary concern should be the safety of the driver.

If this were true, the person would not drive at all.

[Turboguy 6]

Want to try an experiment. Go on the website of the Smart ForTwo car and look at the prices. You will see base prices for this tiny two seater car with 45 GPM starting at $12,???,00 Now go on eBay and see if the prices you see for used ones don't hit in the $ 19,000-28,000 range.

Try another experiment:

Go to http://craigslist.org/

Then go to sales.

Then type any combination of:

"Salvage Civic"

"Salvage Echo"

"Salvage Carolla"

"Salvage Golf"

All very fuel economical cars, all well below prices you would pay at a dealership or Ebay.

Yes, but you will also get less when you sell it. We actually looked at a pretty nice Echo at a local dealership that had an R (salvage) title. We saw the car on Sunday and went back on Tuesday ready to buy it but it was already sold. I will agree there are some good values.

I had a pickup with an R (salvage) title one time. Bought it with 46,000 miles, sold it with over 400,000 miles. It did make it harder to resell or trade with that title. Everyone worries about what was really wrong with it. Still you are right, you can find some economical cars

[slim 1,514]

Want to try an experiment. Go on the website of the Smart ForTwo car and look at the prices. You will see base prices for this tiny two seater car with 45 GPM starting at $12,???,00 Now go on eBay and see if the prices you see for used ones don't hit in the $ 19,000-28,000 range.

Try another experiment:

Go to http://craigslist.org/

Then go to sales.

Then type any combination of:

"Salvage Civic"

"Salvage Echo"

"Salvage Carolla"

"Salvage Golf"

All very fuel economical cars, all well below prices you would pay at a dealership or Ebay.

Yes, but you will also get less when you sell it. We actually looked at a pretty nice Echo at a local dealership that had an R (salvage) title. We saw the car on Sunday and went back on Tuesday ready to buy it but it was already sold. I will agree there are some good values.

I had a pickup with an R (salvage) title one time. Bought it with 46,000 miles, sold it with over 400,000 miles. It did make it harder to resell or trade with that title. Everyone worries about what was really wrong with it. Still you are right, you can find some economical cars

So the mileage had nothing to do with it?

[visaveteran 1]

Forget more cars. Think like the common Russians...take the bus...the metro...use the feet. Feeling generous...buy her a bicycle.

[slim 1,514]

Forget more cars. Think like the common Russians...take the bus...the metro...use the feet. Feeling generous...buy her a bicycle.

Your "common" Russian wife isn't so common once she's here. Trust me on that one.

[Ban Hammer 13,111]

Forget more cars. Think like the common Russians...take the bus...the metro...use the feet. Feeling generous...buy her a bicycle.

Your "common" Russian wife isn't so common once she's here. Trust me on that one.

[akdiver 3]

Forget more cars. Think like the common Russians...take the bus...the metro...use the feet. Feeling generous...buy her a bicycle.

How naive. Tell you what - you come up here and use the bus, the metro (let me know if you find one), bicycle or feet for the winter and see how well you do.

[slim 1,514]

Forget more cars. Think like the common Russians...take the bus...the metro...use the feet. Feeling generous...buy her a bicycle.

How naive. Tell you what - you come up here and use the bus, the metro (let me know if you find one), bicycle or feet for the winter and see how well you do.

I just wanna see this guy explain to his "common" Russian wife that she can't drive a car here because she should take public trans. I'd pay money to see the look on her face when he tells her how he "generously" bought her a bike to ride around.

[visaveteran 1]

I see one has to be careful what they post on the Russian forum. I hear swords being drawn.

My intent was to make a joke with an element of truth to it. Don't think it's naive to look at public transportation where it's available, walking to the restaurant and giving old Nelly Belle a rest in the garage, or getting good exercise and transportation at the same time on a nice mountain bike.

My comment was offered to those living in the "lower 48" and I exempt the 1% who live in the Arctic Circle from buses, trains, trolleys, subways and walking. Just keep loving that jeep as Alaska is one of the places they make sense to drive.

My wife will drive in the America and join the combustion engine club, but we'll share a car for awhile. She has already requested I buy her a bike so there will be no "funny looks." Sorry to disappoint. Bike riding is big in my area so she'll be in good company.

[groovlstk 0]

I see one has to be careful what they post on the Russian forum. I hear swords being drawn.

My intent was to make a joke with an element of truth to it. Don't think it's naive to look at public transportation where it's available, walking to the restaurant and giving old Nelly Belle a rest in the garage, or getting good exercise and transportation at the same time on a nice mountain bike.

I realize for most your suggestion isn't an option, but my wife and I live in the NYC area and we both rely on our feet and the subway for transportation, 24/7. I have a car but use it only on weekends to visit friends, etc., and every couple of months my wife decides she's going to take the driver's exam but loses interest after a day of studying. If her experience in driving a snowmobile last Winter was any indication, the local driving population ought to be very grateful

[slim 1,514]

Sure, if you live in NYC or another area that has a public trans setup similar to what they have in Russia it only makes sense. If your area is bike friendly, that makes sense too. And of course, the North Pole is not the place for either. It's all about what's "common" in your area and for most of us on here, the "common" forms of trans that our S/Os used in Russia isn't "common" here so it's not an option.

I see one has to be careful what they post on the Russian forum. I hear swords being drawn.

My intent was to make a joke with an element of truth to it. Don't think it's naive to look at public transportation where it's available, walking to the restaurant and giving old Nelly Belle a rest in the garage, or getting good exercise and transportation at the same time on a nice mountain bike.

My comment was offered to those living in the "lower 48" and I exempt the 1% who live in the Arctic Circle from buses, trains, trolleys, subways and walking. Just keep loving that jeep as Alaska is one of the places they make sense to drive.

My wife will drive in the America and join the combustion engine club, but we'll share a car for awhile. She has already requested I buy her a bike so there will be no "funny looks." Sorry to disappoint. Bike riding is big in my area so she'll be in good company.

My wife's first job here in the States was within walking distance from our house and she never drove there. Worked great..... for a while. We shared a car (I drove her around for a while) until she finally got one and now walking, the bus, a bike, etc., is all just a distant memory. Except when we go to Russia, of course.

[Turboguy 6]

I don't think anyone is drawing any swords. For many of us her taking a bus is not a viable solution. For those who live in a larger city with good bus service it is a good option. For Groov to teach his wife to drive with the idea she would drive everywhere she needs to go would also be foolish. Here we have about 3 or 4 busses a day. You have to walk a long long way to catch one and they don't go very many places.

On the driving front, I think we are getting closer to the day for the big test. The idea of her driving alone still would scare me to death. Too bad this isn't Russia. I could slip the driving test guy a $ 20.00 to fail her. He would probably be shocked since every other driver in Russia would be slipping him money to pass them. I have heard some stories that in Russia you can just buy (bribe) your drivers liscence without ever spending a minute actually learning to drive. One more reason the roads there are hazardous.

[visao 1]

I taught my wife to drive. We started in a huge parking lot and went REAL SLOW. Don't try and push her, and don't let her out of the parking lots until she can really drive! That is my advice.

Go at night when no one is around in one of the larger employers in the area, or shopping mall. Security may harass you, but whatever, just go home and come back the next night when a more relaxed security guard is around.

It took about a month in the parking lots before we moved to the streets. Don't do any yelling, just be calm and relaxed as you can be. She was ready for the test in about 2 months. She aced the written but had to take the practical 4 times. Each time she did not pass it was 'the end of the world' for her, but anyway... on the fourth try she got nearly 100 percent. Each time she failed she had a female instructor, she had a male instructor the time she passed. Don't know what that means, draw your own conclusions...

Thanks for your advice

Same here I did not pass the road test the 1st time with the female, but passed 2nd time with a male instructor. He was so nice The female was a mean -----!