Recommend me a driving school in Toronto! *UPDATE: picked YD*

[AcidBomber]

Hi everyone,

In short - i am looking for a decent driving school in Toronto (preferably in North York). I also want to be able to finish the classes in a relatively short amount of time (1~ month) so I can get my G2. :razz:

Any recommendations?! My parents told me to go to YD, but i cant justify paying $1000+ even if their course is top notch.


thanks


UPDATE: Picked to go with Young Drivers of Canada after what people recommended, i'll update again after I have finished the course. Cost for me was $1038.45 after taxes for the basic package.

[addikt]

I've gone through 5 instructors from different schools in the last 2 months and got my G2 yesterday. Here are my recommendations

1) Young Drivers (Kitchener) -- I took total of 4hrs of instruction with them and learnd a LOT more when compared to the others. My instructor actually took me on the highway :) and it was fun. She also taught me how to use the side mirror which none of the other instructors did... also other things like scanning at intersections which can cost you points (again none of the other instructors told me about this...) All I can say is that I should've just gone with YD from the start. If you have the money you should take it with YD IMO. You can try to save a few bucks now but in the long run if you can avoid getting into and causing accidents, it's well worth the money.

2) Royal Driving Techniques (Toronto) -- took 10 hrs of instruction from Mr. Abdul Basir (416-880-2245). He's a really nice guy and has affordable rates. Good instructor too -- he'll teach you parking formulas :) which are great since I've almost never botched a reverse park after following his advice.

3) Pioneer Driving School (Toronto) -- took 3 hrs of instruction with them and don't recommend it. The instructor was cool and actually taught some useful stuff like S-shift. But the problem was that he's way too agressive of a driver. I would have died 3 times if I hadn't been using my brain and just listening to his intruction. Twice he told me to lane change with a car in my blind spot and once while waiting to make a left turn there was a truck coming head on trying to make it before the red light he kept yelling 'go go go!' .... I didn't and he was laughing afterwards saying good thing you didn't :)

4) Canada Driving School (Kitchener) -- They suck.

5) Peters Academy of Defensive Driving (Toronto) -- took 2 hrs of instruction with some guy who had 25 years of experience blah blah blah. He didn't even teach me for 2 hours. It was a 1:15 hour lesson with him going over G1 stuff for 30 mins... but that's ok I wouldn't give a bad grade just on that. Out of all the instructors I had, this guy was the only one who yelled at me for making minor mistakes, kept using his brake like I was going to get us killed, and kept taking the steering wheel away from me... AND after doing a poor job teaching, he actually wanted to know when to schedule my next lesson LOL ... ya stay FAR away from this school.

[ctrueman82]

+1 for YD. Had them myself and aced my G2 on the first try with zero nervousness and full confidence in my driving abilities (thanks Angelina!)

Like most things in life you get what you pay for, spend now so you don't potentially spend more later (failed tests).

good luck.

[AcidBomber]

I've gone through 5 instructors from different schools in the last 2 months and got my G2 yesterday. Here are my recommendations

1) Young Drivers (Kitchener) -- I took total of 4hrs of instruction with them and learnd a LOT more when compared to the others. My instructor actually took me on the highway :) and it was fun. She also taught me how to use the side mirror which none of the other instructors did... also other things like scanning at intersections which can cost you points (again none of the other instructors told me about this...) All I can say is that I should've just gone with YD from the start. If you have the money you should take it with YD IMO. You can try to save a few bucks now but in the long run if you can avoid getting into and causing accidents, it's well worth the money.

2) Royal Driving Techniques (Toronto) -- took 10 hrs of instruction from Mr. Abdul Basir (416-880-2245). He's a really nice guy and has affordable rates. Good instructor too -- he'll teach you parking formulas :) which are great since I've almost never botched a reverse park after following his advice.

3) Pioneer Driving School (Toronto) -- took 3 hrs of instruction with them and don't recommend it. The instructor was cool and actually taught some useful stuff like S-shift. But the problem was that he's way too agressive of a driver. I would have died 3 times if I hadn't been using my brain and just listening to his intruction. Twice he told me to lane change with a car in my blind spot and once while waiting to make a left turn there was a truck coming head on trying to make it before the red light he kept yelling 'go go go!' .... I didn't and he was laughing afterwards saying good thing you didn't :)

4) Canada Driving School (Kitchener) -- They suck.

5) Peters Academy of Defensive Driving (Toronto) -- took 2 hrs of instruction with some guy who had 25 years of experience blah blah blah. He didn't even teach me for 2 hours. It was a 1:15 hour lesson with him going over G1 stuff for 30 mins... but that's ok I wouldn't give a bad grade just on that. Out of all the instructors I had, this guy was the only one who yelled at me for making minor mistakes, kept using his brake like I was going to get us killed, and kept taking the steering wheel away from me... AND after doing a poor job teaching, he actually wanted to know when to schedule my next lesson LOL ... ya stay FAR away from this school.


Ah, thanks for your info! Much appreciated. :)



+1 for YD. Had them myself and aced my G2 on the first try with zero nervousness and full confidence in my driving abilities (thanks Angelina!)

Like most things in life you get what you pay for, spend now so you don't potentially spend more later (failed tests).

good luck.


My parents thinks it's a good idea to go with YD, but I just don't know whether it's really worth the money... :confused:

(Post 2222 :D)

[Mugen123]

they're all the same, just make sure u get the certificate to decrease your insurance

i was at all-star, can't remember how much it cost though

[Tomato_1]

+1 for YD

It is worth it because they teach not just how to drive but drive defensively. If will save you $ in the long run.

[magnodrome]

I went with CAA back in the day, my course is an accelerated program - complete in 4 weekends but classes run on sat and sun. My driver's ed car were a Volvo and an Acura, very nice to drive and get to go on the highway too. Much better than driving a ford focus or an old corolla.

I recommend learning manual with the driving school, since there's nothing to learn in automatic. Aside from stepping on the brake and shift to "D" and release your brake and step on your accelerator.

[AcidBomber]

Thanks for all the info! I'll take a look at YD. :)

[lazy_prodigy]

Is YD really worth the $1,369.00?

[ctrueman82]

I would say so, your quote seems slightly more expensive then mine was though.

[AcidBomber]

Just an update, I have picked to go with YD, I'll report back after I have finished the course at the end of May.

Cost for the basic package (25 hrs in-class + 10 hrs in-car + other random stuff) was $989 + GST = $1038.45


Hopefully it's worth the money like what others have said. :)

[petey123]

holy **** i didn't know packages went up into 1000+....

I took some ghetto course for 275$....I think the school was seneca? I don't recommend it, they were not professional, but anyway I learned more driving w/ family than I did from the instructor, he wasn't helpful at all and always played distracting indian music =/

Still have to take the highway test ugh how many years do you have to do before the reset again? 5? Might consider taking a couple hours w/ a better instructor for a refresh

[ctrueman82]

Congrats, good luck.


Just an update, I have picked to go with YD, I'll report back after I have finished the course at the end of May.

Cost for the basic package (25 hrs in-class + 10 hrs in-car + other random stuff) was $989 + GST = $1038.45

Hopefully it's worth the money like what others have said. :)

[yao416]

$1000 for G2 :eek:

I paid $450(not YD)

[TerenceL]

In my experience, driving schools prepare you for driving tests but inadequately prepare you for driving in real life conditions, like the highway during rush hour (e.g. how to merge properly, going with the flow of traffic) because most of the time these tests are taken on non-busy roads. When I passed my G2 I thought I knew how to drive. But now that I've been commuting from Toronto to Mississauga on the 401 every day for work for the past 3 months, I realize how useless driving schools really are.

[angel_wing0]

i also dont recall paying as much as $1000 for my G2 with driving lessons/insurance courses and the others...how times have changed i guess.

[jacobe]

I am sorry for bringing back a dead topic back to life.

I am in need of a good recommendation for a good driving school. YD is just way TOO expensive. Really $1000 cost??? That amount makes me hyperventilate. I am tempted to just keep biking for the rest of my life.

There is a vietnamese place asking for $600. They seem kind of sketchy, but I know a couple of people who passed their G2 through them.

[geokilla]

You pay for what you get. My dad was a YD instructor and everything he's taught me has been real good.

Couple years ago, YD was not as expensive. Everything is getting more and more expensive now...

[CdTriX]

i paid 400 bucks and it was a peel board of education driving class... .the teacher... ended up being my grade 5 homeroom teacher! small world!

that included 10 hours of in car and my g2 test.

[VivienM]

$1000 for YD? Back when I did it, in Ottawa, it was $650 for auto, $750 for manual. But then again, that was... OMG... ELEVEN YEARS AGO?!?

One big reason to go for YD: you're always alone with the instructor in the car. I don't know if you've read the recent G&M story about the mid-20s urban woman learning how to drive, but one thing that has shocked me about her articles is that with her driving school, essentially the previous student drives to her house, then they drop him/her off at home, then do the lesson, then pick up the next student, who drops her home.

YD would never, ever, ever do that. The previous student is dropped off by the instructor, then he/she drives to you, you do your thing for 45 minutes or whatever, get dropped off at home/school/wherever, then he/she goes off to the next student.

I just don't think (briefly) having an audience in a car is a healthy thing for a young driver learning...

[ThePointblank]

$1000 for YD? Back when I did it, in Ottawa, it was $650 for auto, $750 for manual. But then again, that was... OMG... ELEVEN YEARS AGO?!?

One big reason to go for YD: you're always alone with the instructor in the car. I don't know if you've read the recent G&M story about the mid-20s urban woman learning how to drive, but one thing that has shocked me about her articles is that with her driving school, essentially the previous student drives to her house, then they drop him/her off at home, then do the lesson, then pick up the next student, who drops her home.

YD would never, ever, ever do that. The previous student is dropped off by the instructor, then he/she drives to you, you do your thing for 45 minutes or whatever, get dropped off at home/school/wherever, then he/she goes off to the next student.

I just don't think (briefly) having an audience in a car is a healthy thing for a young driver learning...

I remember one time when I was learning my driving instructor did that because we were cutting it close on time. Being a passenger with a inexperienced driver who was very shaky was real FUN... I was definitely feeling queasy after that short 10 minute drive! He had trouble maintaining a straight line and needed constant jerks on the wheel (and thus, over correcting) to correct himself, which caused a lot of swaying in the rear. I remember my instructor turning back to me after we arrived at my house and asking how was that drive. I said, to put it mildly, the guy needed more work on how to drive in a straight line.

[Matrixvibe]

^ lol my instructor did the whole next person drops off previous person thing. I couldn't keep myself from laughing when the people who were dropping me home were bad. One time this girl made a left turn onto the on-coming lanes, treating it like a 4 lane road. hahah. But yeah, YD is soooo expensive! I went to AMB, paid $336 for 25hr in class and 10hr in car. I got 4 extra lessons ($30 each) to prepare for my G1 exit test because I never get to drive my cars at home. To get my G2 I paid $531 ($336+$120(lessons)+$75(borrow the car for test). I think if I could go back, I would have chose a different company rather than AMB, the instructor wasn't the best (late, we basically ran his errands, fell asleep during lessons LOL)

[cmackie]

Bringing this topic back yet again.

Any other recommendations for driving lessons in midtown Toronto (Yonge/Eglinton-ish) that won't break the bank?

Does the driving school discount still apply for a 30 year old? I think she really just needs in-car lessons but the in-class stuff might just help her as well. Then again, she's doing her G2 test late next month so there may not be enough time.