Right Hand Drive Cars

[plain jane]

My husband wants to buy a right hand drive car.  While it is ultimately his decision, I am not 100% on board with the idea and am trying to talk him out of it.  Most of my concerns are safety- passing on major roadways, as well as left hand turns.  His ADHD has also been very severe lately and I worry about his impulse reactions and ability to focus on something that is entirely new to him.  My biggest concern is how much rural driving he does between towns and his constant passing of vehicles on two lane highways.  I feel like it's just an accident waiting to happen.  I also hear insurance rates and repairs can be significantly higher.  He doesn't go through drive thrus or parking gates so those are moot points. :)

 

I've expressed my concerns with him but I also acknowledge that he is a grown man and capable of making his own decisions.  I do often drive his car as it is much cheaper on gas but I don't foresee myself taking on a  right hand drive vehicle so that does leave us at a financial disadvantage as I'll always have to take the more expensive vehicle.

 

Please tell me this really isn't a big deal and I'm worrying for nothing. Does anyone here in the US drive a right hand drive car (or have a husband who does)?  FWIW dh has never driven anywhere else but here and he has never driven a right hand drive car. 

Edited February 20, 2017 by plain jane

[Tap]

Did he fall in love with a car that happens to be a right hand drive car, or is he seeking out only right hand drive cars?

 

 

 

 

[Bambam]

You do live in the US, right?

 

Where would you even find a right hand drive car to purchase? Or does he want to import one? 

Edited February 20, 2017 by Bambam

[plain jane]

You do live in the US, right?

 

Where would you even find a right hand drive car to purchase? Or does he want to import one? 

 

He knows someone who imports them.   The one he is looking at has already been imported and the person has been driving it here but is looking to change for whatever reason (I don't know the reason).

Edited February 20, 2017 by plain jane

[plain jane]

Did he fall in love with a car that happens to be a right hand drive car, or is he seeking out only right hand drive cars?

 

 

He's made acquaitances with someone who imports right hand drive cars and I this person has been "selling" him on the idea.  At this point in time he is specifically seeking out a right hand drive vehicle.  We are in the market for a new vehicle for him so this isn't just him casually looking around because he's bored. 

Edited February 20, 2017 by plain jane

[KungFuPanda]

WHY? It's only a matter of time before this is a problem. It seems like a ridiculous novelty that is destined to cause anything from minor inconvenience to an accident. Even if he's a safe drivers, the double-takes the other drivers are bound to pull can be problematic. He'll eventually need to pay a toll or use a drive up ATM or something. I can't think of a single benefit EXCEPT to the guy who sells them.

[eternalsummer]

seems like it would be inconvenient at least, for things like toll roads, etc. He's going to own the car for a while, presumably - will he never want to use a drive through, a bank, a toll road, park in the city, etc?

[eternalsummer]

Plus, who could he ever give the car to or sell it to down the road?

[plain jane]

Plus, who could he ever give the car to or sell it to down the road?

 

 

I didn't think about resale.  I'll mention that to him as well.  I was a bit annoyed that our teen and up and coming teens won't have a car to learn to drive in.  It's not that easy to have a Suburban as your learning to drive vehicle.

[G5052]

We've driven right-hand cars overseas, and I didn't find it to be that difficult.

 

But no way would I buy one in the U.S.

 

You couldn't use drive-throughs of any type (food, bank, prescription, groceries, etc.) without getting out of the car. I'm sure that the people behind you would be thrilled with you slowing down the line. And what about bad weather?

 

Getting parts might be difficult. There are differences in some of the car parts. And maybe even finding someone to work on it? 

 

And of course resale. I can't imagine who would want one here.

[OneStepAtATime]

1.  He will have to retrain himself on safely driving.  Things are not going to be exactly where his muscle/visual/procedural memory is going to tell him it is.

2.  He may have trouble finding parts for repairs.

3.  He will not be able to go through any kind of drive thru (bank, toll booth, fast food, pharmacy, public mail box, etc.)

4.  He may not be able to resell the vehicle.

5.  This isn't a fun recreational thing on the side but his primary means of transportation and one that other family members may need to use from time to time.  What if your vehicle stops working?  Will you be able to use his vehicle safely?

6.  If he is really set on this vehicle I suggest you do some serious research on price for this type of vehicle's operating/repair costs/insurance costs here in the States.  It may all be higher than a standard vehicle, depending.  

 

Sounds like the only one that would truly benefit here is the guy that is trying to sell it to him.  What is so appealing about driving this car in a country that is exclusively set up for left drive cars?  Could you get him to look at other cars, maybe something unusual but still more workable for the U.S.?  If he is big on novelty, try to find something else.

Edited February 20, 2017 by OneStepAtATime

[diplomum]

At various times we have had right hand drive cars in drive on the right countries and vice versa. In towns and in traffic it really makes no difference, though it helps to have good mirrors and a model with minimal blind spots. The biggest issue is passing on a two lane highway out of town; to do so safely and easily, you really need someone in the passenger seat telling you when it's okay to pull out.

[Arcadia]

5. This isn't a fun recreational thing on the side but his primary means of transportation and one that other family members may need to use from time to time. What if your vehicle stops working? Will you be able to use his vehicle safely?

This.

My husband and I have drove using right hand cars in Singapore and it is common in Australia too. It took a while for my husband to get used to left hand drive here when we relocated.

 

So if your husband want to get a right hand drive tractor to use on a farm for example, I would be supportive. A car to be used on the road, I would not be as supportive as everyone else would have a hard time driving if my husband can't drive.

 

I don't drive here in the states. If my husband is out of town and we need a ride, I have family friends nearby that could drive our car easily.

[zoobie]

You share the car. That's enough of a reason for you to have veto on this. If you get to the point where you can afford a truly extra car, then revisit the idea.

[Mabelen]

I would not do it for the many reasons already given, but I wanted to point out that there are many left hand cars in the U.K. They usually belong to people from the continent who bring their own cars to the U.K. when they relocate. I have also seen right hand cars in continental Europe. I have not heard about higher accident rates for those drivers. Obviously, it is much more difficult if not impossible to pass on a two lane road. Honestly, I don't know how they do it, but I have personally known people who did it and they didn't think it was a big deal.

[maize]

The mail trucks around here are all right hand drive; obviously that is for convenience in delivering mail, but I've not heard of them being super accident prone.

[Rosie_0801]

There's no reason for a competent driver to be any more accident prone in a right hand drive than a left. Anyone who has ever driven down the middle lane on a three lane freeway has had to deal with people overtaking on both sides. You'd just need to adjust your mirror accordingly.

 

I'd consider it a poor choice for your family though, and agree that the only advantage is to the car salesman.

[Catwoman]

My husband wants to buy a right hand drive car. While it is ultimately his decision, I am not 100% on board with the idea and am trying to talk him out of it. Most of my concerns are safety- passing on major roadways, as well as left hand turns. His ADHD has also been very severe lately and I worry about his impulse reactions and ability to focus on something that is entirely new to him. My biggest concern is how much rural driving he does between towns and his constant passing of vehicles on two lane highways. I feel like it's just an accident waiting to happen. I also hear insurance rates and repairs can be significantly higher. He doesn't go through drive thrus or parking gates so those are moot points. :)

 

I've expressed my concerns with him but I also acknowledge that he is a grown man and capable of making his own decisions. I do often drive his car as it is much cheaper on gas but I don't foresee myself taking on a right hand drive vehicle so that does leave us at a financial disadvantage as I'll always have to take the more expensive vehicle.

 

Please tell me this really isn't a big deal and I'm worrying for nothing. Does anyone here in the US drive a right hand drive car (or have a husband who does)? FWIW dh has never driven anywhere else but here and he has never driven a right hand drive car.

Is this for real or are you bored and just kidding around with us? ;)

 

First of all, I think it's a ridiculous idea. It's an incredibly impractical choice for so many reasons, particularly if he ever plans to parallel park it (easy to get into the space, but very difficult to see oncoming traffic when he wants to get out of it.) It's also not the safest option for daily driving because everything is set up for left-hand drive cars. Also, you said he doesn't have to worry about taking a ticket in parking garages or using a drive-through window, but it's hard to imagine he will never encounter that kind of situation if he's really going to use this as his main vehicle -- and what about when you're stuck driving it? Do you really want to deal with driving a RHD car when you could have just bought a regular LHD car?

 

Another thing -- is your dh absolutely certain that this car may not meet federal emissions standards? Will your auto insurance company even insure it, and if they will, how much will it cost?

 

Finally, are you sure the car was legally imported into the US? Your dh needs to be very careful about that.

 

If I were you, I would veto this idea immediately. I can't imagine that your dh would want something like this, especially when he has never even driven a RHD car to see what a nuisance it is to drive one in the United States, but I really think you need to be the voice of reason here and just say no.

 

 

Edited for typos!

Edited February 20, 2017 by Catwoman

[Catwoman]

I didn't think about resale. I'll mention that to him as well. I was a bit annoyed that our teen and up and coming teens won't have a car to learn to drive in. It's not that easy to have a Suburban as your learning to drive vehicle.

Resale is a big consideration.

 

I would also be more than a bit annoyed if your teens will need a practical vehicle so they can learn to drive (and to borrow the car once they get their licenses.) It sounds like this car won't be good for anyone but your dh, and I have a strong feeling that once the novelty wears off, he will wish he had bought a regular left-hand drive car.

 

Why is he even considering this? Did the guy selling the car tell your dh that it will be glamorous and exciting and that he will somehow turn into James Bond the minute he gets behind the wheel?

 

Sounds like that guy is quite the salesman. Not much of a friend, but a good salesman.

[Catwoman]

He knows someone who imports them. The one he is looking at has already been imported and the person has been driving it here but is looking to change for whatever reason (I don't know the reason).

Here's my guess as to why the other guy wants to get rid of it -- it seemed like such a cool and exotic thing to own until he actually drove it for a while and came to the miraculous realization that the steering wheel was on the wrong side of the car and it was completely impractical for daily driving in the United States.

 

Time to sell the dream of owning a "unique" car to someone else... so he could buy himself a normal car that he could drive through a tollbooth without climbing across the center console to pay the toll. :)

[Catwoman]

Sorry to post so many times in a row, but I just remembered that you very recently posted that money was very tight for your family right now -- to the point where you were wondering about buying used swimsuits for your dds.

 

How did you get from not having enough money to buy swimwear... to your dh wanting to spend money to buy a right-hand drive car?

 

Now that I remembered that, I am wondering not only what your dh is thinking, but why you would even let him consider such an impractical purchase!

 

Please, just say no.

 

 

 

Edited for typos -- twice in the same thread! :eek:

Edited February 20, 2017 by Catwoman

[diplomum]

One other consideration: toll booths, drive throughs, parking garages where you have to press a button for a ticket or scan a card... All a royal pain in the neck when the driver is on the "wrong" side.

 

We were once pulled over in Armenia driving a Japanese imported car (pretty much only thing not a Lada available in Georgia at the time) because the policeman saw me (passenger) reading the guide book and thought I was driving while reading. It's funny now but we spoke zero Armenian or Russian so we were worried for a minute.

[Xahm]

Is it extra cheap? I remember a while back in Russia that some folks were illegally importing Japanese cars into Russia. The Russian government was trying to crack down on this. Did the supply move to America?

[Lanny]

This sounds like a horrible accident waiting to happen.  I assume, and may be totally wrong, that the resale value of a Right Hand Drive car in the USA would be much lower than the resale value of a comparable Left Hand Drive car.  The market for those cars in the USA is probably very small.  

[Bambam]

If he is after novelty, why not encourage the idea of an "art car". 

This could be a family project. Pick your favorite book or movie, and decorate his auto to match. Then it will be *great* car for your beginning drivers. Everyone will know your vehicle, and if your beginning driver is doing *anything* they shouldn't be, someone will call and let you know. Or post a picture on FB.

 

Here are some ideas to spark his creativity. 

http://www.artcarworld.org/

 

http://artcarmuseum.com/gallery/artcar-gallery/

Edited February 20, 2017 by Bambam

[Laura Corin]

I have vivid memories of driving across France as a child in our British right-hand-drive car, with my mother (who didn't drive) telling my father when he could pull out to overtake.  Fun times.

[slackermom]

My dh has one, but that is because he wanted to own a specific car from the Mad Max movies, which is an Australian Ford Falcon, and thus it is a right-hand-drive car. 

 

There was an issue with registering the car, because the person who imported it and sold it to him provided a photocopy of the paperwork where the import stamp wasn't fully legible. That was incredibly frustrating, because dh couldn't exactly re-import it and get a new stamp. He eventually solved it via back-channels at the DMV. So, be careful with the paperwork.

 

Certain car parts can be a real pain to get, but I suspect that is more a function of the age of the car (it is from the 70's) and its rarity. 

 

Right-hand-drive had no impact on the insurance.

 

Lots of people assume there must be a law against right-hand-drive vehicles, but there is no such law where we live, and as others have pointed out, postal trucks are set up that way.

 

There are always curious stares, and double-takes. 

 

There are some issues with visibility, so dh attached an additional mirror to help with that. Toll booths were a pain, so he got a transponder for it. 

 

For us, it is a third car, and mainly dh's "Sunday drive" car, though he likes to use it more often for day-to-day driving in the good weather months. Our other cars are from 2003 and 2004.

 

[Wheres Toto]

The mail trucks around here are all right hand drive; obviously that is for convenience in delivering mail, but I've not heard of them being super accident prone.

 

Around here mail trucks don't ever drive on the highway and generally don't go over 35 mph.  

[gardenmom5]

I assume you're talking about a car that you use your left hand to operate the stick.

 

so, why do they call it a right hand drive car when in most places,  we use the right hand to operate the controls?

makes me think of handedness on doors . . . .

[regentrude]

It will be a major PITA.

When we lived in England, we drove our car with the driver on the left - because that's what we owned, and the move was temporary.

 

You cannot pass a vehicle on a two lane road if you do not have a reliable passenger who can help. The driver won't see oncoming traffic.

 

No way would I intentionally acquire a vehicle where the driver sits on the curb side.

Are you even allowed to get those registered here without special restrictions?

Edited February 20, 2017 by regentrude

[SparklyUnicorn]

Tell him no... We had a meeting and said it's a bad idea.

 

Good grief...how old is he?  3 ? I'm kidding, but this seriously sounds like something my 15 year old would announce he was doing because he'd like the novelty of it, but he has no clue of whether or not it makes sense or is practical. 

 

 

[OneStepAtATime]

I assume you're talking about a car that you use your left hand to operate the stick.

 

so, why do they call it a right hand drive car when in most places,  we use the right hand to operate the controls?

makes me think of handedness on doors . . . .

The driver's wheel is on the right, not the left, and all other controls are reoriented accordingly.  This would be regardless of if the car were a stick shift or an automatic.  

[Julie Smith]

I assume you're talking about a car that you use your left hand to operate the stick.

 

so, why do they call it a right hand drive car when in most places,  we use the right hand to operate the controls?

makes me think of handedness on doors . . . .

To my understanding. A right hand car has the steering wheel on the right side of the car.

[unsinkable]

My dh has one, but that is because he wanted to own a specific car from the Mad Max movies, which is an Australian Ford Falcon, and thus it is a right-hand-drive car.

 

.

Oh, wow that is so cool!

 

"How much more can they take from me? They got my blood, now it's my car!"

 

The old Ford interceptor cop cars are my absolute favorite cars. I don't know why. I don't know that much about cars, but my husband says, "if unsinkable sees a car on the road that she likes, I can guarantee it's American made early 70s. :lol:

[OneStepAtATime]

The mail trucks around here are all right hand drive; obviously that is for convenience in delivering mail, but I've not heard of them being super accident prone.

I'm not sure this is a good example of why having a primary vehicle with a right handed orientation would be perfectly fine here in the U.S.  Here in my area at least the mail truck drivers have to be specially trained and are not allowed on the highway.  Therefore they mostly don't go over 35-40 mph.  Also, there aren't terribly many mail carrier drivers compared to standard drivers so statistically there wouldn't be as many accidents anyway.   They also are driving for one purpose, to deliver mail.  People are aware of this and tend to give them the space to do their job.  Without some sort of study just not hearing about them being super accident prone means pretty little to me, TBH.

 

Does this mean that a competent driver cannot adapt and learn how to safely drive with a right hand oriented car in a country that is 100% oriented for left hand cars?  No.  People can learn.  It probably wouldn't take THAT much effort, depending on how well the individual person adapts to unlearning and relearning skill sets.  DH could probably do it in a couple of afternoons of practice.  Me? I don't know if I would ever be comfortable.  

 

I still think it is a potentially really bad idea and a fairly selfish choice for reasons mentioned up thread.

[gardenmom5]

To my understanding. A right hand car has the steering wheel on the right side of the car.

That makes sense. It's all how one looks at it.

[zimom]

And no, I would not recommend teaching your teens to drive on a Suburban.  

[plain jane]

Sorry to post so many times in a row, but I just remembered that you very recently posted that money was very tight for your family right now -- to the point where you were wondering about buying used swimsuits for your dds.

 

How did you get from not having enough money to buy swimwear... to your dh wanting to spend money to buy a right-hand drive car?

 

Now that I remembered that, I am wondering not only what your dh is thinking, but why you would even let him consider such an impractical purchase!

 

Please, just say no.

 

 

 

Edited for typos -- twice in the same thread! :eek:

 

Yes, you are correct.  And I don't post often enough that people here have a better idea of my life so everyone gets snippets.  Money was incredibly tight.  Years ago we purchased a house in a city where there are several universities and colleges and was relatively close to home.  The plan was to rent it out for now and have it available for the kids should they choose to go there after high school.  If the kids went elsewhere for school we would continue to rent it out until the mortgage was paid off and either retire there or sell.  We ended up with atrocious tenants who not only never paid rent, but basically destroyed the place to the point of it needing to be almost gutted.  I don't want to debate this and what we could/should have done as we have suffered greatly for the choices we made.  They led us to believe that they were hard up and dh didn't want to evict this young family.  We were left with a LOT of bills and not much money to pay them all with. We have since been able to sell the house and rid ourselves of the payments on it but we still need to recover from all the repair costs as well as the costs associated with selling.  Dh needs a vehicle for work as his is on its last leg and we were going to purchase one when all of this came to light.  Now he REALLY needs a vehicle.  He does a fair bit of rural driving and he needs something fuel efficient but also either AWD or with 4x4 capability as we do have snow here.  His friend suggested and sold him on the idea of a RHD car.  Apparently he can get a Subaru with AWD for several thousand less than what a LHD one here would cost.  It's from Japan, or maybe even imported into Canada first, I can't recall all the details.  These cars have low kms and no rust.  But I don't think it's a good idea.  I'm not a troll, I'm not bored and looking to start controversy.  I'm just a boring mama whose life has thrown me weird curve balls lately.  Dh is trying to save us some money upfront but can't seem to see the long term problems.  He has severe ADHD and can be impulsive and has difficulty seeing the long term ramification of things.  I don't know enough about RHD cars so I asked here.  It's not a "coolness" factor.  It's him not seeing the big picture and trying to get a vehicle he needs at a cost he can afford.  I'm looking at it more as exploring options but I didn't want to put my foot down if I was wrong about my concerns.  I hope this is more clear.

Edited February 20, 2017 by plain jane

[regentrude]

There's no reason for a competent driver to be any more accident prone in a right hand drive than a left. Anyone who has ever driven down the middle lane on a three lane freeway has had to deal with people overtaking on both sides. You'd just need to adjust your mirror accordingly.

 

But on a three lane freeway, you don't have to deal with oncoming traffic. Huge difference.

If you drive on a country road and sit on the right hand side, you cannot see past the vehicle in front of you to get a clear view of oncoming traffic. I fail to see how adjusting mirrors would help with that.

[Catwoman]

Yes, you are correct. And I don't post often enough that people here have a better idea of my life so everyone gets snippets. Money was incredibly tight. Years ago we purchased a house in a city where there are several universities and colleges and was relatively close to home. The plan was to rent it out for now and have it available for the kids should they choose to go there after high school. If the kids went elsewhere for school we would continue to rent it out until the mortgage was paid off and either retire there or sell. We ended up with atrocious tenants who not only never paid rent, but basically destroyed the place to the point of it needing to be almost gutted. I don't want to debate this and what we could/should have done as we have suffered greatly for the choices we made. They led us to believe that they were hard up and dh didn't want to evict this young family. We were left with a LOT of bills and not much money to pay them all with. We have since been able to sell the house and rid ourselves of the payments on it but we still need to recover from all the repair costs as well as the costs associated with selling. Dh needs a vehicle for work as his is on its last leg and we were going to purchase one when all of this came to light. Now he REALLY needs a vehicle. He does a fair bit of rural driving and he needs something fuel efficient but also either AWD or with 4x4 capability as we do have snow here. His friend suggested and sold him on the idea of a RHD car. Apparently he can get a Subaru with AWD for several thousand less than what a LHD one here would cost. It's from Japan, or maybe even imported into Canada first, I can't recall all the details. These cars have low kms and no rust. But I don't think it's a good idea. I'm not a troll, I'm not bored and looking to start controversy. I'm just a boring mama whose life has thrown me weird curve balls lately. Dh is trying to save us some money upfront but can't seem to see the long term problems. He has severe ADHD and can be impulsive and has difficulty seeing the long term ramification of things. I don't know enough about RHD cars so I asked here. It's not a "coolness" factor. It's him not seeing the big picture and trying to get a vehicle he needs at a cost he can afford. I'm looking at it more as exploring options but I didn't want to put my foot down if I was wrong about my concerns. I hope this is more clear.

What have you decided to do, now that you have read all of the responses? Have you made a decision yet?

[Guest]

BAD idea.  For all the reasons mentioned already.  I'm just piping up.  

 

(We do have experience getting parts for cars made in Europe--and it is a PITB.)

[plain jane]

What have you decided to do, now that you have read all of the responses? Have you made a decision yet?

 

I have always been against the idea. It sounds like I am not too far off so I will sit down with him when he gets home from work today and discuss it with him.  He's a grown man and while I can't make him not buy the car he wants, hopefully he will just see the other point of view and look for a normal vehicle. 

[Bambam]

You know, this is a sub topic here, but in TX, the family car is traditionally a SUV. Many of the teens in our group have learned/are learning to drive the family SUV (full size). My kids learned/are learning on a minivan.

 

I'll tell you, if you can parallel park a SUV, you can parallel park anything. And even though we do not have a single parallel parking place in our city, you must be able to parallel park your vehicle in your driving test. They even build special parallel parking spaces at the DMVs here. We either make our own parallel parking place with rolling trash bins for practice or we go to the DMV office on the weekend and wait our turn to practice in their space. 

 

My oldest even did Tire Rack's Street Survival course in our minivan. They said she was the first ever.

 

It can be done.

 

But we have wide streets and lots of room in TX. 

[Catwoman]

I have always been against the idea. It sounds like I am not too far off so I will sit down with him when he gets home from work today and discuss it with him. He's a grown man and while I can't make him not buy the car he wants, hopefully he will just see the other point of view and look for a normal vehicle.

I disagree that you don't have a say in his decision. He's spending family money on a car, so he shouldn't buy a car that you think is a terrible idea.

 

Additionally, the RHD car would not be a safe option for your teens as they are learning to drive, and you mentioned that you don't want them to have to learn in your Suburban.

 

I think you absolutely have veto power in this decision.

[Wheres Toto]

I disagree that you don't have a say in his decision. He's spending family money on a car, so he shouldn't buy a car that you think is a terrible idea.

 

Additionally, the RHD car would not be a safe option for your teens as they are learning to drive, and you mentioned that you don't want them to have to learn in your Suburban.

 

I think you absolutely have veto power in this decision.

 

:iagree:   A major purchase like a car?  We most certainly do have to agree about what is the best thing to get for the family as a whole.  

[slackermom]

Well, if it is just to save a few thousand dollars over a standard vehicle, and not because he has his heart set on a specific car, then I would point to various costs:

 

1) the resale market for a RHD version of something widely available in LHD is going to be very slim,

2) it takes just one accident to wipe out the savings in the original vehicle cost,

3) the intangible costs in loss of convenience for the family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Rachel]

I think it's a silly idea, but I do things other people think is silly. I would not be thrilled if this was my husband wanting to purchase a vehicle for a daily driver. As a hobby car for an occasional Sunday drive, it would be ok with me.

 

For what it's worth, when we toured the post office a couple months ago we talked to a rural carrier, he said it cost about $200-$300 to convert a left hand drive to right hand drive vehicle. Our rural carriers drive their own cars on regular roads and most do the conversion. I don't know if that just means moving the sterling wheel and pedals or if that includes the instrument panel. I assume changing out the dash to move the instrument panel is not done at that price. According to this postal worker, it isn't that difficult to learn how to drive on the "wrong" side.

[slackermom]

So, this story is not about RHD, but anyway:

 

When I was 15, my father, who was apparently experiencing a mid-life crisis, went out to get a loaf of bread. He took the family's one and only car, a station wagon. He returned a few hours later, driving a used 2-seater Porsche, having traded in the family car. We were a family of 4. There was a shelf of sorts in the back, and my brother and I were forced to sit on that shelf, without seatbelts, whenever we went anywhere. Even on military bases, where we had to drive through check-points, and we were told to "look like" we were wearing seatbelts, and cover our laps. I was never allowed to drive it, of course, though within a year my mother got a new job and bought herself a car that I was allowed to drive. I have to say, I really resented that my father would put his desires for a car above the family's real needs. My parents split within 2 years after that, though I think the writing had been on the wall for a while at that point.

 

So RHD is not as extreme, but how would this acquisition affect them?

[bibiche]

I used to have a RHD, but mine was a surplus postal jeep. I had no problems parking or driving it generally, but I lived in a city, so slow driving on one way streets, and rarely took it on the highway (cos it didn't go very fast!).  As a city car it was great and I loved it, but would I get a RHD for any other purpose? No. And resale value would definitely figure into my decision.

[Lady Florida.]

And no, I would not recommend teaching your teens to drive on a Suburban.

 

  

You know, this is a sub topic here, but in TX, the family car is traditionally a SUV. Many of the teens in our group have learned/are learning to drive the family SUV (full size). My kids learned/are learning on a minivan.

 

I'll tell you, if you can parallel park a SUV, you can parallel park anything. And even though we do not have a single parallel parking place in our city, you must be able to parallel park your vehicle in your driving test. They even build special parallel parking spaces at the DMVs here. We either make our own parallel parking place with rolling trash bins for practice or we go to the DMV office on the weekend and wait our turn to practice in their space. 

 

Ds learned to drive in our Toyota Sienna minivan. He's also not the only one in our group of friends who learned on a minivan. Parallel parking is rare in Florida - it's not even on the test anymore - but I'd rather learn to drive on a large vehicle than a small one. It's easier to go down in size than to go up.