Talk about first world problems.

I don't think that's entirely fair. It tends to be the accelerator rather than the clutch that's the problem. Petrol engines that have large throttle bodies for their engine size can have a highly non-linear response. You press the accelerator a little bit, nothing happens; press a little harder and the revs sream up to 3000. Driver instinctively lifts off and promptly stalls.

The problem doesn't get adressed because they're concentrating on the clutch pedal.

I've had a fair bit of amusement watching experienced drivers maneouvre my car with the inevitable revving, jerking, bunny-hopping and stalling.

At some point she has got to get used to driving cars that are different to the Fiesta she passed in, might as well start now.

Does she actually realise how lucky she is, my first car cost £75, had sod all brakes, sod all steering, serious structural corrosion, no central locking (immaterial since you dared not open the passenger door), no electric windows, no seat belts etc, etc. I was just grateful that it passed the MOT and pretty much started first time in the morning. The clutch was hydraulic and so heavy you need a power assisted leg. Since then its been getting better every time I have bought a car.

You need to introduce her to my friend Mr Percy Veerance.

My daughter normally drives our family cars, either a Berlingo or a Xantia. Both are diesel.

She also occasionally drives her boyfriend's Pug 107. She reports it as easy to stall but gets by OK. So did her brother the one time he drove it after he and b/f had been to a concert together.

EDIT - I'm not clear form OP whether his daughter has yet passed her test or how many hours driving experience she has.

Edited by Bromptonaut on 14/08/2013 at 16:20

I think all new drivers regardless of age through lack of confindence will have a strong penchant for the vehicle they are learning on.

I was the same myself, I learnt on a brand new Escort Mk3, but there was no way my Dads or even less my budget would stretch to one at the time. I ended up with a 10 year old Mini Van which I hated at the time, juddery clutch, poor brakes, poor reward vision and poor driving position. But in quite a short period of time I mastered it and it made me a much better driver, I even learnt to double declutch!

I'd say stick with the Aygo, and try and get her to build up some confidence with it, at some point in her driving life she will need to drive a car that she won't be familiar with such as a loan car, hire car or even a company car, not all likely to be a Fiesta.

In 20 or so years time, like most of us she will look back fondly to her first car and wish she still had it, just as I wish I still had my Mini Van, happy times!

Edited by A3 A4 on 14/08/2013 at 17:31

My Fabia mk 2 1.2HTP 3 cylinder (70bhp) has a fair amount of idle speed torque (for a petrol) and slow speed manouvering with clutch only is doable. Unfortunately poor fuel consumption may be as a result of the good low speed torque....

However my previous Fabia mk1 1.2HTP(64bhp) was the opposite - very poor torque and non linear throttle at low (idling) speed which was set lower than the later car. Very easy to stall.

Worst was a Corsa Diesel 1.3cdti (4 cylinder) - very unpredictable behaviour pulling away from low idle speeds - often stalling in a highly vocal and alarming manner fetching the car to an abrupt halt - junctions/roundabouts were often nightmares

Best is my 98 Alhambra 1.9tdi (90bhp) - pull away in 2nd if you like without using the accelerator. Handbrake cannot stall this car when its pulling in 1st at idle. Hill starts up 1 in 5 without accelerator no problemo.

Modern small cars in general seem to have poor idle torque, so if you choose to change the car, let your daughter test drive it first and she if can happily park it.

Many thanks for all the points raised which are valid and well made.

Apologies for not making it clear in my initial posting that the girl failed her test last week. We thought we would get her a car anyway to give her more practice than could be provided by a weekly driving lesson.

I guess now I have a choice. I can either insist that she sticks with the Aygo and overcomes any difficulties with it or get rid (of the Aygo, not the girl....) and get something more akin to the Fiesta she has been used to in her driving lessons.

I got a good deal on the Aygo so probably won't lose anything in re-selling it. But it would be a pain. The trouble is that if I insist that she keeps the Aygo she may use it as an excuse for failure in the future....

I suppose, if she wears you down with the 'PLEASE, Daddy' stuff

I think you jump to the spoilt brat assumption rather too readily. An acute stalling problem screws up all your aspects of your driving because all your movements become jerky and unrefined. That means braking, steering and throttle control.

It's like trying to tell a golfer with a hook problem to just hit it straight. The harder they try to hit the ball straight, the worse the hook becomes.

It's hard for us to understand because we are confident drivers. It's not just teenagers. Elderly drivers with 50 years driving experience collapse when their confidence goes. They know that they don't really need 4000 revs to reverse out of their parking space and they know that 25mph isn't an appropriate cruising speed but they still do it.

In the end, we went for a new car, a Fiat 500. It had a 3 year warranty, "girlie button" power steering, is easy to drive and economical. There was also 0% finance and discounted insurance. I feel much happier that's she's in a new car and not a 6 or 7 year old car which is more than likely to be off the road for the usual repairs and is probably structurally less sound.

Very few people I know have the cash buy their kids a new car when the start driving. Most get old Corsas or similar if they are lucky. I can honestly say that I know no one in my age group who got a brand new car for passing their test. One chap got a nearly new Marina but that was never soemthing to boast about.

It's not necessarily having a ready bundle of cash. There's offers around of minimum or zero deposits and 0% finance.

Not all families are lucky enough to have sufficient surplus income to pay a finance deal. If you have several kids you would be doing it for all of them to keep some peace in the house.

Think you are living in cloud cookoo land if you think its the norm.