Learner drivers and diesel engines

Don't know, but my instructor, long before diesels became as ubiquitous as they are today, took a similar view that the stall-resistance of a diesel made it a poor training machine.

The dichotomy you point out is really between two contrasting attitudes to driving instruction: whether its purpose is to train drivers or merely to get them through the test. Making it 'easier for the student' suggests the latter.

Of course, there's another question, which is whether working a clutch is still a skill worth acquiring. I've had 30 years' use out of it, but I've just sold what's likely to be the last manual car I'll have for my own use, and my children's driving future will be firstly electric and then autonomous. Not a clutch pedal in sight.

You did well. Not sure my son nor I (or his mother) have the time or patience to teach him without it descending into arguments....

The ironic thing is that before he was 17 I took him to our industrial estate in the Punto where he mastered very low speed control withing a couple of hours, but the difference between the diesels and the Punto surprised him last night and he wasn't expecting it. Anyway, his brother is home again from University in a couple of weeks, so we will try again.

I see WDB's point of view, but we are not yet at a stage (unlike the USA) where they do not make a distinction between manual and automatic licences. I have not bought a manual car for myself in 20 years and don't intend to start now, but for the time being small, manual, petrol cars are the future for young 'fairly impoverished' drivers.

I'd actually agree on the last bit, Otto; the better a driver understands that the car is not just an appliance with 'faster' and 'slower' pedals, the more smoothly and sympathetically they'll be able to drive it. Conversely, of course, once the car becomes electric, that's exactly what it will be.

Try telling that to a 17 year old driving a 13 year old Punto!

Actually, my advice, such as it is, would be do tell him. But tell him conversationally, when he's not in the car. Try explaining the difference between how a diesel engine works as opposed to a petrol one. Tell him about torque and how a diesel has more, but a petrol delivers its power differently and likes to rev more.  He may well be interested, and if he gains some understanding of that it might help.

The way I put it to my son was to use something he had experience of. In his case, he knew the difference between the way a downhill bike performs as opposed to a mountain bike or further indeed a road bike. All good at what they do, but different in the way they do it. The other analogy I used was to suggest he thinks of the diesel as a big strong muscle bound guy, a shot putter type, immensely strong but a bit ponderous, and the petrol engine as a skinny runner, no muscle bulk, lithe and quick, but don't ask him to lift heavy weights sort of thing.

I put it to my son that part of becoming a good driver was understanding that all cars are slightly different, the controls will feel different, sometimes they'll be in different locations and that its up to the driver to adapt to the vehicle, because the vehicle won't adapt to you. 

He'll crack it anyway, one day the penny will just drop as with learning most things. 

Try showing him this...