Rockgurl

Another thing achieved and out of the way. I got fed up of being ripped off by my car hire company because I didn't have a US licence and so I went on a whim to the DMV and walked out this afternoon with my licence. The written test is easy if you read the manual thoroughly, and the driving test itself is no biggie as long as you pay attention to road signs and obey the speed limit. Now I am going to buy a car instead of hiring. I went to pick up my hire car on New Year's Eve only to discover that they had hiked $360 of hidden charges onto me and I was so furious I made a big fuss. They just shrugged and said it happens all the time, and then told me to go out into the lot and pick whatever car I wanted as compensation, so I chose a 2 door silver Sebring sports car! Flash old me! Too bloody right. How can they justify charging $1000 for a cheap economy car? In the UK I was hiring from Easy Car and had a brand new Vauxhall Corsa with CD player, AC etc for 400 squid a month and that was the price you paid. No hidden charges. I've been constantly ripped off since I got here and this is where I put my foot down. God help the sales person who sells me a car if he tries to rip me off. I might just have to kill him!

sibsie

Have you decided what kind of car you're going to get? Congrats on the licence too.

Rockgurl

Thanks sibsie...feels great! I've decided to go for a Ford Focus which was what I originally intended on getting with Autosource. I wanted a Rav4 or a Hyundai Santa Fe but know damn well insurance would be astronomical right now, so I'm being sensible and keeping it under $20,000 for now. Maybe next year I'll trade it in for something bigger.

sibsie

Insurance is a killer. I'm moving to MA which is expensive beyond expensive. I want the US equivilant of a Fiat Punto but they don't seem to do a lot of small cars so I'll prob end up with a Focus as well.

Rockgurl

Insurance is a killer if you don't have a US licence...I found that out for sure! My boss is taking me to buy a car, and then to get me insurance with her company. She bought a Focus too when she got here, and only paid $125 a month in insurance. I can live with that. Let's hope I can get the same deal. Focuses are nice reliable cars. It will be fine for a year or so.

sibsie

Sigh. My days of paying €300 a year fully comp with roadside recovery are coming to an end!

Great to see that you're settling in well. Are you getting anywhere with your contract wrangles?

Rockgurl

Tell me about it! I can't believe how little my UK insurance was, and how good the cover was. *sigh*

No further with my contract battles...thanx for asking. I'm trying to keep my head above water and getting my US licence was the first part of the battle. The second part was to get some extra work to make a shitload of money and I've got 3 extra shifts next week that will rake me in $900. Yippee! Now I have to get a car. Once I'm sorted financially I can sort out all the other stuff. I am resigned to spending longer in Phoenix, but so far I do actually quite like it. Most important thing is to be financially secure, as I've just spent 6 weeks with no pay and paid through the nose for just about everything.

FlyergirlUK

Congrats on getting your license!!

Nice one!

I'm looking forward to getting mine sometime; not sure when as I have to do a three hour drug and alcohol awareness course first, (of course I'm aware there are drugs and alcohol around but they ain't my thing, sheesh)!!

Best wishes

Tam

supernav

Wow. The CA license test was pretty vicious. I got mine like 2 weeks later in the mail.

Get your ins. through AAA. That's what i use, and they're the nicest people with the best rates.

-= nav =-

Pimpbot

Excellent, just what I wanted, an expat who's been through the DMV experience in AZ. Because I cannot yet, as the buggers wouldnt even give me a state ID, because my I-94 has expired and they told me I needed my EAD to prove I was living here!.

So, a few questions...

1. How long was the actual driving part of the test and what did they make you do?

2. How many questions do you have to answer? and is this a written test, or do they have it on a computer as I have read some states do that.

3. I'm guessing they didnt give two shits about your U.K. driving experience?. Did you have to show your U.K. license?

4. How much was it to get the license. i.e. test and cost of actual license.

I never drove a car back in England, I just had my motorbike. So I'm probably going to try and get some kind of learner permit first so I can practice for a month or so before the test, if this is possible?. My wife is getting us a quote for insurance on a Nissan Xterra tomorrow, as we have kind of put the Ford Escape and Toyota Rav 4 idea to bed in favor of something a little more rugged.

Pimpbot

Most Ford places around here Rockgurl, seem to have 2003 Focus for under $10,000. Seems like they are busting a nut trying to off load last years models. Same with the Xterra that I mentioned in the above post. An ad for a local Nissan dealer in this sundays Arizona Republic, was selling 2003 Xterra's for under $15,000 dollars.

Rockgurl

In answer to your questions:

1) The driving test part was about 10 minutes long. She took me round the block and it seems that the block around the DMV is purposely set up for test purposes because I encountered every road condition! There was a four way stop, a pedestrian crossing, traffic lights, school etc. They were supposed to test me on parallel parking but they didn't. The hardest part was actually the 3-point turn which I am (thankfully) really good at, but the markers were really tightly put together and my car is really long and I've only had it a week and am not really used to it yet. You cannot touch a marker or it's an instant fail but I managed to do it.

2) The written test was 30 multiple choice questions. All the answers are in the drivers manual that you can get from the DMV. It's just a magazine type thing and if you read it all the way through everything they will ask will be in there. It's not hard. It took me about 5 minutes and I didn't get one question wrong.

3) I didn't even show my UK licence. They didn't ask at all, which surprised me. They were only interested in my passport and green card. They didn't even ask to see my insurance, despite a note on the desk saying you were required to show it.

4) The licence and test cost $25 which you have to pay by check or cash. Not all offices accept credit cards. The whole process is really efficient. I went to the Glendale office because it's new and in a nice area (less possibilities of undesirables). You have to queue up and see information when you get there who do your eye test (just look in a view finder and read the letters) and they give you a number and you sit down. I waited an hour and then I got called to a booth to show ID and fill in a form. The you go to the photo counter and do the written test and then the driving test. After that you go back in and have your photo taken and bingo, 3 minutes later you have your licence. They know you're there and you don't have to ask them...they just call your name.

I would definitely practice a bit if you can. I'm not sure if you can get a learners permit. Just go and get the drivers manual from your nearest office. If you need the address to the Scottsdale one just PM me. I picked up the motorcycle manual while I was there so that's next!

As regards to the Focus, I heard that about the 2003 models, that they are trying to shift them, so I may go with that. They're still brand new. It must be something about Phoenix because I heard that it's really easy to buy a new car here. I'll let you know.

robclews

My stepson is a service engineer for a major Ford dealer, he has worked in the workshop for many years. He comments that prior to 2002 the Focus was not a good vehicle and had a lot of issues it was one of the most common cars in the workshop. Pro rata the work done on focus cars was much higher than others.

However he now says that the production has moved away from Mexico and that the reliability is much better, but go for a 2003 onwards model if you are looking at a Focus.

Rob

Ray

I dont know about your part of the world ..but here in Florida, advertised prices are just made up figures that look good to the mug...We have tiny and I mean tiny writing at the bottom of the ad which explains the price includes nothing and that it assumes you have a $3-5K trade in...My advertised $24k truck was actually $29k....Advertising standards...No chance..

Pimpbot

Thanks Rockgurl.

I printed the DMV manual off their website a few months back, but havent read it yet. My daughter told me that they only test you on parallel parking in Mesa and not Scottsdale, Glendale or Tempe. Crazy! lol.

As soon as I get my EAD, I'm going down there to sort out a license. I'll go to the DMV up in northern Scottsdale, as I can eat in the cheesecake factory afterwards