[accura7ee]

I'm learning to drive in diesel car, but want to buy a petrol when I have my licence.

When you start with a petrol, do you need to give it gas before you bring the clutch up or it will stall?
Is it harder to start on hills?

The car that I learn in, every time I start, even on a very steep hill, all I do is hold the bite until it goes fast enough and then press the gas. I don't want to get a petrol and stall in the middle of the road because I'm not used to it.

Is it much different? Will I get used to it quickly?

[Santa]

It is different, and schools tend to use diesels in small cars for this very reason. On level ground for example, it's quite hard to stall a diesel.
I would say that most people get used to the lower torque and more free running characteristics of a petrol engine pretty quickly. Just try to get some practice on quiet roads before you set off into the city. If you are nervous about it, get someone with experience to sit beside you.

[Holytree Hugger]

I started (last year) in a petrol and just cudn' hack it..blew lotsa lessons without really learning much. Switched instructors to diesel car which I stuck with 'til I passed (tho' had to switch instuctors agin for diff'rent reasons). Meanwhile I bought a 1.6 diesel C-Max which I took to purty good, doubling up on 'lesson' hours with my son.

Being retired, so not really putting in the miles to keep the diesel 'healthy' I decided to 'upgrade' by a coupla years and switch to petrol..same 1.6 C-Max. No regrets, after pick-up I had to drive it 'bout 30 miles home and clocked coupla hundred miles since..not one stall..I was pleasantly surprised how easy the transition was. Take a look on You-tube..Richard at !stDrive (Birmingham) has an excellent video on clutch control, as well as many other good vids..there's others..Helen Adams in Chichester, and LDC .. all worth a look..

[Motman]

I have a friend who is a driving instructor. He always has small diesel engined cars as he says it's better for the pupils to learn in.