Logitech G25 for beginner driver?

[XT80]

Hi, my son would like to start learning to drive but I dont think he is ready to get behind a wheel at the moment. What I was thinking was to get one of these for him just to ease him in but wasnt sure if they would be good enough to practice basics on? How realistic are the controls for these types of steering wheels and would it even be worth getting? Any advice is appreciated.

 

[lubetek]

how old is your son?

The wheel will teach the basics but its no replacement for actually getting behind the wheel of a real car. Not even close to being a replacement for that. But if you just want to teach the basics then it would be fine and the G25 is a good choice because its one of the better mainstream wheels and it comes with a clutch pedal too.

 

[ropeadope]

If he's 15 he can get a Learner's Permit and let him drive around in an empty parking lot. If he's younger you can fill the void with a G25 for a while I suppose. The newer Fanatec wheels are actual size so that would probably be better but those wheels are hard to get.

 

[XT80]

how old is your son?

The wheel will teach the basics but its no replacement for actually getting behind the wheel of a real car. Not even close to being a replacement for that. But if you just want to teach the basics then it would be fine and the G25 is a good choice because its one of the better mainstream wheels and it comes with a clutch pedal too.

He's only 14. Im not sure I trust him enough to get behind the wheel yet, but if the G25 give him practice on the basics like steering, shift and clutch control then it may be the best option.

If he's 15 he can get a Learner's Permit and let him drive around in an empty parking lot. If he's younger you can fill the void with a G25 for a while I suppose. The newer Fanatec wheels are actual size so that would probably be better but those wheels are hard to get.

I dont think hes even allowed to get a provisional licence (UK) yet, not until 17 I think. Is the G25 wheel a whole lot smaller?

Thanks for the reply guys.

 

[Mark T]

The steering wheel, clutch and gear shift is completely different to real life driving. It's impossible to learn clutch control as the games do not replicate the biting point of a real clutch, games just literally engage/disengage the clutch, there's no middle ground. It's completely different to driving a car in real life. The steering wheel is also alot smaller.

I would buy him the G25 anyway along with a PS3, a copy of prologue or a game like Need for Speed Shift. If you have a reasonable PC there are some excellent racing simulators like Live For Speed and GTR. It may not help him to drive but will teach him about racing lines, smooth cornering and will be great fun for him. If he's into cars and racing he'll absolutely love it.

 

[yeti]

Also might make him take out his racing needs on the PS3 instead of on the road!

C.

 

[Biggles]

Where are you XT80? As few cars sold in NA have manual shifting, any steering wheel/pedal combo is going to help your son IMO. As for the clutch: I can tell you this from personal experience: since I moved to NA almost 30 years ago, I hadn't used a clutch/H-shifter for years. Playing with the G25 made it seem pretty natural to go back to manual shifting when I rented a Golf GTi in Germany recently.

So yes, I definitely recommend having your son practice on a G25 before he gets in a real car! 👍

 

[lubetek]

Many cars are sold with manual transmissions here in NA. I imagine both manual and automatic are equally popular.

 

[XT80]

The steering wheel, clutch and gear shift is completely different to real life driving. It's impossible to learn clutch control as the games do not replicate the biting point of a real clutch, games just literally engage/disengage the clutch, there's no middle ground. It's completely different to driving a car in real life. The steering wheel is also alot smaller.

I would buy him the G25 anyway along with a PS3, a copy of prologue or a game like Need for Speed Shift. If you have a reasonable PC there are some excellent racing simulators like Live For Speed and GTR. It may not help him to drive but will teach him about racing lines, smooth cornering and will be great fun for him. If he's into cars and racing he'll absolutely love it.

Thanks for information, its extremely helpful. He already has a PS3, he can buy his own games, lol.

Also might make him take out his racing needs on the PS3 instead of on the road!

C.

Lol, maybe I should get it for myself instead.

Where are you XT80? As few cars sold in NA have manual shifting, any steering wheel/pedal combo is going to help your son IMO. As for the clutch: I can tell you this from personal experience: since I moved to NA almost 30 years ago, I hadn't used a clutch/H-shifter for years. Playing with the G25 made it seem pretty natural to go back to manual shifting when I rented a Golf GTi in Germany recently.

So yes, I definitely recommend having your son practice on a G25 before he gets in a real car! 👍

Im in the UK. I think the majority of cars here are manual. Id rather he practiced in a manual so he has a choice later instead of being stuck with an automatic.

Many cars are sold with manual transmissions here in NA. I imagine both manual and automatic are equally popular.

I always thought in the states nearly everyone drove automatics?

 

[Biggles]

I always thought in the states nearly everyone drove automatics?

They do. lubatek must be talking about his cadre of hot-rod buddies.

The only statistic I could find were for 1998: approximately 10.7% of the vehicles sold in the US had manual transmissions. In Europe the figure is reversed with approximately 90% of cars having manual transmissions. However, in larger European cars (over 3.0 litre engines), 80% used automatic transmission of some sort.

In Japan, almost 90% of cars are automatic (excluding "mini-cars").