It may have taken me a couple of years, but now I can officially say that I'm a competent driver in large part thanks to Drive Rite! Although I had a great experience working with Drive Rite a few years ago I didn't end up making an effort to continue driving upon passing my road test and receiving my license. I was afraid to start driving again without any practice and decided to return to the school last month. I took several Pass Plus Lessons, in addition to two Highway Lessons. My experience at Drive Rite in 2019 was stellar. The school continues to conduct business in an extremely professional and efficient manner. All of my instructors (Greg, Jason, Raheem, and Kareem) were excellent. They were not only very knowledgeable but also challenged me during my lessons in various ways; they made sure that I continued to learn new driving skills. They were happy to answer any questions that I had and spoke freely about their own personal experiences as drivers when prompted to. I'd like to give a shout out to Raheem who did an amazing job of guiding me through my first Highway Lesson. Thank you so much! Geminesse was extremely helpful and patient with me when I had to call in and reschedule some of my lessons. I'd like to share a few more notes that you may find helpful if you choose to become a student at Drive Rite: (1) Be mindful of the time and place where you schedule your first Highway Lesson. I was advised to avoid scheduling these lessons during the AM/PM rush hour if possible; you can't learn how to drive on a highway if the roadway you're on is backed up due to traffic! I recommend scheduling your first Highway Lesson in Flatbush. You'll end up driving on the Belt Parkway which is easier to merge onto and wider than the BQE (which is the first highway that you drive on when you schedule a Highway Lesson in Prospect Heights). At off hours I would also like to think that there's less traffic on the Belt considering that it's farther away from Manhattan/Downtown Brooklyn. (2) Take control of your lesson plan. If you are confident in your abilities, don't hesitate to ask your instructors to challenge you and direct you to more busy streets/areas. If you've taken lessons in Flatbush you know that you spend most of your time driving around quiet, tree-lined residential streets. If you want to mix it up, ask to drive on Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues, and/or head east and drive through Farragut. Once you're comfortable maneuvering your vehicle, the best thing to do is to drive through commercial areas where you have to be mindful of great number of other vehicles and pedestrians. There's a good reason why they say that if you can learn how to become a good driver in NYC, you can learn how to drive anywhere! (3) Rent a whip. I highly recommend renting or borrowing a car and taking a day trip once you've gained some experience behind the wheel. At the end of the day you need to have the courage to set out on your own and take a trip if you want to fully learn how to drive. Take the number of lessons that you feel like you need to take (including 1-2 Highway Lessons), but then challenge yourself by driving to a destination outside of the City! I'm incredibly thankful that I had the opportunity to learn how to drive at Drive Rite. Driving is such a serious matter and I'm thankful that I've been trained to drive in a safe and defensive manner. I will continue to recommend Drive Rite to anyone that I meet who is seeking to obtain their license or become better drivers! read more

Amazing, amazing, amazing! I wish I could give ten stars! After having my permit for 11 years, and a lot of false starts with trying to drive, the folks at Drive Rite helped me to pass my exam on the first try!!! I decided to learn to make an effort to drive in the summer of 2016, and bought a lesson at another school in Sheepshead Bay. It was a terrible experience, and really put me off of driving. Then this summer I decided it was time, and did a lot of research. The amazing Yelp reviews made my decision easy, and I couldn't be happier that I chose Drive Rite. I purchased the six-course package, with the 5 hour course, road test appointment, and car for the road test. Hands down the best money I could've spent. I had a different instructor for every lesson (some people don't like that, but I loved getting input on different driving styles!) and every single one of them taught me something new. All of them are outstanding if you're an anxious/nervous driver like me - very calm, with a sense of humor (and the brake in the passenger seat) that make you feel like hey! it's not that scary! I went from a girl with a pit in my stomach at even the thought of getting behind the wheel to a licensed driver in just two months. And there is no way in the world I could've done it without Drive Rite. A few pro tips for anyone considering or already taking lessons: 1. Buy more lessons than you think you'll need. I bought six and probably should've done ten! You want to go into your road test confident and relaxed, and I was still pretty nervous. 2. Schedule a double lesson right before the road test, and go to the area where your test site is. You'll feel MUCH better taking the test in a neighborhood you've driven in before! 3. The road test is so much quicker than you think. I was done in five minutes. It really is just a super-condensed version of everything in the lessons. 4. Practice your parallel parks. Then practice again. And again. In the lesson before my road test, Rahim had me go down a full street and parallel park in every single spot (and there were a lot of them). That created the muscle memory I needed to do it perfectly on the exam! 5. It's entirely true what everyone says - the people that work in the office are incredible - friendly, funny, and will even give you a pep talk when it's time for your road test :D Thank you, thank you, thank you to Drive Rite! read more

I completed 13 lessons and paid over $900 to prepare for my road test. What Drive Rite delivered was negligence, not instruction. The day before my test, my regular instructor Neil was replaced without notice by a new instructor, Sujata, who arrived with zero knowledge of my progress -- she asked if I had ever driven before. She spent the first 15 minutes on her phone, covered basics I learned months ago, and introduced techniques the night before my road test that directly contradicted everything Neil had taught me. The stress triggered a full panic attack and I had to exit the vehicle. When a passerby stopped to check on me, Sujata told them "she's fine" and did nothing. I called Drive Rite that same day and explicitly told them: if Sujata was my instructor on test day, I would fail. They kept her assigned anyway. I failed my road test. The examiner told me my nerves got the best of me -- which is a direct consequence of being destabilized by an unprepared instructor the night before. After the test, Sujata drove away while I was still exiting the vehicle -- leaving me stranded in traffic. No concern for my safety whatsoever. When I called to escalate, the representative told me to calm down. I later discovered through the chargeback process that Drive Rite's own internal notes from one week before my test rated my chances of passing as "50/50" -- information they never shared with me. I also discovered they had flagged my anxiety disorder internally as a behavioral concern while making zero accommodations for it. These notes were withheld from me as a paying customer and only surfaced when Drive Rite submitted them to dispute my refund request. Their chargeback response also repeatedly misspelled my last name and referenced an instructor named "Jada" -- a name that does not correspond to anyone I was ever assigned. This is the level of care they apply to official documentation. Drive Rite took my money, withheld critical information about my own readiness, ignored a direct warning that the instructor substitution would cause me to fail, and left me stranded in traffic. Their refund policy does not cover service that was never delivered. I have filed complaints with Capital One, the CFPB, and the New York Attorney General's office. Do not give this school your money. read more

I passed my road test yesterday with a 90! Special thanks to my favorite instructors -- Bibi and Jason! Booking classes is a breeze and is best done a week in advance (they fill up quick!). Use their online system or book them all in person or on the phone. I, personally, did them all on the phone, and the girls at the front desk that helped me were so quick, efficient, and helpful. I really needed to get my license ASAP as I'm moving out to Long Island for school so I got the rush package. Within a month, I got my permit, took my 5 hour class, took five lessons, and booked my road test. I really liked that you're driving a decent car for your lessons and road test. At another driving school I used to go to, I could never get comfortable enough in their car for the exam and failed twice. The cars here seem well cared for, with power side-view mirrors and proper car alignment. I'm not sure how they accommodate requests for specific teachers but all instructors I got were pretty good. Some felt comfortable with the way I drove and thus lapsed into small talk for the lesson. Not a horrible issue, as I still got time behind the wheel. But Bibi and Jason are on another level of instruction. They were so observant and detailed, which is exactly what you need in a teacher, because the examiners are watching your every move! They critiqued every maneuver, making suggestions on how to do them better. They let me know every time I did something that an examiner might not like. One thing I wish they did was include your instructor's name in your lesson reminder e-mail. When I showed up for a lesson, I was never really sure who I was going to have that day. Walking up and down the row of driving school cars and guessing wasn't really much fun. Overall, I'm super thankful for having them to make me feel more comfortable behind the wheel and giving me the means to pass my test! read more

2 stars only because of front desk staff, 5 hr course instructor and a few of the drivers(mainly Andrey, Jason, and Orlando). I had my driving exam yesterday and miserably failed, as predicted by one of the drivers that i had, Scott. I took 2 back to back lessons with Scott to fulfill the gold package and it was a nightmare, that was my 8th & 9th lessons so therefore I had my exam only a couple of days away. In that hour and a half with Scott, he apparently told me I was taught everything incorrectly, did NOT make me feel at ease but instead made me more nervous as a driver than i already was, told me I was "wasting my money", and told me I would fail the driving exam because I didn't know what i was doing, regardless of other instructors telling me i was doing pretty great. By the middle of that first lesson I was literally about to just get out and walk out of the car, I don't pay the company nor Scott to raise his voice at me for an hour and a half telling me what a horrible driver I am and how I'm wasting my money, nor how I'll fail the driving exam. Scott should either be retrained or work with more expert drivers since I know driverite also has packages for that. An inexperienced driver should not have to go through a wave of nervousness and anxiety because of a nasty instructor with no patience nor manners. Regardless to say, each instructor taught differently, if they taught at all since a few of them were just on their phone more than half the time instead of correcting me. So when it came down to the exam, apparently most of the things that weren't corrected or I thought were fine, because again I was taught that way by the instructors, were wrong. read more

A lot of driving instructors from driving schools everywhere will tell you to just drive, make a left or make a right.. park a few times, if you mess up don't worry it's only 5 points. Then they tell you you're fine for the road test. That's what happened to me.. 3 TIMES, until I met Nick. He knew I wasn't ready with our first lesson. He taught me every step from the very beginning. We started with going over small details like how hard to press on the gas, where to check your speed, where to keep your left foot or how to turn the wheel. This helped to build a solid foundation for driving for me. He goes out of his way for his students teaches you how to be a safe driver. Even how to switch lanes! He builds up your confidence and builds up your muscle memory. I recommend doing a double lesson, you get to go more in depth then with a solo 45 minute lesson. I spent a year trying to get my license so I am very grateful for Drive-Rite Academy. I actually did get 5 points for parking, I was about an inch too far. I had the proper technique I just got nervous with measuring. The difference is, I knew I made this mistake before they even told me. I know how to park. On my previous road tests, I was making mistakes blindly! When I got the receipt back with all my errors, I was shocked and didn't understand what I did wrong. Now I do. That one mistake with measuring was literally all they could take off points for. Everything else was perfect! I'm so happy. Nick is usually booked so make sure to schedule in advance. If he's not available when you are, Andre and Isa are also great instructors too! I took lessons at the Kentilworth location. read more

Honestly the best experience I've had in learning how to drive up to just now passing my road test! I took all my lessons on my own time so I had different instructors each time and every instructor had their own techniques and tips to give me which honestly worked for me cause I was able to put together all their different techniques and have my own unique way of driving. Thank you to Nick and Jason for personalizing your advice and relating it to my love of video games when helping me learn how to parallel park. Parallel parking was never an issue for me because of you two and honestly the first skill I mastered when people say it's the hardest skill. Thank you to Raheem for making me feel comfortable behind the wheel when I was a huge nervous wreck every time I drove even though I had the basics down. Eesa (Isa?) thank you for helping me patch up my weaknesses with my turns! And last, but not least a huge thank you to Valerie for the confidence boost during my lesson and before my road test. You gave me confidence that I needed in terms of believing in my own skills that I already had and being a more assertive driver. Overall, this was an amazing experience for me and I never felt like I wasn't keeping up with what was being taught cause everything got broken down for me in a very easy to understand way. I passed my road test with flying colors and even got commended by the instructor. Driverite is honestly the way to go because no matter what instructor you get you can't go wrong. They're all great in their own ways and I'll be coming back for highway lessons now that I have my license! read more

Best driving school ever! First, one of the receptionists, Hiba is the most sweetest, caring, but yet professional individual I've ever met. From the first time I spoke to her on the phone to actually meeting her, she's AMAZING! You don't find that too much these days. She will do her best to work with you. Scheduling was not a problem. Simon, the owner, was welcoming and inviting. He actually cares for the students and provides support when needed. You don't find that too many places either. Thank you Simon. I had 2 instructors and they were both great. Big shout out to the "Sun Tan Superman" Kenny. Kenny is hands down one of the best instructors I've ever had. Coming from 2 other driving schools, it's hard to come across instructors like this. He's very informative and he keeps it real which is what I like most. When you make mistakes, he doesn't make you feel like you did the worst mistake in the world. He helps you fix it and gives you pointers on how to fix it. He works at your flaws over and over until you get it right. He's super patient, very knowledgeable, and very funny which helps a lot! He is a dedicated person and takes pride in what he does. I would recommend him to anyone! Thank you Kenny! Although I didn't pass on my first try, it's not because of Drive Rite. It may have been my nerves. Either way, I will be back at Drive Rite to work harder and pass on my second try. I will be back with a follow up review when I pass. read more

I Passed my Road Test, and this is how I did it. My story is I had not renewed my driver's license for several years, as a consequence, I had to go through the process of getting learners permit and taking driving lessons and 5-hour drivers' classroom course. I made my living as an NYC taxi driver for a period of time. I was fortunate to find Drive Rite Academy on YELP. Drive Rite Academy is an excellent driving school that offers you a number of classes of driving instruction that you need in order to pass your driving Road Test. They never, and I mean never suggest you take a certain amount of classes, how many classes of driving instruction you need is strictly up to you. My driving instructors David and Raheem gave me the confidence I needed in preparation for the Road Test. Jim drove us to the Road Test, he relaxed everyone with his jovial chatter and I had no butterflies when it was time for the test. There are a couple of things that I did not realize, When you take the 5-Hour Class that is when you will be scheduled for your ROAD TEST, usually 5-6 weeks after. When going to the ROAD TEST SITE, be sure to dress for the weather There will be no cover from the weather, in case it rains etc. I highly recommend Drive Rite Academy no matter if you are a new driver or an old-timer like myself returning to driving and seeking to become a fully licensed driver. This is a relaxed no drama Driving School read more

I have to start off by saying this was my first and only driving school that I have attended. Prior to choosing drive rite academy I went online and read many reviews on other driving schools but none stood out. I read the reviews on drive rite academy and saw most reviews were positive and decided to give them a shot and I can honestly say this was the best decision!!! From the moment I signed up online till my road test everything was super easy and smooth. Simon who is the owner and also an instructor ( an owner who not only manages but instructs I know unheard of!) was awesome. He made sure I felt okay with the package I picked, set up my five hour class and asked when I wanted to take the road test. Furthermore whenever I needed to make changes or reschedule or anything he was on top of it! As per classes I had Jim and I felt comfortable with him. I highly recommend Jim he is easy going and funny. He will teach you everything you need to know about actually driving and not just road test stuff like other schools. He made sure I felt at ease with the car and was able to perform everyday maneuvers. Lastly I took my road test today and passed on my very first try! Even if you have prior driving experience and haven't obtained a license yet I recommend you try out their packages. Best school hands down, thank you drive rite academy for helping me get licensed!!! read more

Before I begin I will let you guys know I purchased the package that included 10 lessons,the 5 hour class and the driving exam. ALL WORTH IT. I was a straight newbie to driving, never did it before. After taking lessons at this school I passed my driving exam...FIRST TRY BABY. This school has a five star status for a reason. Everybody from the owner (Shout out to Simon) ,to all the instructors were just...great Steve was the first to make me comfortable in the car, I knew nothing, but he was calm, patient and explained everything I needed to know to get started. Silvia managed to keep the 5 hour interesting. Chris was cool and patient and broke things down for me. And Jim. I had him for most my lessons and he's great,talkative so he actually makes you more comfortable and drills everything you need to remember about driving into your head. Simon gave me a lesson too and he was great at giving step by step instructions. But mostly he worked with me to get the best out of my package and I appreciate it. All in all they worked hard to make sure that I was ready for my exam and they really taught me how to drive safely and that's what was most important to me. So if your in Brooklyn or can get to Brooklyn, I recommend this school hands down. Don't worry too much about the price, driving is no joke, so its better to get your money's worth. Either way, good luck. read more

After having a license for many years and paying crazy Brooklyn prices for my insurance premium, I decided to look into taking the 6 hour defensive driving class, which promises to lower insurance rates by about 10%. For the price I pay for insurance, 10% is a lot. After doing a search for driving schools here on yelp, I came across Drive Rite. I gave them a call and asked about the course. To my luck, they were offering it the following Sunday. I signed up on the spot because I knew if I didn't do it now, I would probably keep procrastinating. Sunday morning came, I made myself a nice cup of coffee and starting preparing myself to sit through a long 6 hour class on a beautiful Sunday. I walked into the school and honestly I did not expect it to look so nice and clean. I have been to other driving schools, and they did not look as modern as Drive Rite. The instructor for the course was Jim. He made the class pretty interesting by always asking us questions and asking about our opinions. It was pretty interactive. I prefer this over listening to someone lecturing me for hours and hours. The 6 hours flew by fast because I was actually interested and engaged in the material. They also served refreshments during the break which was a nice bonus. I can't wait to see the savings on my insurance bill and I will definitely be back in 3 years. read more

I had the BEST experience at Drive Rite Academy! I had never driven a car when I started taking the lessons and I passed in my first try! I did some research on driving schools around NYC and was impressed by the wonderful reviews for Drive Rite. I was a bit hesitant at first because I live all the way in midtown Manhattan and Google Maps told me it would take an hour to get to the school by subway. I decided to give it a try because I wanted to do it right and I am so glad I chose Drive Rite! I don't know what other driving schools are like around NYC, but I would definitely recommend this one. I have interacted with Sylvia, Rebecca, Steve, Jim, David, Andre, Christina, and Simon throughout my time there and everyone was professional and warm! Andre was my first teacher and gave me a solid foundation of the best practices. Jim made me feel confident and comfortable about driving! Steve, David and Simon fine tuned my skills towards the last few lessons. Christina took me to my first and only exam and was most supportive. I also had very good interactions with Rebecca about scheduling for classes and had a lot of fun with Sylvia in the five hour sit-in lesson. I honestly would recommend this school to anyone I know and I already have! Got an email today about them expanding to Downtown Brooklyn area, and I am sure they will do just great there! read more

I loved my experience with Drive Rite Academy (I went to the Dean Street location which is easy to get to since it is close to the Barclays Center and most trains). It was nice to drive in crowded areas as well because that is the reality of driving in New York and most places. I felt so prepared for the road test and I passed! Emmanuel was my primary instructor (I also had Jay, who was very knowledgeable and answered all my questions) and I felt so comfortable driving and really enjoyed getting to know him. He is familiar with all the rules of the road and really wants to help students become skilled drivers, knowing how to pass the test, but also how to be aware of bicycles and turn properly. I personally wanted to pass the test, but I also wanted to be a good driver and his tutelage and advice truly made me feel confident behind the wheel. Even when I made a mistake, I wasn't being scolded or told that I'm an idiot (which actually happened to me at another driving school in Bay Ridge). I just felt like it was an opportunity for me to improve. I took eleven lessons (I did the Gold package and added an extra lesson for extra practice) and it was just so easy to schedule with DR's online booking system. I would highly recommend using Drive Rite and Emmanuel or Jay if you want to brush up on your skills and get your license. read more

Drive Rite should be your choice for a driving school. I saw all the great reviews for it on Yelp and decided to go with them. It also helped that it was 10 minutes from my place. I am a 33 yr old who has been putting off getting his license since we live in NY and can just take public transportation. But I finally decided to just get it over with. I am glad I chose Drive Rite as I passed my road test on my first try today. As for the instructors they were great. My first lesson was with Alex. He taught me the basics and made me feel very comfortable. My next 3 lessons were with Jim. Jim was an awesome instructor. He always kept me engaged with his stories and jokes. It was like driving with a friend. My 5th lesson was with Steve. He was a cool and calm teacher who helped me polish up my driving skills. My final lesson and the one that drove me to my road test was with Sylvia. She helped me out by giving me a lot of tips on passing the test. If there was anything negative, I would say the online booking system is a little confusing to use after the first time you book your first class. If you want to make some more appointments, the site doesn't really show you how. I got around this by calling Simon and emailing Renata to setup my times instead. Many thanks to them for being available and responding quickly. read more

I PASSED MY ROAD TEST ON MY FIRST TRY!!!! Are you a first-time driver looking for friendly and patient instructors? People who focus entirely on you and provide helpful feedback on what to improve on? A super nice customer service representative who is always happy and ready to work with you to book/reschedule your lessons? Well, I have good news, DRIVE RITE provides all these services. :) I had lessons from OTHER driving schools that didn't give me my full 45-minute lesson nor did they give me clear feedback, in addition, some lessons were just driving (no 3-point turn/parking) ... Drive Rite was WORTH MY TIME AND MONEY!! IN EACH LESSON I DID EVERYTHING I WOULD BE DOING ON THE ROAD TEST. My instructors were Bibi, Jason, David, and Kenny! All instructors were calm, friendly, and honest with me. They were all so helpful and positive that when it was time to take my road test I PASSED ON MY FIRST TRY!!! Now I'm the first in my family to receive my license! Also special thanks to Hiba (the customer service representative,) She made sure to always contact me whenever my instructor was unable to provide me my lesson and booked me with the next best instructor that was available. THANK YOU, DRIVE RITE TEAM, for giving me the experience I needed to pass my road test, especially on my first try. ;) read more

I wanted to personally thank Drive Rite Academy for helping me obtain something I gave up on getting, my Drivers's License!!! I only had the pleasure of meeting with and taking three lessons with them in a two day span, with the second day being my actual road test day! Within those two days they corrected techniques I learned prior to them and helped me reverse the "nightmare-like" impression I had of driving. I failed a few times prior to meeting them but they did not care about that because from the time I walked into their office they assured me I would pass with I'm them......and they were RIGHT!!! I'd like to mention a few people by name and they are Simon, Hiba, Ronald, Monique, and Jim! All of them were extraordinary, patient, caring, and influential in me obtaining my license. If asked would I recommend their school, I would say a thousand times YES!!!! To anyone who needs their license or even to perfect techniques GO TO DRIVE RITE ACADEMY!!!! They can and WILL HELP YOU!!!! If they can do it for me in two days, they can turn you from an absolute non driver to a licensed professional driver! Thank you to this amazing team for your staff, patience, expertise, and your ability to get results!!!! I will never forget you for helping me obtain this personal victory! Thanks again! read more

So far I've had 4 lessons at Drive Rite in Staten island. This review mainly pertains to my instructor Steven who is truly amazing. I was super nervous my first lesson, but he made me feel so at ease behind the wheel. I definitely am super confident that i will pass my road test & it's all thanks to him. He is so thorough with his instructions & advice. The process he has of teaching definitely made it easy for me to remember key things when it comes to driving safely & paying attention on the road. My driving is great & my parallel parking skills are super & it's all thanks to Steven. I have 4 lessons left before taking my road test but 100% sure i will pass. Now as far as the office/front desk i will say that they're clearly some miscommunication happening when it comes to scheduling b/c my first time i was able to schedule Steven, but the 2nd time around it was a bit more difficult. When i tried to schedule my lessons & preferably with Steven i was told that not only was he unavailable but that he wasn't available in my area & that the person who booked my lesson w/ him previously did so incorrectly. So that was a bit frustrating. Either way i had the most amazing experience w/ Steven as my instructor & i absolutely would recommend to my friends for future lessons. read more

Drive Rite was money well spent!! The day before my lesson I received a call from Simon (owner) telling me that my instructor was sick. We managed to find the right time for that day and due to the inconvenience he would be my instructor. I haven't been behind the wheel for the past 10 years and he made me feel at ease and secure. That's what I can say for all of the instructors I've experienced. I'm the type of person who likes to have the same person all the time. From Christina, Stephen and Simon they were all great instructors to have. They are patient, approachable and encouraging. They were very honest about my progress. I've had to practice my parallel parking over and over again and I just want to give Christina and Stephen a huge SHOUT OUT because I parked perfectly on my road test. High Five for my 85!!! Also, I had the pleasure of being driven to the road test by Andre (another instructor), who was very informative about the test and even pointers about being a driver and owning a car. Passing and Failing the test would have been fully on me and if I had failed I would have returned because I felt more than Customer. It was a welcoming atmosphere and fully professional, which is lacking in several driving schools. read more