I'm older. Mike helped me pass my driving test three times on the first try when I was anxious, lacked confidence and needed his simple breakdowns of problems I had behind the wheel. He knows the whole process, on the road and at the DMV. He has patience and expertise. Excellent communicator!! read more

I can't thank Mike enough for helping my son earn his license. This journey took a little longer than usual because my son had real fears, but Mike met him with patience, understanding, and kindness. He never rushed him, never judged him, and truly took the time to understand who my son is as a person. Because of Mike's honesty and encouragement, my son was able to face his fears and accomplish something he once thought was impossible. If you have a child who struggles to take that first step, Mike is exactly the person you want by their side. Thank you, Mike, for making such a meaningful difference in our lives read more

Elite Driving Academy - Driving Schools Near Me - Simi Valley, California

My daughter had a pretty short window to prepare for her test, and Mike worked it out so she could get all her lessons done in time to take it on the first day that she was eligible. She really appreciated that he was very respectful in giving corrections. (She hated how i corrected her! ) As others mentioned, Mike met us at the DMV and walked my daughter through the testing process from start to finish, which was a huge calming factor for my daughter, who was beyond nervous. Not only that, but he had even made the appointment for us! My daughter passed on the first try. Thank you so much, Mike! read more

Review from my daughter. "Mike is a GREAT driving instructor!. He is easy to talk to. When making corrections, he said them in a way that was not intimidating but in a way that made it easy to focus and comprehend his instruction. What I liked BEST was that he met me at the DMV the day of my driving test. That made me feel more relaxed and prepared, and guess what...I PASSED!!!!!" read more

Best driving instructor ever! We were referred to Elite and specifically Mike from two separate friends that used Elite and passed their drivers license test the first try. Mike is an excellent teacher who puts the student at ease and knows exactly how to best prepare them to pass. He will have them drive the test route before the test, make the DMV appointment for them and let them drive his car for the test if they choose to. My teen was comfortable with Mike and passed her test the first time. I highly recommend Elite, you will not be disappointed. read more

I recently completed my driving lessons here and couldn't be more pleased. The instructor Mike was great in every way, from day one he was patient, knowledgeable, and incredibly supportive. Mikes clear instructions and calm demeanor made me feel comfortable and confident behind the wheel. He tailored each lesson to my specific needs, ensuring that I progress at a pace that suits me. Thanks to Mike teaching me I GOT MY LICENSE NOW!!! I highly recommend elite driving academy to anybody starting to drive! THANKS MIKE! read more

Mike is super awesome to work with. He is not only reasonable priced, but very flexible with schedule. He showed up at DMV when my daughter was testing!! Such a welcome surprise as she was so nervous. She passed Thanks Mike read more

Elite Driving Academy - Driving Schools Near Me - Simi Valley, California

I paid for 6 lessons (in a package). No lesson was ever longer than 45 minutes. I had to cancel a lesson and my choice was to pay $50 to reschedule or skip it (and still get credit for it. I'd never been told of this policy and had had to cancel one before with no penalty. I so wanted to be done that I just took the loss). He said my son knew how to drive so well that his job was very easy, hence the short lessons (which I never got reimbursed for). My son actually got 100% on his driving test. But that's because I drove with him 100's of hours. I would go elsewhere. It's a constant scramble for the money. He wants the last lesson to include an hour at the DMV - as the parent you need to be there also so I do not get the point of that and instead got a (45 minute) lesson that cost the same as 60 minutes. read more

I am updating my review now that my concerns have been heard, and addressed. I have gotten my money back and started my son at a different driving school, so all is now well. I still think the whole experience could have been handled better but have to acknowledge when a business ultimately does the right thing. Oh, and I chose not to file a claim with DMV or the state after Mike got in contact with me shortly after my review. read more

Mike thank you so much for helping my daughter get her license today! You were reliable, patient & wonderful with my daughter. Coming to our appointment today was a bonus and put her at ease! She passed with flying colors & could not have done it without you! Thanks again! read more

Elite Driving Academy - Driving Schools Near Me - Simi Valley, California

Mike is the best! He walked my daughter all thru out and she passed with flying colors. He was there during the drive test and gave her a lesson before the test. What a great guy. I definitely will recommend him. read more

paid and signed up for the 6 hour course for my daughter on May 1st. As of August 2nd, Mike has failed to give my daughter the lessons she needed to get her licensee. She has had 4 one hour lessons, each almost a month a part, and Mike left after showing up for another lesson this weekend because of his Cat! He advertises his 6 hr course as the following * The Elite Driver training System * Curb Parking & lane positioning * The 10 Blind Spots * 180-200 Right & Left turns * Lane Change moderate traffic * Straight line Backing * Parking lot, Parking * Correct following distance * Correct stopping distance * 10-20 second scanning * Timing traffic lights * U turns w/ green arowws * Freeway merg light - moderate traffic * Freeway exiting * Smart lane positioning * When to signal * How to look back correctly * Safety equipment check * Mock drive test. My daughter just drove around the neighborhood with him, no freeway training, and none of the information above was covered. My daughter still has trouble staying in lanes and is not prepared for her test. Mike neglected to schedule her drivers test in advance even after sending him her permit no less than 5 times. First one sent on May 8th, then every time my daughter texted him, she had to resend it. Her permit expires in 2 days so she will not be getting her license soon. We hired Mike because we needed a professional 3rd party to teach our daughter how to drive. Both my wife and I tried with her but we made her too nervous. Mike took our money and did not fulfill his agreement. After contacting him, he said he had been trying to schedule but he could not. Sorry but he had from May 8th to today to schedule a date and he never did. He has offered to refund the last two sessions, however I will be seeking a full refund. read more

Mike is great teacher and a very nice person. He's very committed and the one person around the Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks area you should go to, if you need to practice driving. I failed 3 times before meeting Mike & then Mike finally helped me drive perfectly and pass my drivers test. Thank you so much Mike! read more

Dishonest, Incapable, Useless 1. Signed up for 6 hours. He gave superficial driving lesson for 3 and half hours. Spent an hour in DMV. Total 4.5 hours. 2. Didn't show up the first day because he mistakenly put the appointment for a past date. Finally apologized after telling that he should accept his mistake. Didn't acknowledge his mistake first. 3. Just sat in the car without telling rules or correcting mistakes till the test day. He only really gave driving lesson for 30 min before the driving test. 4. The day before the test, when he was supposed to take the kid to the dmv neighborhood for 1.5 hour driving lesson, he did not and made him drive 30 min in the local neighborhood different than where the driving test was. Spent 30 min in dmv to get receipt of appointment which he messed up in the first place. 5. Driving test date- shows up 20 min late and gives 40 min driving lesson. He had scheduled 2 hours on that date. 6.Kept complaining that he doesn't know anyone in the driving test dmv instead of teaching the rules. He relies on his relationship in TO and Simi Valley dmv instead of teaching kids. 7. On confronting, says the parents didn't give driving lesson and take the kid to the dmv neighborhood. Well why did I pay him for? He planned 3.5 hours in that neighborhood and actually only gave him practice for 1 hour. 8. Instead of accepting that he cheated (a kid) with hours, he claims to have given 6.5-7 hours of lesson. Can I get what he is smoking? He is good in manipulating Math too. 9. He keeps tooting his own horn by claiming 90% success rate instead of actually giving driving lesson and pointing out and fixing errors. 10. Gave a really good plan the first time I talked but everything changed after he received the payment. Before you book him, ask yourself if you are ok with (i) your kid not learning any rules (ii) your kid not feeling confident before the test (iii) your kid not passing the test (iv) you teaching and preparing your kid for the driving test (v) throwing away money (vi) dealing with a dishonest person If you are , then go ahead. I would only pay him if he gives me what he is smoking! Not for getting my kid lesson from him. read more

Not someone I would receive if your kid doesn't have an idea of driving. Our kids been driving for a while but needed the hours for legal reasons. Probably only did 1/2 of the hours but we more stressed about the rules of the road which he did teach. More of a "cut the corners" type of training it I guess we passed and got a license. My advice is to not have him deal with the child and have him directly call/text the parents to keep him honest. read more

Great price and excellent drivers education! My daughters instructor was Mike. He taught her everything she needed to know for her behind the wheel drivers test. The last lesson was a mock behind the wheel test. This helped put her at ease before her actual test. She passed with flying colors. In fact, I was pulled aside by DMV examiner after her test and was told that he was extremely impressed with how well she did. I highly recommend this drivers school along with the instructor Mike. read more

This driving school helped me big time and Mike did an excellent job in teaching a new driver how to drive! I would particularly recommend this driving teacher/driving academy for drivers with little to none driving experience or those with a fear/anxiety of driving. My driving teacher was calm, professional, and helped me overcome my irrational fears of driving read more

My daughter took driving lessons with Mike and the driving academy and had a great experience, she learned everything she needed to know about passing her driving test and did pass her test the first time. Mike went the extra mile to get her prepared and he gave her confidence in her driving abilities. I would recommend Elite Driving Academy to everyone interested in driver training. read more

Mike was awesome! A fantastic instructor who was patient and informative! He even met us at the DMV to help us with the process. His services were invaluable!! read more

I will now recommend Mike at Elite Driving Academy any chance I get! It is clear mike loves what he does and cares about his students.

Mike is an excellent instructor.. He is extremely patient and knows how to work with new teen drivers. My daughter was his student and after his training she received a 100% on the driving portion of her test! I completely recommend his company - Jeff Phillips read more

Mike is amazing! I was nervous to drive but with his lessons he made me a confident, safe driver and taught me everything I needed to know to pass my test on the first try! He really went above and beyond! I highly recommend Elite Driving Academy. read more

Highly recommend Mike and Elite Driving Academy. Affordable, reliable, knowledgeable. Mike was great with my sons; very calm and patient. They were totally prepared for the drive test and passed first time. Thanks, Mike. read more

Mike was simply awesome...excellent lessons....very polite ...helpful and flexible We strongly recommend him for training....driving lessons. Cheers up !!! read more

Michael is a great instructor. Very happy with his on time and great personal service!

I used this service in 2013 but saw the business pop up on my google contacts which reminded me of this horrible experience. It was one of the cheaper options that I found and didn't have a lot of money but was desperate for "professional help" since I failed a couple times already. The car was old and backseat was full of clutter/trash like someone was using it as their personal car. On what ended up being my last class, a different driver picked me up. It was going to be 2 classes back-to-back but I don't recall why. She told me she had to be somewhere so we didn't even finish 1 full class and she said she'll let Mike know. A few days later, I called Mike and he said all my hours have been used up somehow even though I don't recall getting all my classes, and that the other driver never told him anything. Nobody bothered to check back to see if I passed so I'm sure they didn't care at all. The other review is also correct, they had the tendency to cut my time short too. I hope they're better now but they definitely made a bad lasting impression on me. read more

My son felt comfortable with Mike after he took the Driver's Education course at the Teen Center. I thought that my son would need more than the minimum six hours of driving instruction but he passed his driver's test on the first attempt! On the day of the driver's test, Mike met us there before the test so that they could drive around the DMV test route. He walked my son through the entire DMV process so that by the time I picked him up he had already passed. Me not having to go to the DMV again - Priceless! I also like that he went over the things that my son had missed on the driver's test and emphasized that he should continue to practice. Mike let my son use his Driver's training car for the test, which was also helpful because my minivan is much bigger. Overall it was a good experience. read more

Horrible! The first lesson was great, easy to schedule, but it quickly went down hill after that! The owner is very nice and does his job, however each lesson was NEVER even a full hour (expect for the first one which was 1 1/2 hrs) and to reschedule was a nightmare! Usually late to each lesson and after I got mad, he would call when he was going to be late.These lessons were for my child to get a license for the first time. Thank goodness my husband did most of the teaching. Also, no one in the "office" to schedule or talk to, you talk directly to the owner or send him a "text message" as he seems to be the only one giving lessons as well. I never got feedback as to how my child was doing, when the lesson was over, he dropped my child off and left! I do have one more child who will need lessons, but will not use this company and will tell everyone I know not to use him as well. Sometimes the old saying is true "you get what you pay for". read more

Our experience with Elite Driving Academy was very positive and my son was able to get his driving license at first attempt after 4 lessons with Mike. I would recommend Mike to anyone looking for a competent driving school read more

My son has been training with Mike for the last few months and he just passed his driving test on the first attempt. We were pleased with our experience and the results were good. I would recommend Mike and this driving school for student drivers. read more

Mike was the perfect fit for my son. Calm and informative. When my son decided to take the test in our stick shift, Mike took him out for a spin to see if he was ready to take a test in it. He was, so off they went to work on the "course". Mike even met us at the DMV, went through the process inside and then waited for him until he was finished taking his test. Mike, if you see this, THANKS! read more

The best experience! Mike is an excellent instructor!! My daughter passed her driving test with 100%! I highly recommend Elite Driving school! So glad my friend referred us to Mike! read more

Mike, our instructor, was the best. His dedication was evidenced in our son's passing the written and behind the wheel portions of the exam on the first try. Definitely gave our new driver confidence as well as rules of the road. Exceeded our expectations. read more

Road test appointment in a week! Delivered as they promise. Got my roadtest appointment in a hurry. Thanks