As the owner and instructor at Modern Driver Institute, I have a passion for teaching. I also have a passion for driving. For me, driving isn’t just the process of commuting between two locations – it can also lead to fun, adventure and relaxation. I’ve been road-tripping around the country most of my life, and have driven in deserts, swamps, blizzards and mountains, and I’ve covered countless miles on dirt and gravel “roads” that give many drivers nightmares.

Choosing a vehicle to use for teaching can be challenging. The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires all driving school vehicles be equipped with an automatic transmission, instructor brake, heater and side mirrors. That’s it. There’s also a single line of law dating back to the 1950’s that decrees no driver education vehicle be more than 8 years old or have more than 80,000 miles, whichever comes later. As you can imagine, most driving school cars hit the mileage way before they rack up the years (in 11 years of operation, I’ve accumulated well over 400,000 miles traveled). Because of this, many schools utilize cheap vehicles, often bought in bulk, that can be turned over every few years.

I’ve just put Modern Driver Car #5 into service. It’s a 2025 Nissan Sentra SV, a front-wheel drive four-door sedan with a 1.4L engine and automatic transmission. It has the following safety features:

• Airbags
• Electronic Stability/Traction Control
• Antilock Brakes
• Forward Collision Avoidance
• Blind Spot Warning Sensors
• Lane Departure Warning Sensors
• Driver Inattention Warning
• Backing Collision Sonar
• Backup Camera

Stuffed with the latest safety tech, it’s also a pretty nimble and fun car to drive!