I learned how to drive when I was nine years old in a dirty white 1991 Subaru Loyale Wagon 4WD, that I purchased for $50.00.
When it came time for me to actually drive legally with my learner's permit, I drove a number of vehicles:
My Volkswagen Vanagon - A really good vehicle to learn how to drive a manual transmission with, A touchy clutch with a two-foot-tall shifter made it so you could drive any manual afterward.
My 1970 Subaru 360 - Also a good vehicle to learn a manual with. Dog-leg shift pattern and a box-of-rocks transmssion make for some tense moments going uphill, but an extremely fun vehicle to drive that teaches you to get the most out of what you have (25 horsepower).
A massive Dodge Ram 1500 Conversion Van - Avoided at all costs.
A 1998 Ford Explorer (I passed my DMV test in it)
1993 Ford Taurus - Really fun to drive despite being American-built. A Ford from back when Ford made some good cars.
It all really depended on what was available when I needed to practice. I got one wrong on the written test (pointless mistake) but no faults on my driving exam.
