I got my driver license thanks to Westwood Driving School! I was extremely nervous about taking the Behind The Wheel Test. Because It would be my third time after having bad experiences from previous exam preparations with another driving school that lots of people suggested the school to me. I don't have a car, and friends who have a car that I can practice with. I also had exam anxiety, because I failed twice before I met Westwood Driving School. Since from the beginning, everyone who works for Westwood Driving School is a friendly and professional attitude. When I explained my bad experiences about another driving school and with my friends' car, I talked to Laura on the phone, and she listened to me with patience and helped me to book for a lesson with Eduardo. After the lesson, Eduardo explained my mistakes on the paper, also on the road. He was calm and explained every detail for safe driving with great tips very well. I'll always remember those tips while I drive. I also had a lesson from Manny. He was also professional, calm and funny. Thank you to all at Westwood Driving School; you are all my angels and stars. I wish I would choose you at the very first time for taking the exam. But I am glad to take my third (also the last) try with them. I highly recommend Westwood Driving School. read more

My daughter took 3 lessons, as required. On the second lesson they told her she was going on the freeway next time! I said no, and when she told them that, they said "well, I'm the driver." Good thing she didn't actually go, because on the third lesson she scratched their car... read more

We had an amazing experience with Westwood driving School and my first child. It was so great. We're going back again soon, as my youngest child is about to turn 16. This was a fantastic experience. And in a big city like Los Angeles, it's a little scary to think of your child getting into A car with a stranger. And we did not feel any anxiety at all. The instructor was professional, and did a fantastic job. I highly recommend this business. read more

I hadn't practiced driving for 2.5 years and wasn't very confident as a driver, but the instructors at Westwood Driving School helped me feel so much more comfortable behind the wheel and I passed my driving test at the Culver City DMV in one try! I took three lessons and had no other driving practice before taking my test; I had two with Eduardo and one with Greg. Both Eduardo and Greg were very patient, clear, and explained concepts well so I knew exactly what I needed to do in order to be a safe driver. Ali took me to the DMV for my test, and he helped me calm my nerves and gave me last-minute tips for my driving before the exam. Moreover, I really appreciated how organized the driving school was! Scheduling the lessons was a breeze, and I got calls the day before each of my lessons as reminders. Driving was definitely not something I was good at or enjoyed doing before I took lessons at the Westwood Driving School, but I have a completely new outlook on driving after taking three lessons here. I would highly recommend the Westwood Driving School for anyone who wants to improve their skills behind the wheel and become a safer, more competent driver! read more

I have an Australian drivers license so needed to sit the written and behind the wheel tests to get a Californian drivers license. I took a 2 hour lesson 2 days before my DMV behind the wheel test with James and it was really helpful. There are certainly some differences between driving on the right side of the road and road markings & rules so thoroughly recommend doing this before the DMV test. I had James as my instructor and he was a great bloke and certainly helped me pass! read more

Great experience! Very friendly staff at the office, very professional instructors, brand new cars. Would definitely recommend. read more

I'm so thankful to Westwood driving school and Eduardo specifically! My five lessons with him and my final lesson DMV test prep with Regis got me to pass with 0 errors on my second try! I was super nervous and yet all the patient training and their teaching expertise helped me become a great driver and got me a pass on the exam. Book classes with them, you won't regret it! read more

Coming from somebody in their 20s who has never taken driver's ed as a teen or been behind the wheel for more than probably twenty times in my life, I really had no excuse as to why I didn't have my license (other than living in the bay area where transportation outshines LA's by a landslide). This place is expensive, no doubt about it, but if you're a teen who needs their 6 hours of instructional lessons (or whatever that requirement is) done or a not-so-bad motor skills learner, you probably don't need to call this place often. The people who work in the office are nice, friendly souls who are always perky and chipper. Scheduling is not hard and they offer Saturday lessons, but those fill up fast if you're looking for one. I suggest calling a couple of weeks or more in advance. I was paired with Destiny for my lessons and she is a gem. I knew I was getting a laid-back instructor when I first got in the car with her and she treated me as if I was just another one of her friends taking her out for a drive, but don't let that derail you; she is a quality instructor. She emphasizes what you need to know and do to pass the driving test, but also tips and little things that will make you a better driver overall. She's also the funniest person ever, never hesitant to tell you stories and share personal experiences with you. It's her way of loosening any nerves you may have. She does a good job of not intimidating you and if you make any mistakes, she's really good at pointing them out, but not in an angry, scolding way that can scare people off. You'll also have her voice in your head as you drive because she is consistently repeating "LEFT RIGHT LEFT," "COMPLETE STOP," "BRAKE," and her super fast, "SIGNAL, CHECK YOUR MIRROR AND BACK SHOULDER." Yep, that's Destiny. But aside from that, some things to know about this place... - Schedule wisely. Give cushion time before and after your appointment to account for travel time for the first/next person to pick you up and drop you off. - Realize you're driving in the Westwood/Beverly HIlls/Santa Monica/Pacific Palisades area so PCH and 10 freeway may be involved, which means traffic at certain times and the possibility that you will hop on the freeway--don't be scared. - Maximize your time (time is money!) so give them the correct address to pick you up at, don't forget your permit, have common sense to make the process smoother. Overall, there's no real downfall to this place other than it being pricey, but I guess it goes back to you get what you paid for. read more

I am a nervous driver. But that also depends on where I am driving. I am originally from the mid west and I have lived in Los Angeles for 10 years. And let me tell you, traffic is insane here. But if I am driving back home, its no big deal. But here in LA, oh. my. So I wanted some lessons to get me more comfortable. I had Destiny as an instructor and she is fantastic. She will make you feel VERY comfortable and gets the job done without making you feel self conscience. She will point out if you mess up but does not make you feel bad over it. She always arrived on time and did not make me do anything I was uncomfortable with. I highly recommend her! Request her! I have also worked with Manny. He is so friendly and made me feel at ease. Very easy to talk to and very helpful with any questions or issues I brought up. The cars are always clean and easy to maneuver. They will come to your house to pick you up for your lesson if that is more convenient for you and then drop you back off after your lesson. The staff in the office are so friendly and nice too. I even had a situation where I was supposed to take a lesson one day and I found out some extremely bad news that morning and I knew that I was in no condition to drive. So I called to cancel. I knew that they normally would charge a cancellation fee since I did not give them 24 hours notice. But I explained my situation and they waived the fee for me. VERY nice people and always helpful with I call. Thank you Laura for always being such a sweet heart. :) From what I hear, Ali is fantastic as well! Big shout out to him! So if you just need a refresher course like me, or if you are someone who really needs to learn a thing or 2 about driving, this is the place to call! read more

I had an opportunity come up that required that I drive manual. I've driven stick on rental cars in foreign countries but I figured it was time to learn how to do it with out destroying a clutch... Ali was an excellent instructor. I really can't think of anyone that would be more patient and instructive than him. It was definitely worthwhile and very helpful. He's mellow and very positive. I feel pretty comfortable with my manual skills and I owe it all to Ali for helping me get a great foundation. read more

Woohoo! Passed with one try! Thank you Westwood Driving School and Edgar for helping me pass the driving test. It has been my biggest worry this whole time since I waited so long to take my driving test. Edgar went over many helpful tips with me so they are always stuck in my head whenever I am driving. Excellent experience and highly recommend. read more

Eduardo was a great instructor and I passed on my first try. Westwood Driving School was also able to accommodate my late notice booking for a road test car. Great experience with the company overall! read more

I had a great experience here at Westwood Driving School! The in-class driver's ed class was thorough and helped me easily pass the permit test. I also took in-car instruction sessions with Alfred, and he was great! He was very patient and relaxed, yet he payed careful attention and saved me from an accident more than once. Thanks to him, I passed the drivers test no problem and got my license. Thanks Alfred! -Christian Fong read more

After just three lessons with Westwood Driving School (and some extra practice with friends' cars) I passed my driving test first try at the Santa Monica DMV! I decided I finally wanted to get my license before graduating college, and I'm so thankful for all the help they offered. I never wouldn't thought I'd go from zero driving experience to having my license in less than a month. I had Veronica, Manny, and Steven - all three were super helpful during lessons. They were all great at explaining how to improve my driving and they gave me tricks to keep in mind when driving in LA. They are pretty hands-off when it comes to learning, which I appreciated. I learned from mistakes I made while driving, and they helped point out and correct them. I took my driving test with a rental from another driving school (BIG MISTAKE!), and that instructor was super unhelpful, he kept reaching over to take the wheel and giving me bad driving tips (encouraging me to switch lanes in the intersection, tailgating, etc.) Veronica, Manny, and Steven were a lot better at using their words to explain how to drive, which helped me learn how to drive myself, rather than have someone do the actions for me. They only intervened when absolutely necessary (i.e. I wasn't braking fast enough). Steven even helped me learn how to parallel park, which isn't required for the test but is a very important skill with LA street parking. Scheduling was super easy, and I got confirmations a day before each lesson. I highly recommend Westwood Driving School! read more

My experience with the school is very positive. My instructor Eduardo is always helpful, patient, and encouraging. He had identified my weaknesses and helped me practice and master those skills. He was willing to invest extra time on me just to make sure that I could do well in the test. His tips and reminders certainly had helped me stay safe on the road and pass the test. I highly recommend the school and instructor Eduardo to everyone. read more

[passed the driving test on the 1st try with 96/100] I had a great experience with this driving school-- I had 6 lessons with 4 different instructors: Ben, Senai? (apologies if I spelled that wrong) Eduardo, & Manny. Ali took me to my driving test on short notice since all the instructors were booked. The staff is very professional and always called a day beforehand to confirm the appointment. Instructors were never more than 5 minutes delayed, and they went through everything that was on the behind the wheel test in great detail. I didn't get to practice driving in between the lessons but I felt that 6 lessons (12 hours on the road) was adequate preparation for the test (although I still need to gain experience). The pricing is around $100 ish for each lesson & $125 for the test (if you ask them to take you). If you ask them to take you to the DMV, they will either take you to Culver or Santa Monica & drive around with you for an hour before the test to get you comfortable and walk you through necessary procedures. All in all, I had a positive experience with Westwood Driving School, and would definitely recommend this service to first time drivers! read more

Choosing Westwood Driving School was the best choice I had made! I passed my driving test on my first attempt at Culver City DMV, huge thanks to the amazing instructors and staff at Westwood Driving School. Eduardo taught me so many tips and skills to drive safely, and he cares so much about your safety and learning. He is super professional yet very friendly and sweet--he helps you relax even on the test day! I was able to overcome my fear of driving after I had a few lessons with Eduardo. :) Westwood Driving School is highly recommended and you won't regret your decision! read more

Great experience, super accommodating to our schedule and they couldn't have been nicer. My daughter especially enjoyed driving with Carlos and found him to be knowledgeable. He made the driving very enjoyable. Highly recommend! read more

I passed my driving test on the first try at Culver City DMV with Westwood Driving School. I had two driving lessons with Greg and Manny. Both instructors were extremely friendly and took initiative to make me feel comfortable on the road. Greg was a great introduction to getting behind the wheel again. I had limited driving experience from years ago before my first permit expired. Greg remained calm and shared fun stories to keep my nervous down. Manny was my second and last instructor before my road test. He spent his time talking me through all the key points I needed to know. On test day, Oscar accompanied me to the DMV. He picked me up about an hour early, so I had the chance to practice my driving. He was not only detail oriented, but also a great support. He did everything he could to prepare me for the road test. We were stuck delayed at the DMV, but Oscar took this opportunity to help me visualize and brush up on what was expected on the test. Thanks to everyone at Westwood Driving School, I passed on my first try :) read more

I passed my test through Westwood driving school. They were recommended to me by a friend and couldn't be happier. Their staff is very accommodating and their teachers are incredibly helpful. Special thanks to Regis and Eduardo. I started from 0 and they both got me through the process within a few weeks. read more

Lots of great advice from the instructors and after the three lessons I passed my DMV test with flying colors. They were busy at times but were flexible and called me immediately to let me know if an earlier time opened up. If anyone wants to learn there, that's the place to go. Every member working there is very understanding and willing to work with you, just give them a call and I'm sure they'll help you out ASAP! read more

Westwood Driving School is great, friendly office, good instructors, I'd give the training part 4 stars. The Drivers Ed part, not so good. The www.310driversed.com they use (in 2011) for the online education portion is TERRIBLE! The questions are unrelated to driving, poorly written, ambiguous, utterly worthless, and there are tons of them. It is supposed to equal 30 hours of education. A complete waste of time and money ($50). read more

First I should mention that Eduardo is a very good teacher. He wants to teach you all the rules and meanwhile he is reminding your faults in a very practical way.I have a teaching experience and I can tell you he loves his work and his teaching.I recommend having him as your instructor would be a great help in your driving experience and exam . Although It is not just about the exam, what it matters is driving safely and properly. I am happy having him as my instructor and thansk him and all these nice people in this organization. read more

I'm from a country that uses public transportation a lot more than here, so I never got around to getting a drivers licence in my home country and since moving to LA I have procrastinated getting one for a long time. I finally decided to get one and bought a total of 10 classes with this driving school. I took my test today and I passed! I can't stress enough how incredibly helpful and good this driving school is. They are always trying to be accommodating, they always call the day before to remind you of the time for your next class and are always willing to change pick-up address when I happen to end up somewhere else (sorry about that Laura!). On top of that, I think its important to point out that I'd NEVER sat in the driver seat of a car before this, yet passed my test after 10 classes (and I did not have any additional training outside of the hours spent with the school). A special thank you to you Eduardo -- you are such a patient and polite instructor! You taught me the importance of actually BEING a safe driver and FEELING safe, instead of just wanting to "pass the test" like I wanted to do in the beginning. Eduardo also always gave me a lot of helpful tips that I will keep with me in the future when I drive. I'll see you on the road! 11/10 would recommend! It's worth every $ (PS. Also thank you Laura for always being so happy and helpful on the phone! You're a star too) read more

The most noble profession is to teach. Regis clearly exemplified patience, guidance, and clear instruction during his lessons with my teenager. He gave her constructive and kind feedback, which built up her confidence and knowledge. I would recommend Regis as a teacher to everyone that has a new or existing driver. As a bonus feature, they can take your young adult to their driving test with the school's car. Since I have an older and bulky vehicle, this was ideal! Call them. You will be in the hands of angels. read more

Since my license is from abroad I was required to take a DMV behind-the wheel test for the local one. I decided to take three driving lessons to make up for a several years' long break and to adjust to the peculiarities of driving in LA. I've driven with Eduardo, Ben and Ali. Each one of them is a very professional instructor. They approached lessons differently and took me through the different routes but it all worked towards the same goal: teaching safe and confident driving. I easily passed my test and I'm not confused on the road by the unfamiliar signs and markings. The office was very helpful with scheduling too. Thanks a lot to the Westwood Driving School team. read more

Needed the new California handbook. The DMV was so crowded and I had no time to wait. Grateful Westwood was open and had plenty of them :) read more

Westwood Driving School - Needed the new handbook! Thankful they had them available! - Driving Schools Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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This review is long due but I absolutely needed to make sure everyone knows how amazing this school is. Despite having a driver license, I avoided driving at all costs due to a previous traumatic incident on the road. Every time I sat behind the wheel, my palms were sweating and I felt like I was about to have a panic attack. Well, I managed to live in LA for 2 years without driving (thanks Uber and the great location of my apartment) and all was ok until I became a mother. Being a non-driving mom in LA is a huge challenge so I decided to finally face my fear of driving and contacted Westwood Driving School. They were super friendly and very flexible and did everything to accommodate my crazy new mom schedule. My main instructor was Oscar who helped me get rid of driving anxiety immensely! I also had one lesson with Eduardo who is an exceptional instructor, too. Oscar shared tons of tips to be a safe driver and worked hard to help me restore my confidence. He's very calm and patient but he also makes sure you're aware of the driving mistakes you made so you never repeat them. After just a few lessons with Oscar I was able to drive again with much less anxiety. I wish I started lessons with Westwood sooner. Thanks again so much for a great service! read more

I had Veronica 2 times as my instructor. I had some quite nice conversations with her and she did a great job at preparing me for the test as well as making the ride interesting. read more

I had a 2-hour lesson with Ali on how to drive stick shift. He was informative, patient, and made sure I knew what I was doing. Reasonably priced at $160. I'd go back again just to make sure I am 100% confident with my stick shift driving skills. read more

Eduardo lives up to his reputation! Passed on my first attempt at Santa Monica DMV. Happy to once again trust in the Yelp community and try Westwood driving school with Eduardo as my instructor. Eduardo has a very sharp eye for driving and will focus on both the things you feel like you need to practice on and the things you need to pass the DMV driving test. I wanted to not only pass the test, but also be a safe driver, which Eduardo really helped me become. Unfortunately there are so many unsafe drivers out there that hold a license, don't be one of them and get a good instructor! It's not only your life you're putting at risk but others as well. What I also really liked is that he is very honest and will not try to exaggerate the amount of driving you need to pass the test. Did not feel like a minute was wasted with him at all. Trust in his judgement! read more

So... I am in my LATE 20s and just decided to learn how to drive (finally!). I really wanted to to do this right to stop being skittish and get over my fear of driving (or rather, my fear of running over pedestrians and scraping super expensive cars I can't afford to fix), so I tried out three driving schools before settling on one. Conclusion? I wish I knew more people who need their licenses just so I could recommend WDS and Kendall! HIGHLIGHTS: - Courteous and prompt service. The people who answer the phone are really friendly and happy people. They even call you the day before to confirm your appointment. - Rates are reasonable considering the instructor I had. The first place I tried out was $10/hr cheaper, but the quality was sub-par at best. You don't want to skimp on your driving instructor! You get what you pay for! - KENDALL was my instructor. He was SUPER AMAZING. He was friendly, instructive, informative, on-time, and just plain cool. Two of my biggest issues with the other instructors (from the other schools) was that they weren't on-time and they'd be overly friendly/flirtatious and made me feel self conscious and uncomfortable (and who needs that while learning how to drive?!), but Kendall was super friendly and nice in a PROFESSIONAL way. - I passed my driving test (after five 2-hour lessons) with flying colors thanks to Kendall. - Not only did I pass, I am now confident in my ability to maneuver around LA in a 4-door sedan. haha. -ASK FOR KENDALL!!!! Side Note: You know my pass is legit because the DMV tester was a scary woman who didn't even crack a smirk the whole time. hahaha. Watch out, there's another female Asian driver on the road now! ;) read more

If you live on a major thoroughfare, be warned; your very first lesson will start with you pulling out into traffic and driving the previous student home. In our daughter's case it was Barrington near Sunset, and she had to drive to Culver City in afternoon traffic. For my friend's daughter, it was PCH. Knowing that, you might want to meet them someplace safer, and if you had the day's first appointment you might actually be able to start out with some instruction. Also, avoid Bobby. To be fair, the office people were very nice and efficient, and resolved our problem immediately, without fuss. Probably great for the more experienced student who wants to add skills. read more

I had a 2-hour stick shift lesson with Ali today. He is an excellent teacher. I am confident in my abilities to drive a stick shift car on the street after this one lesson. He is a patient teacher and very knowledgeable about how stick shift cars work and why you do the movements you do. I highly recommend his stick shift class and am very thankful to have had him as a teacher. read more

westwood driving school is an excellent driving school and I'll definitely recommend this place to friends and family. Eduardo was my instructor and he was an excellent teacher. The emphasis was always to be an excellent driver and to be safe when driving. I appreciate his patient and wit. Eduardo is very friendly and approachable. Laura was extremely helpful in accommodating the lessons and the driving test within my hectic schedule. Ali took me to the driving test and, long story short, it was a hectic day, but I passed my test thanks to the amazing team work of Ali, Laura, and Eduardo. read more

Yeah. I sent my daughter there. I still had to do a lot of hours with her anyway. But the location is goodl

I don't write a lot of reviews. My experience at Westwood Driving School deserves my time in doing so. My experience is somewhat unique in that I am in my 70s and was in a traffic accident where I was found unconscious. If a driver loses consciousness while driving (accident, stroke, seizure etc.) the driver is referred to the DMV Safety Office. A Medical Evaluation needs to be done before they can continue driving. The DMV Safety Office wanted to be sure that I was not a safety risk to myself and others. Examples of conditions they look for and might raise red flags are diabetes, epileptic seizures, Alzheimer's, etc. My license was suspended for three months until all the evaluations came back, and I was deemed OK to drive. I had to take a written and behind the wheel test. I passed the written first time out. I always thought I was such a good driver! WRONG! I FAILED MY BEHIND THE WHEEL TEST. The DMV Safety Office eventually, about four months later, issued me a temporary license where I could only drive with an instructor. Here it is the end of the school year. Drive schools are packed with kids trying to get their licenses and put in their six hours of instruction. Well, I was disheartened until I got on the phone with Giselle who made magic happen! Giselle is part of the administrative team and scheduling of lessons. If you need help with coordinating lessons, ask for Giselle. She knows this business' ins and outs! I had a couple of classes with different instructors then I got lucky. I got Regis who I must say is a Diamond in a sea of Cubic Zirconias. My first wake up was that I was NOT a good driver and secondly, to make this work, I needed to have the continuity of staying with the same instructor for all my classes. There was no one else but Regis that I wanted as my instructor. Thanks to Giselle, she made it happen. Regis is patient and shares what you need to know and do to pass the test. Today he took me to my appointment for my drive test, and I finally passed my test. The most difficult task was to break old bad habits while learning and implementing good new ones in a relatively short amount of time. I say this because it took me 50 some years to learn and incorporate old habits and a month to break those and discover and make permanent new ones. I could not have done it without Regis' support. He is such a good teacher (he also teaches guitar, so he has that teaching ability built-in). Today he took me to my appointment for my drive test. I PASSED! I could not have done it without Regis and his knowledge or Giselle in administrative and scheduling and Westwood Driving School; they are the absolute best. If you need a Drive School call, Westwood Drive School asked for Giselle (she makes magic happen) and then wait if you need to don't go anywhere else. Set your lessons with one instructor, Regis if available. All teachers are good; it was just the right chemistry with him (strict and critical yet gave praise where it was due). If you need a Drive School: call Westwood Drive School. Thank you to all for really working with me. So you see, OLD DOGS CAN LEARN NEW TRICKS! LOL! read more

I had a wonderful experience with Westwood Driving School. I had both Manny and Eduardo as my instructors over the course of three 2-hour lessons. Both Manny and Eduardo are fantastic instructors and know what they're doing and are friendly and make you feel at ease when driving, especially for the first time. The cars that they use are newer Corolla's (nothing junky like some driving schools). Manny and Eduardo covered everything I needed to know for the driving test and I'm proud to say that I passed my driving test today on the first try and was awarded my license. None of it would've been possible without Westwood Driving School. A big 5 star recommendation from me. read more

I learned how to drive a stick for the first time thanks to Ali! Started in the parking garage that had uphill/downhill to practice with no one around so I had no pressure. When I had more comfortability, we hit the streets. When I pulled out of the garage, it was down pouring hard rain! Honestly, it was really easy and if you're just gonna be commuting side streets in LA, you'll be using 1&2 gear at the most maybe 3rd but I learned from the best! read more

. I took many lessons here a couple of years ago. The instructors were always on time and I passed my test on the first try because of them. Every instructor I had was also very personable. However, I felt that I was being taught to pass a test and not how to drive well even though I specifically asked to practice and learn everything and learn to be a good driver because my parents didn't really want to drive much with me. On my first lesson, we dropped off another student who lived very far from me. On my first lesson I drove down sunset. It was a terrifying experience considering I had NEVER driven before. Even my instructor told me that was one of the most intense places to drive on for a first lesson and that it was too much. I wouldn't recommend Westwood if you are looking for a place to really teach you how to drive well, however, I would HIGHLY recommend them if all you need is to pass your driving test. read more