Viva Driving School

I had a bad experience for driving lesson before I found viva driving school.The previous teacher was very impatient and not on time and also didn't show up 3times,but my current driving instructor Raz(viva's instructor)is very kind and patient and generous so I never feel stress.He is really nice person.I have driving test tomorrow and I'm very nervous but he yelled at me so I feel better than a short time ago!

I could not thank Viva enough! I have always been terrified of driving and had so much anxiety. I took all my lessons with Sam and he helped me become a confident, good driver. He was very patient with me no matter how many mistakes I made in the beginning, He would always thoroughly go over my errors and help me correct them. The day of my driving test Randy took me and he was also a great instructor. He really made me feel confident that I would pass. An hour before the exam we practiced around the dmv area which really helped. I passed on my first try!!
Thank you all so much!! 100% recommend Viva Driving school.

David was very accommodating for last minute driving appointment.  My child's prior driving school cancelled her dmv appointment but good thing that instructor was able to get her appointment back.  So happy that i found this school!!!

I had Sam as my main instructor. I purchased the 6 hour session plus an additional 2 hours for taking me to the DMV test for the driving exam. I passed my first try!

Sam is a friendly, knowledgeable instructor, and was patient with me being a total driving newbie and teaching me how to be a cautious driver. He made sure I learned from the critical errors I made and what not to do on the road. Additionally, he took me on the freeway to practice getting comfortable with it, even though its not on the exam.

I loved that Viva picked me up and dropped me off from my house, which was super convenient. They were always on time too.

In the end they helped me build my driving confidence and helped me prepare for my driving test.

However, the reason I docked off a star:

On the day of the test, a different instructor, George, came to pick me up, but was at the wrong address 5 minutes away (an honest mistake). After arriving, the car would not start again (out of gas? I'm not sure what the problem was). We had to wait an additional 15 minutes for someone else from Viva to bring a working car.

So in the end, about 20 minutes of the time I payed was wasted that I could've been using to practice before my test. I still got a little time to get warmed up before my actual test though. George was very nice and helped me breeze through the Pasadena DMV for my driving exam appointment.

Overall, my experience for Viva was great and I recommend them to new drivers, or if you just need to brush up on your driving skills.

Viva was the only place I could find that offered class room instruction for Driver's Education, which was what we need for our daughter.  One weekend and done! She passed her written test on the first attempt.  Their behind the wheel training has also been great.  Great, friendly instructors.  They came to our house and picked her up and dropped her off.  I highly recommend using Viva.

Love that they pick up.  I live in Monterey Park; the most southern part of their driving area.  On first lesson the instructor asked if we can make it a shorter lesson because he had another student right after and didn't want to go all the way back to drop off my son.  Then I would be getting 4  1 1/2 hr lessons instead of 3 2 hour lessons.  I agreed. But when  I scheduled the next lesson the person taking the call said the instructor didn't have the authority to do that.  They tried to honor it, but of course it didn't work out. I lost out.  Make sure you get the full 2 hour session.

I called Viva because I had not driven for a couple of months and wanted a refresher course The instructor they sent out was Randy and I cannot heap enough praise on him . Showed up on time and was very competent. personable, and knowledgeable. We covered many surface streets as well as 4 or 5 freeways. Covered some points which cannot be overestimated like defensive driving and the true high  of violations Randy is absolutely the greatest
And I have to praise the whole Viva operation .  No high-pressure to sell you up to a more expensive course of lessons I wasn't even asked for payment till the lesson  was over. An unusual experience for an operation California. It Will definitely recommend Randy And Viva

My daughter just passed her behind the wheel driving test.  thank you Adis for being so easy in working around our busy schedule to instruct her.  You guys are very nice to work with and I will easily recommend your company to anyone  looking for a driving school.  
My son also went through your school 3 years or so ago and we had the same experience back than.
thank you, thank you, thank you.

Best investment ever.  Easy from start to finish.  Both Rachel and Sam were terrific instructors.  Supportive and helpful the whole way through from day one. We could have used less hours and online classes but the value and ease of viva were well worth the price.  They even took our daughter to the DMV for the driving test and she passed her first try!  I would recommend to anyone.

I had my reservations finding the right place to teach my kids how to drive, considering how important it is for them to learn correctly and drive safely. I can not be more happy about my decision to sign them up for Viva Driving School. Both my 17 year old son and 16 year old daughter took their lessons here and learned to maneuver a car correctly, stress free, and most importantly, in a safe manner as well.The instructors are kind and wonderful teachers.

Today, they helped us through a tough situation, as I forgot that I took my daughters drivers test appointment on Wednesday and she still had two hours left to complete. I called Viva on the phone, David went above and beyond to accommodated my daughter by getting her a two hour slot to complete her mandatory 6 hours.

I highly recommend Viva Driving School to any parents wondering where to send their kids to learn driving.

Overall the quality of the instructors is good and they have a genuine interest in helping you pass the test. My instructor, George, was very detailed in his explanations regarding traffick checks and driving tips, which were really helpful on the test, letting me pass on my first try. So I would recommend Viva for people who want a dedicated instructors and detailed  information.

Thank you Viva Driving School and my instructor Sam for helping me pass my behind the wheel test on the first try!

I had a lot of fear and anxiety about learning how to drive (like a lot, I was a mess during my first lesson) but Sam really put me at ease and helped me build up my confidence on the road. He was kind and patient with me when I made mistakes, and always took the time to  explain things to me when I wasn't quite sure what to do (he'll literally draw the explanation out for you, with the pen and scratch paper he always has on hand, so you'll truly understand). He's very knowledgeable on what the examiners will look for, knows the test routes really well, and will make sure you have all your driving maneuvers perfected.

As a company, Viva is fantastic -- signing up and scheduling my lessons was a breeze, those who I spoke with over the phone were always friendly and helpful, and I always appreciated the reminder calls the day before my lessons/test.

I'd recommend Viva to anyone who is looking for great driving instruction, and especially Sam as an instructor who's awesome and encouraging. I couldn't have done this without you guys! Thanks again! :)

Great experience, Sam is a patient and friendly instructor. Driving with Viva allowed me to become a more confident driver and pass my driving exam first try!

I was incredibly nervous about driving and postponed getting my license until I was 19. Now, I can confidently say I am the best driver of my friends. The instructor completely helped me move past my anxiety and guided me to passing my drivers test with only 2 errors! Loved this driving course.

We were wandering through this process with our teen - thanks goodness for Viva - they prepped her so well - Rachel, and the other instructors, were encouraging and positive.  So convenient to do pick up at school - lesson - then drop off at home.  We bought the 10 hours and she did the last 2 at the DMV  - picked her up at 7:40 am - she was at the DMV with plenty of time and encouragement (last lesson plus last 1/2 hour before test they went to the DMV and prepped her in the area) She took the test in the Viva car - and we have a driver!   Thank you Viva - Our son is not too far behind her and I look forward to calling you again!

Great instructors, especially George! He is very systematic and effective. The staff is friendly and accommodating.

My son had a great behind the wheel experience and the instructor was awesome. BUT....

The reason I signed up for Viva is due to the great reviews I received from family friends. Now I won't refer anyone else there because of the poorly relayed information from the front office. The front office staff told me that use of one of the cars would be included for the DMV test with the mandatory 6 hour package that I purchased.

Fast forward to a week prior to the DMV appt, I'm told it will be an additional $140 to use the car for the appt because I didn't purchase a 10 hr package. I was never informed that a 10 hr package was the only package that included a car. I spoke with the front office today to inquire about this charge, and I was told that with the 6hr package, if the driver is over 18 the car is included but if not it's an additional $140. What exactly is the difference? Whether the driver is over or under 18, the fact remains the driver is in need of a car for the test and I was told it was included. I'm disappointed and will more than likely cancel that $140 appt and allow my teen to use my car.

Today I had Sam as an instructor, one of the nicest guys I've met. Really makes students feel comfortable while driving. Great price for the area and best driving school around!

Wanted to write for a very long time.
Now before I found this school I had a major issue with another teacher (from another school) that was very disrespectful towards me so when I met for the very first time my teacher from this school I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone here is so nice and calm that automatically you are feeling yourself more confident and comfortable. Absolutely recommend this school to anyone who wants to get qualified and very knowledgeable instructor. They worth every penny I spent here.
Would definitely give 10 stars if I could.
Thank you guys very for everything.

I recently moved from the UK and needed to retake my driving test to be able to get a CA license. I had been driving in the UK for 14 years and knew I had picked up bad habits plus the roads and rules of the road are different so I decided to have a couple of lessons with an instructor.

I contacted Viva and the customer service was excellent. I managed to get a lesson for the next day and the lady clearly explained what to bring and who my instructor would be. The only thing that she didn't explain was that the lessons are "back-to-back", meaning the last person who had a lesson is in the car with you and you then drive to drop them home and towards the end of your lesson you pick up the next person. This may be the norm here though.

My 1st lesson was with Rachel. She picked me up on time, calling to say she had arrived. I then explained why I was having 2 lessons, I had a lot of driving experience but was preparing for my test and wanted to know of any bad habits to eradicate, how to be as prepared as possible and to practice a couple of maneuvers that I didn't have to learn in the UK (e.g. reversing whilst turned with right hand on the passenger seat).

Rachel then started to direct me and we drove around for a while, dropping off the previous lesson and heading towards the next. I saw another review on yelp that said she spent most of the time looking at her phone...this was true for my lesson also and it was because she was using the maps to see where we were going. I understood at 1st but then quickly realized that it meant she wasn't really watching what I was doing and she didn't give me much feedback as we drove.
We didn't practice the reversing I had asked her to and there was a couple of things that she allowed me to do that when I asked if that was ok or if I should have done it differently she said "I wouldn't do it on your test but it was fine for just now".
Considering that I had told her I was preparing to pass my test, not just practicing/ learning and that I had only booked 2 lessons I was annoyed that she allowed me to do those things and didn't practice test maneuvers with me either.

We collected the next student and as I am new to the area I didn't realize that we were actually a 25 min drive back to my house. This was a little annoying as I had plans and needed to get back home.

Once home I called viva to check who my instructor would be for the next lesson and thankfully it was a different instructor. I didn't want to waste any more money if I wasn't going to be prepared to pass my test.
I had George for my 2nd lesson.

George was great! I explained the same again as to why I had booked a lesson. He talked me through what to expect on the day, things I need to do more of, things to watch out for, bad habits to change, practiced hand signals with me and reversing with right hand on the drivers seat.

George also used his phone to direct us but I didn't feel like he was focused on it, he was constantly watching what I was doing and consistently gave me feedback, both positive and constructive, so I know what to focus on when I'm out practicing with my partner.
His next lesson collection was only a 5 minute drive away from my house so it wasn't inconvenient for me.

To conclude...Viva is a good school, with great customer service, an easy to navigate website and a fair price.
I would highly recommend George as an instructor! He understood my needs from the lesson and delivered them!

I am totally satisfied with Viva Driving School. I would like to thank Driving Instructor SAM for helping me pass my driving test, FIRST TRY! The stress and anxiety around passing the driver's test was reduced because He taught me so well. He was so encouraging and supportive. He made sure I am ready and confident when I took my test, and I was. Their office staff are very professional and efficient in scheduling my lessons up to my test day. I highly recommend Viva Driving School. Thank you and God bless!

I would like to thank Viva Driving school. I had the opportunity to take lessons with 4 different instructors (Edwin, Robert, Bert, and David) and they were all very professional and knowledgeable. I learned something new form each instructor. I had a lot of anxiety driving and all the instructors made me feel at ease. I passed my driving test thanks to Viva. I definitely recommend Viva Driving school to anyone looking for a good driving school.!!!

I took four lessons from Viva and each one of them was very helpful and allowed me to pass my driving test first try.

Best driving school ever! I've booked 6 hours behind the wheel training with instructor Sam and then 2 hours DMV Test with David. And passed it from the first attempt at Pasadena DMV despite getting the toughest examiner! During the training Sam took me to examination area and we did all required maneuvers there. He is extremely friendly and professional. He corrected all my mistakes and gave me a lot of valuable suggestions. David is very friendly guy as well. He picked me up one hour before the test and verified that I remember how to do all the elements of the exam.Thank you so much Sam and David for making me happy California licensed driver. Recommend 1000%

had the best experience at viva. absolutely love robert he made it so much better (:

Excellent school! The instructors I had (David, Sam, Dave) were all very friendly, patient and professional, noticing every mistake and telling how to correct those. I only took 10 hours and was able to pass the behind-the-wheel test with 4 mistakes. They took me to the DMV as well, explained what the test consists of and reminded of the tricky parts. And even accommodated me when they were fully booked and I needed a two-hour block to pass my test -- one of the instructors was working on his day off! Thanks, Sam!!Overall, extremely positive experience. Recommend 10/10

I passed my driving test first try! I drove with my instructor along the DMV route and helped me with the small details that get points taken off on the driving test.

My daughter used Viva for her behind the wheel training. She worked with Adis who was professional, patient and very kind. She took her test and passed on the first try. Would definitely recommend Viva to anyone!

Very nice and friendly and easy to do anything with them.

The instructors are very good at preparing you for every part of the test and walking you through every part of the driving process. All of the instructors i’ve had have been very professional and patient w their students.

Excelent Service, professional instructors with hight sense of our driving needs. Sam, David and Robert helped me to pass the driving test. Thank you to all!!

I did the 3 behind the wheel training lessons for $315 as a teen. First going there I was quickly taken care of, I would say less than 10 minutes. Communication and service seems good. I would say that sometimes the cleanliness is questionable especially during COVID-19 (not wiped down, masks sometimes slipping out). Overall it was a good experience.

Extremely nice and friendly instructors. The receptionist is super nice and understanding I had less than 1 month to get my 6 hours of required instructor driving and the receptionist was able to get me scheduled in. I had instructor Sam and he was amazing 11/10 would recommend him, he gives a lot of tips and explains in detail, I learned a lot during the lessons. Definitely recommend taking this driving school.

Had a great lesson learned a lot. The teachers are very good and highly knowledgeable.

Good driving school, teach techniques and prepare you for the driving exam well