Car for teenage son, advice please

[Leftfield]

Son turned 17 last week,starts lessons shortly.

Started looking about for his first car.

What kind of cars are insurable for youngsters? Getting quotes of 2.5k per annum for a corsa or Clio thats valued at £3k, tried putting his mother and I on as named drivers but that only raised the premium.

Anyone been here recently got any pointers?

Thanks in advance.

[gavinnn]

That usually decreases the premiums, those cars are about the lowest insurance in all fairness, Fiesta's are usually cheap too. I'm only 21 so have came across these problems and it sure is a rip off!

 

Have you tried Admiral? They are the best for younger drivers, or seem to be at least. Play around with online quotes directly on the companies no price comparison sites. As you've said put yourself and his mum as named drivers as that usually works, say the car is on the road as that is now cheaper and have a play around with things like milage etc.

[FILFAN]

I hear small vans are cheaper

[User0083]

There's a black box scheme running for young drivers, with done insurance companies. When getting a quote go for fully comp... Difference is surprising and sometimes it can be cheaper.

When I passed in 2000 some of my friends went on parents or had parents as named drivers... When they wanted their own insurance their premiums almost doubled, so best to have just your son on there.

I searched (pre-Internet search engines) in Max Power mag... Walked into WH Smith and took down numbers out the back for specialist young driver deals. The other way to shave off a few quid is become a car club member, here we have A-Plus, did a very good deal on Mrs C's Tin Top, but I was a mini owners club member and got 10% discount... About £80 at the time, for £12 a year membership.

HTH

[deanoecosse]

During a chat with a broker a few years ago, they advised young drivers to go for a "non stereotypical young drivers car" ie move away from the Corsas, Clios and Fiestas that 90% of youngsters go for. They advised slightly larger stuff eg Focus, bigger Peugeots etc and although the insurance grouping was higher, the premiums were not as high.

 

The only other thing I'd say was to give Clare at A-Plan a call, she's done great stuff for a lot of us on here with insurance and she may be able to help with the young driver

[sweet orange]

Hey up,

 

Had this conversation with one of my neighbours the other day. Their son's first car (fiesta 1.1) was costing around 2.5k per year to insure..  It seems even if the car is worthless the premium is still high.?

 

Maybe we should look at transport in a different light, what i mean is £2500 would buy a lot of bus and taxi rides in a year, and bu66er all the expense of owning a motor in the first place.

It would certainly take away alot of the worries for the parent ... the immanant first crash.

 

I know it is not the soloution for everybody, but when my two reach this time in their lives, it is something to consider.

 

The top and bottom of things, are  the people in charge are taxing us off the roads.... maybe to make their commute easier.

 

Let the debate begin...

 

 

 

 

Or you could try a Kia Picanto.

 

 

[Captain Colonial]

As always, it's not what the car is worth, it's what damage it can cause.  Grandson got a 52 plate Saxo 4 door 1 litre, secondary driver to his mum, £1300 third party.

[Norman Verona]

It may just be due to the high claims from 17-20 year old male drivers.

 

I got my first car in 1964 and I had several accidents in the first few years. None were my fault, of course.

 

Other than insurance companies moving from mutual status to PLC status (and therefore having to make a profit for their shareholders) I don't think anyone's being "ripped" off.

 

The high risk sectors pay higher premiums. If the risk was spread across all drivers, as it should be, you'd be complaining "why should I pay for this stupid young drivers"

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

Try a 4x4 I got a Suzuki Vitara, which all 3 kids learnt using it and very cheap to insure as not a typical kids car. Also we used it in the snow etc.

[M444TTB]

Slightly left of field cars seem to be a good way to go. It will still be painful though. I now feel lucky that when I bought my first car aged 19 (in Oct 2000) I could still insure £5k of Pug 106 1.6 XSi for under £2k. But even then Incould have had a Pug 306 2.0 Sedan for less!

Having a parent down as the main user of the car with the child as a named driver (unless tey really arent the main user) will be pointless though. Not worth the potential trouble for 'fronting'. The public transport is the sensible idea really, but it's easy to forget what a defining experience owning ones first car in your late teens is.

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

We got a Citroen C2 for my daughter to learn in which was very cheap to insure (or should I say did not cost the earth using my no claims) my son has also leaned to drive in it (passed about 4 months after turning 17). Daughter needs a car for her uni course as she needs to get to different places, when my son also needed a car for work we got her a Pug 107 as this was even cheaper to insure and he has got the C2. He did not fancy the 107.

 

In the end it cost about £1400 to insure him in the C2 (just over 18) with a black box fitted, the 107 would have been cheaper, its difficult to say how much as it is using my no claims even though she is down as the main driver, she is picking up her own no claims as a named driver though.

 

Citroen C1, Pug 107 or Toyota Ago are all the same basic car, I would recommend them as a first car, Group 1 ins, £35 tax, very economical. When I was looking I found even group 3 cars the insurance cost the earth, try and aim of group 1 or at most group 2

[M444TTB]

What's the deal with these black boxes? Presumably it makes things cheaper to start with, then come year two when you've inevitably been driving like a knob but have been lucky enough not to get into any bother you get stung?

[User0083]

At Donington show I was chatting to a 18yr old that had a 1.6 x-flow Westfield as his first car...

If paying £2k insurance might as well have sommin worthy!

When insuring tin tops I don't find much difference between them. S2000 was £12 a month more than my Astra Drop Top, which was £6 a month more than my classic Mini 1275 GT.

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

Without the black box we were looking at a premium twice as high.

 

With my son's policy it measures and comments on his driving, it picks up if he is driving late at night, driving to fast, accelerating, breaking, steering harshly etc. On the web site you get feedback. 

 

At 6 months the top 5% get at 20% rebate the top 25% a 5% rebate the opposite applies at the bottom. 

 

Basically he just needs to drive sensibly and he will be ok, if he can drive like this then his insurance will be manageable  he will build up no claims and he will get older. (also also makes a significant difference). Importantly he will gain experience and continue to learn how to drive more safely.

 

Would not like one my self but I do drive the car still and it does make you think and is not really a problem for every day driving.

[jeff oakley]

Contact a good broker for help. The type of car does make a huge differance, anything trendy, saxo, corsa is seen as a bigger risk for a young guy. Get them in an older Yaris or a honda jazz and the premiums will go down as they are seen as less likely to have a hit.

Get good training and do the pass plus afterwards and any other training that shows a good attitude.

 

All cars for younger drivers should have the full array of driver assistance especially ABS which will keep many out of ditches. Too many parents buy the cheapest car for their most precious thing. I know it is harsh but better for them to do without than be in a rust bucket that will fall apart in an accident. They can still pass the test but waiting for a better car will increase the value it holds.