Car for teenage son, advice please

[Captain Colonial]

New cars can be cheaper to insure partly because they give better passenger injury protection, thus in a world filled with injury claim lawyers, anything that reduces injuries is a good thing.  So a car in Group 4 with a 5 star NCAP rating can be cheaper to insure than a car in Group 2 with a 3 star NCAP rating IMO.

[Captain Colonial]

New cars can be cheaper to insure partly because they give better passenger injury protection, thus in a world filled with injury claim lawyers, anything that reduces injuries is a good thing.  So a car in Group 4 with a 5 star NCAP rating can be cheaper to insure than a car in Group 2 with a 3 star NCAP rating IMO.

[Norman Verona]

OOH, MemSecs now caught posttwiceititis.

[Dommo]

If the distances aren't big, what about a Twizy? Wonder how that stacks up insurance-wise...

[housebeautician]

My first insurance bill was £70.00 TPf&t.

These prices are a rip off.

It would be easier to control the young ones driving by speed limiting the car to a max speed as they do lorries.

As a suggested max speed of 35 MPH  in a small engined car would sort a lot of the problems with new young drivers out IMO.

But it is better for the robbing ins companies to leave it as it is.

There is no doubt that we are being priced of the road. 

[echoz]

Problem is, if we get priced off the road how do we get to work? I work 10 miles away from home in the middle of nowhere, no bus route, could ride a push bike but id rather not turn up to work a sweaty mess everyday! How much longer can our country survive when everything is rising in price so fast?

[Andy Banks]

Just about to start the hunt for my Son's insurance, I think it's going to be a no-no unless we can find something sub £2k.

 

What we have done so far:

• Spent £2k on a 1995 Mini Cooper, solid, easy to fix, needs a few tweaks, perfect for a new driver
• Got him his own provisional learner insurance for the Mini

What next:

• He has his test in a couple of weeks, passed the theory already
• I expect he will also take PassPlus
• Start looking for insurance:
  • His own insurance
  • Mum and Dad as named drivers
  • Black box
  • Will try specialist via Mini Club, A-Plan, high street broker, etc.

[echoz]

Just Putting it out there, but I road a moped for 3 years, cheap cheerful commuting  help him get to and from work, so he can save money to pay the extortionate car insurance prices  

[Leftfield]

Whats a Twizy? just in from work haven't had time to google.

Where he works, public transport is a non starter, I take him in the morning and he can arrange a lift home three nights.

Its all main roads and dual carriageway plus Scottish weather on the  few ? days it does rain means I don't really want him on a moped. Road sense is limited, none of the kids seem to learn on bikes anymore, what have I done to my kids?

Had a look at the NCAP ratings and insurance groups and a Skoda Fabia 1.2 seems pretty good value for money to me, lower mileage,less chance of being thrashed, better spec. etc. I'll keep everyone informed as this progresses and again thanks for your input, it has been worthwhile and again proves the value of the membership fee.

[Dommo]

Renault Twizy is a small, really small electric car. 2 seats, kind of. A glorified invalid carriage if you will

 

http://www.renault.co.uk/cars/model/twizy/product.aspx

 

Might not be so suited to dual carriageway stuff, though I think top speed is around 60.

[SootySport]

Fabia      I had a VRS,  brilliant little cars although the boys street cred may suffer.  Good luck on selling the idea to a 17year old.

[jeff oakley]

Problem is, if we get priced off the road how do we get to work? I work 10 miles away from home in the middle of nowhere, no bus route, could ride a push bike but id rather not turn up to work a sweaty mess everyday! How much longer can our country survive when everything is rising in price so fast?

 

The plan is for everyone to live near to work where public transport will do. But whatever the cost goes to people will still want to drive, so people will downsize to cheaper transport modes, just as China increases car ownership, we will see low power commuter bikes selling more.

The big reason they do this is we allow them to get away with it. We are a cash cow and they will milk us for evermore.

[pete g]

dacia sandero   well cheap to buy  and maybe insure

[alexander72]

Unimog U1600 - 175bhp, 7 tonnes, 55mph (limited) , 3 in the cab and 12 in the back (a whole rugby team) and £88.90 to insure fully comp for lads aged 16+ as it's a tractor......oh and it has ABS and AirCon.  Plus birds love it.....

[gavinnn]

The reason it is more expensive for your son to be a named driver instead of a main driver is simply because, unfortunately for us, insurance companies aren't stupid. It is widely known to put your son/daughter as a named driver and front the policy in order to get a lower premium, their solution is to increase the premium so you can't cheat the system.

 

Speaking as a younger person I hate the black box idea. For example; they charge you for accelerating hard, I go through the centre of Nottingham several times a week and sometimes I need to use some power to get through traffic and get out of junctions. Another is that they normally stop you driving after 11pm, most 17 year olds have a social life and only know of one 11 o'clock and it certainly isn't the one in the morning. But more importantly, what if you have to go out at that time for whatever reason such as work or a rush to hospital? A lot have a milage restriction as well and once you go over the cost is something like £1 a mile!

 

Have you tried cars such as a Polo, Golf, Lupo, Starlet, Civic, 206, Clio. I also did PassPlus, all it did was help me on a motorway for when I went on it on my own for the first time, it has never saved me money on insurance. I also don't understand the false economy of..."I'll spend £5k more on a new car than I was willing to spend on an older car in order to save £700 on insurance."