Young people car insurance advice, how to get it cheap(er)?
Discussion
Or rather advice needed on how to get it cheaper than me insuring a Countach.
My daughter is now 17 and wants to start driving, so I picked out this badboy as an example of a reliable but boring first car
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
just to give me an indication of how much the insurance would be for something they would normally have to pay you to drive. I currently drive an MX5 BBR turbo for about £300 per year due to being an old codger, so knew I was in for a shock.. I thought it might be about the cost of the car for just third party.
However ...
That's more of a shock than Frankenstein's monster got during the birth delivery.
A couple or 3 questions :-
1.Am I actually doing something wrong here with asking for the quote?
2. Am I doing it the wrong way and should be putting her on my insurance? How does her NCB then build up?
3. Any tricks and tips to stop my hair going even more grey ?
I tried to choose the most non racy car ever to give me the smallest quote. I must have gone wrong somewhere I guess. Or else it is just like that and it is no wonder young people are now not learning to drive.
Any help for me and fellow numpties at buying car insurance for our next generation much appreciated.
My daughter is now 17 and wants to start driving, so I picked out this badboy as an example of a reliable but boring first car
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
just to give me an indication of how much the insurance would be for something they would normally have to pay you to drive. I currently drive an MX5 BBR turbo for about £300 per year due to being an old codger, so knew I was in for a shock.. I thought it might be about the cost of the car for just third party.
However ...
That's more of a shock than Frankenstein's monster got during the birth delivery.
A couple or 3 questions :-
1.Am I actually doing something wrong here with asking for the quote?
2. Am I doing it the wrong way and should be putting her on my insurance? How does her NCB then build up?
3. Any tricks and tips to stop my hair going even more grey ?
I tried to choose the most non racy car ever to give me the smallest quote. I must have gone wrong somewhere I guess. Or else it is just like that and it is no wonder young people are now not learning to drive.
Any help for me and fellow numpties at buying car insurance for our next generation much appreciated.
My daughter had the same car as her first car... even the colour although no the autobox.
Anyways...
Have you tried:
Fully Comp - seems to be cheaper these days to insure than third party, not like back in the days when I were a kid and third party was about half the price of fully comp
Have you added a couple of experienced adults on the policy as named drivers, you/your missus?
Limit the mileage
Try a Corsa and / or Ka, the first cars my other two had as the quotes were cheapest for those by then
Are you getting the quotes based on learner / passed test?
Get some voluntary excess into the quote... if she prangs a car at this end of the market it's gonna be written off... so max the excess on the assumption that if the car is pranged and broken you're gonna have to go out and just buy another one.
ETA: My three kids first year insurances were all in the region of £850 to £1100 based on the cars being cheap ass Micra, Corsa and Sport KA. You should be able to get to that kind of price if you play around unless the prices have tripled in the last 5-10 years.
Anyways...
Have you tried:
Fully Comp - seems to be cheaper these days to insure than third party, not like back in the days when I were a kid and third party was about half the price of fully comp
Have you added a couple of experienced adults on the policy as named drivers, you/your missus?
Limit the mileage
Try a Corsa and / or Ka, the first cars my other two had as the quotes were cheapest for those by then
Are you getting the quotes based on learner / passed test?
Get some voluntary excess into the quote... if she prangs a car at this end of the market it's gonna be written off... so max the excess on the assumption that if the car is pranged and broken you're gonna have to go out and just buy another one.
ETA: My three kids first year insurances were all in the region of £850 to £1100 based on the cars being cheap ass Micra, Corsa and Sport KA. You should be able to get to that kind of price if you play around unless the prices have tripled in the last 5-10 years.
Edited by Piersman2 on Saturday 18th May 09:52
Most of those quotes don’t have any excess. Retry using £500 excess. It can sometimes work out cheaper to have a full comp policy, no it doesn’t make any sense to my either.
I feel you pain though recently gone through the same thing getting insurance for my daughter too. Ultimately the answer for her was a telematics (black box) policy and even that was a £1,000 with a £500 excess. For reference her car is a 1.6 Mitsubishi Colt on a 2001 plate.
I feel you pain though recently gone through the same thing getting insurance for my daughter too. Ultimately the answer for her was a telematics (black box) policy and even that was a £1,000 with a £500 excess. For reference her car is a 1.6 Mitsubishi Colt on a 2001 plate.
Mike335i said:
Might seem daft, but try a bigger car. Years ago my brother in law bought a Vectra as it was cheaper to insure then a Corsa.
Think of the car least likely to be bought by a young person / boy racer / bad driver and see if they helps.
I think that trick stopped working when Top Gear mentioned it in 2007.Think of the car least likely to be bought by a young person / boy racer / bad driver and see if they helps.
Jim the Sunderer said:
Mike335i said:
Might seem daft, but try a bigger car. Years ago my brother in law bought a Vectra as it was cheaper to insure then a Corsa.
Think of the car least likely to be bought by a young person / boy racer / bad driver and see if they helps.
I think that trick stopped working when Top Gear mentioned it in 2007.Think of the car least likely to be bought by a young person / boy racer / bad driver and see if they helps.
Won't help for year 1, but when I did IAM I was under 25 and it made about 25% difference come renewal. Also made me a safer driver, so worthwhile regardless.
Now it makes about 5% difference because I'm old.
Do driving instructors still offer schemes like Pass Plus to get discounts on insurance?
If you buy something kids don't crash much, it will be cheaper to insure as it's all based on statistics and risk. The other thing is cost to repair, so the simpler and cheaper to fettle, the better. Also, TPFT can sometimes be more than FC, so quote for both. Add yourself as a named driver too, if you haven't.
Now it makes about 5% difference because I'm old.
Do driving instructors still offer schemes like Pass Plus to get discounts on insurance?
If you buy something kids don't crash much, it will be cheaper to insure as it's all based on statistics and risk. The other thing is cost to repair, so the simpler and cheaper to fettle, the better. Also, TPFT can sometimes be more than FC, so quote for both. Add yourself as a named driver too, if you haven't.
If slightly more budget is available for the car, try something newer with better crash safety capability and tech. My gut feel is that the biggest claim risk is injury to a car full of our children’s friends, and newer cars protect better.
My son passed his test very recently, and a 2010 Peugeot 207 1.4VTi was £950 fully comp through a Hastings Telematics policy. That, and a Volvo C30, seemed to be the best value insurance amongst cars around £2.5k to buy.
In our experience, the actual choice of car was way more influential on price than annual mileage, car value, or location - so, try a number of makes/models through the comparison sites.
Martin.
My son passed his test very recently, and a 2010 Peugeot 207 1.4VTi was £950 fully comp through a Hastings Telematics policy. That, and a Volvo C30, seemed to be the best value insurance amongst cars around £2.5k to buy.
In our experience, the actual choice of car was way more influential on price than annual mileage, car value, or location - so, try a number of makes/models through the comparison sites.
Martin.
Piersman2 said:
Jim the Sunderer said:
Mike335i said:
Might seem daft, but try a bigger car. Years ago my brother in law bought a Vectra as it was cheaper to insure then a Corsa.
Think of the car least likely to be bought by a young person / boy racer / bad driver and see if they helps.
I think that trick stopped working when Top Gear mentioned it in 2007.Think of the car least likely to be bought by a young person / boy racer / bad driver and see if they helps.
The insurance for my first car was £1800 for a 1.4 Escort back in 2006. All my mates roughly paid the same amount (except for the ones that were fronting), so you're not doing anything wrong OP. A huge part of it may be your location and postcode. I used to live in Leeds and pretty much every postcode was considered high risk, except for an LS17 one for some reason.
As a previous poster said, try the usual tricks to get it down. Add more experienced drivers, mess with the parking locations, increase the excess etc. You pretty much have to spend hours getting quotes to find the cheapest combination. Use incognito mode and fake names though.
There are some cars that can be cheaper than expected though. Think of cars that might have a very low risk of being crashed in the past. Think Volvo's.
Good luck to you both though. In drops dramatically once you get a years NC and a year of experience.
ETA: Also try older cars and classic insurance policies. I've never done it myself but there are people on here who have bought 25+ year old cars and insured then for considerable less. I'm sure there was someone who bought a 924 when they could be bought for less than a grand.
Edited by The Turbonator on Saturday 18th May 10:14
It really is a case of biting the bullet and insuring them as soon as you can in the hope they'll max their no-claims for long term.
I'm surprised at those prices for black box insurance, but then you're buying from London and I presume you are based in London which could be the problem. Vikingette1 is 16, soon to be 17 and most of her friends that have black box insurance pay £1,200-£1,600 in Kent, with the male friends erring towards the higher end of the scale.
I'm surprised at those prices for black box insurance, but then you're buying from London and I presume you are based in London which could be the problem. Vikingette1 is 16, soon to be 17 and most of her friends that have black box insurance pay £1,200-£1,600 in Kent, with the male friends erring towards the higher end of the scale.
The bigger car thing can work. A 22 year old friend insured a 2003 Volvo C70 T5 convertible for less than her previous 2003 Mercedes A140, after she crashed the A140!
The W168 Mercedes A-Class is also a cheap car to insure though, so worth a look. As others have mentioned that old Micra may be so high because of it's age and relative lack of safety.
The W168 Mercedes A-Class is also a cheap car to insure though, so worth a look. As others have mentioned that old Micra may be so high because of it's age and relative lack of safety.
I had a similar problem couple of years ago when the kids shared to learn to drive after much research ended up with a be Lupo and a seat arosa both of the 1.0 variety.
Insurance as a learner was £500 for the year fully comp with a learner driver insurance specialist company.
On passing fully comp was around £1500 for the year.
They were also a laugh to drive when I drove them.
Insurance as a learner was £500 for the year fully comp with a learner driver insurance specialist company.
On passing fully comp was around £1500 for the year.
They were also a laugh to drive when I drove them.
Some musings on this to help you with your thought process.
At this age it is about the damage your daughter can do to the car, it’s the damage she can do with it. An inexperienced driver in a simple rear ended shunt with a mid range family saloon whilst she’s got here three friends as passengers could run to over £30k in costs for the insurer.
Three friends all claim whiplash - that’s £2000 each plus a solicitor fee of £1500 each so £10500 total
Family car. Mum and Dad as above so £7000 there, plus kids under 18 means any payment has to be approved by a court add another £2000 each on the bill - £18k there
Car repair - call it £2000
Hire car while it’s being repaired - £5k
Grand total - £35k
The reason FC is cheaper than TPF&T or TPO is that you have a reason to call your insurer as you might want to claim for your car so the insurer has a chance at limiting some of those costs.
Remember your daughter is completely brand new to driving and very inexperienced, a minor prang like I’ve described is very likely based on insurers experience and so insurance is going to be expensive. However, I think we’ve all got rose-tinted glasses to some extent. In the mid 80s, I was paying £350 to insure a 10 year old Polo and that probably equates to something similar now when adjusted for inflation.
At this age it is about the damage your daughter can do to the car, it’s the damage she can do with it. An inexperienced driver in a simple rear ended shunt with a mid range family saloon whilst she’s got here three friends as passengers could run to over £30k in costs for the insurer.
Three friends all claim whiplash - that’s £2000 each plus a solicitor fee of £1500 each so £10500 total
Family car. Mum and Dad as above so £7000 there, plus kids under 18 means any payment has to be approved by a court add another £2000 each on the bill - £18k there
Car repair - call it £2000
Hire car while it’s being repaired - £5k
Grand total - £35k
The reason FC is cheaper than TPF&T or TPO is that you have a reason to call your insurer as you might want to claim for your car so the insurer has a chance at limiting some of those costs.
Remember your daughter is completely brand new to driving and very inexperienced, a minor prang like I’ve described is very likely based on insurers experience and so insurance is going to be expensive. However, I think we’ve all got rose-tinted glasses to some extent. In the mid 80s, I was paying £350 to insure a 10 year old Polo and that probably equates to something similar now when adjusted for inflation.
Went through this last year. Add one or two middle-aged relatives with a good driving history to the policy as additional drivers. This brings down the quote. Try seeing if it is cheaper for the policy to start in around 2 weeks time, rather than in a month or tomorrow. Get fully comprehensive, not third party.
Over £1k, nearer £2k is normal for a 17 year old WITH A FULL LICENCE. Expect to pay nearer £3-400 while they are on a provisional licence. I suggest they take their time learning, so you only have to pay a smaller "upgrade" fee once they pass their test in 6 months time.
Now 18, having passed her test, my daughter's policy is around the £600 mark with 1 years NCB.
Changing the voluntary excess made minimal difference. I guess you have no excess shown as they are third-party quotes. Comprehensive policies for a new driver with have significant compulsory excesses anyway.
Over £1k, nearer £2k is normal for a 17 year old WITH A FULL LICENCE. Expect to pay nearer £3-400 while they are on a provisional licence. I suggest they take their time learning, so you only have to pay a smaller "upgrade" fee once they pass their test in 6 months time.
Now 18, having passed her test, my daughter's policy is around the £600 mark with 1 years NCB.
Changing the voluntary excess made minimal difference. I guess you have no excess shown as they are third-party quotes. Comprehensive policies for a new driver with have significant compulsory excesses anyway.
Edited by syl on Saturday 18th May 11:27
cheap when they learn, £££££ when they pass!
Collingwood (& Marmalade?) did good policies for learners.
But once passed....you're lucky to get anything under £1,200-1,500, I would say.
(depending on area I guess).
Nothing for it but to shop around. & yes, go fully comp....and adding a parent who has no points sometimes helps!
Collingwood (& Marmalade?) did good policies for learners.
But once passed....you're lucky to get anything under £1,200-1,500, I would say.
(depending on area I guess).
Nothing for it but to shop around. & yes, go fully comp....and adding a parent who has no points sometimes helps!
My son had an R50 MINI ONE (90 hp) to learn in and for 18 months after his test.
Pre-test premium was c£450 and this increased to £1150 once he’d Passed his test. Both premiums with a black box fitted.
Last year, as a 19 year old, he changed to an Alfa Romeo 1.4 MultiAir (170hp) and his premium reduced to £800....
It would seem that there is no substitute for age and NCD....
Pre-test premium was c£450 and this increased to £1150 once he’d Passed his test. Both premiums with a black box fitted.
Last year, as a 19 year old, he changed to an Alfa Romeo 1.4 MultiAir (170hp) and his premium reduced to £800....
It would seem that there is no substitute for age and NCD....
There are 1 or 2 companies that offer weird 10 or 11 month learner/new driver policies presumably so the headline figure is lower. Be aware that once that policy is due for renewal, you are effectively tied to that company, and they can quote what they want as no other insurer will recognise it as 1 years no claims.
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