First Car and insurance for 18 year old son
Discussion
Youngest son is taking first driving test in 2 weeks and I guess I need to think about first car and insurance - groan. Don't know whether to go dirt cheap , say 500 quid and be prepared to bin it after a year or spend a bit more say 1500 + or - a bit and hope he looks after it ! Any suggestions for the latter, in Surrey area. Any experience of best insurance providers.
Got my daughter a 1.4 diesel mini. its a fantastic first car.
insurance AFTER passing test was horrid -£1600 with a black box fitted. So about £156 a months she was paying.
However the black box has really helped bringing her costs down, now, in her second year of driving, shes paying about £65 a month, despite mileage of about 15k a year.
insurance AFTER passing test was horrid -£1600 with a black box fitted. So about £156 a months she was paying.
However the black box has really helped bringing her costs down, now, in her second year of driving, shes paying about £65 a month, despite mileage of about 15k a year.
Do quotes on potential cars using the comparison websites (e.g. Confused.com).
Be sitting down when you do this.
Either aim for 'the usual first timer cars', such as Aygo/C1/Corsa/Fiesta, or think leftfield and consider bigger/more powerful 'old man' cars that are likely to have low numbers of insurance claims on them, therefore be less highly loaded by insurance companies.
Be sitting down when you do this.
Either aim for 'the usual first timer cars', such as Aygo/C1/Corsa/Fiesta, or think leftfield and consider bigger/more powerful 'old man' cars that are likely to have low numbers of insurance claims on them, therefore be less highly loaded by insurance companies.
Definitely agree on the "old man" cars - if your son can be persuaded to go for something less fashionable it'll probably save a fair bit of money.
Speaking from experience, when I was younger I urgently needed a cheap runabout, but turned down a drab looking but free 12 year old Proton Persona, choosing instead to spend a grand on a Vectra 2.0 SRi which I thought looked better and would be quicker. 6 months and 1 knackered Vectra engine later I was really regretting my decision
How about an old Honda Accord?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Rover 45?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Or something with a bit of rally heritage
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Speaking from experience, when I was younger I urgently needed a cheap runabout, but turned down a drab looking but free 12 year old Proton Persona, choosing instead to spend a grand on a Vectra 2.0 SRi which I thought looked better and would be quicker. 6 months and 1 knackered Vectra engine later I was really regretting my decision
How about an old Honda Accord?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Rover 45?
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Or something with a bit of rally heritage
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
As some of the others are mentioning, Heavy "old man" cars with small engines are a good spot if you can find it - Most hatchbacks etc. are already frequented by younger drivers though, so It's a hard gap to fill.
I've got a 1.4 Civic; 100 Horses / Torques for ~1600Kg, Which keeps the acceleration down and insurance co happy - Both 8th and 9th Gen Civics will have this engine, and I've yet to see another young driver in one.
Realistically, Expect the insurance to fall between 1000 - 1500 for a first year, with a black box - If it's more than this, Consider looking at a different model to see if you can bring it down.
I've got a 1.4 Civic; 100 Horses / Torques for ~1600Kg, Which keeps the acceleration down and insurance co happy - Both 8th and 9th Gen Civics will have this engine, and I've yet to see another young driver in one.
Realistically, Expect the insurance to fall between 1000 - 1500 for a first year, with a black box - If it's more than this, Consider looking at a different model to see if you can bring it down.
Got a 03 reg. 206 1.4 for my daughter when she started driving.
Cost £500 and was ok on insurance.
She's now had it over a year and it's been pretty reliable and just £120 to get it through it's MOT.
She's off to Uni in September so we're keeping it in the garage for when she's back and hopefully it will last another year until youngest daughter is 17 in just over a year.
Cost £500 and was ok on insurance.
She's now had it over a year and it's been pretty reliable and just £120 to get it through it's MOT.
She's off to Uni in September so we're keeping it in the garage for when she's back and hopefully it will last another year until youngest daughter is 17 in just over a year.
I dont know what kids do to these cars but EVERY one I have looked at for my son has been a dog...and traders dont help calling something immaculate when it looks like someone held a rave in it.
Started with a budget of £2k for a Yaris/corsa type thing....had to double that to find something that look half ok.
Grim experience shopping for these things.
Started with a budget of £2k for a Yaris/corsa type thing....had to double that to find something that look half ok.
Grim experience shopping for these things.
This old man big car tosh is a load of b
ks. It doesn't work for getting cheaper insurance and hasn't for me or any of my friends. There's a reason young people drive only hatchbacks... And that's because they are cheaper to insure
It's the reason I've now bought a focus ST at 19 when skoda octavia 1.8T's are more expensive to insure
ks. It doesn't work for getting cheaper insurance and hasn't for me or any of my friends. There's a reason young people drive only hatchbacks... And that's because they are cheaper to insureIt's the reason I've now bought a focus ST at 19 when skoda octavia 1.8T's are more expensive to insure
Shiv_P said:
This old man big car tosh is a load of bks. It doesn't work for getting cheaper insurance and hasn't for me or any of my friends. There's a reason young people drive only hatchbacks... And that's because they are cheaper to insure
It's the reason I've now bought a focus ST at 19 when skoda octavia 1.8T's are more expensive to insure
But the 1.8T VAG products are well-known as cars that are modded - I was thinking more along the lines of a Rover 75 or similar. lolks. It doesn't work for getting cheaper insurance and hasn't for me or any of my friends. There's a reason young people drive only hatchbacks... And that's because they are cheaper to insureIt's the reason I've now bought a focus ST at 19 when skoda octavia 1.8T's are more expensive to insure
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