[JonEBgood]

I guess more than a few of us first drove our parent's cars when we first passed out driving tests.

No such luck for my lad it seems - can't get insurance at 18 to drive a 1.9ltr (Ford Galaxy or Saab 9-3).

Seems for him to drive it would have to a 1.0 litre Fiesta or similar and this is the 'solution' for many of his friends.

Becoming a three car family seems an over the top way to give him driving experience and independence. (Perhaps this is another reason why a lot of front drives are being widened for additional parking).

Any forumite thoughts/experience on getting the next gen drivers on the road on a reasonable basis would be appreciated please.

[James33]

Hi John,

My first year's insurance as a 17 year old (in 2004) cost £1,500 for a 1.2L Hyundai. Goodness knows what it would cost now!

There are a couple of solutions :

1. Buy a cheap banger and insure it under your name with your son as a named driver (check the legal issues)

2. Insure the car in your son's name and get a monitoring box installed in the boot (reduces the price somewhat, but limits him to a certain number of miles)

3. Take out a second mortgage and insure the car via the conventional route. Mine actually halved after the second year. The hardest bit is to get on the "insurance ladder".

Also, some advanced driver training is always useful in reducing insurance costs, as well as keeping him safe. I got the RoSPA "Gold" certificate at 18, which knocked about 15% off my premium.

There is also the "Pass Plus" course, as well as the IAM test, both of which are very good.

[Charles Hunt]

Let them drive an old banger - seemingly inevitable there will be parking scuffs or accident damage. 1 litre old style nissan micra for a few hundred quid with a year's MoT would be my recommendation.

In the old days didn't motorcycle insurance NCD transfer to cars? Don't know if it still does. Buy the cheapest bike/scooter possible, insure it for a year, don't let him use it if you don't want to. Claim the NCD.

[chevvron]

With James33's No 1, if the insurance company found out they would go to any lengths not to pay out after an accident quoting your son being the 'major user' hence innacurate details on the insurance appliction so you could hardly recommend that choice.

[chevvron]

In the old days didn't motorcycle insurance NCD transfer to cars? Don't know if it still does. Buy the cheapest bike/scooter possible, insure it for a year, don't let him use it if you don't want to. Claim the NCD.

Or get them something like an Aixam Crossline which, although 4 wheeled, can be driven on a motorcycle licence.

[Spooky]

To get cheaper car insurance, look for cars that new/young drivers wouldn't normally buy e.g Citroen Picasso, Skoda Roomster. A friend of mine bought a Ford Capri for his first car as it was under classic insurance.

Would a Nissan Leaf be fairly cheap?

[johnm]

With our two we covered them for next to nothing on our Morris Minor's classic car policy.

Once through the test and with a couple of years under their belts getting cover on old Clio and Golf wasn't too bad. In each case insured in my name with them as drivers.

The principle driver issue was discussed but we pointed out that was tricky with three cars they could drive and five my wife and I could drive. Insurance company surrendered at that point

[romille]

When my son was 17 years old, I tried to add him to my old Land Rover Defender's insurance, Direct Line refused saying that as it was a performance vehicle and he needed to be 21 and have 2 years driving experience, I was gob smacked, how could you describe a 300TDI Defender as a performance vehicle. I suggested that they might want to let their underwriters out into the real world a bit more often

[Colonel Panic]

AIUI most / all(?) classic car policies do not earn NCD which can seriously hinder the future reduction in premiums.

[cockney steve]

I investigated the classic car route,when my first offspring passed the driving test.Insurance co. refused point-blank, until at least a 1-year NCB could be produced.

As pointed out above, DO NOT "FRONT " as main driver...illegal and automatically invalidates the insurance, as it's fraudulent misrepresentation.

It pays to use the comparison sites (I'd suggest the "moneysaving expert" and "moneysupermarket" websites....AFAIK, "gocompare has an alleigance to an insurance group and may not quote impartially.

Generally, a young driver, full of "invincibility" and ego, having passed the test, WILL have a bump in that first year.
I endorse what Charles Hunt and James 33 suggest ....banger........insure comprehensively (they think you'll be more careful !) Tell the child that the insurers are putting them on the "black box" scheme....(the savings, apparently, aren't all that much, but the hassle of fitting and removal tend to negate that. ) If child THINKS a monitor is fitted....(especially if Dad confronts with "I had a phone call today, why were you speeding / batting round corners / braking heavily "......and observe the reaction! )
Incidentally, it's a "no claim" bonus, not a "no fault" or no accident" bonus.....so, banger, be prepared to call the scrapyard if it gets bumped and don't claim....theoretically, you'll retain your NCB but the basic renewal premium will rocket.

I just happen to have an 02 plate micra to move on at very handy money...PM if interested!

[townleyc]

AIUI most / all(?) classic car policies do not earn NCD which can seriously hinder the future reduction in premiums.

Yes but after two years 'experience' they can get a significant experienced driver discount, as long as they haven't trashed it

KE

[riverrock]

40% of young male drivers will have an accident. That's the reason insurance is so expensive.
You also have to think there is a pretty high chance your car will be written off ( so you'll have to do without it too).

Go compare is an independent company (it was part of esure for a while but then demerged Nov 2016). Comparethemarket is owned by BGL group (multiple brands) last time I checked.

All the sites have slightly different sets of insurers so its worth trying more than one. Direct line aren't on comparison sites. Also some of the special ways to reduce the premium aren't on them (such as monitoring) so worth checking the big names separatly.

It can be worth talking to a broker as they might have access to other deals or know current ways to get round rules. For example, when I was learning ( 14 years ago ) my Dad's broker discovered that he could add any driver temporarily to my Dad's policy no matter their experience (he already had an "any driver" policy with a minium age limit). So I could drive my Dad's Renault Espace for 5 months a year ( max limit for a temporary driver) for £40 . Unfortunately they closed that loophole before my brother learnt.

[riverrock]

Meant to say - insurance can be cheaper before they pass their test, so worth checking to save a few bob in the short term.

[Rob P]

Go speak to your local Peugeot dealer about the "Just Add Fuel" deal.

http://www.peugeot.co.uk/lp-innovative- ... lsrc=aw.ds

You should be able to get a 108 (Same car as Citroen C1 and Toyota Aygo) in 1 litre for comfortably under £200/month INCLUDING insurance for him in his name.

It will almost certainly end up with Telematics fitted, which monitors his driving. No bad thing. At the end of three or four years simply hand it back, or buy it outright.

The car is quite fun to drive too (1 litre, 3-cylinder) and has lots of personalisation options. Safer and more reliable than the 'Old banger and a couple of thousand for insurance' route. 4-Star Euro NCap and 60+ mpg on petrol.

Rob P

[Jim Jones]

I'm surprised Peugeot are doing this again. They sold a lot of 106s with free insurance, attracted a lot of young drivers, and I understand got their fingers burnt by the inevitable claims that followed.

I can't see how young drivers get by nowadays.