First car/insurance for17 year old PH'r
Discussion
Hey all, been a long time since ive been on here. Prob pushing 15 year or more.
My lad is about to turn 17 and is following in all our footsteps. He doesnt want to go do the standard route of a 10 year old polo / fiesta. He does national karting, and competitive sim racing. Love's classis rally and gt's. The goal is to work in motorsport. Design rather than mechanic.
In his dreams, his first car is a MX-5 1st gen... no chance! ive suggested something like an alfa mito 0.9tb...
He is at college currently, but also working part time (earning £500 ish per month). I will prob end up buying the car. circa 5k. but up to him to insure, fuel and maintain it.
So any thoughts and opinions on options, considering insurance and possibly running costs.
Many thankings.
My lad is about to turn 17 and is following in all our footsteps. He doesnt want to go do the standard route of a 10 year old polo / fiesta. He does national karting, and competitive sim racing. Love's classis rally and gt's. The goal is to work in motorsport. Design rather than mechanic.
In his dreams, his first car is a MX-5 1st gen... no chance! ive suggested something like an alfa mito 0.9tb...
He is at college currently, but also working part time (earning £500 ish per month). I will prob end up buying the car. circa 5k. but up to him to insure, fuel and maintain it.
So any thoughts and opinions on options, considering insurance and possibly running costs.
Many thankings.
If a provisional driver ie test not passed any car Insurance won't be cheap but when test passed that's when the rest of his monthly salary might well disappear !
I would certainly encourage him to take out a policy either way in his own name though and then hopefully he can get to that magic 1 year NCB.
Adding you as a named driver ,restricting the mileage to say 7k will help and many Insurers may also insist on a black box fitment.
Marmalade are supposedly a good start.
My 3 boys all went with Admiral who then didn't ask for the black boxes.
I would certainly encourage him to take out a policy either way in his own name though and then hopefully he can get to that magic 1 year NCB.
Adding you as a named driver ,restricting the mileage to say 7k will help and many Insurers may also insist on a black box fitment.
Marmalade are supposedly a good start.
My 3 boys all went with Admiral who then didn't ask for the black boxes.
Every day a journey said:
i might just buy that for me. 
alscar said:
If a provisional driver ie test not passed any car Insurance won't be cheap but when test passed that's when the rest of his monthly salary might well disappear !
I would certainly encourage him to take out a policy either way in his own name though and then hopefully he can get to that magic 1 year NCB.
Adding you as a named driver ,restricting the mileage to say 7k will help and many Insurers may also insist on a black box fitment.
Marmalade are supposedly a good start.
My 3 boys all went with Admiral who then didn't ask for the black boxes.
deffo be own policy. he only 17 in june, so cant get true quotes yet... looking like a 250pm min on anything i look at atm.I would certainly encourage him to take out a policy either way in his own name though and then hopefully he can get to that magic 1 year NCB.
Adding you as a named driver ,restricting the mileage to say 7k will help and many Insurers may also insist on a black box fitment.
Marmalade are supposedly a good start.
My 3 boys all went with Admiral who then didn't ask for the black boxes.
will checkout marmalde.
thanks
Experience from three lads over the last 6 years who have learned, passed, been insured on one of my cars, or bought thier own.
1. Learner driver cost is cheap. Whatever you expect (and are quoted) before, the day they pass and phone up to tell insurer, the day ££££ gets quoted.
2. Do not front. It's their car, thier policy. Yes, add three responsible adults on there even if they are unlikely to drive it. That keeps cost down without fronting.
3. Despite your lad being a race driver already, roads are not the place to race. Buying a young lad a fast car from day 1 seems odd when he can cane a cart around the track. Roads are full of idiots, s
tty surfaces and things beyond his control. Fast car and confidence of 'but I'm a racer' with the roads these days is an issue.
4. Fun cars and learning to drive them fast is part of the fun. You could keep costs down for a year or two with a fun car, not a fast car. There's a reason so many young drivers go for the cars they do.
5. Grandpa cars can work. My eldest bought a Volvo V50 and it was not much more than the Ibiza...and then bought a Transit van and that was same as a car(!).
6. Costs for me - 1.0 Fabia 110bhp or before it a 1.4 85bhp Ibiza were well into £1200-1500 territory, and not too many options of insurers as lots won't cover new and young drivers.
7. Price sinks with age, not years since test. My oldest is 23 and it's finally getting affordable.
7. Consider Admiral multicar - they offer MCB for names learner drives, speeding up NCB acquisition (but NCB is very little compared to age for reductions).
1. Learner driver cost is cheap. Whatever you expect (and are quoted) before, the day they pass and phone up to tell insurer, the day ££££ gets quoted.
2. Do not front. It's their car, thier policy. Yes, add three responsible adults on there even if they are unlikely to drive it. That keeps cost down without fronting.
3. Despite your lad being a race driver already, roads are not the place to race. Buying a young lad a fast car from day 1 seems odd when he can cane a cart around the track. Roads are full of idiots, s
tty surfaces and things beyond his control. Fast car and confidence of 'but I'm a racer' with the roads these days is an issue.4. Fun cars and learning to drive them fast is part of the fun. You could keep costs down for a year or two with a fun car, not a fast car. There's a reason so many young drivers go for the cars they do.
5. Grandpa cars can work. My eldest bought a Volvo V50 and it was not much more than the Ibiza...and then bought a Transit van and that was same as a car(!).
6. Costs for me - 1.0 Fabia 110bhp or before it a 1.4 85bhp Ibiza were well into £1200-1500 territory, and not too many options of insurers as lots won't cover new and young drivers.
7. Price sinks with age, not years since test. My oldest is 23 and it's finally getting affordable.
7. Consider Admiral multicar - they offer MCB for names learner drives, speeding up NCB acquisition (but NCB is very little compared to age for reductions).
homerjay said:
Every day a journey said:
i might just buy that for me. POIDH said:
Experience from three lads over the last 6 years who have learned, passed, been insured on one of my cars, or bought thier own.
1. Learner driver cost is cheap. Whatever you expect (and are quoted) before, the day they pass and phone up to tell insurer, the day ££££ gets quoted.
2. Do not front. It's their car, thier policy. Yes, add three responsible adults on there even if they are unlikely to drive it. That keeps cost down without fronting.
3. Despite your lad being a race driver already, roads are not the place to race. Buying a young lad a fast car from day 1 seems odd when he can cane a cart around the track. Roads are full of idiots, stty surfaces and things beyond his control. Fast car and confidence of 'but I'm a racer' with the roads these days is an issue.
4. Fun cars and learning to drive them fast is part of the fun. You could keep costs down for a year or two with a fun car, not a fast car. There's a reason so many young drivers go for the cars they do.
5. Grandpa cars can work. My eldest bought a Volvo V50 and it was not much more than the Ibiza...and then bought a Transit van and that was same as a car(!).
6. Costs for me - 1.0 Fabia 110bhp or before it a 1.4 85bhp Ibiza were well into £1200-1500 territory, and not too many options of insurers as lots won't cover new and young drivers.
7. Price sinks with age, not years since test. My oldest is 23 and it's finally getting affordable.
7. Consider Admiral multicar - they offer MCB for names learner drives, speeding up NCB acquisition (but NCB is very little compared to age for reductions).
great info. thanks1. Learner driver cost is cheap. Whatever you expect (and are quoted) before, the day they pass and phone up to tell insurer, the day ££££ gets quoted.
2. Do not front. It's their car, thier policy. Yes, add three responsible adults on there even if they are unlikely to drive it. That keeps cost down without fronting.
3. Despite your lad being a race driver already, roads are not the place to race. Buying a young lad a fast car from day 1 seems odd when he can cane a cart around the track. Roads are full of idiots, s
tty surfaces and things beyond his control. Fast car and confidence of 'but I'm a racer' with the roads these days is an issue.4. Fun cars and learning to drive them fast is part of the fun. You could keep costs down for a year or two with a fun car, not a fast car. There's a reason so many young drivers go for the cars they do.
5. Grandpa cars can work. My eldest bought a Volvo V50 and it was not much more than the Ibiza...and then bought a Transit van and that was same as a car(!).
6. Costs for me - 1.0 Fabia 110bhp or before it a 1.4 85bhp Ibiza were well into £1200-1500 territory, and not too many options of insurers as lots won't cover new and young drivers.
7. Price sinks with age, not years since test. My oldest is 23 and it's finally getting affordable.
7. Consider Admiral multicar - they offer MCB for names learner drives, speeding up NCB acquisition (but NCB is very little compared to age for reductions).
totally agree on pt 3... hes absolutely not having a quick car. but he does want something he can take pride in.
my first car was a mini 1000, but looked like a cooper. im pushing him down the same route. show, no go.... do your racing on the track, boy.
Edited by homerjay on Friday 7th March 15:37
My daughter's 07/57 MINI Cooper cost £1400 fully comp in her name with Ticker via Confused.
I bet your son won't be able to wait OP, but buying the insurance on the day she passed her test last year with a start date a fortnight or so later reduced the price by £500. She was happy to wait as she's inherited her Mum's sensibility with money!
I had it insured in my name whilst she was learning, with a learner driver policy in her name - e.g. Collingwood - running in tandem. We bought 6 months learner driver cover and she passed in 5. That's my girl!
I bet your son won't be able to wait OP, but buying the insurance on the day she passed her test last year with a start date a fortnight or so later reduced the price by £500. She was happy to wait as she's inherited her Mum's sensibility with money!
I had it insured in my name whilst she was learning, with a learner driver policy in her name - e.g. Collingwood - running in tandem. We bought 6 months learner driver cover and she passed in 5. That's my girl!
homerjay said:
show, no go.... do your racing on the track, boy.
Yeah, it makes sense for my 15yo to take this Cooper on when he starts driving in 18 months. But I'm worried he'll want to drive like I did at 17 and that will be a recipe for disaster with 120bhp under his right foot. Hasn't been a problem for my daughter as she's sensible.
She drove me up the M5 on Wednesday though and I have to say I appreciated she's got that extra bit of poke for getting past things on the motorway.
Mind you there were still whippersnappers whizzing past in 500s and KAs anyway!
issue he has in his head is fiesta, picanto, ibiza, 500 are horrible euro boxes. he wants something interesting. he would have a defender prob. but that also come with a price tag.
if speed is the issue, i need to invent a ecu that just resticts throttle response and get it verified by insurance co's.. i reckon id be millionaire within 12 months.
if speed is the issue, i need to invent a ecu that just resticts throttle response and get it verified by insurance co's.. i reckon id be millionaire within 12 months.
Edited by homerjay on Friday 7th March 16:20
Mainly already been said but:
- learner insurance will be cheap - sub £300 for the year.
- this will increase on passing, depending on how far into that first year it may be worth switching companies at that point, or sucking up a less than competitive price for the remainder of the policy to get the first year NCB.
- black box pretty much guaranteed to be a requirement upon passing and for a fair few months or longer after that (or pay a lot more).
- Achoice (as a learner) and Bell, Admiral have been the cheapest for us.
- learner insurance will be cheap - sub £300 for the year.
- this will increase on passing, depending on how far into that first year it may be worth switching companies at that point, or sucking up a less than competitive price for the remainder of the policy to get the first year NCB.
- black box pretty much guaranteed to be a requirement upon passing and for a fair few months or longer after that (or pay a lot more).
- Achoice (as a learner) and Bell, Admiral have been the cheapest for us.
Every day a journey said:
I think those days are gone unfortunately, having done some searches for my son who turns 17 in a few months even "old man" cars are horrifically expensive. I looked at all sorts of Volvos, Mercs, Jags, etc and whilst they are cheaper to insure that Golfs and Fiestas with similar power they were all still north of £4k. Anything over 100bhp seemed to increase the quotes. OP - the only mildly interesting car I found that wasn't horrifically expensive to insure was a Panda 100hp. If you do find anything "interesting" please update the thread, my son's happy to have an unusual young persons car, particularly as a big driver of independence is that he'll be able to take himself off mountain biking without me needing to drive him.
Many manufacturers do "new driver" specials in their engine line up. These are cars/engines which are deliberately designed with almost too little power for the car, and would not appeal to the majority of motorists. For example, the Dacia Sandero is a reasonable performing car with the 90bhp 0.9TCe engine (and it gets better fuel economy) but they also do a 1.2 with 73/75bhp. And there's 60bhp Polos, and 68bhp Fiat 500s out there. Most of the time the fuel economy (and tax) is worse than the next model up, because they are so low geared.
They are almost incompetent on motorways (because of the lower gearing) but they'll be fine for lower speed roads.
Have a search for insurance group 1 and 2 cars and you'll see what I mean, for example:
https://www.parkers.co.uk/car-insurance/group-1/
https://www.parkers.co.uk/car-insurance/group-2/
ETA if he doesn't want one of these cars, he will face a very big financial hit trying to insure something better/higher group in the first year. It would be an investment to take a ****** car like that, don't hit anything, and earn that magic 1 year NCB. I imagine it would be financially better than waiting a year with no car at all.
They are almost incompetent on motorways (because of the lower gearing) but they'll be fine for lower speed roads.
Have a search for insurance group 1 and 2 cars and you'll see what I mean, for example:
https://www.parkers.co.uk/car-insurance/group-1/
https://www.parkers.co.uk/car-insurance/group-2/
ETA if he doesn't want one of these cars, he will face a very big financial hit trying to insure something better/higher group in the first year. It would be an investment to take a ****** car like that, don't hit anything, and earn that magic 1 year NCB. I imagine it would be financially better than waiting a year with no car at all.
Edited by paul_c123 on Friday 7th March 18:29
homerjay said:
if speed is the issue, i need to invent a ecu that just resticts throttle response and get it verified by insurance co's.. i reckon id be millionaire within 12 months.
Didn't one of the previous Corvettes come with 2 keys, a key for mum and dad which unleashed the full 400 bhp or whatever, and a key for the kids which basically turned it into a hot hatch, with about 150bhp on tap? Or did I dream that up? Edited by homerjay on Friday 7th March 16:20
It's really a right of passage that new drivers have to suck for a low powered hatchback for a year or two before they can be trusted with something a little more powerful, it's how it always has been ever since I learnt to drive and people were buying Saxo's with a 1.1 engine because Citroen would throw in a years insurance.
The first thing to do is avoid anything with over 100bhp, I've found that going for Focus segment cars can result in cheaper/same cost quotes as the Fiesta's etc.
Mito:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502199...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502219...
1/4 Astra:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409224...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502239...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202401316...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503059...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310303...
Mito:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502199...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502219...
1/4 Astra:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202409224...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202502239...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202401316...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202503059...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202310303...
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