Chucky1 Posted March 18, 2010 Share Posted March 18, 2010 Hi Cinnamon, I recognise the predicament from when I gave up the company car 2 years ago and tried to get insurance for a Hilux. Its a bit of a journey Would just say though that I found Elephant pretty reasonable. Good advice earlier in the thread about avoiding anything with GTI and making sure the car has airbags. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 On our Directline insurance the kids are able to build up their own no-claims which is really good and *touches wood* we haven't needed to claim since we started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosie Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 My three have all learned to drive and have now passed their tests. However, rather than paying to insure the youngsters on my car whilst they were learners (YS said it was confusing to drive the driving school car and then mine), I paid for them to have extra long lessons so they all passed quite quickly. Perhaps another option? After, I got a reasonable deal for them to be added to my Citroen C3 insurance with Direct Line. Cost is about £400 pa, fully comp. As previously stated, the youngsters build up their own NCD with Direct Line for when they get their own car. Citroens seem pretty cheap to insure and the car is full of airbags, which I like and also maybe why the insurance is cheap Apart from that, it is a grotty heap of metal, though DD says it is 'cute'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Lots of good advice there. I would say there is something to be said for having a very small car, even a two-seater like a Smart. That should be cheaper to insure as the insurer is only having to cover the potential costs for one passenger being injured, not three or four passengers. It also reduces the number of friends in the car to whom the young driver will want to show off and that is important. Get a car with a very small engine (no more than 1.0 litres), and in the lowest insurance category possible. Make sure it has no modifications, not even to the stereo! Make sure it is in a garage if possible. Limit the mileage and put a night-time driving restriction on it so she can't go out for an evening in the car. These restrictions can be lifted once a no-claims has been built up. Also, as soon as your daughter has passed her test, get her to do pass-plus or any advanced driving qualification. The test is an absolute bare minimum standard of driving and insufficient to be safe or competent on the road. It should also reduce her premium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoid Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Get a car made before 1970, no road tax and classic car insurance is cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Get a car made before 1970, no road tax and classic car insurance is cheap. I doubt it would be for a learner driver though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted March 21, 2010 Share Posted March 21, 2010 Personally, I wouldnt let my son drive anything without airbags, he drives to school along twisty slippy lanes with old codgers pulling out in front of him from every driveway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 21, 2010 Author Share Posted March 21, 2010 Likewise Rhapsody - the roads here are single track & as bendy as you like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopsie Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 I would NOT advise a Smart for a learner. They do not have a regular manual gearbox and will confuse the learner driver. Once he/she as passed their test however, they are as safe as it gets - that's why my family have four of them!!!! Insurance is not that cheap especially as many smarts are modified. I do however, know the right people to ask. What was interesting is the company took into account the amount of time i'd been on my parents insurance and treated as no claims bonus - might be worth a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted March 23, 2010 Author Share Posted March 23, 2010 She will love driving though,and wander how she ever coped without it . Not half as much as I will love not having to ferry her around everywhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Yes not ferrying them around is great and asking my son to pick up eldest daughter from school is great. I have to confess to only going in the car with J once beore he passed his test. My nerves couldn't take it. C took him out regularly though. He insured with Directline who don't do a massive hike when you pass your test. My friend tells me having the parents as named drivers reduces the cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Pass Plus doesn't always give you massive savings. It would only have knocked off £10 for my insurance, and would of cost alot more than that to do! It isn't the savings that are important, it is the extra skills. The test only gives you a bare minimum standard of driving skills, and you need to get more training and more skills to reduce your risk of having a serious accident. Any advanced driving training would be good - another route to go down is IAM. What is important is you don't consider passing the test to mean you have learned to drive - I like to think is means you are right at the start of learning to drive, and this is a skill that requires application, investment and training throughout your life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopsie Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 The passpluss was a very good idea IMO. I had been learning for a long time so had driven in bad weather conditions/at night etc which do not necessarily happen, so my instructor took me to where I would be driving - Brixton! Having the support of a driving instructor in insane traffic for the first time was invaluable. Usually driving lessons are daytime and on quiet roads so like has been previously said, so the test only covers basic skills. A good drive on the motorway was included too - and gave me a hell of a lot more confidence. Didn't take any money off the insurance actually but I found it more valuable in other ways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 My DD did the passplus and it made no difference to her insurance. It was probably good for her as she doesn't do much driving, having gone away to uni not long after passing. ES didn't do passplus but has done an awful lot of driving to work (Essex) which has given him the motorway experience. He is in my opinion but don't tell DD, a better driver but I think thats because he drives every day. I can still remember the panic of going out for my first solo drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 The little peugeots 107 or Citroen C1' are ideal. I have a 107 & it's great for popping & tootling round in. Comfortable too. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egg Lou Posted March 23, 2010 Share Posted March 23, 2010 Just been going through this pain for last couple of weeks too... I work in motortrade but still found finding a good cheap 1st car impossible .. i suspect due to s"Ooops, word censored!"page scheme hiking up the prices of the cheap cars left available! So DD ended up with Fiesta Zete I rang a lot of insurers but finally settled on below Insured with Admiral for under £700 for 10 months or £800 for 12. we went for the 10 months as it means she gains (hopefully!) her no claims much quicker.. I also looked at Quinn but the cost rose by £1000 when she passes test! Admiral still rises but by under £400 which is much better. Used Tesco clubcard vouchers to buy RAC cover so saved a few pounds there.. just as well as car cost too much! All in all its cost over £2500 to get an old car on the road for her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted March 24, 2010 Share Posted March 24, 2010 This has come up again in our house! Put then 17 year old son on our insurance last year with Direct Line - £1000. (wouldn't mind but he's hardly used it since then, and still not taken his test ). The renewal has just come through and they want £1400! Edited to add: just got a quote through Liverpool Victoria - £900! Bit of a difference! May be able to get it a bit cheaper as well if you are a nurse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freespiritbutterfly Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 I think engine size is an important fact in the cost of insurance. As for pass plus my instuctor told me it wouldn't change the price of my insurance and it hasn't. And I think I must be with the wrong insurers because I've been driving nearly 2 years now and my insurance hasn't gone down . I really love driving but hate the cost! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 I think engine size is an important fact in the cost of insurance. As for pass plus my instuctor told me it wouldn't change the price of my insurance and it hasn't. And I think I must be with the wrong insurers because I've been driving nearly 2 years now and my insurance hasn't gone down . I really love driving but hate the cost! Have you not rung around or used price comparison sites. I know it's time consuming but we found it worth it. Also, not sure if you're on Fully Comp but for DD it was only about £30 more. Mind you insurance costs have increased by around 18% and expected to rise more due to all the claims over winter I'm still in shock that her premium dropped by £150 when she passed the other week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Marple Posted March 26, 2010 Share Posted March 26, 2010 Hi there, I am a bit late to this conversation. However if you have not insured her yet, I would suggest having a look at Young Maramalade, just for whilst she is learning. You can take out a policy for the learner in their name which insures them on your car. it is approx £250 for 3 months or £85 ish per month. it is no good to them once they pass, but it is useful whilst they are learning and does not affect your no claims bonus. we are using this with YS at the moment. When I tried to put him on my own policy as a named provisional licence holder my insurers wanted £2000. it is a 1.4 l 2007 Fiesta!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubereglu Posted March 27, 2010 Share Posted March 27, 2010 My friend has just bought a 2006 silver Nissan Micra for just over £2000 and on a multicar policy her family have managed to get her insurance down to £600, (she's a learner still). I'm not sure who's she's with though...will have to ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted April 22, 2010 Author Share Posted April 22, 2010 Hi there, I am a bit late to this conversation. However if you have not insured her yet, I would suggest having a look at Young Maramalade Quick update - she is insured with Young Marmalade for my panda at the moment - its about £90 a month,which is fine. We bought the car yesterday - very exciting! Its a Panda 4x4 (no hike in the insurance for this), with a small engine & its as cute as a button Am looking at insurance now, as we have to collect it from Wales on the weekend! Hubby has been brave & patient,& taken her out for a few practises in my Panda before she starts her lessons next week. I tried for 2 weeks to get hold of BSM to book them up,but they were useless.If it hadn't been for the fact that I had a voucher for them,I would have tried elsewhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Glad you got her sorted Sarah. Will look at Young Marmalade for ES for next year. BSM were useless for us as well. I tried to book them because we had a voucher, the only one we could get agreed a lesson time and date then cancelled at the last minute. Very annoying because I'd booked the lesson as a surprise birthday present Luckily we found an independant chap who fit us in on the day, and we got the same discount as the BSM offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms Marple Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Glad you found it useful Sarah. We insured YS for 3 months and may possibly do one more month if necessary to get him to pass. Then the big search will really start I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 22, 2010 Share Posted April 22, 2010 Hi I am late too, but we used Quinn on recommendation to insure 3rd party a ford fiesta 1.1 and it cost £1400 and when he passed it wasnt much difference. He then bought a brand new C3 1. low engine and we thought he would get stung again and it was under £100 to add it on fully comp with a really low excess . My friend with two girls said boy drivers get stung more than the girlies but I dont know if that is true or not? The only thing is I have been telling him not to speed etc as its just coming up to his first renewal and his premiums will rocket if he does etc, however we will shop around as more often than not its cheaper to go elsewhere(we have always done this with house /car insurance etc) Good luck..and expensive time indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
