First car for my 21 year old son

s it better to put the car in my wife’s name and add him to the insurance?

No. That’s called “fronting” and pretty much amounts to insurance fraud unless she is actually the main driver. Doesn’t actually work these days anyway as insurance companies as they all got worse to it and just load up the premium on the highest risk driver anyway

Fabia, 1.2 petrol for the Czech built and most reliable engine.
Estate, if he rides bikes.
Classic, or whatever base model you can find.

At that price range the insurance might be more than the car...

Edit; you can get a Toyota Aygo for that sort of money

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202301213483697?atmobcid=soc3

Cars around £1.5k? The answer is MX5!

Might be bollocks but I did hear years ago that they were actually pretty reasonable to insure for young drivers as the worst crashes for them happened with a car load of 5 youths either trying to impress or distracting from the road. Can’t do that with 2 seats. I’d be interested to know if there is any truth to it.

Plus it'll be a false economy as he won't build up his own NCB

First thought is a Fiesta but doubt 1500 will get a decent one these days. Peugeot 107/Citroen C1? Know afew that have them as runarounds and get no bother.

Look at cars he'd like and bang them through the comparison websites. Couple of points based on my 18 year old looking at insurance (he actively avoided those with black boxes):

1. Adding me (dad) and his grandad as named drivers reduced the premium
2. MX-5s are surprisingly cheap, probably as they're only a two door.

Son ended up with a 1.4l 2007 Civic. Glacially slow but nice to drive, A/C, electric windows and good for bikes.

Edit: midlifecrashes said it whilst I was typing. See also a Lupo or Up as they only have 4 seats. Think Fiesta's and Corsa's are probably a lot to insure as they're everyone's first car. So get crashed a lot.

My son's driving instructor recommended Marmalade for insurance.

When my 18yo daughter was looking for her first car a couple of years ago she got insurance quotes on loads of different cars. Citroen C1 1.0l petrol was the cheapest and that's what she bought. Paid £1800 for a 2007 C1, has since passed 2 MOTs with no work.

AutoTrader lists 1.6 MX-5's as insurance group 23 so won't be cheap!

We're looking at 1.0/1.2l 50-75bhp cars around Group 5 to reduce insurance (he's 17).

I need advice on how not to get massively stung by the insurance companies.

In the first year you're always getting a big bill, not much you can do about it really. You can add other drivers and do the black box thing, but that's tinkering around the edges, it's still going to be north of a grand.

We found it wasn’t so much the car, within reason, as the insurance company. We have 2 cars with Admiral and added junior on as soon as he passed his test, aged 18.5, on a 3rd car, with him as policyholder and main driver, my wife and I as other drivers. He isn’t covered on either of the other cars. ‘His car’ (we bought it…, he pays insurance and petrol) is a new 71 plate 1.3 Corsa.

South Lanarkshire, year 1 he was about £900 fully comp. No black box or other restrictions. The overall family policy renews end Feb, he has picked up 3 points for speeding so expecting it to jump a bit.

Also look at multi car insuranxe policies. My lad had a corsa for his first car and the premium was nearly 50% cheaper on a multi car policy. We went with Admiral as each driver gets their own NCB. From memory me and his mum's premiums went up slightly, but that was easily offset by the saving on the corsa.

Lower insurance may increase the scope of the car search

Fabia, 1.2 petrol for the Czech built and most reliable engine.
Estate, if he rides bikes.
Classic, or whatever base model you can find.

We went for the 1.0 for MCJnr. Great all round visibility, surprisingly roomy. 50mpg. Cost him about £1200 a year to insure it, no black box, but I'm the main driver as he is away at uni.

Ibiza estate in 1.4 16v (the non-turbo) flavour here.
We've had it 8 years and 90k miles, now 11 years old and 110k in.
It's cost an alternator, an exhaust repair and a couple of shock absorbers.
Best bit - no black box, it's varied between £1k and £1.2k to insure with multiple new drivers straight after their test. Currently it's £640 for the year for my wife and I, a 21 year old, a 20 year old and a learner 17 year old....And that's full business use as well.

It has to go in his name, otherwise it is 'fronting' fraud. Be honest with where it's kept, who's driving and how far. But you can add more people to the insurance - so both my wife and I are insured on my son's Transit, reducing cost by £650.

Another tip: Admiral Multicar allow named drivers, including learners, to earn NCB. Our eldest drive his mum's car for 2 years, then bought a van and was given 2yrs NCB at age 20...reduced the price again.

Our lad got a 1.4l turbo Corsa with big wheels and all the boy racer gear. With a black box through co-op young drivers insurance was around £1600, although he got a couple of hundred back through sensible driving.

I welcomed the black box as for the first year he drove really well, habits that he has kept up for the subsequent 4 years.

Citroen C1 my 20yo got herself one 18months ago as a first car, its been great for her cheap to run, low insurance £30 tax and its only needed a new starter motor and an exhaust bracket both were parts only as it was very easy for me to repair.

I need advice on how not to get massively stung by the insurance companies.

My nephew passed his test on Saturday.

He's just insured his Corsa yesterday at just over £4k for the year without a black-box. It's going to be expensive, the make/model of car isn't the issue. It's the risk and associated costs of an accident.

I'm dubious of some of these sub £1k first-year prices mentioned. There must be massive excesses or boxes not ticked.

And you'll get sod-all of a car for £1.5k in the current market. Going to be looking at £2.5k as a starting point.

I’m dubious of some of these sub £1k first-year prices mentioned. There must be massive excesses or boxes not ticked.

ours as per my post is £900 in current year 1 on our Admiral family fleet policy. Excess is £300, no black box option or requirement. Location just south of Glasgow, car is a brand new 1.3 Corsa 5 door. Policy is in my son's name and he is main driver, and he's just turned 20.

Black boxes are a PITA if anyone else is going to drive the car.

We started with a VW Up! which was great but was written off by a 3rd party. We now have 1.0 Fiesta Ecoboost which is a hoot to drive and not bad to insure.
It also has a 'My key' (?) or something that allows you to program one key with upper speed limits - although the car just beeps when you get close to the limit it's bloody annoying and does the job of keeping speed down!

They're at greater risk of being involved in a crash - I'd be looking hard at the NCAP ratings.

He’s just insured his Corsa yesterday at just over £4k for the year without a black-box. It’s going to be expensive, the make/model of car isn’t the issue. It’s the risk and associated costs of an accident.

The value of the car is not important, the make/model is.

Our lads Fabia is the same performance as his mates Corsa, but cost half the price to insure, without a blackbox. Young lads crash Corsas a lot, usually injuring passengers, they won't be seen dead in a Fabia, so lower risk profile.

Add you/OH etc as named drivers

Look at comprehensive policies

Largest excess - and don't claim

Don't do Black Box, too many restraints plus if you/OH drive then it'll be a black-mark against son 🙂

Use Confused etc to be able to gauge what makes a difference to the premium and by how much

Been down this path and plumped for a 1 litre Skoda Fabia. Group 3 insurance despite the same engine / spec VW Polo being Group 9. Very much worth looking at dull, less popular, low powered hatches, then shopping around various stand alone insurance companies and comparison sites. Quotes vary hugely for the same vehicle / driver. We went with Hastings for my 19 year old daughter. No black box, 10k miles per annum & big excess. Just passed her test and under £900 fully comp for her, mum and I.

The value of the car is not important, the make/model is.

^ This.

'Trendy' Corsa, Fiesta, Ibiza (etc) = more expensive.
'Granny / grandpa' Ibiza Estate, i20, Fabia, Mazda 3 = cheaper.

We once went to buy a Fiesta. I had an insurance quote already, IIRC around £500 at the time.
We noticed a mint, one owner, main dealer serviced Mazda 323 next to it - much bigger engine and space. Insurance was £250.

I'm a bit out of date on this, but do you still get lower premiums for pass plus/advanced driving courses? added the equivalent of 1 years NCB when I passed. I'd avoid black boxes if anyone else in the family will be driving the car - few horror stories at work - wife drives sons car to the shop, accidently does 36 in a 30 limit, insurance through the roof.

Echo the car choices above - Fabias, i10, Dacias etc or something relatively small, tinny and untrendy. My first (mk3) polo rattled like anything above 60mph, it also left you with no misconceptions about what it'd look like after hitting anything hard. As a result, I was much more careful than I am now, even at 18. The 'you bend it, you pay for it' motto from my folks helped too.

Can’t go too far wrong with a Fiat Panda; same running gear as the ever trendy 500, but with much more practicality. Cheap on insurance, too.

Ibiza estate in 1.4 16v (the non-turbo) flavour here.

Nice. A full 75bhp?

We have a polo 1.4 16v.... Auto. It's hilariously slow but despite the cries of the safety of more power to get out of trouble never find ourselves in actual trouble... Because you have to think long and hard about over taking a stationary bus on an empty road.

Small Fiats were our family 1st cars, a Punto for the first 2 and a Panda for the last one. Simple, cheap, reliable (in my opinion).

A first time fail for Sandwich Jr meant he had to wait another couple of months for a second test. This had the effect of reducing his premium to drive alone by a couple of hundred pounds.

My 20yo daughter bought herself a Vauxhall Adam (4 seats) just before Xmas, as she’d just passed her test. Insured through Admiral “myDrive” I think, something like that. It has an app based ongoing assessment with a little self adhesive black box stuck to the dashboard or windscreen. Insurance was around £980 fully comp in her name, with myself and Mrs Rock as named drivers. The black box thing, I think, is good for the first year or so as it reins in any “enthusiasm”. She gets an ongoing score based on driving style, marked out of 100. Any less that 40 and the premium is reviewed. She currently around 80 which is also partly due to her working in hospitality so drives around sometimes well after midnight.

Nice. A full 75bhp?

Throbbing.

We have a polo 1.4 16v…. Auto. It’s hilariously slow but despite the cries of the safety of more power to get out of trouble never find ourselves in actual trouble… Because you have to think long and hard about over taking a stationary bus on an empty road.

^ That. And the cars have such wide tyres (ours is a 'Copa' special edition with super wide tyres, because bling) the 'reserve' grip and handling is good.
Ours, despite 'only' 75bhp takes 4 of us, or two bikes on the roof, or canoe on the roof. It has driven from Dunblane to BikePark Wales, been all around the Highlands, West and North Coast (often with bikes on or loaded with a bootful for my work).
Even the lads have come around to the big boot being great - it can take my 27.5 large mountain bike or my large road bike in the back, wheels on...
It is amazingly reliable, and even replacement parts are cheap - eg. we though the clutch was going (turned out the 'clutch rattle' was a loose exhaust) and it is £150.

One of my lads the day after he passed for his first ever solo drive....

I keep suggesting it but insuring your kid whilst they are actually learning in their own name is the way to save money. Insurers lower the premiums because they cant drive it without being under instruction so they are expected to be ultra careful and safer.

17 - Purchased 1st Car. Vauxhall Corsa 1l. Choice - £300 whilst learning/£900 extra when passed regardless of timing
£1300 annual payment covering learning & pass

We took the £300 as it was covid time and we werent sure when he would get a test. As it worked out it took a year so it cost us £300 for whole year. He then had 1 years NCD which was 30% 🙂 His second year insurance on the same Vauxhall cost £900.

Here is the real bonus. At 19 he then purchased himself a BMW 116i Sport, with 2 years NCD which he insured for the grand sum of.....£900

All fully comp. No black box and he now has 3 years NCD and into his 4th year.