Young Driver Help

nismo_lfc

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Hey, looking for abit of advice on a couple of things.

1) Is PassPlus worth getting for young drivers? I've been told it would cost me £150 for the lessons, will it benfit me alot or is it only slightly?

2) When looking for a car, am I correct in saying anything over the 100,000 mark is a no go?

3) Can anyone recommend me a car for a new young driver (aged 20), cheap runner/insurance, but at the same time not a complete banger.

Kev
 
1) Possibly a benefit when it comes to insurance :smashin:

2) No, IMO. I bought a Honda engined Rover 620 at 95,000, put 50k on it, with absolutely no maintenance and it was still like a sewing machine, when I got rid.
100k is nowt, these days.

3) You won't want to hear this, but go for anything that's not cool.
Little engine and fairly old.
Original mini and early Fiesta, spring to mind.
Old bangers, yes, but cheap.
Your priority is to rack up a couple of years NCB, safely.
That way, you get good insurance quotes and then you buy a better car.
Don't know what you earn, but don't fall into the trap a young lad I worked with recently, did.
He bought a Saxo for £4k, insurance was something like £1500 and guess what?
He pranged it after 2 months :(
He's still paying the loan off, with no motor and he only earns about £250 a week :thumbsdow

Not meant to be a lesson, but the sad fact is young drivers tend to prang their first car.
I did and so did most of my mates :rolleyes:
 
1) I found it didn't reduce it much, your best off getting a few quotes with and without and seeing how much of a reduction it gives you. You may want the added experience anyway.

2) As said above, not really, make sure you give them a good going over first though, as with all cars. My dad's astra has nearly 150k on it and has had very few probs.

3) Again as said above, get something small, size and engine wise. Doesn't mean it has to be a banger though, you can pick up tidy examples of fiestas, clios, corsa's that sort of thing fairly cheaply. May not be the coolest of cars but hopefully not a banger either!
 
I'm 21, just started my second year of driving...

1. Tesco gave me 10% off for doing Pass Plus, which worked out at about £90 (£924 to insure, rip off, but was the cheapest). Lessons cost me about £120, but it's well worth the £30 I ended up paying, if only for the motorway experience, can't believe you're allowed to wander onto a motorway really without ever being taught properly, with experience, how to use them.

2. I got a 1993 Corsa, it had 89,000 miles on the clock, I've done about 8,000 miles in it, hopefully it'll still be going for a while! But I would've been a little discouraged at the 100,000 mile mark really though, but it depends how well maintained it looks - it could have 200,000 miles to the clock, but if every part has been replaced, it's like a new car!

3. I'm happy with my Corsa, K Reg. It's in good condition, runs nicely (touch wood), although it did need a new clutch, brakes and bearings when I got it.... by dad fixed them for me though so didn't cost me much. But I wouldn't be put off buying another Corsa in the future, and I think that's a good test of a car.

Tesco were the cheapest for me for insurance (it's in the lowest category too, only a 1.2, need a bit more power really because I'm on the motorway most of the time, there's hardly any acceleration at all above 50!), but it still wasn't anywhere close to cheap to insure. Got 1 year's no claims, I'm with Direct Line now, and it's £520ish, better but still not where it wants to be. Being over 21 this year has helped, I think that's a big jump for insurance companies, then 25 is the next one.
 
EDIT:
I'm answering a post that was talking about motorways.
I think I must have lost the plot :rotfl: :eek:

Got to agree and I feel this should/will change soon.

I've taught 2 people to drive.
And the first thing I did with both, literally, as soon as they passed, was put them on the motorway.

I'm right by J6/J5 of the M6 :devil:

They both nearly had kittens :rotfl:

But it has to be done, IMO
 
I'm 21, just started my second year of driving...

1. Tesco gave me 10% off for doing Pass Plus, which worked out at about £90 (£924 to insure, rip off, but was the cheapest). Lessons cost me about £120, but it's well worth the £30 I ended up paying, if only for the motorway experience, can't believe you're allowed to wander onto a motorway really without ever being taught properly, with experience, how to use them.

2. I got a 1993 Corsa, it had 89,000 miles on the clock, I've done about 8,000 miles in it, hopefully it'll still be going for a while! But I would've been a little discouraged at the 100,000 mile mark really though, but it depends how well maintained it looks - it could have 200,000 miles to the clock, but if every part has been replaced, it's like a new car!

3. I'm happy with my Corsa, K Reg. It's in good condition, runs nicely (touch wood), although it did need a new clutch, brakes and bearings when I got it.... by dad fixed them for me though so didn't cost me much. But I wouldn't be put off buying another Corsa in the future, and I think that's a good test of a car.

Tesco were the cheapest for me for insurance (it's in the lowest category too, only a 1.2, need a bit more power really because I'm on the motorway most of the time, there's hardly any acceleration at all above 50!), but it still wasn't anywhere close to cheap to insure. Got 1 year's no claims, I'm with Direct Line now, and it's £520ish, better but still not where it wants to be. Being over 21 this year has helped, I think that's a big jump for insurance companies, then 25 is the next one.
Yikes! £924 on a K-reg car!!!! I'm worried, I was hoping to buy a car from around 1999 (first car), possibly the Clio.... I'll just ahve to save then :D
 
Yikes! £924 on a K-reg car!!!! I'm worried, I was hoping to buy a car from around 1999 (first car), possibly the Clio.... I'll just ahve to save then :D
It might be a little cheaper for a newer car, with parts perhaps more available... but it's not like I have an uncommon car either though.

It's a lot to insure a young driver, especially if you have a penis. So that's ageism and sexism in one go, but they get away with it.
 
You might find the insurance cheaper on a more unusual car. How about a Morris Minor, a 2CV, or a Fiat Panda? They're all easy to fix yourself, parts are cheap, the insurance group is miniscule, and they're kind of cool, in a 'it's not my mums shopping car' type of way.

Plus you learn a bit about car maintenance, and they're unlikely to get nicked...
 
All good points and summed up better than my answer :smashin:
I don't know about a Panda, but I'd love a moggy.
You could drive round all day on a gallon of juice :thumbsup:
 
Have you thought about looking at a newer car that comes with free insurance? A lot of the main dealers can get you a reasonable apr on a hire purchase agreement, plus you get the added peace of mind of fully comprehensive cover!
 
It's worth not having a good car

I got a new mini for my first car and in 2 weeks of doing my passplus I reversed out of a drive, on a dark road, into an unlit, unmarked skip...it was rusty in colour and couldn't be seen because it didn't reflect my lights (being rusty) and being low punched a hole in the car...cost £4000 to repair

needless to say my parents weren't happy and sold the car buying me a 3 year old corsa sxi for christmas (about a month later) worst part is I popped the tyre on the stupidest of traffic calming devices - a mount in the road with 6inch hight curbs in the middle of suburb forcing the traffic into one lane (for both directions)

word of warning...join the AA not RAC, RAC don't have electric drills to take off your locknut bolts after my keys ring snapped it refused to stay in place and I had to go to a Vauxhall garage to fix it

haven't had a crash since though :D
 
EDIT:
I'm answering a post that was talking about motorways.
I think I must have lost the plot :rotfl: :eek:

Got to agree and I feel this should/will change soon.

I've taught 2 people to drive.
And the first thing I did with both, literally, as soon as they passed, was put them on the motorway.

I'm right by J6/J5 of the M6 :devil:

They both nearly had kittens :rotfl:

But it has to be done, IMO

Absolutely. The learning doesn't stop once you pass your test - if anything, the real learning starts when you're out there on your own driving.

I think Pass Plus is worth it, not just because you might save on your insurance, but because it lets you drive in a number of situations e.g. motorway, country lanes, night driving - all skills that you just don't get to do when learning.

If you're fanatical about driving, I'd also consider the Advanced Driver Training test. That can save a lot more on your insurance, and whilst you need to do it every 3 years, it costs about £30 and some areas even have volunteer instructors who are qualified - so you're not paying for extra lessons (I'm using Rospa in Birmingham as an example).
 
(Quick note - why does the OP have 0 posts?!)

A decision was made by Stuart Wright some months ago that posts in Nov AV related Topics don't count

The effect this had for many posters is their actual figures went down :rolleyes:
 
get quotes for a daewoo matiz,

we got one for my mrs as quotes for just passed etc were £600 odd.

looks modern, has abs, twin airbags, eleccy windows air con RCL etc etc 700 cc engine, so very cheap to run
 
1. I passed my test Jan 06, never bothered with Pass Plus. Since i'd alrady shelled out enough for lessons and did'nt want to shell out anymore once i'd passed. Plus i hated learning to drive so did'nt wanna go back with an instructor.

2. I got a 1.7TD astra once i passed, cost under a grand to insure fully comp with Budget. Which i was impressed with(i'am 20) . I think no matter what car you get, your gonna ave to pay a fair bit.

No i've got a years no Claims, i'am driving a Mercedes 190E 2.6l straight six, which is suprsling cheap to insure.
 
get quotes for a daewoo matiz,

we got one for my mrs as quotes for just passed etc were £600 odd.

looks modern, has abs, twin airbags, eleccy windows air con RCL etc etc 700 cc engine, so very cheap to run

but its a dqewoo matiz and its probably got a crap ncap test
 
If you havent already, try out an AA insurance quote, I found them to be quite a bit cheaper than Tesco and Ensleigh, my previous insurers. I had my pops put as the main policy holder on my first couple of years insurance, thankfully the family had a spare old banger about which I put my name to, to accumalte some no-claims discount. Nowadays alot of insurers offer joint no-claims discount, so if you could put one of your parents as the policy holder, you could save a nice chunk of cash whilst building your own no-claims at the same time.

For the record, my first car was a 1.6 Focus zetec. Cheapest insurance I found was just over £5000, went down to £900 with my pops as the policy holder. Now Im insured on it myself, 4 years on for £550.
 
I've been looking round at insurance my next car and I can't find anything worth getting that's insurance is less than 2k!!! and thats with my mum as the main driver

worth pointing out I am 18 next month and have had a full license since november and odne my pass plus
 
I still have some troubles at 25, a lot of the car's I can afford I still wouldnt want to pay the insurance for. The one Im most gutted about is the new shape Civic Type-R which the insurance is £1818, and thats going back as having my pops as the policy holder. I really dont get it, because if I go for a 2006 Type-R, the insurance is £900 with me by myself! Can never understand the insurance companies, I do under 2000 miles per year, Im hardly on the road!

Other quotes from the past few days.

Lotus Exige - £2100 with pops as the policy holder.
Focus ST-2 - £780 for just me.
Golf R32 - £900 for me.

The ST-2 is pretty much looking like a definite for me now, I almost bought one the other day but Im going to hold out for a better deal from a private sale.
 
Im pretty sure that clios, fiesta, poorsa, etc are expensive on insurance because so many of them getting written off because young people drive them. The less driven cars by youngsters Focus, Polos, not cool but even the newer skodas might be cheaper to insure. My Insurance from a Escort GTi to a Saab 93 Aero (brand new) only went up £70.
 
And an excellent choice, IMO.
Not fast and quite staid, but boringly reliable, cheap to run, with good depreciation and more importantly , probably cheap to insure :smashin:
 
Actually, I feel sorry for you kids nowadays.
When I was young :( , you could get hold of a mini, whip out the 850 or 1000cc engine easily and stick in a 1275 or even better, an Austin 1300 GT engine which was basically a slightly lower version of the famed Cooper "S" for £50.
A well nippy motor around town, not on the level of today's sporty versions obviously, but bloody good then.
And if you pranged it, it never got checked out, because there wasn't the fraud you get nowadays.
 
luck you old folks being able to get good cars in those ye olden days

my dad said he used to have an mg-b but it would be insane insurance for a modern day equivilant

looking at getting another mini as my next car, used to have a cooper till I had an accident in it and got a crappy 1.4 sxi right now :mad:

with mum as the main driver on a cooper s (second hand of course) looking at £2,600 and dad says have to pay for the insurance on my next car myself...I originally wanted an A3 but for a half decent one looking at £4000 although a c180 merc (the baby one) looks quite good for £1800
 

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