How much did it cost you to get your 17 year old on the road, and how did you afford it?

[Howsaboutthat]

My eldest turns 17 this year, and is very keen to get out on the road. I've told her she'd better start saving now as I don't have the £4,000 required to get her on the road.

Breakdown of costs:
£2,000 Insurance for Vauxhall corsa, Nissan Micra type car (who insures their 17 year old nowadays?!)
£400 Driving lessons (20 x £20 1 hour lessons)
£100 for driving test and theory test
£250 Road Tax (dependent on car)
£50 MOT
£400 Provision for tyres/work if cheap car
£800 for an old banger (that I'm not too happy about my child being in but costs must)

AIBU to wonder how people do this? Should I have been saving for this day since she was born?

[doobiedoobiedoobie]

Surely most people don't pay to put their children on the road do they?

A block of lessons for their 17th birthday present and the rest is up to them!

[indyandlara]

You're not just putting her on the road though, you're actually buying her a car. For most people they'd buy driving lessons and then insure as additional driver on the family car. If she wants a car then she needs to be ready to contribute to the cost of insurance.

[frogspoon]

Well you don't need to buy her a car.

That will save you £3,500.

(£800 for car itself, £2,000 for insurance, £50 for MOT, £250 for road tax and £400 for tyres)

If you want to treat her to a set of lessons (and pay for the driving test) that's up to you. But I wouldn't spend a penny more.

[janey68]

Ditto

You must have very rich friends if the people you know do that for their children. Most people I know offer the driving lessons for 17th birthday, and then it's over to the young person to take it from there

[HappyMummyOfOne]

20 lessons and just one test is assuming she will excel at driving. Most people have more than 20 lessons. £50 mot on an old car is also optimistic.

Depends on your outlook, some arents pay in full and some believe their children should fund themselves. I'd like to help DS as it enhances his studying and employment chances.

[Howsaboutthat]

But what's the point of driving lessons with no wheels?

Where's a 17 year old get £3,500 from?

Insurance companies won't even let a 17 year old be a named driver on my car. Plus I need my car for work, so if I could find extortionate insurance for her on my car she wouldn't have access to it.

[saintmerryweather]

I paid for my own lessons and car

[mrsSOAK]

As far as I am aware the driving agency recommend 40+ hours to learn if you have no previous experience, so double the cost if the lessons...

[Howsaboutthat]

I was going on the basis that I'd learnt on a crash course Mon-Fri 2 hours a day and passed test on the Friday (so I was being generous giving her double )

[MrsGrowbag]

TBH, I'd be amazed if the insurance is only £2k per year to insure her for her own car. I have been quoted almost as much as that to add DS1 to the family car insurance although family car is bigger than a micra type. Not worth very much though! I have been told by friends with more money than sense who have bought their DCs their own car that the insurance costs are £4k+ . Like the other posters, I would say driving lessons as 17th birthday present, access to family car on limited basis and let her pay for her own car and insurance if she wants to.

[doobiedoobiedoobie]

I'd all suggest £1200 is a pretty hefty budget for a first car (that they're not paying for themselves). I only passed my test last Christmas and my car was a bargainous £300 from an elderly gentleman who hardly ever drove it and was in pretty much perfect condition. Though good job too as it's now covered in scratches

[doobiedoobiedoobie]

Sorry that should say also suggest..

[Fargo86]

Does your 17 year old NEED a car? If not, buy her some lessons and let her get on with it. Does she have a job?

[verytellytubby]

My friends with 17 year olds have paid for lessons then its up to the 17 year old to save up for a car. One friend was quoted 5 grand to add her DS to her insurance. It's astronomical. She can afford to pay it but has chosen not to.

[doobiedoobiedoobie]

They get a job

Honestly, I know of one friend who was bought a car when he turned 18, everyone else had to earn the money to buy one! Those friends came from families of varying financial circumstances too.

[frogspoon]

Average number of lessons is about 30-40 I believe.

OP: Is your daughter as coordinated as you, do you think she will be a natural driver? I think it is harder to pass now than when you were learning. Testers are more strict as they want to be really certain that a person will be safe to drive on their own.

[schoolgovernor]

Don't start driving lessons until you can see that there is a prospect of being able to afford a car. Our 18 year old daughter had driving lessons from her Nan for her 18th, and £700 from us for a car. Her insurance is about £1800 a year I think, I don't know the exact amount because... she's paying for that herself. She is also paying for tax, fuel and maintenance.
I think the key is that they pretty much put themselves on the road when they can afford to.

[AKissIsNotAContract]

I got driving lessons for my 17th birthday but it took me 105 lessons to pass! Although that's extreme, 20 is a bit low.

[Gales]

Absolutely not your job to do it imo.She can have a car when she can afford a car.

As above help with a few lessons if you can and maybe let her pay to be added to the insurance on your car. TBH i think to do more would be poor parenting you need to teach her that it costs and how hard she needs to work for it.

When i was 17 everyone who was given a car wrote it off. Those who worked for one knew its value and took far better care of it.

[SkivingAgain]

Think it depends where you live. We're in a rural area with NO public transport whatsoever. My DS is 17 this year, he needs transport to get to college and if he wants to work to run a car.

[lateSeptember1964]

I think your figures are not far out based on a first time pass. Cost me about £5500. The insurance was more than the car which is a 55 plate fiesta. Shop around for insurance but I did find Admiral the best. It also got to the point where I took him out quite a lot as he knew how to drive just needed confidence

[frogspoon]

AKiss: It took me double that (but I am an extreme case!)

[marriedinwhiteagain]

We spent about £1500 on the car. It is insured 3rd party fire and theft for about £800 - in my name with him as a named driver. He will build up his no claims and actually isn't driving it as much as we thought he would and ultimately seems to have been a bit of a waste. Part of me is relieved - 18 year old boys in cars at night and all that but he is building up a no-claims and if it sits on the drive, gets used by me occasionally and to teach dd in due course, I don't mind too much tbh. He has a life skill he will need eventually but at present I think Upper 6th and UCAS, etc. have taken over.

[Clargo55]

DVLA reccomened at least 72hours of lesson before taking the practical test.

I have only recently passed and driving lesson were £25 an hour. It is recommened to do at least two hours in one week. So that is £200 a month for 9months. I would not even think of her getting a car until both tests are passed.

It is very expensive.

[CutePuppy]

Genuine question..why do people do so many lessons? We're I come from we buy about ten (I got five iirc) then parents made us drive to work on the l plates. So, if we wanted to go out, rather than them taxiing us everywhere, we would drive and they just provided the licenced adult. Going out to movies? Fine, drive yourself. Work? Yep, if you drive or you catch a bus. Friends house? Again, you drive. This was pretty typical. So we racked up the hours pretty quickly when you work twice a week and go out with friends the same amount. That was mum, btw. Dad wouldn't let us behind the wheel of the car until we were fully licensed! (And only then when he wanted a drink!)