Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Would you insure your teen on a BMW 1 series?

115 replies

kitkatkaytie · 01/05/2022 12:48

Just that really. My DH wants to get one and is talking about getting DS insured on it in a few months' time, if and when he passes. I don't drive. Is it too powerful for a teen? Does anyone have one?

OP posts:
titchy · 01/05/2022 14:53

Newly qualified Teenager + very powerful cars = an accident waiting to happen. Particularly if you factor in a possible change in handling.

If your dh goes ahead AND you can find an insurer willing to cover him (which won't be easy), the cost could be tens of thousands.

It would probably be far cheaper to buy ds a small car of his own.

namechangeanonymous · 01/05/2022 15:04

To be honest I would insure my very responsible 17 Yr old nephew a lot quicker than I would insure my 19 Yr old nephew.
So it depends on who your teen is.

FrancescaContini · 01/05/2022 15:04

I think this is all about the dad’s ego

Ariela · 01/05/2022 15:05

The Teen should be financing their own car and insurance.

Nelliephant1 · 01/05/2022 15:11

Of course if you can afford it.

It's the newish chav boy racer car in our area along with the audi a1 and a class merc so there'll be plenty of girls and boys of his age driving them.

Poachedeggs1 · 01/05/2022 15:13

If it’s a 116, it’s fine. I know because I used to drive one. Personally I’d rather my children be in a safer car than this whole rite of passage of driving a 1l washing machine on wheels that will crumple to dust on impact. Cars nowadays are much bigger and loads more folk are driving SUV’s/4x4’s of some kind. If you are able to afford the insurance and you trust your child, then I would absolutely allow it.

Nelliephant1 · 01/05/2022 15:17

Shade17 · 01/05/2022 13:48

You don’t say whether it’s a 116i or a 116d but they’re both gutless heaps of shit so I’d have no issue with a new driver using one.

Kind of agree. They tend to be cars that people who want the, what used to be a premium make badge, get when they can't really afford a proper one.

As I said, their teen chav cars here so far from impressive

jazzandh · 01/05/2022 15:19

it's a question of knowing your sons temperament. My eldest has just passed and he is a careful driver. I have insured him on my i3 - which is sufficiently rapid. It cost about 500 extra, but he only a named driver, and that makes a difference. I can see that my younger son would be completely different and may end up with driving a smaller slower car (of his own)!

SingingSands · 01/05/2022 15:19

My teen is currently learning and is insured on my 1 series. It's a 118d MSport.

She'll have to be insured on it when she passes as that's the only car she'll have access to.

gunnersgold · 01/05/2022 15:21

Safer and cheaper to buy a small car fro teen which is what we did as I drive a sporty mini and dh a Porsche so certainly not safe or sensible / cost effective to insure her on thOse ! 🙈

MintyCedricRidesAgain · 01/05/2022 15:23

Hahaha! I won't insure my DD on my 1.4l Vauxhall Corsa.

It's a no from me!

Blaze1886 · 01/05/2022 15:30

The BMW 1 series has been around for a very long time now. Some of them are worth very little money and have quite small engines. More info needed like market value

mistermagpie · 01/05/2022 15:36

Nope. Surely it will cost a fortune?

My brother, who is now a very good driver (police response), was insured on my mums new car at age 17. He literally wrote it off in the first week.

I would see if you can source a man acceptable second hand banger for him and get him to contribute to the cost, that way he doesn't need to borrow your car and if he does something to it then it's his problem to solve.

Fluffycloudland77 · 01/05/2022 15:53

No it’s too dangerous to put them in something nice. I’d buy an older slow car instead.

AtillatheHun · 01/05/2022 16:00

Exactly what @DurhamDurham said - read the judge’s comments to the parents of William sheriff who was responsible for the deaths of two friends by showing off driving his BMW 1 series as a 17 year old, 3 days after passing his test. The parents were told they had blood on their hands as a result of buying him the car and:

”The judge said: “The buying of that BMW was the crassest decision that any of us will ever witness.
The defendant had only just passed his test and the decision to buy him a BMW 1.8, for a new driver of his age, was a crass one to put it mildly.”

just because you’re not buying it for him doesn’t make it a better decision

ittakes2 · 01/05/2022 16:06

I have a BMW - mine is a 220 and the engine is very powerful and there is no way I would let a new car driver drive it. But a 116 engine doesn't sound very powerful? For me its not the brand - is the engine size and strength.

jazzandh · 01/05/2022 16:26

If your teen is responsible there is a difference in attitude in driving a parents car and driving their own. Who are their friends, what are they likely to do in a car? My teen is careful as it is MY car he is driving. Cost wise, it is way cheaper to insure him on mine, than to buy an older car, insure it, pay for road tax, mot etc when possibly his need to drive is minimal. My car sits and isn't used for much of the weekend, so he can drive it. He also runs errands for me and collects his younger brother, so it is mutually beneficial. If they go to university, much of the time they don't take cars, and then they are sat there for weeks at a time costing money. So balance the pros and cons of it all.

Shade17 · 01/05/2022 16:35

I have a BMW - mine is a 220 and the engine is very powerful

No it isn’t, don’t be silly!

GeminiTwin · 01/05/2022 16:53

Depends which model.

I had an BMW M140 at age 22 and was fine. That's the most powerful 1 series on the market. I had been driving 5 years though. I bought it though and paid for the insurance.

The 116s I thought were actually quite sluggish and slow. But if it's a new car make sure you get GAP insurance too. I think the newer ones are slightly more powerful than what they used to be. It'll be quite a lot of car to drive for a first driver. But then again most of the learners I see in instructors cars here are 1 series & A classes.

I'd probably wait until he's been driving at least a year.

GeminiTwin · 01/05/2022 16:55

But I do remember the 116i/d's being very sluggish and slow.

If DH is looking at one for himself maybe her a 120. I even thought the 118 was pretty gutless.

M140 is a powerhouse fast hot hatch and went like shit off a shovel so I wouldn't recommend your son driving that one Grin

GeminiTwin · 01/05/2022 16:57

ittakes2 · 01/05/2022 16:06

I have a BMW - mine is a 220 and the engine is very powerful and there is no way I would let a new car driver drive it. But a 116 engine doesn't sound very powerful? For me its not the brand - is the engine size and strength.

Did you really think the 220 was very powerful??

Thesefeetaremadeforwalking · 01/05/2022 17:00

Does your DH have more money than sense, OP?

If he passes his test why not buy him a cheap but roadworthy model while he learns to negotiate all those lamp-posts/hedges/bus stops that tend to jump out in front of new drivers?

custardbear · 01/05/2022 17:01

I have a120 sport, personally no, I wouldn't as they have fairly decent torque which is too much IMO for a new driver. My brother has the top of the range (can't recall the model) and it's seriously quick and responds very quickly.

Buy an old banger that doesn't matter much and keep the new driver out of the BMW

CurlyhairedAssassin · 01/05/2022 17:17

jazzandh · 01/05/2022 16:26

If your teen is responsible there is a difference in attitude in driving a parents car and driving their own. Who are their friends, what are they likely to do in a car? My teen is careful as it is MY car he is driving. Cost wise, it is way cheaper to insure him on mine, than to buy an older car, insure it, pay for road tax, mot etc when possibly his need to drive is minimal. My car sits and isn't used for much of the weekend, so he can drive it. He also runs errands for me and collects his younger brother, so it is mutually beneficial. If they go to university, much of the time they don't take cars, and then they are sat there for weeks at a time costing money. So balance the pros and cons of it all.

Interested to know what your car is, how old your son is and when he passed his test. My son is 18 and passed a couple of weeks ago. I have a 4 year old 1.5 Skoda Karoq. My insurer won't insure him as a named driver on my policy till he's passed his test for a year. DH has a one litre Fabia (also 4 years old). He got the same answer when he tried to ring up!!! Apparently he's too much of a risk for our newish "valuable" cars (HA!). Our son is THE most careful, sensible, non-show off 18 year old boy I know. The complete opposite of a boy racer. I said to my insurer "so if you won't insure him on my car, and he hasn't got his own, how will he keep up the driving practice between now and a year's time? Sure he will be MORE of a risk between now and a year's time if he's not driven in all that time?" The answer was a sheepish "computer says no, sorry."

The irony is that we didn't look into insurance when he was learning because we thought a) it would be better for him to stick to the instructor's car and b) it would probably be expensive and it would be cheaper once he'd passed!!! I wish he had delayed taking his test to be honest and at least we might have been able to insure him on ours with learner insurance and he'd at least be getting practice, albeit with us in the car with him.

You just assume that things haven't changed since I was learning and was able to go on my mum's car as a named driver.........

So, OP, the very best of luck in being able to GET insurance in the first place in your situation for him, that's before you're even considering the actual cost of it.

SuperSange · 01/05/2022 17:19

Isn't it rear wheel drive? The handle awfully in poor conditions if you're not used to them. I'd be more concerned about that than the speed.