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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:
TheFairyCaravan · 01/05/2022 17:23

DS1 bought himself a BMW 320 when he was 19. He’s a very careful driver. Part of his job means he needs to have a driving license so he’s not going to dick about, and he doesn’t.

Both our kids were allowed to drive my Golf diesel as soon as they passed their tests.

jazzandh · 01/05/2022 17:30

CurlyhairedAssassin · 01/05/2022 17:17

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.

Show quote history

My son passed a month ago at 17. He is insured on my i3 which is 5 years old and worth @ £15k at a total cost for all of us (DH on it) for £900. My renewal quote with him as a learner was £300, and once he passed it went up to £900.

He is a careful driver, but the insurers don't really know that as this point. Certainly cheaper than buying an old runaround, insuring him directly and paying for all the other stuff that goes with it, for weekend and holiday driving at this point (he can't drive to school).

But - he won't be building his own no claims, although he assures me that the app he uses monitors his driving and some insurers will use that ......(not verified!!!)

Cao77 · 01/05/2022 17:32

In a word, no... Purely from the perspective that BMW's are rear wheel drive, a slippy roundabout in wet weather with an inexperienced driver and your asking for trouble... I've been driving 25 years plus and still avoid rear wheel drive's. Like a PP said a 1 litre Corsa is more than enough for a new driver to gain some experience.

jazzandh · 01/05/2022 17:35

@CurlyhairedAssassin he was using Veygo (?) to book when he was using my car himself, but my insurance was with Admiral and so we have stayed with them since as the cheapest insurer.

There may be a difference as my car is electric, so perhaps the insurers have caught up with the 0-30 acceleration!😂

TheWeeDonkey · 01/05/2022 17:48

Will it need a black box on it? How will your husband feel about that? Also the insurance will be ridiculous, but that's not a me problem so you do you.

Flippydip · 01/05/2022 17:58

I think this is also about how much you care about the state of the car. When you first start driving it's normal to smack your tyres into curbs, clip a corner on a wall, reverse into a bollard and get the odd scrape. It's all part of getting used to driving and it's the reason most new drivers start out with older, cheap cars.

Londonnight · 01/05/2022 18:08

I have a 12year old Vauxhall Corso 1 litre, my insurance refuses to insure my 21 yr old son on it. No reason, he has been driving 4 yrs with no problems with his own car, but I can't get him as a named driver on my insurance.

jazzandh · 01/05/2022 18:12

Flippydip · 01/05/2022 17:58

I think this is also about how much you care about the state of the car. When you first start driving it's normal to smack your tyres into curbs, clip a corner on a wall, reverse into a bollard and get the odd scrape. It's all part of getting used to driving and it's the reason most new drivers start out with older, cheap cars.

It really isn't unless you are as careless of your things in general? I mean you've just had lessons and passed a test which demonstrates that you can manoeuvre a vehicle without doing any of the above!

InFiveMins · 01/05/2022 19:53

I'd do it if the insurance wasn't too high. He can drive 120mph in a battered Ford Fiesta if he wanted to, not sure why the fact its a brand new BMW would make much difference! If he's sensible and you can afford the insurance, I say go for it.

FeinsteinA · 01/05/2022 19:59

DD uses Marmalade Insurance on our Mini Cooper. It's a sort of black box thing that knows when she is driving, and registers how safely she does. It's been great, and much cheaper. Look in to that. My view is that they are safer in a solid car, but I have no evidence for that. :-)

LondonQueen · 01/05/2022 20:05

I've driven a 1 series before, it wasn't particularly powerful or fast so I'd have no issues with a new driver driving it. However you have to remember there are different models which can be more powerful, you can get a 2.0 engine for example which I'd imagine is a lot quicker.

LondonQueen · 01/05/2022 20:10

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.

The 220 is 184hp, that's not very powerful at all.

Rinatinabina · 01/05/2022 20:13

No, also the insurance would be extortionate.

LondonQueen · 01/05/2022 20:13

FrancescaContini · 01/05/2022 14:47

Is this a stealth boast?

And no, never. Of course not. Why would you let a teenage boy drive a really fast, expensive car?

1 series aren't "really fast, expensive cars" they're the poor man's BMW. Most of them are quite sluggish.

Thistlelass · 02/05/2022 00:54

Hi
An oldie answering you here ha. Almost 65 now and had 5 kids. 4 sons. No I would not dream of insuring it for a new 17 year old driver! But hey one of my sons wrote off two Peugeot 206's for me in a very short space of time.
An older car would be a more sensible choice.

weegiemum · 02/05/2022 01:00

My ds was £1400 on a 8 year old fiesta with black box in his first year driving.

Came down to about £800 on his new (to him, 8 years old) Hyundai i10 in his second year. Luckily he's never been into brands so wouldn't be swayed by a bmw or similar.

Milomonster · 02/05/2022 03:58

Doubt he’ll get insured. I tried to get insured on my parents’ Merc when I passed my test (I was 40!!) and insurer said I have to wait 5 years.

HogglePoggle · 02/05/2022 04:20

We’ve got one. I hate it more than any other car I’ve ever driven. Much preferred the Ka or Fabia we’ve had. For those reasons I’d say no. However my brother had one as his first car at 18, I don’t think the insurance was any more extortionate than normal and he had a black box fitted so couldn’t drive like an idiot (he’s very sensible by nature anyway).

custardbear · 02/05/2022 04:34

@LondonQueen - that's a pretty shitty statement!

noideabutstilltrying · 02/05/2022 07:04

I wouldn't.

We have a company car and a powerful scirocco. They can't drive the company car and the Rocco is crazy quick.

Decided to buy or teen his own car to learn in and drive.

It's their pride and joy. We told them it was their key to a bit of freedom and not abuse it. They are doing really well learning in a car they feel comfortable driving

CockingASnook · 02/05/2022 07:28

I’d be fine with a responsible young driver in a 116, if the considerable insurance costs are acceptable (will term be contributing?). Some PP are overstating the 1 series’ power - the basic ones are the equivalent of a standard VW Golf. They’re RWD so wet roundabouts can be interesting if approached too fast. The ‘Reg Local’ is a former police driving instructor who covers advanced driving techniques and had a BMW.
Also, I was a responsible teen who my test first time and still crashed a couple of times in the months after passing. Both stupid, slow speed mistakes but requiring body work repair. Fortunately I was in bangers (<£1k) so it wasn’t too painful.

CockingASnook · 02/05/2022 07:30

Edit: ‘Reg Local’ YouTube channel.

Shopgirl1 · 02/05/2022 07:41

Is it new? They are no longer rear wheel drive, they changed a few years ago.
It really depends which model and the cost of insurance.

Emmelina · 02/05/2022 08:53

What’s the likelihood of op’s DH going for some weak-willied model for his own new car though, let’s be honest. It’s going to be his new toy!

lljkk · 02/05/2022 09:02

Only placemarking to find out how much OP is quoted to insure the lad on that car. DS was quoted 4k by one provider for his 1st car: an ancient VW diesel Golf. Went down to just under £2k with black box, another provider.