To think car insurance prices are insane and it’s unfair?

[WaterfallGlitter6]

I’ve had my license since I was 18 and I’m now 21 (22 next week). The insurance cost (£2,600 a year!!) for my Tiguan is insane even though I’ve never had an accident or claimed on my insurance at all. I understand that it’s higher because people my age are more likely to have accidents (I’ve never been involved in one and drive carefully) but for people who have never had to claim on their insurance and who drive carefully it’s unfair. I also understand it’s higher too because I have a Tiguan but I still think insurance prices are insanely high. AIBU to think car insurance prices are insane and it’s unfair?

My 21 year old son with 3 years no claims, one accident (in my car 🤦🏻‍♀️) got renewed for £900. Location and vehicle are your problems.

I can’t get a smaller car though, that’s the problem.

Pick a cheaper car then… if you crash the insurer has to shell out £40k! So paying 6% of the value seems fair

The car is a 67 plate Tiguan.

Why? Families managed with smaller cars for years and still do

There might be lower insurance group bigger cars . My niece drove her grandpas old berlingo as it was very cheap to insure. What do you need the size for?

Why?

It might help if you said why you can't drive a smaller car

It’s crap for you, but I’m afraid I don’t think it’s either unfair or insane. Industry profits were about 3% in 2024. The people underwriting would be better off putting their funds in a bank account. I had this at 21, now I’m 31 it’s £290 for the year. Keep out of crashes and you’ll get there.

You can get cheaper without getting smaller.

Why can you not get a smaller car?

Your car is worth more than both of ours (2013 Mini and 2020 Suzuki). You need a cheaper car the same size with a smaller engine if you really must drive an SUV.

I’ve always thought there should be a system where if you sign up and do a number of additional driving lessons (not necessarily a test, we all know the shitshow there) with a trained instructor you should be eligible to have reduced insurance premiums.

We all get into bad habits, so if you could have an ad hoc lesson every now or then and have the instructor log it to your driving licence number, you’d have proof that you were safe to drive. Almost like a drivers MOT.

if you think about it it’s mad you can pass at 17, and never have to do any kind of training or lessons until you’re 75+

OP I agree. I had no idea of the cost for young drivers. I pay around £30 a month for a similar car to yours at 44. I am in a low crime seaside area- I assume that makes a difference.

No, it isn't unfair. When I was in my 20s despite driving a small car (a Fiesta) I had high insurance premiums - because i was in my 20s.

Now I'm in my 60s and my insurance for a 2L 2013 plate car is £460, which is £100 less than last year.

OP you keep saying you cant get a smaller car - why?

Can you get a black box insurance?

My insurance was on the condition of a black box - but the box did allow a lot of flexibility. I had no time restrictions, I could drive up to about 89mph in a 70mph zone without getting the insurance voided. Some black boxes are a lot stricter - they will only let you go 10mph above the speed limit without voiding and you cant drive after 10pm - so just be careful to read the terms carefully when you take the insurance out!

My DD is your age and pays less than 500 a year for a car parked in the street in London. The problem is your car.

Have you got a parent or older relative with more driving experience and a higher number of years no claims that you can put down as an additional driver? That will bring the cost down.

Saying that though, DS1 is 31, he drives a VW Tiguan which costs more to insure than the BMW 4series M sport he had previously.

You keep repeating this. Your insurance is based on your car and your location. What's unfair about it?

Because I also foster 2 of my siblings and our cousin so I need a car big enough to fit everyone in and everything.

I think OP’s going to drip feed some extra information

Why can’t you get a smaller car?

Yes, because those of us with responsibility for multiple children never manage to get buy with small cars. 🤔

The car doesn’t have a black box, should I look in to that? Will that help reduce the cost?

It’s all statistical. You have a larger more powerful car than most your age. You live in a higher risk area. Statistically, people your age have more accidents, at higher speeds, and are more likely to kill or injure someone in those accidents.

Insurers care most about frequency of claims (attrition) and value of claims (mainly severe bodily injury claims - as those can easily run into 6 or 7 figures - which take an awful lot of premiums to cover…)

If you believe you are a safer driver than average, for your age, a black box policy may reward you. Equally a lower cost, less powerful car (lower insurance group) would be cheaper to insure.

Living in a low risk postcode, my 4.7l V8 Italian car (capable of >180mph) only costs me £350 a year to insure - but that is with maxed out no claims, no points, and other cars I can drive - all of which reduce the cost.