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?

Try calling your insurer and seeing if you can add a black box mid policy - worst case, they say no. Churchill customer service were helpful with me when I had queries.

Next renewal, shop around. I always have a quick look on Trust Pilot if they suggest companies I haven't heard of. If you go through a cashback site you can sometimes get some cashback too which helps mitigate the cost.

Another tip is to try alternative (but correct) job titles. E.g. It might work out cheaper to put 'hair stylist' than 'hair dresser'.

It is rubbish, but not unfair. We have all been there. I remember my insurance being more than my car was worth when I first started driving.

That's impressive fostering three relatives when you're still so young.

Look on Martin Lewis' website. Take the advice here about a cheaper car (remember, a child can go in the front with the airbag turned off, if they're old enough to forward face).

Then follow ML'S advice about insurance, step by step. You'll need a couple of hours, but it doesnt have to be all in one evening.

After that, gradually read through his advice on other matters - utilities, bank accounts, house insurance etc. Learning it while you're so young will save you a fortune over your lifetime.

What other cars have you looked at so far?

So you need to transport 4/5 people? (Unsure if you have a partner)

FWIW I drive a 1.6l diesel renault scenic which is £50 a month to insure with 9y driving history, and i just got 3 booster/multistage seats in the back with 2 adults in the front :)

Also managed to fit 6 people (2 adults 4 kids) in a Peugeot 308 6 seater (1 seat in boot), and 5 adults into a Peugeot 206sw

You really don't need an SUV to drive around a totally normal number of people, they don't get to complain about legroom if they're not paying for the car! You don't want a 3 door but any regular 5 door hatchback or estate car will sit 5 people depending on how many car seats you need

I don’t have a partner if that makes any difference.

Is it worth me looking at other cars then?

Yes. Of course.

I think a lot of it is also the fact that cars are generally worth more nowadays and more expensive to repair. When I was young all the kids drove around in £300 bangers. You rarely see cars like that these days.

Look at other insurers first, ch aging cars might be a hassle you can do without if you can get your premium down

That doesn’t necessarily mean you need a car that big or in that insurance class.
Best car I had space wise was a Fiat Doblo. Very ugly but brilliantly practical. There are lots of different options.

Are the children still in full car seats or boosters?

A neighbour's son had a crash that left one of his passengers with brain damage, and two with broken bones.

The damages award for the brain damaged lad was millions.

It’s worth looking at other cars and other insurance quotes.

That’s the only way you’ll know what option makes sense financially

definitely If you get one in a much lower insurance group

Okay. As others have already pointed out, your age, combined with a larger vehicle is not a good combination for a cheaper insurance quote.

First of all, go onto a comparison site, such as Confused.com or Go Compare. Never accept your current insurers renewal price.

Try increasing your voluntary excess if you can, as this may help to bring your premium down.

Direct Line also do black box insurance, so it might be worth giving their Telematics department a call to see what they can offer.

My DD had a new 1.0l car when she was 17, and with me and my DH as named drivers on the policy, the most she has paid is £1400 (and that is fully comp, with Direct Line on a telematics policy.

Also, if you able to protect your no claims discount, this is worth doing for the extra few pounds.

Look on the bright side - when you are an old codger like me it will only be a couple of hundred quid to insure your car!

Best of luck - I hope you can find a better quote soon.

Absolutely, you have a ridiculously expensive car and you don't really have any need for it unless your fosters come with vast medical equipment. But even then, as I said VW caddy is all you will ever need if you really do carry masses of stuff around.
My friend has 3 kids, one of them in a specialist wheelchair on oxygen tank and they have a caddy and take two back seats off for extra room in the boot. It's not a fancy-looking car but it's perfectly serviceable.
In any other circumstances you are OK with any car which has 5 doors. If you are dead set on SUV, something like Dacha may be an option.

Why have you got something so powerful at your age. Sorry but that's stupid

Definitely look into the black box DS has one no restrictions. It made his insurance alot cheaper. I spent a few hours on comparison sites.

My DD is the same age as you and drives an old Ford. Her insurance is less than £500/year now she has a couple of years NCB. You've made a bad choice in car.

Is it unfair? When old farts were 21 they had to pay an extortionate amount of insurance or get small unfashionable cars too.

Some of you should be absolutely ashamed of yourselves. The vitriol towards OP, who by the sounds of it hasn't had an easy life and probably hasn't been taught how to adult very well, is disgusting. Rather than be nasty and having a dig, either offer some practical advice or just leave the thread.

You have no idea OP's background or situation. She never said she couldn't afford it, just how expensive it is. She may have been given the car, we do not know.

I am sorry you have been treated so badly OP. Some people purely come on here to get on their high horse and have a dig at others. Pure bullies.

As some of the helpful replies have said OP, a car in a lower insurance bracket would be cheaper until you have built up more no claims, if you are able to do that.

Not as much as they do now.

When my kids were ready for their own cars, the main thing we looked at was insurance groups. So they drove a Micra and a Corsa.

Several people have mentioned a Citroen Picasso for you @WaterfallGlitter6 . I absolutely love mine. It's not huge on the outside, but it's a tardis inside. I can fit two child seats in the back, with room for an adult in the middle, and it has a good sized boot. Sadly they stopped making them around 2017, but that's around the same age as yours.

As someone else has already stated, it's life-altering injuries that are by far the biggest cost incurred in car accidents. Even a Ferrari doesn't cost that much to repair. Young people are far more likely to have accidents that incur terrible injuries, either to themselves, their passengers, or the occupants of other cars, or pedestrians for that matter.

This thread is mostly people hating on someone having a small SUV. The issue with car insurance is that it is not a properly regulated industry and there is no cap on what these companies can charge.

Yes, you can look around/compare, but there are few underwriters, so essentially, you are held to ransom. Then more people don’t insure (not what I do or what the OP is doing of course) because they have a car which is not even worth the money it’s being insured for - causing a cycle of inflated prices for everyone else (just the way the insurers like it).

It does. I've not worked in motor insurance for many years but there are a number of factors here that I can point out

First it's a large car and I assume as it's a VW, expensive to repair.
Secondly, with the introduction of equality law men and women are lumped in together. Men your age are statistical very likely to have an accident, but insurers are no longer allowed to price according to sex.
Thirdly, the car insurance market is being heavily effected by increased repair costs driven, in my personal view, by unscrupulous smaller insurers who also provide courteous vehicles to their customers...they inflate the cost of the hire vehicle and delay the repair plus using repairers who charge over the market rate. Making themselves more money...I have personal experience of this and have seen it with several acquaintances.
Finally, as it's just you on the policy it does mean you are statistical more likely to make a claim... strange but true... like the fact that if you make one motor insurance claim, even if it's not your fault, you're more likely to make a second within 3 years.

The solution is to really shop around try brokers, all the comparison sites because deals do vary, Google specialist young driver insurance, check companies like direct line who aren't on comparison sites. Do see if a black box can make a difference. Buy a what car magazine and see if something like a dacha Logan or duster would be a lower insurance group or any other cheaper car brand.

Well, obviously.

The insurance costs aren't unfair, they are statistically accurate.

Someone of your age with your driving experience who lives in your area with your type of car, with your size of engine, kept in your environment (street parking, drive, locked garage) will have a highly specific risk of theft, crashing, being crashing into etc and the insurance rate reflects that.

A black box shows every time you speed, use your phone, otherwise engage in dangerous driving. That's why insurers discount massively for them - you can't drive like a reckless young eejit with black box.