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Posting for Traffic (pardon the pun): best learner vehicle & insurance

5 replies

inbetweeners · 12/03/2024 13:53

Posted elsewhere but looking for advice on best automatic vehicle for a learner driver (who will apply for an automatic-only licence)?

And what vehicles would be best in terms of getting the insurance quotes down (and potential road tax/ULEZ etc etc).

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
JessyCarr · 12/03/2024 21:58

Have you seen the recent reports about how much more expensive it is to insure an automatic-only licence holder? My DD will start learning in the summer, but this has confirmed for us that she will learn on a manual:

https://www.itv.com/news/2024-03-06/young-drivers-with-automatic-only-licences-pay-760-more-for-car-insurance

I’ve heard that a Honda Jazz can be a good first car, but no doubt others will advise on the automatic side of things.

CadyEastman · 01/04/2024 13:21

No idea on automotic only sorry @inbetweeners. We used Marmalade for learners and first year insurance.

As for cars, just google Group 1 Insurance cars.

mumsneedwine · 01/04/2024 13:36

Toyota Aygo (cheap as chips to run) and igenie insurance

WombatChocolate · 01/04/2024 16:35

Look for Group 1 insurance. Small cars like VW UP/Skoda Citigo/Seat MII (all same car) or Aygo/Peugeot 108/C1 (all same car) can be had relatively cheaply if looking for a 5-8 year old car and insured as cheap as you’ll get.

Insurance is expensive. No getting away from it.

Ways to make it a bit cheaper include having DC as main driver and then adding a couple of experienced adults as named drivers.

If your DC doesn’t need to be a main driver (for example if they will go off to uni and leave car behind) then some families get a small run around as family 2nd car. They put a parent as main driver (as lomg as they actually are- otherwise illegal and Fronting) and have DC as named driver.

If your DC is main driver, they build up their own non-claims but won’t if only a named driver.

We made it a bit cheaper by trading in our old 2nd family car for one of the small ones listed above. This is DHs car. He drives it most sand is insured as main driver. DC is a named driver. They drive it less than DH and across the year, it will be substantially less as he goes to uni the autumn so then won’t drive for 10 weeks at a time. For us, we only need 1 bigger family car - myself and DH drive that and take it on holidays etc. the runaround can be driven by any of us plus DC. We did t need 3 cars in the family.

I think lots of families buy a 3rd car for a teen new driver/learner when they do t actually need 3 cars in the household - esp with more people home working etc. Sometimes it’s because 1 adult doesn’t like the idea of driving a smaller starter car like an Aygo etc. In most families with 3 drivers, there are only few times when all 3 will be out in car at once, so for many just having 2 is a big money saver.

My DC probably won’t own a car until he’s in work full time at maybe 22/23. He won’t build any non claims until then, but by then he will be able to say he’s been a named driver and (hopefully) accident free for 5 years and being a bit older will make it a bit cheaper.

It’s best approach for us anyway.

WombatChocolate · 01/04/2024 16:37

OOps - saw you wanted learner insurance. I would say though, before buying, run through the comparison sites for a new driver (post-learner) too ad lots only look at learner insurance and it’s actually new driver that is costly.

Collingwood is good for learners.

Expect to switch when they pass. Often the best deals for learners are not same companies as for new drivers.

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