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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

Original poster

talk to me about teens and driving..how the hell do teens afford it???

33 replies

brimfull · 04/01/2009 20:23

dd just turned 17
had first lesson on her b'day
lessons are £££ enough but that's her presents from us and g'parents.

called insurance firm about getting her put on our insurance naively thinking she could practise in our car as well as lessons to speed things up a bit.

was totally shocked that our focus estate would mean £1200 insurance to get her covered as additional driver

so what does everyone do?
teen buy their own car
fork out a fortune??

OP posts:
SueW · 04/01/2009 20:40

Just seen someting about this elsewhere recently.

Sepcialist insurers and month by month insurance.

Hold on..... BRB

SueW · 04/01/2009 20:45

OK, don't insure her until she needs practice iyswim. Saves your clutch...

Also suggested Collingwood insurance.

info

Fivesetsofschoolfees · 04/01/2009 20:51

DH's insurance came up for renewal recently. Normally, he paid around £300 a year for fully comp (x-reg Golf 1600). When he asked them about adding DS, the quote went up to £1800. Basically, Directline was not interested in insuring teenage boys. We finally renewed with Quinn insurance for £700 Third Party Fire and Theft.

DS will be 17 next week and we will pay for lessons for him, but also expect to let him drive DH's car too. When he passes his test, he will be allowed to use the car (to pick us up from the pub, lol).

Original poster
brimfull · 04/01/2009 21:02

suew-thanks tried to get a quote for our car and becasue it's an estate they won't insure .

fiveset-so is that quote including our dh?

OP posts:
bagsforlife · 04/01/2009 21:03

We added DS1 (now 20) when 17 to existing Ford Ka we had, now insurance is about £700 per year with Tesco.
Wasted load of money on DD having driving lessons several years ago when 17, didn't take test (chickened out at last minute) and still hasn't taken it (now 22). Will need another lot of lessons before being able to take test again.....aaargh. Stil she will have to pay for herself this time, but what a waste of money (birthday present from us and granny etc).

It is a v expensive business plus a lot of DS friends got given car too!!

Original poster
brimfull · 04/01/2009 21:07

bags-yes loads of dd's friends are or have been given cars as well as all lessons and insurance paid for.I am quite shocked at how many get given it as if it's a given.

OP posts:
bagsforlife · 04/01/2009 21:26

Have refused to buy him a car, but three of his friends had cars for their birthdays! but, to be fair, they have been pretty responsible so far, but someone else we know bought son top of range BMW mini cooper, insurance astronomical, in the thousands I think, and, guess what, he wrote it off within about 6 months. Madness.

aGalChangedHerName · 04/01/2009 21:32

We paid for ds1's lessons for Christmas present. DH knows a driving instructor through work who only charged us £15 a lesson instead of £25.

Ds1 had 4 lessons a week for a few weeks then sta his test in December but failed Resitting in a couple of weeks. Hope to god he passes this time.

Will not be paying for a car or insurance etc. DH in motor trade has contacts who can get a good deal on a car and the like.

Fivesetsofschoolfees · 04/01/2009 21:59

gg, our new quote is for DH, me, and DS. We have downgraded from Fully Comp to Third Party Fire and Theft. DH does very few miles that the risk is really low for us.

Milliways · 04/01/2009 22:14

We found it cheaper with Admiral to go Fully Comp rather than 3rd party for adding DD. It's worth asking the difference (but we have a 17 year old 106 so cheapest option to insure).

lessonlearned · 04/01/2009 23:27

Go fully comp - daugter wrote my car off in the 1st month! (She's ok, thank God!)

Novacane · 04/01/2009 23:46

was just thinking as i read this FSOSF, its not your DH you need to worry about, its your DS when he goes into the back of a jag or something similar, you will be liable.

Fully comp every time...

3littlefrogs · 04/01/2009 23:50

I was told by several companies that even if you pay fully comp, and add your under 25 dc as an additional driver, they will not be covered by the fully comp in any case. So I was paying the full wack (having had 2 minor bumps - not my fault - in over 30 years of driving), and ds was only covered by 3rd party if he was using the car.

Original poster
brimfull · 04/01/2009 23:52

only £50 difference between 3rdparty and fully comp when I asked

OP posts:
Novacane · 05/01/2009 00:07

pay the extra 50.

Quattrocento · 05/01/2009 00:12

Yes a friend has been telling me about this. Yet another way for our children to cost hitherto unexpected £££.

One way of investigating this might be to get a company car (if your firm allows it) or a second company car for the family. This actually worked out cheaper for him than paying the additional insurance. It wouldn't work for me because our company cars are only for people over 21.

The other (probably more useful) suggestion would be to practice illicitly at an airfield or supermarket car park after the shop has shut.

Original poster
brimfull · 05/01/2009 00:14

it is cheaper for her to buy a cheap car and insure it herself than to pay for insurance on our car.

OP posts:
MeandEva · 05/01/2009 00:19

Definitely get fully comp. There are certain providers who specialise in dealing with young drivers. Take a look at Admiral and elephant.co.uk.

I personally will buy dd a cheap little run around (in safe working order) better that bangs that than mine. And chances are she will at least dent the bumper within the first couple of months.

Tips are to buy a small car with a small engine with no association to a 'sports' car. Stay away from golfs etc.

Admiral used to do a 10 month bonus accelerator policy which means after 10 means you have acquired 1 years no claims bonus instead of having to wait a full year, this really helped me as a young driver as it meant my insurance was cheaper sooner rather than later.

zoggs · 05/01/2009 00:19

Make sure you check the excess. DD (21) has excess of £250 and DS (19) is £500. DS is in his first year of insurance which cost £1200. I spent 2 whole days on the internet and phone to get it that low - some quotes were over £2k. Definitely more expensive for teenage boys. Especially if they insist on getting a car within days of passing their test.

Neither have ever driven my car and neither ever will. Both started with old bangers costing about £500 each (paid for by XH). DD now has newish Ka which she paid for herself from money she inherited.

zoggs · 05/01/2009 00:24

Also, make them do Pass Plus - it is cost effective. I think I am a named driver on DS's insurance although I have no intention of ever driving his car but it did make a difference to the cost.

smudgethepuppydog · 05/01/2009 19:22

I insured my teenaged DD on DH's 1.4 Skoda Fabia, it took the insurance up by £250 a year. I've just started to make inquiries about adding DS who turns 17 in six weeks, was expecting a very large jump but again it's gone up by about £300. We're insured with Tesco. There was very little difference between the cost of TPFT and Fully Comp.

When it came to insuring her own car (02 plate Ford KA) though we found Diamond were cheaper for her. Diamond also do the 'accelerator policy'.

DS will be doing Pass Plus. DD's boyfriend did this and cut his insurance costs considerably.

sarah293 · 05/01/2009 19:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

westendgirl · 05/01/2009 20:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cory · 06/01/2009 08:10

I won't be paying for mine either. Can't afford to have our own car, so would be a bit odd to finance teenagers to have one. Dd may qualify for Motability though, in which case we will try to help her with lessons. Won't be paying for ds unless his condition gets a whole lot worse.

aGalChangedHerName · 06/01/2009 08:20

I didn't mind paying for ds1's as he is great with his little sisters and brother. He will do loads of running around for us when he passes his test.

Nobody paid for mine either but i will pay for ds2's and the dd's as a Christmas present when the time comes.