Learning to drive...a new car or old?

skivenov

Get something cheap for the first few months while they're still abusing clutches and learning to listen to the engine, then reconsider as they improve.

An older car can be harder to drive, and their faults will be more obvious, which will make them more aware of how their driving style affects the car.

Personally, I learnt to drive in a tractor, an old landy and a cortina with a knackerred clutch. My first car was an old Fiat Panda with dreadful brakes as standard, and a knackerred clutch. After those, anything was easy!

I did the same thing with my 7.5 tonne, and learnt in a knackerred Daf 45 that had done over 200k as a courier's truck. I've never complained about any other truck I've driven since!

skivenov

reason2 wrote: »

I think this is a bit harsh.. me and my friends all passed around the same time.. early 20's.. everyone told us we would be best off with old bangers while we got our crashes out of the way..

not one of us has had a single crash.. where as our parents all have.. we now have more no claims than them and pay cheaper insurance in half the cases

better the car, the easier to drive, less chance of incidents

Come to think of it, when we were at college, all driving crappy old cars, the only person to crash was the one who thought she was better than us all because daddy bought her a brand new Corsa

ilikewatch

It doesn't really answer your original question, but one bit of advice I would give is that other than offering him any advice you may have, you let your son go out and buy his own car and make his own decisions about what/where and how he buys it.
I know people in their twenties who would struggle to know how to buy a car or arrange repairs or insurance because mum or dad has always taken care of it for them.

reason2

people assume everyone is a boy racer at that age which is untrue..

i was the only one out of my group who paid for my license, tests, lessons, new car, tax and insurance myself.. so i had extra incentive to look after it all.

others were told ill help you out but after that you need to deal with any issues.. and so they looked after it.

if you raise people to be respectful and grateful and decent.. they wont go out crashing cars left right and centre..

all my "near misses" have come from experienced drivers being cocky..

i personally would go for a nearly new car.. something with a decent rating on parkers.. and low insurance group..

a corsa (i have an easy tronic and couldnt be happier with it) a panda - a c2 or c3...

spacey2012

I would start with some insurance quotes, sit down first !

Adding them on opens up fronting claims if they have an incident.

LEJC

ilikewatch wrote: »

It doesn't really answer your original question, but one bit of advice I would give is that other than offering him any advice you may have, you let your son go out and buy his own car and make his own decisions about what/where and how he buys it.
I know people in their twenties who would struggle to know how to buy a car or arrange repairs or insurance because mum or dad has always taken care of it for them.

Good advice...hence the reason that for the first purchase and the initial learning to drive we do give him some guidance and perhaps approach the situation as a family...

I totally agree that once he's had the lessons,passed the test etc etc its up to him how he uses that knowledge going forward.

Idiophreak

Worth remembering that a lot of new drivers have prangs in their first car - the cost of repairing the odd bump should also be considered.

GwylimT

When I was buying my son a car we looked at insurance costs decided what was reasonable to insure than started looking at those cars, we bought him a volvo as it was cheap to insure, nice to drive, a good size and reliable. He still has it three years later, he hasn't had any accidents, it has a dint on the bumper but I did that!

LEJC

spacey2012 wrote: »

I would start with some insurance quotes, sit down first !

Adding them on opens up fronting claims if they have an incident.

Thats what we have done and as I said earlier its a swings and roundabout situation...hence my original request for thoughts on old car, expensive insurance...or new car slightly cheaper insurance...

Basically whichever option we choose its going to cost roughly the same...I just wondered which option others might choose

I'm aware of the boy racer senario and other pitfalls of youngsters learning to drive,but I initially set up the thread to guage opinion on the options open concerning the purchase rather than wanting to turn it into a thread about young peoples ability to drive...whether that be through inexperience or recklessness!

Idiophreak

reason2 wrote: »

people assume everyone is a boy racer at that age which is untrue..

I don't think that's the assumption...New drivers just have less experience, are still learning, and are prone to making mistakes.

When I first passed I reversed into a lamppost in a gym car park.

When my Mrs first passed, she hit a wall whilst reversing backwards down a hump-back bridge.

One of my other friends hit a kerb and messed his front axle up.

None of them major accidents, none of them involved speeds > 20mph and all part of the learning curve.