Learning to drive and first car

FOXGLOVE_2

Thanks for the sound advice.

I think I'm averse to driving a larger car as in my non-driver head I'm assuming a smaller car will be easier.

I'd rather not take out car finance for a newer vehicle so at the moment, I'm just hypothetically looking around at what I can get for my money.

I don't have any close friends that I can have on the insurance, one of my friends drives but has licence for automatic only.

Also wondering if there's any real advantage to monthly premium over annual one off payment? Depending on the deal, I could do either. On the Direct Line quote, I noticed a 10% interest added on or something, had no idea what this meant.

It's something I will have to carefully look at in time but for the moment, I am going to arrange my first lessons and get some theory study done. Been reading over Pass Plus so depending on how I get on, I may go down that route if it enables me to keep insurance cost down.

Looking at local driving instructors but if anyone has advice on using the national schools like BSM or AA, I'd appreciate some pointers.

forgotmyname

Paying monthly will usually cost more some insurers charge more than others i did see one at 28.9%. So every £100 for the policy will add an extra £28.90 (ish)

If you dont have anyone to add onto your policy who will be teaching you?

Watch out for a huge price increase after passing your test.

FOXGLOVE_2

forgotmyname wrote: »

Paying monthly will usually cost more some insurers charge more than others i did see one at 28.9%. So every £100 for the policy will add an extra £28.90 (ish)

If you dont have anyone to add onto your policy who will be teaching you?

Watch out for a huge price increase after passing your test.

I thought the suggestion of adding someone onto the policy is for when I have gained a full licence? At the moment I will take lessons and when - and if - I pass, I will get searching for my first car and first insurance.

InsideInsurance

FOXGLOVE wrote: »

I think I'm averse to driving a larger car as in my non-driver head I'm assuming a smaller car will be easier.

<snip>

Also wondering if there's any real advantage to monthly premium over annual one off payment? Depending on the deal, I could do either. On the Direct Line quote, I noticed a 10% interest added on or something, had no idea what this meant.

<snip>

Looking at local driving instructors but if anyone has advice on using the national schools like BSM or AA, I'd appreciate some pointers.

Smaller cars are easier to park and being narrower slightly less likely to have a narrow lane type issue.

Bigger cars generally are safer so if something does go wrong less likely to have a problem. Often being slightly more powerful they can get you out of a bad decision easier etc.

In my day, god I sound old, everyone learned in tiny Ford Ka type cars and often with a 1.1 engine, a few years later and all now had Ford Focus with 1.6 engines etc as it was deemed safer/ better


Monthly premium is no advantage at all, from an insurance perspective. You are still buying an annual policy but effectively getting a loan from the insurer or a third party finance house (in some cases) to pay it for you and you are then paying the loan by installments.

Evidently if its a 0% deal then their is the monetary benefit of having the money in your bank rather than theirs but any APR above your savings/ credit card is simply a bad investment.


Most of the "national schools" are just franchises and so it really comes down to who your personal instructor is. There should be certain consistencies across multiple instructors but as hopefully you'll only be using one that is of no real benefit to you.

Best is always to get recommendations from others. Never buy a block of lessons until you are certain you get on with the instructor etc. Everyone has different styles/ preferences and so find the one right for you.

FOXGLOVE_2

Been doing a bit of homework and been looking at VW Polo. Other half has said they will go halves on the car if I'm paying for my own insurance etc so my max budget is now £2000.

The car I will be learning to drive in will be a 3 year old Polo so I'm hoping that the 'feel' will be the same.

Reliability wise, is VW a safer bet than Peugots or Toyota?

At this price range should I be going for less mileage or just more recent model?