Car for learner driver

tranmererovers

Some advice please. my son is 18 next week - currently learning to drive.  We are buying a second car - smaller than our current family car firstly so we can take him out in it till he passes his test to get more experience and then once he passes it will be his car with us as parents having occasional use.

So in terms of registering it - shall I do it in his name and then for insurance would he be the main driver or would it be me and he be an additional driver?    And also anyone have experience with Marmalade - any thoughts.  And any other tips gratefully received!
Thank you

GrumpyDil

Simple question is who will be the main driver? If you will be using the car but letting him drive occasionally then in your name, although you won't have any NCD if that is already used on the other car. If he will be the main driver with you driving occasionlly then put him down as the main driver. 
My daughter was given a car by her nan which  we put it in her name and put a learner insurance policy on it with me as a named driver (not strictly necessary as my main policy had drive any car but reduced her cost slightly).
Be aware that most learner polices, at least that we looked at, need cancelling when test is passed and a new policy taken out which will cost a lot more than the learner policy. 

tranmererovers

GrumpyDil said:

Simple question is who will be the main driver? If you will be using the car but letting him drive occasionally then in your name, although you won't have any NCD if that is already used on the other car. If he will be the main driver with you driving occasionlly then put him down as the main driver. 
My daughter was given a car by her nan which  we put it in her name and put a learner insurance policy on it with me as a named driver (not strictly necessary as my main policy had drive any car but reduced her cost slightly).
Be aware that most learner polices, at least that we looked at, need cancelling when test is passed and a new policy taken out which will cost a lot more than the learner policy. 

OK so our current car has me as the policy holder with 20+yrs ncd and my husband as a named driver.
If I put hubby as the policy holder then he can use his ncd on this car?? (didn't realise you could only use on one car!!)  Until he passes my hubby will probably be the main driver and either of us taking him out in it as a learner.  Once he passes if we then need a new policy then it can be in his name with us both as named??  Does that sound about right?

AdrianC

tranmererovers said:

OK so our current car has me as the policy holder with 20+yrs ncd and my husband as a named driver.
If I put hubby as the policy holder then he can use his ncd on this car??

Does he have any...?

If he's not had a policy in his own name within the last couple of years, then he won't have. Being a named driver doesn't accrue NCD.

You have plenty - "max" is usually 6-9yrs, dependent on insurer, and "20+" makes no difference beyond that max - but it's not available for use, since it's on that policy.

If your son is going to be using the car most once he passes his test, it may well be worth him setting the policy up in his name now. Yes, he should put both of you on as named drivers, and put the V5c in his name.

tacpot12

tranmererovers said:

... Once he passes if we then need a new policy then it can be in his name with us both as named??  Does that sound about right?

Yes, you can both e named drivers on his policy. I would check that he can afford a policy in his own name on the car you are thinking of buying. The first year's premium is usually around £2000, but this will drop to c£1000 once he has a NCB in his own name. 

Also bear in mind that any car you buy for c£1000-£2000 is probably going to have the odd serious issue, such as a dodgy alternator, and a repair might be £500. Buy with some further expense in mind. 

GrumpyDil

Not sure about that 2000 price. Whilst my daughter was learning it cost around 600.00 due to being a learner's policy on the assumption that she would be supervised whilst driving I assume.

Did go up to 1200 once she had passed but had to be a new policy.

Also, if your idea is to take a policy out in son's name in order to start building up NCD for your son check the policy is suitable to cover him both as a learner and as a licensed driver. That was the element that caught us out.

Getting a cheap car may not be as bad an idea as suggested. It would have the advantage that you probably won't be overly concerned by any small dings that get picked up when said car gets introduced to small bollards😀 whilst parking.

Oh and if you do go for policy in son's name might be worthwhile inroducing said son to topcashback as that got us 60.00 quid back on the policy. Do check quotes direct from TCB and direct as prices are not always the same.