urgent help needed with car buying for young driver and insurance

ag369
ag369 Posts: 10 Forumite
in Motoring
Hi, I hope someone is able to help me here, as I am totally confused right now. My 17 yr old son is doing his driving test soon and my car broke down beyond repair. So I need a new car which will be suitable for both of us as I can't afford two cars. It will be my car, but he will use it as well to practise driving and built up his no claims.
It needs to be a car which is suitable for tall people, he is over 6", and insurance group 1-3.
We have spent many hours online now to find a suitable car and it boiled down in my opinion, comparing the low insurance and small cars suitable for tall drivers, to Hyundai I10, Kia Piccanto and Toyota something.
Now whenever I find a used car in our price range from these things, the insurance groups have differed massively, from ins group 3 to 12 for exactly the same car. I am utterly confused.
Could someone clarify for me please what is going on here? Could the colour of a car make a difference (because all the ins group threes so far were white)
Any suggestion what exactly should I be looking for?
I would be really grateful.
Thanks
Annette
«13

Comments

  • Norman_Castle
    Norman_Castle Posts: 11,871 Forumite
    Photogenic First Post Name Dropper First Anniversary
    Ignore the insurance group. Higher group cars can be cheaper to insure.
    Named drivers don't normally get ncb.
  • DCFC79
    DCFC79 Posts: 40,598 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Anniversary First Post
    Norman_Castle wrote: »
    Ignore the insurance group. Higher group cars can be cheaper to insure.
    Named drivers don't normally get ncb.

    I think Direct Line do this.
  • mobileron
    mobileron Posts: 1,218 Forumite
    First Anniversary First Post
    My partner has the I 10 and im 6 foot 3. lots of leg and headroom and £30 a year tax.
    Try compare the market for insurance.
  • ag369
    ag369 Posts: 10 Forumite
    Thanks so far, and I am getting more and more confused. why can higher insurance group cars be more expensive to insure? Do I seriously have to look up every single car and do a price comparison on it?
    What other small cars can you recommend which are cheap to insure?
  • ag369
    ag369 Posts: 10 Forumite
    Does he have to be named on my insurance certificate or could he just drive my car on and off? Is the car insured or the driver? I remember from Germany that I used to drive my sister's car for years without having a car insured in my name, that was perfectly legal.
  • Nearly_Old
    Nearly_Old Posts: 482 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Why does it have to be a small car? What budget for car+insurance are you looking for?
  • ag369
    ag369 Posts: 10 Forumite
    £3000 for car and £1500 insurance absolute max or £4500 both.
    Insurance I pay normally is £160 annually for myself(Currently Fiat Panda, broke down, too small for his size anyway)
  • facade
    facade Posts: 7,016 Forumite
    Name Dropper First Post First Anniversary
    If you want him to build up a no-claims, the car should be insured in his name, with him as the main driver (which is probably likely anyway when he has just passed his test- you will be lucky to get to drive it yourself) and you as a named driver.


    Your no-claims will disappear after 4 years (I think, check this)


    In other countries it is the car that is insured, rather than the driver.
    I want to go back to The Olden Days, when every single thing that I can think of was better.....

    (except air quality and Medical Science ;))
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189 Forumite
    First Anniversary Name Dropper First Post
    ag369 wrote: »
    Thanks so far, and I am getting more and more confused. why can higher insurance group cars be more expensive to insure?
    Because the insurance group says how expensive the car is to repair after a typical collision.
    It doesn't say anything about how likely a young driver is to stuff it... Some cars are beloved of the type of young driver who is very likely to smear their mates over the scenery after an evening of trying to impress the 14yo lasses in McDogbits car park, while other cars would make that type of driver run a mile. Obviously, insurers would rather cover the latter...
    Do I seriously have to look up every single car and do a price comparison on it?
    Yup.
  • ag369
    ag369 Posts: 10 Forumite
    Thanks, and another question turned up:
    is it better to go for older and lower milage or younger and higher milage??
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