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Best Car for a new teenage driver

599 messages,  Last post on Mar 15, 2013 at 1:49 PM

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Messages Page 60 of 60

#591 of 599 Re: that's what I'm saying... [explorerx4] by fezo

Nov 02, 2012 (5:28 pm)

Replying to: explorerx4 (Nov 02, 2012 5:17 pm)
No, they're in my name but you need a primary driver on each car and until you have more car than drivers you have to assign individuals as primary driver of each car. If I get one more car I can be the primary driver on that, too, and it would be cheap to insure (as much as car insurance is ever cheap).

#592 of 599 Re: that's what I'm saying... [fezo] by kyfdx HOST

Nov 03, 2012 (6:51 am)

Replying to: fezo (Nov 02, 2012 5:28 pm)
Yeah... we have four cars for three drivers... The one that my 18-yr-old is listed on is about $1100 per year... A similar car that is just "extra" is only $360.....

#593 of 599 Re: that's what I'm saying... [kyfdx] by fezo

Nov 03, 2012 (8:10 am)

Replying to: kyfdx (Nov 03, 2012 6:51 am)
What do you insure $500 worth of liability? Our adult cars are about that. The kids are over $2K. Total bill is around $5K!

#594 of 599 Re: that's what I'm saying... [fezo] by roadburner

Nov 03, 2012 (12:06 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Nov 03, 2012 8:10 am)
We have a 17 year-old and no one in the family has an at-fault accident or a ticket; we pay $4300 annually for five cars.

#595 of 599 Re: that's what I'm saying... [fezo] by kyfdx HOST

Nov 03, 2012 (6:44 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Nov 03, 2012 8:10 am)
Full coverage on all with $500 deductible
 
250K/500K/100K on liability...
 
2011 Infiniti
2006 BMW
 
and two old cars (each with a value of around $3500)..
 
Two adults and an 18-year old male..
 
About $3000 - $3100 total premium per year..
 
It is pretty cheap, but my homeowner's insurance is up over $1400/yr, now..

#596 of 599 Re: that's what I'm saying... [kyfdx] by fezo

Nov 04, 2012 (10:48 am)

Replying to: kyfdx (Nov 03, 2012 6:44 pm)
Well, I pay half your homeowner insurance so we're almost getting even here....

#597 of 599 Re: that's what I'm saying... [fezo] by igozoomzoom

Nov 08, 2012 (12:07 am)

Replying to: fezo (Nov 02, 2012 5:28 pm)
A fairly recent trend in the insurance industry is REQUIRING a teen driver to be listed as primary driver on a vehicle, regardless of whether they actually are primary! For example, a married couple has a 2010 Infiniti G37 and 2012 Honda Pilot. Their 16-year old son only drives one of the vehicles on Saturday and Sunday to a part-time job, no more than 25 miles each week. But the insurance company will require the son to be primary on one of the vehicles and that car will be rated accordingly (premium will triple in most cases)!
 
Prohibitively expensive insurance cost is one of the main reasons many teens aren't getting licensed until they graduate high school. I'm an independent insurance agent and I have definitely seen a decrease in teen drivers being added to policies over the last five years. Of course, some parents simply aren't telling their insurance company about their teen drivers! That's a very risky gamble, of course. If the teen has an accident, the insurer can choose whether to pay or, what I see most often, they will only pay the other (not-at-fault) driver's damages. When the insurance company discovers an unreported teen driver (because of a claim or any other source), they have the legal right to bill you retroactively to when the teen started driving! The retroactive billing is usually accompanied by a cancellation notice, which will make it more difficult and more expensive to find a new insurer.
 
It's bad enough for the parents of a teenage girl, but the cost is BRUTAL for a teenage boy! I routinely see the entire policy premium increase by 250% when a 16-year old male driver is added!!! It's more like 170-180% to add a 16-year old female...
 
Recently, I had a couple that I've known for years call me because their 17-year old son was getting his license and a cheap vehicle of his own. The increase to add him and liability-only coverage on a $5000 car was going to increase their premium by $3350 per year with their current insurer. I told them that it would be a bit less expensive (possibly $500-$800/year less) if they waited until he turned 18. Then they confided that the reason their son needed a car was because he had to get a job because his girlfriend was pregnant. They also said that the he and the girlfriend would be getting married before the baby was born. When I quoted their policy, if the son was married it would save $1400/year! The following Saturday, the teenager parents-to-be got married.
 
That story is sad on a couple of levels, but I haven't seen an epidemic of teenagers getting married just to reduce insurance premiums....yet!

#599 of 599 Under 30 and got a car recently? by steve_ HOST

Mar 15, 2013 (1:49 pm)

A reporter would like to talk to someone under the age of 30 who bought a car within the last few months. Please reach out to predmunds.com by Wednesday, March 20, 2013 if you'd like to help.

Messages Page 60 of 60

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