can't get insurance on son's Escort

[Cavcraft]

Insurers don't like insuring anything they deem to be bangers and scrap value, try a quote for something much newer with a tiny engine like a C1.

The difference in insurance costs might be worth changing the car for.

 

Also the newer/dearer the car, the cheaper the quote. I would imagine insurers think if you have a £400 banger you don't care if you crash it. Buy something 4 times that amount and you're going to be a bit more careful.

[plasticvandan]

Even autoshite generally considers a late escort scrap,so can't imagine the man from the pru looking that favourably

[paulscavalier]

I could be wrong but these free insurance deals with new cars does it limit you to being 21 or over. It may also be the case with some classic policies

[Dave_Q]

Is this because a mk5 escort lacks the electrons to have a black box in?

 

Some of the best tips have already been covered, but I would just sit there churning different cars through price comparison sites to work out the best car/insurance price tradeoff.

 

Whatever the car do put more than £1000 for value though.

 

I reckon something small but typically driven by giffers not yoofs will play the algorithms well, like a wagon R (think someone already said this) or a tiny Daihatsu or Kia Pride?

[Snipes]

MK1 focus would be better on insurance than an Escort.

[PiperCub]

Probably a bit late as you've bought the car but my understanding of the insurance market these days is that it's changed from 'My day' as a teenager insuring cars. It used to be largely the group a car was in that was the overriding factor but this (as I understand it) is not so much the case now. Apparently the common choices (usual suspects Fiesta, Clio, Corsa etc) are so popular that they tend to attract higher premiums whereas if you go for a less common option, something a bit left-field, often the prices are alot lower. Also, sometimes a small car can be more than a slightly larger one (go figure), I think it's a bit of a lottery and if you have the time, it may be worth experimenting with a price comp website, trying different cars and seeing what the differences are. 

[JJ0063]

I tend to keep it under wraps where possible but I’m a business manager for one of the UK’s biggest specialist brokers, insurance is a bloody minefield.

 

I’ve not read all replies but the long and short is that the NCB he has built up as a named driver will be worthless to 99.9% of insurers. Being 19 with a year or so experience on a low value car won’t ever be ‘cheap’

 

Is it bog standard or does it have any modifications? Sometimes modified specialists can be surprisingly reasonable. £3k is a lot but it’s a figure I see floating around on a daily basis for young drivers. Was chatting to a young lad outside the village shop last week - 23 year old farm manager paying £4700 to insure a Freelander TD4. clean with no claims/convictions!

[Matty]

I have a feeling it was ever thus. In 1998 at 17 I paid £700 to insure a £300 Uno. In 2001 I paid £1200 to insure a £800 zx volcane. Adjust for inflation etc. You get older it gets easier

[GrumpiusMaximus]

I tend to keep it under wraps where possible but I’m a business manager for one of the UK’s biggest specialist brokers, insurance is a bloody minefield.

 

I’ve not read all replies but the long and short is that the NCB he has built up as a named driver will be worthless to 99.9% of insurers. Being 19 with a year or so experience on a low value car won’t ever be ‘cheap’

 

Is it bog standard or does it have any modifications? Sometimes modified specialists can be surprisingly reasonable. £3k is a lot but it’s a figure I see floating around on a daily basis for young drivers. Was chatting to a young lad outside the village shop last week - 23 year old farm manager paying £4700 to insure a Freelander TD4. clean with no claims/convictions!

 

One of my old neighbours worked out that he could get his Mk2 Focus for less using a specialist modified insurer.  So he joined the Focus Performance Club (or whatever it's called), fitted an uprated air box and qualified for much cheaper insurance as a result.  I thought it was a pretty clever move...