Probably a long shot.
Looking for a used petrol car for a 20yr old driver. As she does some motorway driving she would prefer a 1.4 unless someone can suggest a powerful enough 1.2 ( she has been on our insurance as a named driver on 3 different cars even a used golf gti so she's a very good driver )
Not sure what's available or that makes a significant difference nowadays, but it might be worth checking on the insurance screenscrapers (put the data in with/without it) to see the ffect of 'pass plus' or similar post-test driving courses, or of the effect of having one of those tracker devices (driving style, not theft) fitted vs how much they cost.
Similarly, and you'd need to check with the insurer - and be honest about it - is what the effect of putting an experienced driver with a very good claims history on the policy as a named driver will be. It's a reasonable thing to put a parent on such a policy, say in case the main driver is taken ill and needs someone to drive them and the car home.
I do this with my policy - though now I add my younger (mid 40s) sister on instead of my (late 70s) dad because it appears that an over 75s with no claims in 5+ years is more risky than no named driver at all, followed by a safe driver around my age.
As others have said, two cars that are similar in terms of engine size/output and even performance may engender completely different insurance levels for a young, inexperienced driver.
Factors to consider:
Whether a car (overall) is mainly bought by young people and is associated with 'boy racing' (for want of a better term), or on the other side, as a car driven by 'safe' people but not considered to be great at handling in comparison (but it won't be 'bad' or 'slow');
The availability and cost of parts and repairs. Unlike with reliability, this would also include bodywork. Cars that are unusual/high performance and/or only made in the Far East and in sold in relatively small numbers in the UK will attract far higher repair costs. Ones that have significant manufacturing/sales bases and parts supply/main dealers in the UK/EU won't be as bad.
If I were them, I'd go for the slightly 'boring' but low cost motoring option - that would include going for a simplish, proven (reliabilty and longevity) lower spec (trim level) car, as that would cost less to insure due to a lower number of gadgets to need to repair/replace in the event of an accident or it being stolen, and the car would also have common (see www.protyre.co.uk/tyres/most-common-tyre-sizes for the list) skinnier, higher profile tyres shod on smaller wheels, which would reduce ongoing costs due to improved mpg, lower wear and lower risk of damage/far cheaper to replace.
I remember when I first started driving at 24 (I passed my testat 18) back in the last 90s - I was looking at a relatively basic Nissan Micra 1.0, Honda Civic 1.3 and Mitsubishi Colt 1.3/1.6. The insurance quotes I got were roughly (then) around the £500, £1000 and £1250 mark respectively. I went with the Micra and actually managed to get insurance with Nissan's own insurer for £350.
I doubt if those in-house deals now exist for youn drivers, but it was the difference between three cars that weren't that big or powerful/quick (the Colt 1.6 was 0-60 on 10 sec) should be noted.
A note about buying cars when you're an inexperienced driver - bring along someone with decent car knowledge when looking so they can spot problems, similarly DO NOT BUY A CAR THAT HAS BEEN MODIFIED - even if the 'mod' is just changing the OEM wheels and tyres for bigger wheels/lower profile/wider tyres or a different ICE system.
That will be a red flag to the insurer (it legally MUST be declared - check the door plate for what tyres SHOULD be fitted) and will significantly jack up the price. Certain cars - even bog standard ones - that are popular with young people and get modded often attarct higher premiums than those from other makes that aren't as popular with the young.
Other factors to consider are obviously where it's to be serviced - find a decent mechanical/garage to maintain it at a reasonable price - a reliable car that's well maintained that only sees the garage once a year for a service will save a decent amount of money over a cheap bit of tat or 'expensive' (but not necessarily good quality) car that costs the earth to keep on the road - never mind the insurance.
Don't buy a (modern common rail + DPF) diesel unless you need it for 20k miles plus and you personally know every owner and can vouch that it has ALWAYS been driven for predominantly longer trips (annual overall mileaga can be misleading) and has seen proper servicing on time/mileage throughout its life. Too risk if you don't - costs/reliability-wise.
Edited by Engineer Andy on 29/03/2021 at 11:40
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