What you want to know prior to buying a car for your kid

Are you looking to buy a car for your son or daughter?

As a parent, keeping costs low and ensuring the vehicle is safe are the 2 key concerns. But there doesn’t have to be a trade-off between the 2.

I asked Crispin Moger (pictured), CEO at Marmalade, provider of cars and insurance for young drivers, what he thinks parents should look for when buying their kid’s first car…

“When they’re starting out, young drivers and their parents often start searching for a used car, rather than a new model, because they think that’s the only affordable option.

“But this isn’t always the case. The older the car, the higher the costs of maintenance, tax and insurance. What’s more, some young driver insurance policies won’t actually cover older cars, which makes life difficult if they’ve already bought the vehicle.”

Safety concerns

Crispin continues: “Aside from these additional costs, there is also the critical issue of safety. The simple truth is that newer cars tend to be more robust, better designed and equipped with more and better safety features.

“Research shows that young drivers are most at risk of being in an accident when they are inexperienced and haven’t accrued the road hours that help them to judge and react in a safe manner.

“That’s why a new car should be the preferred option. An adult might have the experience and capability to drive an older car without undue concern, but that probably won’t be the case for his or her child.”

What to look for in a new car

Crispin offered a few pointers on how to keep a lid on costs when buying a car that still ticks the boxes safety-wise:

• Engine size The more powerful the engine, the more risk of the young driver speeding and driving dangerously. That’s why we recommend a relatively modest maximum size of 1.4 for young drivers, and we won’t insure anything larger


• Optional extras You may find a good deal for car that has alloys, tinted windows and all the trimmings, but beware as these are all features that drive up the cost of insurance for young drivers


• Age of the car Not only are older cars less robust in crashes, but the newer the car, the more safety features it is likely to have. Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) have been a standard feature of all new cars since 2004 and help the driver to keep control of the car in an emergency. Additional features such as electric windows and steering wheel audio control adapters help to reduce distractions for drivers and enable them to remain focused on the road. The latest models also benefit from automatic emergency braking


• MoT It’s also worth remembering that, if a car is new, it will not require an MoT for 3 years.


• Telematics Look for a car that will work with a telematics-based insurance policy as this may well help to keep you child safe on the roads.

How can telematics help?

One of the major improvements to the safety of young drivers in recent years has been telematics.

Installing a black box in your child’s car to monitor driving performance and characteristics has many benefits, not least that it makes them think about their driving when behind the wheel.

Some policies also operate ‘curfews’, which keep young drivers off the road at times when there is a higher frequency of accidents.

And the key point is that good, sensible and safe driving is ultimately rewarded with lower premiums, while bad, reckless and dangerous driving is deterred by the threat of higher premiums.

Data protection

Crispin added: “As well as encouraging your child to drive safely, telematics can also help if there is an accident.

“If it wasn’t your child’s fault, the data in the black box may help to prove their case. And if the car is stolen, you will be able to keep track of the vehicle so that it can be recovered.”

What you want to know prior to buying a car for your kid