Car: Education Needed!

[Gladiator123]

Hi Folks,

I don't know if I have posted this in the correct place, but I am interested in buying a car, in order to get to a job I have applied for (40 Miles away from my house) I am 21 years of age, and need to be enlightened on how the car paperwork/costs works.

I know the basics, i.e. you need the following, But How are the cost of these worked out. Surely Some Cost must depend on my age, and the type of car I have/going to get.

• Driving License
• Insurance
• Car (Very Important )
• Tax

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Gladiator123

[Rob S]

I'm assuming that you don't have a driving licence as yet? If that is the case then you would need to apply for a provisional driving licence. It is possible to apply online here:-

Apply online for a first provisional driving licence : Directgov - Motoring

But you have to meet all the conditions listed to be able to do it this way. If you don't meet the conditions then go here:-

Applying for a provisional driving licence : Directgov - Motoring

Once you have your licence you can start your lessons. Before taking your practical test you will need to complete a theroy test, which is a combination of theory questions and a hazard perception test. More info here:-

Theory test : Directgov - Motoring

For info on cars, try here:-

Parker's

And to get an idea of insurance costs, try one of the comparison sites such as Cheap UK Car insurance and home insurance quotes comparison from Confused.com. or Cheap loans | mortgages | credit cards | home & car insurance - moneysupermarket.com. You can get an online quote via these sites to give you some idea of the costs.

Road tax costs depend on a number of factors. For vehicles registered before 1st March 2001 it is based on engine size. All vehicles registered after this date are taxed according to their emissions. Info here:-

The cost of vehicle tax for cars, motorcycles, light goods vehicles and trade licences : Directgov - Motoring

[Gladiator123]

How do I find out the date a vehicle was registered?
How do I find out the engine size of a car?
How do I find out the emissions of a car?

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by Gladiator123

How do I find out the date a vehicle was registered?

The easiest way to tell is to look at the registration number. This gives you an idea of when a vehicle was first registered. There are 3 systems that have been used since 1963. The first is known as the "suffix" type of registration and would be formated as follows:-

three letters followed by between 1 to 3 numbers followed by the suffix letter. e.g

ABC123C

The final letter (suffix) tells you the year when the vehicle was registered.

This guide may help with explaining the suffix used and the year it was used:-

http://www.dvla.gov.uk/media/pdf/lea...and_prefix.pdf

In August 1983, a new system (prefix) was introduced. It was effectively a reverse of the previous style of number plate. e.g

A123ABC

the first letter of the registration number (the prefix) tells you the year the vehicle was first registered.

All vehicles that were registered between 1st March 2001 and 31st August 2001 will have a reg number that starts with a "Y" (unless on a personalised plate). For example

Y123ABC


From September 2001, the current sytem was introduced. The format is 2 letters, 2 numbers, 3 letters e.g

LS51EEZ

The 2 numbers indicate the period when the vehicle was registered.

51 for the period from 1st Sept 2001 - 28th Feb 2002
02 for the period from 1st march 2002 - 31st Aug 2002
52 for the period from 1st Sept 2002 - 28th Feb 2003
03 for the period from 1st March 2003 - 31st Aug 2003

and so on.

All vehicles registered within the same 6 month period will have the same numbers within the reg number.

Originally Posted by gladiator123

How do I find out the engine size of a car?

The Parkers site will give information relating to the range of engine sizes available within a car range

The car's engine size is always quoted on the V5 registration document

Originally Posted by gladiator123

How do I find out the emissions of a car?

VCAcarfueldata.org.uk - VED Calculator

This site allows you to find out the emissions info for each car.

[JonCris]

Well done Rob I now know who to pester the next time I or any of my family have a car question

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by JonCris

Well done Rob I now know who to pester the next time I or any of my family have a car question

Have I created a monster for myself here??

[JonCris]

Yup

[Gladiator123]

How much is it for a provisional license. to drive a car?
How many driving lessons do you need to do, before you can take your test?

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by Gladiator123

How much is it for a provisional license. to drive a car?

£50

Originally Posted by Gladiator123

How many driving lessons do you need to do, before you can take your test?

How long is a piece of string? It's hard to say how many lessons a particular individual will need but the Driving Standards Agency reckon on the average learner needing in the region of 45 hours of lessons. I'm not sure what independent ADI's (approved driving instructors) charge per hour but the AA driving school charge an average of £24 per hour of tuition.

Do a Google search on "driving lessons" and it will come up with plenty of hits. Another way to find a good instructor is to ask friends or work colleagues if they have any personal recommendations to make. The good instructors out there don't have to do much advertising and get plenty of business on word of mouth recommendations.

[gwc1000]

Originally Posted by Rob S

It's hard to say how many lessons a particular individual will need but the Driving Standards Agency reckon on the average learner needing in the region of 45 hours of lessons.

Blimey, how things have changed! When I took my test in the mid seventies it was reckoned that you needed one hours tuition for each year of your age. ie a seventeen year old required seventeen lessons, a thirty year old required thirty lessons. It was reckoned that the younger you were the quicker you would pick it up.

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by gwc1000

Blimey, how things have changed! When I took my test in the mid seventies it was reckoned that you needed one hours tuition for each year of your age. ie a seventeen year old required seventeen lessons, a thirty year old required thirty lessons. It was reckoned that the younger you were the quicker you would pick it up.

Yes, I was quite shocked by the figure too. I took my driving test in September 1979 and my instructor reckoned on an average of 20-25 lessons. I was fortunate in only needing 12, but by the time I had passed my car test I had 13 months motorcycle experience under my belt which certainly helped.

[Gladiator123]

Just so I can work out an approx cost, how much do you think it will cost to run a small car for a week (not including fuel)? I am 21 years of age?

How much do you think it will cost to run a car for a month (not including fuel)

And how much do you think it will cost to run a small car for a year (not including fuel)?

Much Appreciated!

Dysan

[borisbeaver]

Road Fund Licence (car tax)

If I use my Ford Fiesta 1.3 as an example, it costs £100 per year in tax - road fund licence. Due to engine size an emissions.

Insurance

I am 41 years old and I can get third party cover, the minimum required by law, for just under £100. For a 21 year, you would be looking at £400 ish, but this is for someone with a full licence. If you only have a provisional licence, then this figure could easily double, if not triple.

Maintenance

All car's over three years old requires an MOT Test. This is approx £50.00 and must be done yearly. To get a road fund licence, the vehicle must have valid insurance and a valid MOT certificate.

Some older cars require regular preventative maintenance. Oil change at 6000 miles, Brake pads/shoes yearly (depends on driving manner), servicing. For a dealer service on my fiesta, depending on the mileage, it can range from £70 for oil, plugs, filter, anti-freeze, to nearly £200 for a full service including cambelt. This figure does not include vat though, which is charged at 17½%.

So, as a ball park figure, running costs for my Fiesta are approximately £300 per year

[patdavies]

Originally Posted by borisbeaver

Insurance

I am 41 years old and I can get third party cover, the minimum required by law, for just under £100. For a 21 year, you would be looking at £400 ish, but this is for someone with a full licence. If you only have a provisional licence, then this figure could easily double, if not triple.

As a new driver, you will be lucky to get away with anything much below £1000.

My son is 22 and has 1 year NCB, he pays £800+ for a 1.2 Corsa.