New to driving

[keynes]

Well first all hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and wish everyone a happy new year!
Almost 40 and never had the need to drive. Now with dogs and unable to stand the constant delays/overcrowded overground services I decided a couple of months ago to get my license and buy my first car. License sorted (passed last week ) and the car is arriving earlier than expected in a few weeks.
Overwhelmed with the amount of information available in terms of gap insurance. Immobiliser, dash cams, service plans, etc. Any advice on what to get/not to get is appreciated.
Now in terms of insurance the cheapest quote is from admiral but looking at reviews online it might not be a good choice but the next one is almost £500 more expensive.
Choices, choices

 

[SpyderTracks]

Hiya, happy new year to you too, hope christmas went well.

Congrats on passing your test, no small feat these days!

I think dash cams are a great idea these days, moreso for those that have just / recently passed. So long as your driving is respectable, to have prove of an incident/or untoward behaviour just makes the claims process that much quicker and easier. I can't see a downside to them.

What kind of card have you ordered? hatchback/saloon etc? Depending on the age and type of car, a service plan can be really handy in spreading the cost. My car had it's first service this year and just in maintenance set me back over £600. That was going through an authorised dealer though.

I haven't had admiral insurance for maybe 5 years or so now, but in the past I haven't had any issues with them. No idea what their current reviews / service is like.

 

[keynes]

Test went well but never felt really prepared even after 40 hours of lessons somehow I managed 0 faults.
It is an Audi Q5 which might not be ideal as a first time car but we wanted something relatively bigger than a hatchback for the dogs. Dealer quoted £36 per month for service/maintenance/tyres. It is a new car and I have been told the first service is likely to be on the 2nd year assuming we do 8000 miles per annum.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Test went well but never felt really prepared even after 40 hours of lessons somehow I managed 0 faults.
It is an Audi Q5 which might not be ideal as a first time car but we wanted something relatively bigger than a hatchback for the dogs. Dealer quoted £36 per month for service/maintenance/tyres. It is a new car and I have been told the first service is likely to be on the 2nd year assuming we do 8000 miles per annum.

Great car, reliable and comfortable. I think a service plan with a car like that is a no brainer and for £36 per month, seems very good.

Depending on your driving style, you may consider a "black box" insurance option. This is where the insurer installs a box into the car that monitors speeds, driving style etc and so long as you remain within speed limits and other limitations, it can reduce your insurance premium by quite a margin in some instances. For me it wouldn't be suitable because I drive like a maniac. A friend of mine did it when he passed at the age of 35, and it worked out quite well for him. You only have the box for a set period of 6 months or so:

https://www.admiral.com/black-box-insurance/ (as an example)

Personally, I'd say if you're looking for the best cover, give DirectLine a call, they usually offer all the bells and whistles, but will only quote direct. But for reliability and doing what they say without too many questions, they're well worth it sometimes.

 

[keynes]

Great car, reliable and comfortable. I think a service plan with a car like that is a no brainer and for £36 per month, seems very good.

Depending on your driving style, you may consider a "black box" insurance option. This is where the insurer installs a box into the car that monitors speeds, driving style etc and so long as you remain within speed limits and other limitations, it can reduce your insurance premium by quite a margin in some instances. For me it wouldn't be suitable because I drive like a maniac. A friend of mine did it when he passed at the age of 35, and it worked out quite well for him. You only have the box for a set period of 6 months or so:

https://www.admiral.com/black-box-insurance/ (as an example)

Personally, I'd say if you're looking for the best cover, give DirectLine a call, they usually offer all the bells and whistles, but will only quote direct. But for reliability and doing what they say without too many questions, they're well worth it sometimes.

Thanks for the advice. Definitely going for the dashcam and service plan. I tried direct line but was unable to get a quote from them as I think they have a restriction on new drivers and certain vehicles.

 

[SpyderTracks]

Thanks for the advice. Definitely going for the dashcam and service plan. I tried direct line but was unable to get a quote from them as I think they have a restriction on new drivers and certain vehicles.

Ah, that’s a shame, wasn’t aware of that.