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I was surprised to find that my Royal & Sun Alliance renewal reminder, just received, shows about the same as last year: just under £300 fully comp for a BMW 525. This is with full NCB and no NCB-protection (a waste of money in my opinion, unless you have a habit of making claims).
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Dizzy, that's a great quote for a 525.
I paid £360 this year for my Mondeo 1.6LX, but paid another £108 in June when I moved house. I queried this [with elephant.co.uk] but they said it was because I was in a new area. [1.5 miles away!]
I may pay a little extra to insure elsewhere next January if I haven't changed the car by then - some of the other posts suggest that slightly more expensive insurers don't charge so much for policy changes.
Why can't insurers declare how insurance groups affect premiums? After all, it's their system! For example, if each insurance group increase raises the premium by say 5%, it would be easy to work out the premium for each type of car.
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I'm glad I paid extra £130 to protect my NCB because I was hit by an uninsured b*****d over a year ago, he has yet even to pay my excess, nevermind the cost to the insurance company.
Even so, my premium dropped from £930 to £585 this year, I stayed with the same insurance company.
Ben
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There are HUGE differences in quotes and they seem to vary every year and according to your situation. I'm 35, nearly 6 yrs no claims since I bought my first car and living in a City (Cardiff). I was paying around £400 a year fully comp on my cavalier 2.0 worth only £3000 when in caerphilly (small town nearby). Moving to Cardiff they upped my premium by about 20%. Then I changed my car to a Vauxhall Omega GLS 2.0 16V, Insurance group 13. Same insurance brokers upped me again by nearly £25 a month on my remaining premium for the year. Its due for renewal this month and I've just found a quote, fully comp with £200 excess and full legal cover etc for about £350 a year which I think is very reasonable. I've had many quotes for £600-£800 on major companies, it definitely pays to shop around each year. No claims also makes a BIG difference and make sure you get it protected!!
Simon
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Just as an addition to this thread, it's not always about the initial cost of the insurance premium.
Very much to my cost, I've found that if you go for a cheap quote, you'll pay through the nose if you move house or try to change car.
I've mentioned before that I moved house to a lower risk area and was charged well over £100 quid for the privelidge by the brokers, Hastings Direct.
Now that I'm looking for a new car, they're refusing to cover my new car on the existing policy (expires end Sep). As I've got 2 years NCD at present, the option of cancelling and starting a new policy will lose me 11.5 months NCD (significant given only 2years thus far). They did come up with a figure of £340 to cover the new car for September, a full year premium equivalent of £4080! Of course, I'd still have to cancel the current policy as if I no longer own the Xantia, I can't insure it.
Interestingly, Direct Line will cover me for a full year for £326. Guess where my business is going.
I wish I'd never heard of Hastings Direct, I saved perhaps £60 by going with them, but they've been an absolute nightmare with these changes, and goodness only knows how much hassle you'd get if you actually needed to make a claim.
I think the old addage, "There's no such thing as a free lunch" holds true.
Lee.
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When I got my new (to me) car, I called Direct Line and got the details changed, but asked on the off chance about keeping the old one running for a bit until I got shut of it (still trying;( ) and they said no problem and sent me a cover note to cover it for 4 weeks at no cost. I liked that.
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Isn't motor insurance, or rather should I say the premiums, a big con? The insurance companies will fleece you like nothing to get more moneyout of you.
A favourite trick is to give you a lower quote then at next year's renewal, be hit with a massive increase. You then have the aggrevation of shopping around again to get a cheaper quote.
I was faced with a doubling of my premiums 2 years ago, from £450 to over £900 for absolutely no reason. I'd had no bumps, no claims, hadn't moved etc. I can only assume the insurer didn't want my business so I took it elsewhere.
I also ditched my protected NCD this year as it was over £60 on its own and I have paid it for over 10 years without needing it. I'd rather face the increase in premiums now then continue to pay this ever increasing charge.
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A variant on this is to reduce the cover at renewal. I had any driver on little Proton, so that in case I was out of action for some reason and SWMBO had to be chauffeured we could ask someone, but at last renewal they chopped it to named driver only. As it works out, either of these would have to come a long way.
OK, it's the GTi and I knew I'd be screwed for a little decoration and better seats, brakes and handling on what is, after all, still just a hatchback; but this is a nuisance.
I said before, insurers impose an amenity charge. And I agree, it's all a big con; correction, BIG CON!
Cheers (not to insurers!), Tomo
PS I understand chauffeur - "heater" - is a term going back to the days of hot tube ignition; when you hired a person to drive the car, a necessary duty was to light the burners. (I think this piece of harmless information should upset nobody, but I can't feel sure any more; it is from myself......!)
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If you relay want to get soem fun quotes then apply as a young driver 17+ with no no claims on anyhting more than 1.4 in size this includes diesals some fun that is even getting insured at 19 with 2 yrs no claims on clios 1.2 16v or corsas 1.2 16v the quote run to 1200 at the cheapest no wonder new cars sell well to yong people who have a good enought job to pay for a car when they can basically take thousands of pounds of the list price if they account for the insurance deals making new cars the same price as second hand models
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A few of the posts on this thread have recommended Direct Line.....guess what?...they won't cover Northern Ireland motorists. Can't say I blame them - we've a fine history of fraudulent whiplash claims; most recently incidents of 5 people getting into a car and deliberately braking hard in front of an innocent motorist who cannot get stopped in time, then all claiming for whiplash. B*st*rds.
I'll ask elephant.co.uk to state in writing how much it will cost to change my vehicle mid-policy. No doubt they'll be most forthcoming. Not.
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>> If you relay want to get soem fun quotes then applyas a young driver 17+ with no no claims on anyhting more than 1.4 in size this includes diesals some fun that is even getting insured at 19 with 2 yrs no claims on clios 1.2 16v or corsas 1.2 16v the quote run to 1200 at the cheapest no wonder new cars sell well to yong people who have a good enought job to pay for a car when they can basically take thousands of pounds of the list price if they account for the insurance deals making new cars the same price as second hand models
Yes, at the place I worked at a few years ago, half the new starters (all graduates) were driving around in bottom of the range brand new AXs because of the free insurance deal.
I was always very resentful that these policies gave them 60% NCD after one year - I never understood how that could be fair, given that many of them would move to another insurer. Why should the other insurer recognise another insurer's false and unjustifiable NCD?
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I was always very resentful that these policies gave them 60% NCD after one year - I never understood how that could be fair, given that many of them would move to another insurer. Why should the other insurer recognise another insurer's false and unjustifiable NCD?
Never heard of 60% after 1 year but Citroen had 2 years free insurance with Direct Line on the AX in 1996/97 and on the Saxo in 1999. If no claim was made in the 2 years, then Direct Line gave 3 years NCB. A great deal which my sons took advantage of, equivalent to at least one third off the price of the cars (at age 18). Other insurers would not recognise the extra year though as this was purely a concession from DL and hadn't been earned. Citroen stopped the scheme in Sept 99 as it was too expensive. You can currently get 1 years NCB on the basic Saxo but only if you take their (expensive) credit deal.
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Try esure (esure.com) if you have at least 4 yrs NCD. They are a relatively new company and are by far the cheapest around at the moment. I'm 35, coming up to 6 yrs NCD, high risk area city, no garage, driving a T-reg Omega 2.0 automatic, fully comp with NCD protection and legal cover was £380. If you dont care for NCD protection and legal cover it was £325.
Regards
Simon
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Thanks Simon...I tried esure.com - they won't insure Northern Ireland motorists.
I've got my dishonest money-grabbing compatriots to thank for that.
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I can second Lee's comments.
I am with Fortis and when I changed from an 8 year old Micra to a new Ka, the premiums almost doubled. Other insurers can do the Ka for little more than the Micra.
What's more when I had a broken window, the repairer was a scruffy bloke in a dodgy looking garage down the road. He didn't have the window in stock (a standard Micra window for goodness sake) so had to order it.
Never again.
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JohnnyBoy, how'd you get on with elephant? I'm in norn iron too, and last year I found them to be much better than any other providers and have just been given a quote for renewal which will be £80 cheaper than my current premium thanks to their bonus accelerator, even though I will have a group 9 car instead of a group 6, and I will be the named driver instead of my wife, who's two years older and has had her licence three years longer.
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Not too bad Andy...this is my second year with them and on both occasions I couldn't find anyone cheaper. However, I paid £360 to renew my insurance in January, and was charged a £108 supplement when I moved house in May, which I thought was extortionate.
I've been pricing around for insurance on a 1995 BMW 525 tds, which I fancy for next year, but am being quoted £800.
I begrudge paying £360 for insurance as I've never made a claim [I've been driving for 14 years], so I don't think I could bear to part with £800 every year!
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Try being 21 and stomaching the premium on a V6 Omega, then think how I felt when I bought it at 19! :) That makes anything sub £1000 an absolute dream!
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I was 21 once you know! I remember what it was like to spend 4 months paying off insurance in installments - that's why I don't want to go back to paying big bucks!
Unfortunately, I can't find any cars that I like with low insurance....may have to bite the bullet though because I do not want another Mondeo.
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My old man just bought a 99 Mondeo Ghia X. £200 quid a year extra on your insurance, or another Mondeo... I know what I would go for! It certainly would be pops 1.8TD! :)
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Replace 'would' with 'wouldn't!'
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s** the 'woulds', cough up the extra insurance money and get the car you really want :)
Whenever its time to pay the higher premiums, take the car for a spin and you'll feel much better about shelling out for the cover.
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Just thought i'd chip in to the conversation.
Anyone any ideas on whose a good insurer for a young driver?
I am 23 and have 3 years NCB. and am looking for a quote on a 1.2 punto which has had the arbath body kit fitted.
I phoned direct line and they quoted me £588 fully comp. Is this competitive?
I ask as it only cost me £650 to insure my 1.8 corrado which just a few insurance groups higher than the Punto!
Ross
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Sell the Punto and buy another Corrado then you wont have to worry about being over charged on the Punto! :)
On a more contructive note, I use Tesco which have provided the lowest quote by far on my modded 200bhp Omega. Direct Line offered a marginaly higher quote although they were fairly reasonable also.
I found most young driver specialists to be useless. (I'm 21 - 1yearNCB)
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Ross
Try elephant.co.uk or admiral.co.uk
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Beware of Admiral as their terms and conditions state they cancel your insurance if you have a total loss claim and they will deduct from your payout the remaining premium due if you pay by instalments. Not all insurers do this so it is worth reading the tiny print before deciding.
teabelly
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Ross,
While looking for insurance on my modded astra I found Performance Direct and Adrian Flux (both have websites but not sure of the URLs) to be the cheapest around by far. Direct Line were at least double the price I ended up paying, but that may be due to my age (20).
Adrian Flux were the cheapest for me but I decided to go with Performance Direct because they threw in a few extras.
HTH
Mark.
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I've just noticed the 'DirectChoice' insurance company banner at the top of the screen.
Maybe they could be worth a try if they're worthy to be advertising on HJ's site?
Mark.
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That's what I'm worried about... after a few miles in a BMW 525tds I think I'd throw caution to the wind! But paying double my current premium every year would be a total sickener.
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Adrian Flux couldn't compete with Tesco for me and they are supposed to be for modded car owners. They have a dodgy reputation as well. Seems a bit of a gamble...
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I just tried Tesco for a quote on the Mondeo, they came back 30% cheaper than our current insurer Admiral, I went round about 10 companies when we renewed in May, never thought to try Tesco }:-((
Bill
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I hear Sainsyburys have just started their own car insurance division which is supposed to be undercutting Tesco. Although you have to phone for a quote, it may be worth a shot :) The numbers on their website...
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Sainsbury's car insurance is placed with esure. Tesco place theirs with Direct Line. Tesco give a 5% discount on the 1st year's premium if buying on line which is why they're slightly cheaper than DL. Egg also use Direct Line which is odd as their owner (Prudential) has transferred all their motor insurance to Churchill.
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So get your heads around this then. I have a protected max NCD. In the last 3 years my wife has had two no fault claims where she got our excess back and a replacement windscreen which apparently does not count as a claim. One of the accidents was on her insurance and not mine.
I got a quote from Direct Line but when I mentioned that someone had attempted to break into my BT van while I was at work they added an extra £40 to the premium even though I don't own or insure the van. So what does my protected NCD pay for when I have made no claims to my insurance company?
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