English imports more expensive insurance?

jamiemaguire · 27-01-2014 1:12am #1

Hi all, My Golf GTI is currently for sale

need a diesel for commuting reasons, I was going to go up the north or across to England to take a new car back home! Probably just up the north as its much less hassle! But anyway I was wondering will the insurance company charge me more to insure an English origin car than an Irish one?? EG an Opel astra CDTI 1.9 150BHP as compared to a Vauxhall Astra 1.9 CDTI 150BHP. They are in principle exactly the same car. The reason I ask this is I know someone with a type R civic originally from Japan as in registered there for years then brought over here and the insurance is much higher as its an import! wondering would this be the same or different as its not japanese!

Thanks

Jamie

Atlantic Dawn · 27-01-2014 1:14am

Reason the Type R was more expensive is because Japanese imports have no immobilizer and can be robbed easily compared to the UK/Irish models.

bazz26 · 27-01-2014 1:33am

I'm on my second UK imported car and have never found insurance to be more expensive because of that fact. In fact I have told insurance companies that it is a UK spec when getting quotes and all of them said it makes no difference.

Japanese imports are a different kettle of fish. Japan historically didn't have a high rate of car theft so car security was not a huge factor for them. Most of the stuff up to the early 2000s would not have had an immobiliser fitted making them a higher risk. Insurance companies also don't like Japanese imports because they were not built to European specifications.

georgefalls · 28-01-2014 1:42pm

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Reason the Type R was more expensive is because Japanese imports have no immobilizer and can be robbed easily compared to the UK/Irish models.

Eh..? So if you fit an immobiliser, your insurance will be the same..?

I think not. The main reason they want more insurance is to stop people bringing them into the country. Thus keeping your money firmly in the Irish market.

Its a conspiracy I tells ya..!

_Puma_ · 28-01-2014 1:47pm

Went checking quotes there last week. Some companies like 123 simply will not insure me. Their reason being is I have an import, and they don't take them for new business, which the rep came straight out with. I have a 1.9 TDI Passat and when I rang Aviva they gave some story about needing 3 years no claims on that engine size due to my age, but I have a sneaking suspicion it is to do with it being an Import too.

bazz26 · 28-01-2014 1:50pm

georgefalls wrote: »

Eh..? So if you fit an immobiliser, your insurance will be the same..?

I think not. The main reason they want more insurance is to stop people bringing them into the country. Thus keeping your money firmly in the Irish market.

Its a conspiracy I tells ya..!

There is no conspiracy.

They charge more because they see the risk as being higher. Insurance companies don't like anything that doesn't conform to the standards set out by EU regulations. It's an unknown risk to them. A JDM car which was never intended to be sold in the EU doesn't adhere to EU specifications/requirements. Different countries/regions have different standards.

Notch000 · 28-01-2014 10:08pm

your not suffering much depreciation on that golf your selling

Chris_Heilong · 29-01-2014 12:24am

There is also the fact many insurance companies underwriters are European Mainland based and when looking at things from a "European" perspective that is traditionally left hand drive then those JDM cars seem even more exotic and risky.

English imports more expensive insurance?

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