First time car insurance!!!

Larwhelan · 03-10-2010 6:42am #1

20 Male
Dublin 1
1995 Fiat Bravo sx1370(1.4) (late 1995, it's a 1996 spec)
Learners permit
Third party only/Third party fire & theft
No previous driving experience

What's the cheapest place to go for first time car insurance? I've done a few online quotes and called some brokers. unfortunately, my car being a 1995 but a 1996 spec, it doesn't turn up in a few of their databases and i was asked if it was an import by Aaron insurance broker. Cheapest i've been offered so far is just over €2400 for Third party fire & Theft by Goggin (broker).
Any help would be much appreciated!
Thanks in advance.

adamshred · 03-10-2010 7:15am

Expect crazy quotes. You will be raped on insurance due to your age.

If you are emphasising the fact that it's a 1996 spec and 1995 year, I wouldn't be too worried about doing so. It's a pretty generic quote for the company to deal with so any emphasis on small details such as the one you have listed will not matter IMO as long as the car isn't modified.

If you haven't been emphasising this fact, I don't see why they shouldn't be able to find a Bravo on the system.

My first insurance was €1200 named driver on a 2000 Punto when I was 17 with learners permit, quote dropped to €800 at renewal time.

Larwhelan · 03-10-2010 7:26am

adamshred wrote: »

Expect crazy quotes. You will be raped on insurance due to your age.

If you are emphasising the fact that it's a 1996 spec and 1995 year, I wouldn't be too worried about doing so. It's a pretty generic quote for the company to deal with so any emphasis on small details such as the one you have listed will not matter IMO as long as the car isn't modified.

If you haven't been emphasising this fact, I don't see why they shouldn't be able to find a Bravo on the system.

My first insurance was €1200 named driver on a 2000 Punto when I was 17 with learners permit, quote dropped to €800 at renewal time.

Oh no i know it wont make a lot of difference to the price and when im getting quotes online i just choose 1996. the point i was making is that a lot of them dont have a 1995 1.4 in their system because it only came in in 1996, my car was just made near the end of the year. but yeah first quotes really do take the piss the companies are so blatantly sexist its unbelivable!

Cunning Alias · 03-10-2010 7:34am

Its a **** system unfortunately. when I was in your situation 6 years ago I got quoted 5k for a Peugeot 205 1.0 Junior model. Couldn't go above 50 unless it was going down a hill and didn't have a 5th gear, yet I was apparently high risk.

If you have a sister maybe share with her. That's the way I did it.

Larwhelan · 03-10-2010 7:42am

Cunning Alias wrote: »

Its a **** system unfortunately. when I was in your situation 6 years ago I got quoted 5k for a Peugeot 205 1.0 Junior model. Couldn't go above 50 unless it was going down a hill and didn't have a 5th gear, yet I was apparently high risk.

If you have a sister maybe share with her. That's the way I did it.

Unfortunately first car in the family neither parents drive and i'm the eldest! The €2400 is just about affordable and i'll pay it if needs be it will be a struggle though so was just wondering if anybody had any brokers or companies who were particularly good for people in my situation.

adamshred · 03-10-2010 7:49am

Oh right sorry I misunderstood.

There are lots and lots of threads here Re: car insurance discussion. Check them out as there's a lot of helpful information to be found. Statistically our age bracket (I'm 19) are the cause for most claims as you know so it's something that's plighted people our age for decades and will continue to do so as long as the sky is blue.

With first time car insurance you pretty much just have to take the hit on the cost. Obviously you have to shop around for the best quote (just keep ringing lots of different companies asking for more competitive quotes.) You might be surprised.

The cost of running a car in Ireland ain't cheap with high tax, high insurance and petrol costs on the rise.

If your parents would be driving the car also, then named driver could be an option?

EDIT: Just saw that your parents don't drive.

Cunning Alias · 03-10-2010 7:52am

Myself and my sis went with Quinn but after 2 years of unbelievable problems we moved to RSA.

I was looking for insurance recently and a mate who is a broker said Tesco are doing very good packages. The insurance is basically with RSA but being sold by Tesco. I didn't go with them in the end as RSA are shocking when it comes to sports cars. They quoted me 3.4k and Aviva gave me 1.1k.

adamshred · 03-10-2010 7:53am

Larwhelan wrote: »

Unfortunately first car in the family neither parents drive and i'm the eldest! The €2400 is just about affordable and i'll pay it if needs be it will be a struggle though so was just wondering if anybody had any brokers or companies who were particularly good for people in my situation.

Try ARB Underwriters
Travelers insurance
Insure.ie
123.ie
Quinn Direct etc.

Just open the phonebook and ring them all when you get time and your bound to find a better quote.

Larwhelan · 03-10-2010 7:55am

Cunning Alias wrote: »

Myself and my sis went with Quinn but after 2 years of unbelievable problems we moved to RSA.

I was looking for insurance recently and a mate who is a broker said Tesco are doing very good packages. The insurance is basically with RSA but being sold by Tesco. I didn't go with them in the end as RSA are shocking when it comes to sports cars. They quoted me 3.4k and Aviva gave me 1.1k.

FBD don't insure first time drivers and i heard the same is true about Tesco? not certain though ill check it out. even a few hundred off the €2400 would make a big difference 2k would be great ya know!

Larwhelan · 03-10-2010 7:57am

adamshred wrote: »

Try ARB Underwriters
Travelers insurance
Insure.ie
123.ie
Quinn Direct etc.

Just open the phonebook and ring them all when you get time and your bound to find a better quote.

I've tried the bottom 3 but haven't heard of the top 2 so ill give them a shout during the day the smaller companies and brokers i heard can be very good!

Larwhelan · 03-10-2010 8:02am

adamshred wrote: »

Oh right sorry I misunderstood.

There are lots and lots of threads here Re: car insurance discussion. Check them out as there's a lot of helpful information to be found. Statistically our age bracket (I'm 19) are the cause for most claims as you know so it's something that's plighted people our age for decades and will continue to do so as long as the sky is blue.

With first time car insurance you pretty much just have to take the hit on the cost. Obviously you have to shop around for the best quote (just keep ringing lots of different companies asking for more competitive quotes.) You might be surprised.

The cost of running a car in Ireland ain't cheap with high tax, high insurance and petrol costs on the rise.

If your parents would be driving the car also, then named driver could be an option?

EDIT: Just saw that your parents don't drive.

Seems that way mate just looking for the smallest hit haha yeah it would be dead handy but they have no interest in the driving thing!

pah · 03-10-2010 8:07am

adamshred wrote: »

Statistically our age bracket (I'm 19) are the cause for most claims as you know so it's something that's plighted people our age for decades and will continue to do so as long as the sky is blue.

I'd love to know where these stats come from :rolleyes:

I'd have thought young drivers would be less likely to claim on insurance. I had a couple of (very small) tips when I was younger and sorted the damage out privately so as not to affect the premium, I'd have thought a lot of young drivers would do this for small accidents where possible.

Being a Garda for the last 5 years and having attended dozens of accidents of varying degrees I would say the group which I have dealt with the least are male drivers aged 18-23

mayo_lad · 03-10-2010 8:54am

Larwhelan wrote: »

20 Male
Dublin 1
1995 Fiat Bravo sx1370(1.4) (late 1995, it's a 1996 spec)
Learners permit
Third party only/Third party fire & theft
No previous driving experience

What's the cheapest place to go for first time car insurance? I've done a few online quotes and called some brokers. unfortunately, my car being a 1995 but a 1996 spec, it doesn't turn up in a few of their databases and i was asked if it was an import by Aaron insurance broker. Cheapest i've been offered so far is just over €2400 for Third party fire & Theft by Goggin (broker).
Any help would be much appreciated!
Thanks in advance.

i'm 21 with a full license and I'm getting quoted 1200 for a 1'4 with fbd(Third party fire & Theft As well )i have a few years Named driver experience but that isn't took into account in the quote i was getting . it is almost worth your time getting your test before getting insured because it will drop by a lot afterwords. driving instructors usually hire out the car for the test for around 60 euro around my area. it would only cost you 300to 400 to prepare in this way for your test and once you have passed your insurance will have dropped by more than that .

djimi · 03-10-2010 9:12am

The only way to get the cheapest quote is to get out the phonebook and call every insurance company and broker listed. There is no magic formula, and there is no standout cheaper company; each quote from each company is unique to your set of criteria. Its just a case of ringing around and finding the best quote.

Avoid the online systems id say as well; youre less likely to get a good quote online compared to talking to someone.

Just bear in mind a lot of companies are getting sticky about cars over ten years old, so the age of the car along with your age and lack of experience are all going to work against you unfortunately. Id say you probbably will do better than what you have been quoted but still expect to pay in the region of €2k.

lauranuim · 03-10-2010 11:56am

hey lar, was that quote from araan? if it is, im very surprised as they seemed to always wana beat other quotes when talking to me and even my male friend

you know if u ring again and talk to a dif person, giv ur ref code and say 'hey lookin to see can you do any better on the quote u's hav given me.'

tell them u found cheaper elsewhere, like gocompare.ie

CiniO · 03-10-2010 9:42pm

Larwhelan wrote: »

20 Male
Dublin 1
1995 Fiat Bravo sx1370(1.4) (late 1995, it's a 1996 spec)

What do you mean by 1996 spec?
If car is 1995 then it's 1995.
Spec was the same in both years.

BTW 1.4 on Fiat Bravo/Brava is the worst engine you could get. These cars came with 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 petrol enigines, and 1.9TD in 1995.
Later (1998) they dropped 1.4 engine (as it was really faulty construction) and swapped it with 1.2 16v, which actually is one of the best Fiat small engines of the 90's. Also 1.9TD was swapped for much modern 1.9JTD.

Anyway - I can't advice you about the insurance, but I advice you to use good oil for that car, and make sure you keep oil level on the top.
Also don't push it too strong in the morning until engine is properly heated up.
There's a faulty crankshaft which very often doesn't get enough lubrication and just siezes.
If you didn't buy the car yet, chose something else (f.e. newer bravo 1.2)
Also you will get cheaper insurance then as it's only 1.2 not 1.4. (can be tricky as well, as it's exactly 1242, so some insurers might treat it as 1.3, even in official manufactureres specifications it's signed as 1.2).
It's also more powerful and easier on fuel then 1.4

adamshred · 04-10-2010 5:20am

pah wrote: »

I'd love to know where these stats come from :rolleyes:

I'd have thought young drivers would be less likely to claim on insurance. I had a couple of (very small) tips when I was younger and sorted the damage out privately so as not to affect the premium, I'd have thought a lot of young drivers would do this for small accidents where possible.

Being a Garda for the last 5 years and having attended dozens of accidents of varying degrees I would say the group which I have dealt with the least are male drivers aged 18-23

Sorry I didn't really mean most claims - I wrote this after a full night of google street view without sleep

- and here I am again in the same situation :rolleyes:

I meant highest risk bracket or whatever you want to call it. There's a reason for high quotes for young people (males in particular) and I think its ok to assume that its linked to this factor.

"Statistically" was probably the wrong word to use in this case, in fact I expected this kind of reply from someone after I had written that, but the quote figures speak for themselves so I'd imagine that insurance companies must compile some sort of statistical information regarding claim frequencies and cars linked to those claims in order to assist with computer based quoting systems - or am I up in the clouds on this one?

adamshred · 04-10-2010 5:22am

CiniO wrote: »

What do you mean by 1996 spec?
If car is 1995 then it's 1995.
Spec was the same in both years.

BTW 1.4 on Fiat Bravo/Brava is the worst engine you could get. These cars came with 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 petrol enigines, and 1.9TD in 1995.
Later (1998) they dropped 1.4 engine (as it was really faulty construction) and swapped it with 1.2 16v, which actually is one of the best Fiat small engines of the 90's. Also 1.9TD was swapped for much modern 1.9JTD.

Anyway - I can't advice you about the insurance, but I advice you to use good oil for that car, and make sure you keep oil level on the top.
Also don't push it too strong in the morning until engine is properly heated up.
There's a faulty crankshaft which very often doesn't get enough lubrication and just siezes.
If you didn't buy the car yet, chose something else (f.e. newer bravo 1.2)
Also you will get cheaper insurance then as it's only 1.2 not 1.4. (can be tricky as well, as it's exactly 1242, so some insurers might treat it as 1.3, even in official manufactureres specifications it's signed as 1.2).
It's also more powerful and easier on fuel then 1.4

I completely agree. Also, if buying a 1.2, make sure to stay away from the 8v - They are notorious for head gasket failure. Had one myself in my old punto and many people who I spoke to including several mechanics all repeated this to me.

psycho-hope · 04-10-2010 5:25am

Just so you know tesco insurance will only quote you if you have 2 years no claims. try ringng chill.ie as well they beat a quote i got from axa by 300euro (im 24, female and on a learners permitt)

Larwhelan · 04-10-2010 11:09am

lauranuim wrote: »

hey lar, was that quote from araan? if it is, im very surprised as they seemed to always wana beat other quotes when talking to me and even my male friend

you know if u ring again and talk to a dif person, giv ur ref code and say 'hey lookin to see can you do any better on the quote u's hav given me.'

tell them u found cheaper elsewhere, like gocompare.ie

that quote was from Goggin i called Aaron and they said my car basically didn't exist haha

Larwhelan · 04-10-2010 11:14am

CiniO wrote: »

What do you mean by 1996 spec?
If car is 1995 then it's 1995.
Spec was the same in both years.

BTW 1.4 on Fiat Bravo/Brava is the worst engine you could get. These cars came with 1.4, 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 petrol enigines, and 1.9TD in 1995.
Later (1998) they dropped 1.4 engine (as it was really faulty construction) and swapped it with 1.2 16v, which actually is one of the best Fiat small engines of the 90's. Also 1.9TD was swapped for much modern 1.9JTD.

Anyway - I can't advice you about the insurance, but I advice you to use good oil for that car, and make sure you keep oil level on the top.
Also don't push it too strong in the morning until engine is properly heated up.
There's a faulty crankshaft which very often doesn't get enough lubrication and just siezes.
If you didn't buy the car yet, chose something else (f.e. newer bravo 1.2)
Also you will get cheaper insurance then as it's only 1.2 not 1.4. (can be tricky as well, as it's exactly 1242, so some insurers might treat it as 1.3, even in official manufactureres specifications it's signed as 1.2).
It's also more powerful and easier on fuel then 1.4

What i mean is my car is a fiat bravo sx 1370 which came out in 1996. check a lot of sites and you'll see that they have no such model for a 1995!

Larwhelan · 04-10-2010 11:20am

adamshred wrote: »

I completely agree. Also, if buying a 1.2, make sure to stay away from the 8v - They are notorious for head gasket failure. Had one myself in my old punto and many people who I spoke to including several mechanics all repeated this to me.

own the car already lads

CiniO · 09-10-2010 1:15am

Larwhelan wrote: »

What i mean is my car is a fiat bravo sx 1370 which came out in 1996. check a lot of sites and you'll see that they have no such model for a 1995!

It definitely was produced in 1995 though, as that was the first year of production of Bravo/Brava.
Maybe though, they were not officially sold in Ireland that year, and that is the reason for the data mismatch.

CiniO · 09-10-2010 1:16am

adamshred wrote: »

I completely agree. Also, if buying a 1.2, make sure to stay away from the 8v - They are notorious for head gasket failure. Had one myself in my old punto and many people who I spoke to including several mechanics all repeated this to me.

On Bravo/Brava 1.2 8v was never used.
It's only in Punto/Panda.

First time car insurance!!!

Comments