Smart Car Insurance?

PattyGirl

So my brother just bought a Smart Car from a dealer in Dublin and wants to drive it but hes having problems getting insurance for it. Hes already been told by some Insurance companies that they don't insure Smart Cars. Does anyone know if any Insurance companies in Ireland do? Thanks.

colm_mcm

Quinn direct do.

quite expensive, 600 quid for 10 years driving, 29 with 5 years no claims, value 3k.
car, 2004 600cc pulse fortwo

PattyGirl

My brother checked with Quinn Direct. Apparently they don't which is a big letdown. Anybody else you can think of, please?

Mr Benevolent

Is it left hand drive by any chance?

colm_mcm

quinn do it on their online quote system

PattyGirl

Thanks for the help. My brother eventually got a quote from Aviva for €888 a year. Do you think this is good?

Riskymove

why is insurance for SMART cars a problem?

colm_mcm

how old is your brother, how long driving, any no claims discount or accidents, full or prov license?

homer simpson

The fact that they are pretty much a plastic car with no room for crumple zones ect could have something to do with it, i know i wouldnt like to crash one anyway thats for sure!

Theta

homer_simpson wrote: »

The fact that they are pretty much a plastic car with no room for crumple zones ect could have something to do with it, i know i wouldnt like to crash one anyway thats for sure!

Smart cars a very safe,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJHpUO-S0i8

My friend insures his with Tesco I think.

Eoin

homer_simpson wrote: »

The fact that they are pretty much a plastic car with no room for crumple zones ect could have something to do with it, i know i wouldnt like to crash one anyway thats for sure!

Do insurance companies take this into account? I thought they were supposed to be quite good for their size.

Anyway - who buys a car before even checking out insurance?

Vertakill

Theta wrote: »

Smart cars a very safe,


My friend insures his with Tesco I think.

That doesn't prove it's all that safe... it just proves that you won't be mangled by a piece of metal during the crash.

It does prove, however, that your insides will most likely fly out through your chest and out the windscreen in a head on collision though...

colm_mcm

think you'll be ok if you hit something like a car with crumple zones. not sure how the poor unfortunate you wallop will be though.

Vertakill

colm_mcm wrote: »

think you'll be ok if you hit something like a car with crumple zones. not sure how the poor unfortunate you wallop will be though.

Imagine hitting another Smart Car head on?

colm_mcm

chances of that in this country are slim enough

Theta

Vertakill wrote: »

That doesn't prove it's all that safe... it just proves that you won't be mangled by a piece of metal during the crash.

It does prove, however, that your insides will most likely fly out through your chest and out the windscreen in a head on collision though...

Listen the thing has a 4 star NCAP and a 4 star NHSTA rating.

How safe do you want it to be?

homer simpson

Theta wrote: »

Listen the thing has a 4 star NCAP and a 4 star NHSTA rating.

How safe do you want it to be?

If that is the case why are the insurance companys not jumping through hoops trying to get everyone to drive them rather than in the OP's case chasing the smart car owners away!

colm_mcm

there are loads of reasons they mightnt want to insure them, parts prices, LHD, rarity, fear of unknown etc!

Eric Cartman

the typical smart car driver would normally be young female and extremely low mileage , mostly city and commuter driving so a lot of minor incidents but whereas another cars bumper may scuff a little the smart car would require panel replacments etc.. and with the high cost of parts the insurance companies have to make some money off these,


also i dont car what the video or safety ratings say , id feel far safer behind the wheel of a 3 star rated large 4x4 rather than a 4 star rated micro car like this

colm_mcm

doesn't the Smart have those clip-on body panels for just such minor incidents?

probably expensive I suppose

Theta

Is there still no smart franchise in the republic? Insurers might not like insuring a car with no dealer network for repairs?

Eric Cartman

colm_mcm wrote: »

doesn't the Smart have those clip-on body panels for just such minor incidents?

probably expensive I suppose

considering they figured the amount of those incidents into the design , id say the insurance companies have factored it in too, also id say there damn easy to rob (either breaking through the plastic or actually getting a few lads to lift it round the corner

colm_mcm

Eric Cartman wrote: »

considering they figured the amount of those incidents into the design , id say the insurance companies have factored it in too, also id say there damn easy to rob (either breaking through the plastic or actually getting a few lads to lift it round the corner

I'm pretty sure there's a proper car under the plastic cladding!

Theta

Eric Cartman wrote: »

considering they figured the amount of those incidents into the design , id say the insurance companies have factored it in too, also id say there damn easy to rob (either breaking through the plastic or actually getting a few lads to lift it round the corner

Its surprisingly heavy at around 750kg

Vertakill

Theta wrote: »

Listen the thing has a 4 star NCAP and a 4 star NHSTA rating.

How safe do you want it to be?

'Listen', nobody is debating NCAP ratings... but they're not the last word on safety.

Check out that video if you like:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2009/04/video_smart_car_jarringly_stup.html

Or read this: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123993371229527975.html

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety wrote:

Even though the Smart car and other minis such as the Honda Fit and the Toyota Yaris have fared relatively well in single-car crash tests, they performed poorly in these two-car frontal offset collisions. In the words of IIHS president Adrian Lund, "though much safer than they were a few years ago, minicars as a group do a comparatively poor job of protecting people in crashes, simply because they're smaller and lighter."

That difference is reflected in the real world. The death rate in minis in multi-vehicle crashes is almost twice as high as that of large cars. And in single-vehicle crashes, where there's no oversized second vehicle to blame, the difference is even greater: Passengers in minis suffered three times as many deaths as in large cars.

I'm not a fan of any insurance companies in Ireland, but I can see how they may be steering clear of the Smart Car (no pun intended).

Eoin

Vertakill wrote: »

I'm not a fan of any insurance companies in Ireland, but I can see how they may be steering clear of the Smart Car (no pun intended).

So why would they steer clear of just the SMART car when the anyone can get insured in a Yaris (also mentioned in the article you quoted)? I bet the same insurance company would give a quote easily enough for an original mini, and that would be worse again for the occupants.

I would be really surprised if the alleged lack of driver safety is really the reason they're not quoting.

Vertakill

eoin wrote: »

So why would they steer clear of just the SMART car when the anyone can get insured in a Yaris (also mentioned in the article you quoted)? I bet the same insurance company would give a quote easily enough for an original mini, and that would be worse again for the occupants.

I would be really surprised if the alleged lack of driver safety is really the reason they're not quoting.

I'm not sure, personally. As I've no information on insurance companies risk assessments.

Maybe they add all the things being mentioned into the mix. Costly to repair, could be unsafe in a crash, easy to steal (??)...

Guy:Incognito

Eric Cartman wrote: »

the typical smart car driver would normally be young female and extremely low mileage , mostly city and commuter driving so a lot of minor incidents but whereas another cars bumper may scuff a little the smart car would require panel replacments etc.. and with the high cost of parts the insurance companies have to make some money off these,


also i dont car what the video or safety ratings say , id feel far safer behind the wheel of a 3 star rated large 4x4 rather than a 4 star rated micro car like this

My cousin is driving an Elise which now requires a whole new front clam at near €4k for the part iirc after a woman reversed in to it with a towbar (then tried to drive off but he saw her and nabbed her when she cam eback, she's a neighbour) parking . His insuranc eisnt over the odds or anything.

bmw535d

is your brother ya know,a bit g*y? or something? it doesnt even deserve to be called a car..like something out of a cereal box or a kinder egg..

a go-kart with a dress on it:L

hurleronditch

bmw535d wrote: »

is your brother ya know,a bit g*y? or something? it doesnt even deserve to be called a car..like something out of a cereal box or a kinder egg..

a go-kart with a dress on it:L

I hear a mod coming

Eoin

hurleronditch wrote: »

I hear a mod coming

You've good hearing.

bmw535d wrote: »

is your brother ya know,a bit g*y? or something? it doesnt even deserve to be called a car..like something out of a cereal box or a kinder egg..

a go-kart with a dress on it:L

Grow up.