My son is 18 and looking at buying his first car. Is there still limits on engine size? Car he is looking at is a 2.2l toyota celica. Any suggestions for best insurance company? Thanks
spead,
Sep 16, 11:46am
pay the appropriate premium the insurance company will insure anything surely. NASA insure their rockets.
sw20,
Sep 16, 11:47am
No limits on anything. Only limit will be what he can afford for insurance.
2.2 litre Celica would be quite a good car. It will be the 5SFE engine which isn't very powerful and really, really robust.
annie17111,
Sep 16, 11:49am
it's an old celica 1990 bit it's cheap and goes well. He will be only using it around town and while he's saving up for a better car.
cjohnw,
Sep 16, 11:55am
NAC Insurance cater for younger drivers and modified cars. Although I am not sure they are especially cheap.
I'd try the mainstream firms first. Try and see if you can get a no claims bonus started with the parents insurer if the kid has been driving mum and dad's car.
cjohnw,
Sep 16, 12:20pm
NAC are a division of IAG Insurance and a major sponsor of motorsport in NZ. Been in business insuring this category of drivers for 20 years.
sw20,
Sep 16, 12:22pm
Yes I understand that. They still operate differently. Like the premiums are automatically higher than the mainstream insurers. Double excess is always fun too. They are like a third tier lender, you only go with them if you have no other option.
phoenix22,
Sep 17, 8:50am
Try AMI.
kazbanz,
Sep 17, 9:18am
The "line in the sand" for teens seems to generally be 1500cc By that its the cheapest insurance. A 2.2 sillycar is generally considered to be a sports car so is usually higher insurance. IF they will insure him. --MY comments are based only on personal experience with customers so other insurers may be a bit different
s_nz,
Sep 17, 9:58am
It has been many years since I dealt with it.
Last time they seemed more concerned about features (6 or greater cylinder engine, (petrol) turbo, 4wd/awd and especially performance modifications).
Remember years ago having to jump through hoops to get my brother insured for a new soft SUV (2.4 Outlander) because it could drive all the wheels. Amusingly the car it was replacing was a 2wd ute that was substantially longer and much more of a handful to drive, and that never cause any insurance issues.
I don't know how the insurers deal with it now that small displacement turbos are used on non performance cars, and there are substantially more 4wd/awd cars & SUV's in the fleet.
I don't think an insurer would be too concerned about a 2.2L engine. These days a base corolla has a 2.0L engine, and 2.2L is smaller than that fitted in fairly mild family cars (Accord, Camry, Mazda6 etc).
Perhaps the 2 door coupe body-style will flag an increased risk level for the insurer?
gazzat22,
Sep 17, 10:18am
See if you can insure the car ( when he gets one) in joint ownership with him as a named driver but whatever you do be honest with the insurers as to the circumstances and drivers.
annie17111,
Sep 17, 10:25am
yeah bit hard to do that as we live in Martinborough and he's in hamilton. Will ring fmg and see what they say tho.
tamarillo,
Sep 17, 12:01pm
Insurers do seem to categorise cars and raise premiums accordingly, certainly for teens. Covering mine to drive bmw 318 was a fraction of quote for cover to drive my 530. Trouble is I do t think we have a public list of insurance categories as seEn in Europe, and I think Aussie. So we can’t buy accordingly.
richardmayes,
Sep 17, 12:17pm
Surely all of the notorious 1990s jap turbos that demanded an insurance category all of their own, are long gone by now? (Or priced well out of reach of 18yo first car buyers?)
I'm struggling to think of the last time I saw a lowered EVO or a WRX with a bonnet scoop on the road, let alone an RB skyline or a rotary with the brap brap brap thing happening!
When I bought my 1971 Triumph PI in 2005, one of the questions the insurance sales assistant asked was "does it have a turbo?"
joanie04,
Sep 17, 12:20pm
The ex purchased a V6 Commodore down the line. My brother and then under 25 year old nephew were delivering it. I arranged for insurance cover with AMI and advised I was not sure who was actually going to be driving it when it was delivered. They were reluctant to cover the "boy" driving it. Said "boy" was and still is a long haul truck driver.
tgray,
Sep 18, 3:26am
You would not believe how many parents put their kids cars under their car insurance and nominate them as a driver.
annie17111,
Sep 18, 11:20am
if he loved with us it would be our car and he would be a nominated driver but he lives too far away from us so can't do it
sarahb5,
Oct 3, 1:46pm
I do that for mine until they leave home - I pay the insurance company and the child pays me
annie17111,
Oct 3, 3:51pm
Well fmg is really good and car is insured under our name and as soon as he gets his restricted it will be transferred to him.
gazzat22,
Oct 4, 5:02am
I was told the best way is for a young driver insure the vehicle for Third Party/fire and Theft for a year or 2 so they get an" insurance History" then go to full(comprehensive) with discount/no claims bonus.
sarahb5,
Oct 4, 7:18am
I have always insisted mine have fully comprehensive because they need their cars for work and I wouldn’t be able to pay for expensive repairs if, for example, they drive into a stationary object during their first year so the car was undriveable - I have learnt this from experience
gazzat22,
Oct 5, 5:11am
Fortunately my children never drove into "stationary objects" but my point which was missed was that if they ran into a rolls/bentley or something similarly expensive they may be walking but at least the damage to the other car was covered.!
annie17111,
Oct 5, 5:31am
my son's car is worth $1500 so if he hits something and writes it off then he can buy another car. We paid for his first car but he can pay for the next one.
sarahb5,
Oct 5, 5:34am
Yes I understand that but they’d also be carless if they damaged their own car significantly - sh*t happens especially to young and inexperienced drivers - with fully comp any damage they did was covered
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