Can anyone suggest a good auto insurance company?

[munky99999]

Until the day you need it and wish you had it

I’m not saying go without. I’m suggesting insurance that you pay X amount, say 10,000-20,000$, then your insurance is covered and you simply stop paying any fees. Then if/when you get in an accident you then start paying again

Sucks to be a male teen driver doesn't it? At your age get a used car, get a few years experience under your belt, show them you can drive without incident, and then get a newer car.

.
This is a stupid flaw in the design. To urge people to buy cheap cars that nobody really wants to begin with.

Let’s compare a smart car with an old Junker car that nobody wants: Firstly it’s an old Junker so it has no appeal. Secondly the old and more cruddy the more maintenance and less efficient the car is. Thirdly safety is much better with a brand new smart car then with a rusty old car that is no where near the smart car in safety to begin with. Lastly that junk car has absolutely no trade in value.

In conclusion, you can fork out an extra $3000-5000 to get a brand new car and save double that in the long run. Just looking at the gas bills you’re saving lots.

BUT the system is designed to force teens to buy crap cars because insurance gouges. While in REALITY. It has absolutely nothing to do with the car you’re driving. Let’s just take a group of my friends.

I have 1 friend; his dad owns a successful electric company thing, so his dad bought him a jaguar and a fully loaded jeep for bad weather. Cost means nothing to them. But he is VERY careful as he doesn’t want to be damaging his cars. Take another friend he has a Honda civic and he has done all the “fast and the furious” stuff to it. $100,000 car probably, yet he is also very careful and never speeds and never shows off. Take another friend he has a standard dodge truck, he’s been in 2 accidents with it, and he has his parent’s domestic luxury car he’ll drive around and he’s had an accident with it. In fact, the people with the nice brand new cars never get in accidents and always being cautious. While the people who don’t have the nice cars, they need to show off or they won’t be “cool” and they get into accidents.

So if you look at it. The people with the nice cars are paying out the ass before any accidents, the people without nice cars start paying out the ass because they were boasting.

Now if you do the setup like the top of this post. Where people pay X amount and then stop paying as long as they are good drivers. This would be great.

Take myself. I simply want a smart car because of the very cheap brand new price on it. Plus the great gas-mileage factor, $12 of gas to drive to Toronto from Windsor. In fact city driving is greatly better, as its diesel engine idles so low it doesn’t even use much gas at all. On top of this, I never speed; I don’t drink alcohol ever really.

get a few years experience under your belt, show them you can drive without incident, and then get a newer car.

This is 100% glaring proof that teens are guilty until proven innocent. Which in CANADA or rather DEMOCRACY it’s the other way around… Innocent until proven guilty.

 

[Britney Spears]

I'm not sure I understand you here. Is the SMART in some kind of special category that makes it particularly risky to insure? Why would liability insurance for a SMART or any new car cost more than an old one? Every insurance company I've ever spoken to has told me that the type of car I drive, unless it's a Ferrari or some such, is irelevant as far as liability insurance is concerned. None have ever even asked what type of car I drive when I ask for a quote. In theory newer vehicles with superior characteristics and handleing should be at lower risk, not higher.

I would personally love to see some kind of "pay as you go" mileage based insurance offered. Basically you pre-pay for a set driving distance, and the insurance automatically expired when you exceed it. It would be great for someone like me who must own a car but prefers not to drive when running or biking is possible. It would encourage people to drive less when they have alternative methods of transportation, or when conditions are bad (i.e. winter). Are there any insurance companies in Canada that offer consumers such a plan? I know that some commercial fleets are insured with such a plan and it makes much more sense.

 

[x-grunt]

Looks good, but unfortunately they're not in Quebec.

My bad, I didn't know they were only in a couple of provinces.

 

[TMM]

Why would liability insurance for a SMART or any new car cost more than an old one? Every insurance company I've ever spoken to has told me that the type of car I drive,None have ever even asked what type of car I drive when I ask for a quote.

I'm in Ontario and *EVERY* single time I got a quote they needed the car make and model, whether done online or over the phone. The car affects the premium based on theft rate, accident rate even if only for the liability. Toss in the cost to replace a vehicle, coupled with an inexperienced driver. I don't think the liabilty would change much but a new driver would hike the collision coverage big time. It isn't just age based. I paid $2800.00 for a 1989 Camry when I got my G and I was 34!

I would personally love to see some kind of "pay as you go" mileage based insurance offered. Basically you pre-pay for a set driving distance, and the insurance automatically expired when you exceed it.

Good idea, but if someone only drives 10km a day but that is near Markham & Lawrence or Don Mills & Eglinton they are driving through high collision areas. It isn't just distance; as someone who drives about 75-100km a week I wish it was! Some areas also have higher theft rates which is taken into account by the number crunchers. That said I do know that driving distance does make a difference in premiums.

 

[Britney Spears]

I'm in Ontario and *EVERY* single time I got a quote they needed the car make and model, whether done online or over the phone. The car affects the premium based on theft rate, accident rate even if only for the liability. Toss in the cost to replace a vehicle, coupled with an inexperienced driver. I don't think the liabilty would change much but a new driver would hike the collision coverage big time. It isn't just age based. I paid $2800.00 for a 1989 Camry when I got my G and I was 34!

Notice I specifically said liability insurance. I have asked this very question to both companies that I have had insurance with and both told me the car make and model do not matter, not after I told them it wasn't a new vehicle. I understand *some* models (i.e. Lamborghini Gallardo) are counted as "high risk vehicles" because they are prone to be driven in a dangerous manner, but as far as liability insurance is concerned I can't imagine that a $80k Acura TSX (or whatever they call it) is any more at risk of an at fault accident than a $30k Honda Accord with the same driver. The premium is based almost entirely on the driver's age and driving record.

Good idea, but if someone only drives 10km a day but that is near Markham & Lawrence or Don Mills & Eglinton they are driving through high collision areas. It isn't just distance; as someone who drives about 75-100km a week I wish it was! Some areas also have higher theft rates which is taken into account by the number crunchers. That said I do know that driving distance does make a difference in premiums.

Perhaps, but I highly doubt that would make a statistically significant difference for the acturay tables. I believe companies in the US already offer this kind of coverage. Again I refer to liability insurance only.

 

[muffin]

This is 100% glaring proof that teens are guilty until proven innocent. Which in CANADA or rather DEMOCRACY it’s the other way around… Innocent until proven guilty.

Insurance rates are based on provincial statistics - and as I am sure you are aware - the majority of high claim accidents and laibiliy claims come from male, teenage drivers. It is not a way of singling  out a specific group (re:teenagers). 
I am sure if all of a sudden 28 year old women started having 1000's of accidents... that group's rates would increase as well.

Many different factors affect your insurance rate, age, gender, location, marital status, driver training, even how far you drive to work everyday. My huband's insurance at 19 was $900 every 6 months. When we got married (also at 19) his rate dropped to $800 a year. Apprently being married make you more "responsible" (statistically - hahahaah).

From what you have written, I am sure you are a careful driver. Unfortunatly there are many MANY teenagers who either simply lack the experience driving or just drive way to darn crazy.

... and for the record, it is not only "teenagers" that are "punished" ... any driver who displays a tendancy to be a risk (ie multiple accidents, and claims) will find themselves with insane insurance costs (Trust me here! lol) and possibly even end up in receivership.

 

[Pea]

Well I'm a female, and we all know females drive nothing like teenage boys...   and I am being taken to the cleaners! 

 

[munky99999]

Insurance rates are based on provincial statistics - and as I am sure you are aware - the majority of high claim accidents and laibiliy claims come from male, teenage drivers. It is not a way of singling  out a specific group (re:teenagers).
I am sure if all of a sudden 28 year old women started having 1000's of accidents... that group's rates would increase as well.

I'm well aware of this. This still doesn't change anything. Say for a second that you go to the ghetto in LA in KRIP or Blood territory or whatever, I do a statistic and I find the exact same stats. While 40% of teen men will get in a car accident, in that ghetto area, 40% of those people are in the gang. Would it EVER be allowed to go pick up and arrest every single person in that neighbourhood for gang activity? Or would it more likely be more of a those people are innocent until proven guilty?

How is it right to charge someone more money BEFORE they did anything to warrant it? It sure seems like the insurance companies are getting away with the metaphorical “Arrest all black babies before they become criminals.”

Honestly, insurance fees should be universal and 100% calculatable and not discriminatory and prejudiced. The only thing that should affect your insurance should be the CAR; Porsche 911 should be paying more then a Ford Taurus; the person’s record.

From what you have written, I am sure you are a careful driver. Unfortunatly there are many MANY teenagers who either simply lack the experience driving or just drive way to darn crazy.

Hey I’m white, crew cut brush cut (military style), 6’ 5” and I also look massively a lot like a serial killer. JUST BECAUSE I fit the profile of a serial killer and potentially I could become the next Hitler of the world. I shouldn’t be punished until I have actually done something to warrant punishment.

... and for the record, it is not only "teenagers" that are "punished" ... any driver who displays a tendancy to be a risk (ie multiple accidents, and claims) will find themselves with insane insurance costs (Trust me here! lol) and possibly even end up in receivership.

The huge difference being that teenagers like me haven’t done anything in any way to deserve such punishment; the people who have been in accidents and such SHOULD be punished and definitely deserve to be.

 

[Lost_Warrior]

[qyote] Don't go with Wawanesa. They are not very good at listening. [/quote]

I think that may have been an isolated incident.  A friend of mine has his home and car insured with Wawanesa (had it for 7 years now) and he has extremely good rates and has always had excellent service. 

My girlfriends boss at work also uses them for his home insurance (he was the one who initally suggested them) and he said they're they best he has ever used.

They gave me 2 way for 1302$  That is by far the best quote out of all the places I called so I went with them.

 

[*star]

Well there has been a whole bunch of talk about The Personal Insurance Company and whether or not they are any good...

In 3 years we've had 3 vehicles and 2 house policies with The Personal (one renters policy for the PMQ and one homeowners).

We've had 2 claims during this time (one vehicle claim, one house claim) and didn't have a problem with either.

And when we moved houses our vehicle insurance did not go up (unlike what some people seem to have experienced - I'm not disputing it happened - I'm just pointing out that it doesn't always occur).

Everyone is talking about these other insurance companies, and I have to ask, doesn't anyone else notice all the stuff that The Personal does for the military community?

They regularly hold free BBQ's for troops at lunch, they hold bike rodeo's for the kids, breakfast for $1, raise money for the MP Blind Fund.

How about the $52,000 The Personal gave some Cpl in Trenton? http://www.canex.ca/en/canex/story-PersonalContest_e.asp

Or this year one military member who calls for a free quote (or is an existing policy holder) will win a Sea-Doo or Ski-Doo?
http://www.canex.ca/en/canex/services_e/insurance_e.asp

Why don't we support companies that support us?

Maybe I just notice all this stuff cause I am a policy holder of theirs and I'm glad I spend my money somewhere that  obviously appreciates me and my business!