Flexible car insurance

[Fred Smith]

I can't remember whether I have asked on here before, but does anyone have any knowledge of flexible car insurers?

I would love to find a reasonable insurer whereby I can effectively say -

I want one year's fully comprehensive insurance.
I have two cars and am quite happy to pay up front for both cars to be covered for a year.
I am happy to put a limit on miles across both cars.
But I want the flexibility to call and say "the Z4's going to be off the road for at least a couple of months - take it off the insurance indefinitely and I will let you know when I want to drive it again. You can credit my account when you know how long it was off the road for." I want very small or free admin fees for changes!

Alternatively I would love an insurer who says "If you have two cars, and the faster more expensive one is £400 pa insurance, then you can have the other one insured for free, because we know you can't drive both at once and if you're driving the other one then by definition you are reducing the risk to us compared to if you did every mile in the fast one." No-one is nicking either of my cars.

For what it's worth, my experience with Admiral recently...

(1) This is partly down to how cheap it is to insure, but my Mitsubishi has been SORN but insured to drive since May, because the refund had I taken it off the insurance for the last four months of my policy was only about £10 or £15 more than the admin fee to remove it, so I thought I might as well keep it insured.

(2) I have just called up Admiral and tried to get a week of cover so that I can get my new policy to match up with the 1st of the month and car tax. My policy works out at £11 per week, and the cancellation fee is £25, so I was expecting to pay £36. They have set me up for a year policy, to be auto cancelled at the end of the month, and because the cancellation is in the first 14 days of the policy I only need to pay the £25 cancellation fee and not for the weeks' insurance.

 

[Ed Doe]

Even if the car is in a garage or lock-up, why would you want to ever leave it uninsured?

I SORN my M over winter, but still leave it fully insured, a) because if the garage was to catch fire with the car in it, it would be covered, and b) if sit got stolen, it would be covered.

 

[Fred Smith]

Even if the car is in a garage or lock-up, why would you want to ever leave it uninsured?

I SORN my M over winter, but still leave it fully insured, a) because if the garage was to catch fire with the car in it, it would be covered, and b) if sit got stolen, it would be covered.

I own a very high mileage E86 and an 18 year old Mitsubishi Lancer Estate. My cars are never in a garage so will not die in a garage fire. I don't believe I could get my cars nicked unless I were to leave the windows open, doors unlocked and keys in the ignition. And even then, given where they get left, I reckon there's a fair chance they wouldn't get nicked. (As an aside, 25 years ago I left a capri unlocked for a week on a street in east london and it was fine when I got back to it!)

I'd almost rather them get stolen and not be insured than have them nicked and have them offer me derisory (but somewhat deserved) sums for them.

Maybe you're right, but the idea of paying £1 a day extra for car insurance, simply because car insurers can't be bothered to make it easy to vary a policy pisses me right off.

How often does someone nick an E86? What year did the last theft of a non-Evo Mitsubishi Lancer happen, 8 years ago? 12?

 

[plenty]

Unfortunately, what you describe doesn't exist except at the very top end of the market (five figures annual premiums).

Flexibility costs money.

 

[Fred Smith]

Unfortunately, what you describe doesn't exist except at the very top end of the market (five figures annual premiums).

Flexibility costs money.

Thanks... not surprised... always worth asking...

 

[Pondy]

You could try a specialist broker who may be able to find an insurer for what you require. But as said, it will be a 'specialised' policy so is bound to be very expensive.
In 2024 the insurance companies make the rules and we just have to abide by them. The vast majority are not interested in anything other than mainstream and easy (for them).

 

[Fred Smith]

In 2024 the insurance companies make the rules and we just have to abide by them. The vast majority are not interested in anything other than mainstream and easy (for them).

Sums up the reality of capitalism.

Theory - we have 120 years of automotive history to fall back on, and if I want a brand new car I can get a big one or small one, fast or slow, any colour I want, blah blah blah.

Reality - we can sell you any car you want, so long as you are happy for it to be an SUV, impossible to distinguish from other manufacturers SUVs, bigger than it needs to be and with lots of tech to go wrong that you do not need and may not want.

 

[Ed Doe]

In 2024 the insurance companies make the rules and we just have to abide by them. The vast majority are not interested in anything other than mainstream and easy (for them).

Sums up the reality of capitalism.

Theory - we have 120 years of automotive history to fall back on, and if I want a brand new car I can get a big one or small one, fast or slow, any colour I want, blah blah blah.

Reality - we can sell you any car you want, so long as you are happy for it to be an SUV, impossible to distinguish from other manufacturers SUVs, bigger than it needs to be and with lots of tech to go wrong that you do not need and may not want.

Not really - the reality is the car makers are cashing in on the mindlessness of the majority of people wanting a 'high driving position to see the road', and not giving two shits about how to actually drive anymore, and by extension how the cars feel to actually drive.

If anything, we're in the ever dwindling minority, wanting a car with shedloads of tech that doesn't drive itself, and that isn't bigger than it needs to be etc. etc.

 

[Fred Smith]

Not really - the reality is the car makers are cashing in on the mindlessness of the majority of people wanting a 'high driving position to see the road', and not giving two shits about how to actually drive anymore, and by extension how the cars feel to actually drive.

If anything, we're in the ever dwindling minority, wanting a car with shedloads of tech that doesn't drive itself, and that isn't bigger than it needs to be etc. etc.

I stand by what I said... or at least what I tried to... we are given the illusion of choice, but the reality is the choice is not there.

The next car I buy will ideally be a petrol manual estate, 2004 BMW 3 series touring size, or smaller. How many manufacturers offer a fairly small manual petrol estate in 2024? (Not that I'd be buying new either way, not even if someone were to give me £100k right now.)

As an E86 owner I am tempted to say that my Z4 is a touch bigger than needs to be, and it has a touch more tech than it needs (but maybe it's a reasonable sweetspot between - say - an 80s Capri and a 2024 phone on wheels.)

 

[Pondy]

The next car I buy will ideally be a petrol manual estate, 2004 BMW 3 series touring size

Funny you should say that.....
I have been thinking about changing my F31. 2016 320i facelift estate. It's a manual (rare as hens' teeth, as 99% are autos) with only 31k miles.

 

[Fred Smith]

Funny you should say that.....
I have been thinking about changing my F31. 2016 320i facelift estate. It's a manual (rare as hens' teeth, as 99% are autos) with only 31k miles.

I get some people like autos, but I cannot get my head around how many old bmw tourings are autos... I get that a lot of people bought them as family cars and convenience on motorway journeys might be a big factor.

My guess would be "not interested" because I want to pay no more than about 25% of what you're gonna want (I am happy to have much higher mileage - my current estate has been in my hands for 10 years and based on my annual mileage and an assumption it'll do 150k miles before dying I can get another 20-30 years out of it!

To be honest a 20 year old 325i would be perfect (or if my numbers come up an Evo estate). Subaru Impreza Estate? Part of me wouldn't mind an old Forrester but they're a bit big.

On the other hand I love my Lancer! I've kinda missed her these last few months of her being off the road... the idea of selling her for £1,500 (maybe £2k, but with the various little dings maybe more like £1,200) seems insane. If I had a massive drive and all car costs (tax, insurance was per mile, not per year) I would definitely keep the Lancer indefinitely as a ratty little do it all car, and save the new (20 year old) 3 series touring for family days out and weekends away.

Jesus, I'm boring myself here, sorry to anyone reading.

 

[flimper]

I have a hankering for one of these

 

[Pondy]

Funny you should say that.....
I have been thinking about changing my F31. 2016 320i facelift estate. It's a manual (rare as hens' teeth, as 99% are autos) with only 31k miles.

I get some people like autos, but I cannot get my head around how many old bmw tourings are autos... I get that a lot of people bought them as family cars and convenience on motorway journeys might be a big factor.

My guess would be "not interested" because I want to pay no more than about 25% of what you're gonna want (I am happy to have much higher mileage - my current estate has been in my hands for 10 years and based on my annual mileage and an assumption it'll do 150k miles before dying I can get another 20-30 years out of it!

To be honest a 20 year old 325i would be perfect (or if my numbers come up an Evo estate). Subaru Impreza Estate? Part of me wouldn't mind an old Forrester but they're a bit big.

On the other hand I love my Lancer! I've kinda missed her these last few months of her being off the road... the idea of selling her for £1,500 (maybe £2k, but with the various little dings maybe more like £1,200) seems insane. If I had a massive drive and all car costs (tax, insurance was per mile, not per year) I would definitely keep the Lancer indefinitely as a ratty little do it all car, and save the new (20 year old) 3 series touring for family days out and weekends away.

Jesus, I'm boring myself here, sorry to anyone reading.

I had an Lancer Evo (5) 23 years ago. Second best car I have ever owned (the Civic FK8 type R pips it). They were brilliant fun.

 

[Ed Doe]

I have a hankering for one of these

I do too, flipping love them! Would need to be Spanish waiter spec though. And green, I love that dark green they do 8)

 

[Fred Smith]

I had an Lancer Evo (5) 23 years ago. Second best car I have ever owned (the Civic FK8 type R pips it). They were brilliant fun.

Jealous. This has been on ebay for ages and I would LOVE to upgrade to it!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305379485478

 

[SV8Predator]

I SORN my M over winter, but still leave it fully insured,

Check with your insurer that they're happy to keep the policy going if the car is SORNed. There was a long thread on here a couple of years ago about this and it was surprising how many insurers did not want to insure SORNed cars.

 

[Phoenixboy]

I SORN my M over winter, but still leave it fully insured,

Check with your insurer that they're happy to keep the policy going if the car is SORNed. There was a long thread on here a couple of years ago about this and it was surprising how many insurers did not want to insure SORNed cars.

why would they not, surely if its sorned its less of a risk, but for the same premium.

 

[Pondy]

why would they not, surely if its sorned its less of a risk, but for the same premium.

You would think so, but not how insurance companies think. It seems to be a case of 'the insurance criteria has changed'. Just an excuse to charge more money IMO. Not that they need much of an excuse.
There is a long thread about this in the insurance section. I never thought about it until reading the thread.

 

[SV8Predator]

why would they not, surely if its sorned its less of a risk, but for the same premium.

It's not me that makes the rules! Check with your insurance company. As we can see from the other thread, a lot of insurance companies will not insure the car if it's SORNed.

Plus, don't SORN the car and then check with your insurance company; ask them first. You don't want them to cancel the policy, because that will be you royally-stuffed for years, when you have to answer the question, when renewing your insurance: Have you every had a policy cancelled?

 

[Fred Smith]

This SORN'd thing is interesting.

FWIW I am with Admiral, and I mentioned in passing that one of the two cars I had insured with them had been SORNed for the previous 4 months and they didn't say anything to me.

I'd love to know the case law on this (if any). I'd love to know how a judge would react if it ended up in court. Common sense might suggest that if an insurance company were to say "we are entitled to refuse to insure him or charge double because he never told us his car was SORN" then the judge might reply "correct, but only if you can show how having a car stored off of the road is a greater risk that having it driven and parked on the road and parked off the road".

I have just paid £600 (circa £12 for a week's insurance) for two cars for one year, cancelled the policy before it started, for the cancellation to happen one week into the policy (to align insurance with tax). Because the cancellation is in first 2 weeks I pay £25 for the cancellation but £0 for the week's cover.

At least now tax and insurance are aligned. Next job is to take out a one year policy on the estate from 1st Oct and leave the E86 SORN whilst I try to get some jobs done.