Cars and insurance

[ebianca]

Hi all.

This is a little premature but I will ask anyway as I really want to know.

I beleive that you don't actually have to have insurance in NZ but if you do get it what sort of cost is it and how do they work out how much you pay (i.e age, type and size of car etc.

Also I know that not all cars available in UK are available in NZ- I was hoping to get a decent size 4X4 or MPV type thing with the usuall 5seats but also with fold down seats in the back (mabe just 2) so you can either have a large boot space or the extra seats if we have guests etc- any ideas on what car would fit this that obviously doesn't cost a fortune.

Beth

[Glenda]

Without inside information about how the insurance system works, it is hard to answer your query.

I can say that our two-year old Toyota Previa (7-seater) is insured for $573 a year through AA Insurance. That is a comprehensive insurance with $300 excess.

Our second car is worth a third of the Previa's value, but with my son driving it the insurance is $688 with a massive $1300 excess as he is under 25 and a learner.

Insuring vehicles is a lot cheaper here in NZ than the UK, and for an even cheaper insurance you can just have 'third party, fire and theft' - not much use if you prang the car or someone with no insurance prangs yours. There is a good range of cars here - Toyota, Mitsubishi, Honda, Holden and Ford I think are the top players. You won't see as many European cars here.

[Brucey]

SUV's and 4x4 are very popular here. Toyota is the biggest in the motor industry here.
We bought our 4x4 mitsubishi 2002 early this year and got it for $12,000 and we pay $700 for the year for 2 of us.

[Taffy]

Hi Beth,

You can buy pretty much anything you get in the UK and a whole lot more, although some model names are different.

Insurance is very much age, history (ie no claims) and type of car. We use AMI insurance as they accepted my full UK no claims, so I had full bonus immediately, and they are the cheapest and best we've found. Our first car here was a monster - Mitsubishi Legnum VR4 - 2.5 ltr twin turbo jobby. A years insurance on that for both me and WG to drive was $560, with a $250 excess fully comprehensive.

[ebianca]

Thanks guys.

I figured it would be cheaper than UK. My only worry is that I am only 23 but have been driving for 2 years on OH policy so have no no claims etc.

We will probably only have the one car to start with so I will probably remain the second driver to him- he is 35 so shouldn't be a problem with his age.

When we come to get 2 cars I will probably have the bigger car while hubby fancys a nice little car or a bike (gonna have to sell his before we leave) so does anyone think I would struggle at 23/24 to get insurance on a decent size 4X4/MPV or will it cost a fortune?

At present we pay just short of ?400 a year for the two of us on a 1.5ltr Nissan Almera that is about 3year old.

[Taffy]

Being under 25 will bump up the premium, and 4x4's are expensive to repair if you crash them, so can be pricey to insure. We had a Toyota Hilux Surf 3.0 Diesel 4x4 after our Mitsubishi, and it was only about $40 cheaper on insurance. MPV's shouldnt be too bad, but again it will depend on the make and the engine size.