Are modern cars too good?

[PuntoHowTo]

you insurance will soon seem like value for money should you need to claim against it

Unless you've bought dirt cheap budget insurance from a meerkat or a dancing robot, as I found when I came to cancel the policy on my grande Punto and the company wasn't open outside of 9-5 and when it was open tried to force you through automatic phone systems non of which had the option to cancel. They quickly got in touch after I slated the hell out of them on Facebook a few days later having exhausted all options.

From then on I looked at what they offered and not just how cheap they are.

 

[puntofan01]

Not really, not once have I felt ripped off by any of my insurers, its those who think they know how it works, but untimely have little idea, or those who don't like spending any money at all, that tend to feel they're being ripped off.

I got my renewal through this year, and it was £358, which I thought was rather hefty. I looked on confused.com, and found a comparable policy for £261. I got in touch with my insurer and said the renewal was too expensive, and they managed to reduce their price by £67 without changing anything! Hence why I felt like they were trying to rip me off.

In the end though, they couldn't compete though, and I went with a different provider.

 

[pooroldcodger]

You're buying peace of mind and a promise that if you are unfortunate enough to have a claim either fault or no fault, that the insurer will not try to avoid paying you for as long as possible even when the other side have admitted liability, do you mean? And that never happens of course does it? It is a business that has the wonderful protection of being a legal necessity but yet it has been proven to have blamed the compensation culture whilst at the same time profiting from it and fuelling it at the same time.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

Unless you've bought dirt cheap budget insurance from a meerkat or a dancing robot, as I found when I came to cancel the policy on my grande Punto and the company wasn't open outside of 9-5 and when it was open tried to force you through automatic phone systems non of which had the option to cancel. They quickly got in touch after I slated the hell out of them on Facebook a few days later having exhausted all options.

From then on I looked at what they offered and not just how cheap they are.

Ah yes, you fell into the trap there, I hope they didn't have a nasty OTT cancellation charge also?

I got my renewal through this year, and it was £358, which I thought was rather hefty. I looked on confused.com, and found a comparable policy for £261. I got in touch with my insurer and said the renewal was too expensive, and they managed to reduce their price by £67 without changing anything! Hence why I felt like they were trying to rip me off.

So you shopped about and haggled, something which is common practice in the market place, and something you could easily do in a dept store etc. You're given an offer price and you can either take it, leave it or haggle. I can't see why you feel thats you being ripped off.

Its good there is competition hey

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

You're buying peace of mind and a promise that if you are unfortunate enough to have a claim either fault or no fault, that the insurer will not try to avoid paying you for as long as possible even when the other side have admitted liability, do you mean?

Its unfortunatle if thats been your experience, but again, comes down to the quality of the insurer, just like customer service with any company normally does.

You get good and bad in every market.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Yes but it is completely different. As there are almost limitless scenarios of a claim it is impossible to generalise, I accept that, but with insurance you really only find out how good or bad your insurer is when you come to use them. If there was a way of knowing that you were paying for a 1 star or 5 star service then you could make a choice but we don't have that information do we? Who used to have the slogan "We won't make a drama out of a crisis "?

 

[Noxide]

Well, my insurer wanted £700+ for my renewal and wouldn't go any lower. I shopped around - could get £750 from another with all modifications declared, or £450, by not modifying anything, and taking a black box which then took off 25% this year! And it's still from a reputable company.

I see why people begrudge it. It's a lot of money, for something hopefully you'll never need. I've thankfully (touch wood) never needed to use mine, therefore I feel like the money I've spent is a lot. It's easy to see both sides, I guess.

 

[pooroldcodger]

If I book a 1 star hotel and it's a bit ropey, I have made a choice and I know straight away if I have made a good choice or a bad one. The same goes if I book a 5 star and it is terrible- I know very quickly. But with insurance how do I know whether Direct Line is better than Churchill or LV or whoever until it is too late? There must be a better way.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

But with insurance how do I know whether Direct Line is better than Churchill or LV or whoever until it is too late? There must be a better way.

By looking about.

defaqto.com/stars

 

[pooroldcodger]

Thanks for that. Just had a quick look.
Whoever thought it was a good idea to Market and insurance company as "Drive Like A Girl"?

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Ive got this for work for the next few days

It arrived yesterday in the dark so no pictures then.

Firstly the Qashqai is a horrible car, I mean it's trying but it's all very plastic and cheap, but it does have leather seats.

Gadget wise it has self parking blind spot monitoring, cameras all round. Stupid electronic handbrake! Emergency braking, so far I've found it all rather a distraction things keep constantly flashing up on the dash or lights by the wing mirrors for blind spot stuff, I tried the self parking I can do the same job myself in about 5 seconds what takes the car 30 seconds just to set up on the computer.

 

[pooroldcodger]

I agree . A horrible car. But they are a real success for Nissan.
Is it because some people want to have a car that looks like a 4wd "suv" even though it's just a 2 wd car on steroids isn't it?
They market it as a "small SUV".
I admire the marketing though.

 

[puntofan01]

I agree . A horrible car. But they are a real success for Nissan.
Is it because some people want to have a car that looks like a 4wd "suv" even though it's just a 2 wd car on steroids isn't it?
They market it as a "small SUV".
I admire the marketing though.

The Qashqai and it's more recent baby brother, the joke, i mean juke, are what kicked off this whole "crossover" craze which seems to be taking over. I do wonder if they will actually replace the traditional suv in the marketplace eventually.

 

[Gavv8]

I drove a rental Qashqai like the one above on holiday in Ireland this summer, clocked up over 1500km's in 5 days and I was mightily impressed with it, I thought it was very comfortable..quiet..fast..well equipped and amazingly economical too in fact I liked it so much I almost went out and bought one but was overruled by the wife who said I couldn't have two cars until I sort out the garage for the panda to live in.

 

[Noxide]

Was the Rav4 not one of the first? To be honest I've no objection to them gradually phasing normal SUVs out or at least reducing the number on the roads. There are people who really are not capable/should be driving these great big cars, and I feel this is a nice compromise for people who want a 4x4, but don't need the whole package.

I also guiltily like the Juke.

 

[StevenRB45]

I drove a rental Qashqai like the one above on holiday in Ireland this summer, clocked up over 1500km's in 5 days and I was mightily impressed with it, I thought it was very comfortable..quiet..fast..well equipped and amazingly economical too in fact I liked it so much I almost went out and bought one but was overruled by the wife who said I couldn't have two cars until I sort out the garage for the panda to live in.

Ive got this for work for the next few days View attachment 160857

It arrived yesterday in the dark so no pictures then.

Firstly the Qashqai is a horrible car, I mean it's trying but it's all very plastic and cheap, but it does have leather seats.

Gadget wise it has self parking blind spot monitoring, cameras all round. Stupid electronic handbrake! Emergency braking, so far I've found it all rather a distraction things keep constantly flashing up on the dash or lights by the wing mirrors for blind spot stuff, I tried the self parking I can do the same job myself in about 5 seconds what takes the car 30 seconds just to set up on the computer.

Some interesting perspective here, golf owner doesn't mention a single word about anything other than interior quality and gadgets the golf doesn't have being distracting. Thought you'd be more open minded...

While panda 100hp owner mentions nothing about toys or anything else just how it drives.

Obviously 2 people who value different things.

Tbf I hate soft readers as an idea although you can actually get a 4wd qashqai, and if your daily life involves taking kids to school child seats and carrying buggies, a large high hatchback with good visibility makes sense. Also extra suspension and ride height might be nice on the farm tracks that pass for roads at the moment.

 

[puntofan01]

Was the Rav4 not one of the first? To be honest I've no objection to them gradually phasing normal SUVs out or at least reducing the number on the roads. There are people who really are not capable/should be driving these great big cars, and I feel this is a nice compromise for people who want a 4x4, but don't need the whole package.

I also guiltily like the Juke.

I think the rav4 was the 1st compact suv, if not the 1st suv full stop. I think it's success was what led to the freelander, crv, etc.

I know the fourtrak, frontera, maverick/terrano and discovery predate the rav4, but I think they were all intended to have at least a degree of off road ability, whereas the rav4 and it's rivals were intended as primarily for road use, with token 4wd systems.

 

[Liquid Knight]

I thought the Talbot Rancho was the first Compact SUV?

Handsome beast of a thing.

On the insurance side debate, the Meerkats are good to give your brokers a target. My guys usually undercut whatever they quote.

 

[puntofan01]

I thought the Talbot Rancho was the first Compact SUV?

Handsome beast of a thing.

On the insurance side debate, the Meerkats are good to give your brokers a target. My guys usually undercut whatever they quote.

Good point, I'd forgotten about the Rancho, lol! If memory serves correctly, Matra stuck the off roady body on a Simca 1100, and installed the 1.4 engine from a Talbot Horizon?

With the insurance thing, I found my new insurer on confused.com, and the old insurer just couldn't compete.

 

[Noxide]