Why are VR6's so expensive to insure?

[pmanson]

Thinking about adding to my student debt when I finish uni next year and trading my Golf Mk3 1.8CL in for a Golf Mk3 VR6 (A late one!).

Currently pay £450 FC (23, 3 NCD & 3 points (12/02/02)) at the time I would get the VR6 next year it would still cost me best part of £1300 (confused.com) for a £3000 car.

I know they are about 180bhp but even so! Insurance for a Skoda Octavia VRS (180bhp) and a Saab 9-3 Aero (205bhp) comes in at £980 and thats when I value the car at £7000.

I thought a VR6 might have been a cheaper way of upgrading my car but perhaps not.

Have too many been crashed or something?


Phill

[MJK 24]

They have a poor reputation with insurers. When they were new they were a target for the theives.

When they were older, and more affordable, boy racers bought them and smashed a lot of them up (you don't see too many about these days).

Also, they engine bay is jam packed, so a 20mph impact may do a lot of damage that would not occue on your own car where there is a noce 6-8inch gap between your engine and radiator.

[JonRB]

I can't comment on the Golf, but one of the reasons the Corrado VR6 was (is) so expensive to insure is that the Karmann parts are very expensive to replace. Last time I looked a rear bumper was £500 + VAT, unpainted and unfitted.

I've never heard of liability to theft being a reason for high insurance, but there you go.

Don't forget that insurance cost is not just down to risk of damage or theft, but cost of repair.

>> Edited by JonRB on Sunday 18th December 20:58

[duart]

Hi - confused is often the best for high performance cars.Try elephant or endsleigh and i hope you get a better deal.Also try hic in bishops stortford who specialize in performance vw's.

best of luck

[pmanson]

I'd forgotten how packed the engine bay is.

Shame they didn't do a G60 version really.


At the end of the day it was me having a hunt around the net last night for a new car to get next year and even then i probably won't be in the position to get one!

The insurance on my current car will be well under £400 next year so I shouldn't complain!

I was thinking about going mad and getting a £7k loan out and buying a Saab 9-3 Aero or Octavia vRS as the insurance would still be under £1k (Selling my car would cover that) but my student debts have taken off big time this year so thats not going to happen.

I can't really add a £7k loan to my £10k student loan and £1.5k overdraft. So I was thinking that a car about £2-3k would be a nice step up the car owning ladder and as VR6's our in that price bracket it seemed ideal. Obviously not lol


>> Edited by pmanson on Sunday 18th December 21:21

[Ahonen]

Try getting a quote for a Vento VR6 instead. They're not the best looking cars in the world and they do seem to be as rare as hens' teeth as a consequence, but they can be picked up for about 70% of the price of a Golf - and the insurance quotes I got from Elephant were much, much cheaper than the Golf VR6.

Ventos are less likely to be thrashed as well, as they don't have a very 'cool' reputation with the young 'uns.

Not a bad Q car, in a way. I almost bought one a couple of years ago.

[EmmaP]

I'm insured with Highway. I'm not that young, I'm female, no convictions and maximum no claims and still it is nearly £800 My Corrado has had a few mods though.

[fattb]

You could try www.noeldazely.co.uk/ or www.adrianflux.co.uk/

[JonRB]

EmmaP said:

I'm insured with Highway. I'm not that young, I'm female, no convictions and maximum no claims and still it is nearly £800 My Corrado has had a few mods though.

Surprising. My Corrado used to cost me that a few years ago, but these days insurance is down in the £400's. I'm with Elephant at the moment, BTW.

[EmmaP]

I did try Elephant but they were more expensive. I will give them a call in a few months when it is renewal time. Thanks for the tip

[neil_cardiff]

I tried to get insured on a VR6 and was shocked to find it was twice the price of insuring a 16V of exactly the same age and spec.

The 8V and 16V are virtually identical to insure, and where not that much more than my 1.8GL Mk2 I had before.

Before you write off Mk3 Golfs altogether, seriously take a look at a clean, unmolested 16V GTi (a bit like mine) as they are just as quick in a straight line up to about 70/80 and much quicker along a B road.

Also, it's cheaper to run, and parts are a plenty...

Try one, I frequently come back with a smile after a hard drive!

Neil

[JonRB]

neil_cardiff said:

Try one, I frequently come back with a smile after a hard drive!

Yes, well I get pretty excited by computer hardware too.

[pmanson]

neil_cardiff said:

I tried to get insured on a VR6 and was shocked to find it was twice the price of insuring a 16V of exactly the same age and spec. The 8V and 16V are virtually identical to insure, and where not that much more than my 1.8GL Mk2 I had before. Before you write off Mk3 Golfs altogether, seriously take a look at a clean, unmolested 16V GTi (a bit like mine) as they are just as quick in a straight line up to about 70/80 and much quicker along a B road. Also, it's cheaper to run, and parts are a plenty... Try one, I frequently come back with a smile after a hard drive! Neil

We'll see next year Neil, I do fancy something a bit different though. Saab 9-3 Coupes (Both the 150bhp and 185bhp models) come in quite reasonable to insurance. (Just over £600) and have similar performance to the VR6.

Can you get the GTi's with leather?

[neil_cardiff]

pmanson said:

neil_cardiff said: I tried to get insured on a VR6 and was shocked to find it was twice the price of insuring a 16V of exactly the same age and spec. The 8V and 16V are virtually identical to insure, and where not that much more than my 1.8GL Mk2 I had before. Before you write off Mk3 Golfs altogether, seriously take a look at a clean, unmolested 16V GTi (a bit like mine) as they are just as quick in a straight line up to about 70/80 and much quicker along a B road. Also, it's cheaper to run, and parts are a plenty... Try one, I frequently come back with a smile after a hard drive! Neil We'll see next year Neil, I do fancy something a bit different though. Saab 9-3 Coupes (Both the 150bhp and 185bhp models) come in quite reasonable to insurance. (Just over £600) and have similar performance to the VR6. Can you get the GTi's with leather?

You can yes, although they'll command a premium as it's a very sought after updgrade. Personally after much sould searching and discussion I decided that leather wouldn't hold me as well and cloth, and that I couldn't justify the extra £500/1000 that the leather cars commanded (at least in the quiality I wanted).

I understand where you are going with a Saab, but having driven a 9-5 extensively, I can say that, while lightning fast in a straight line, it is dull around corners.

You'd be moving away from something you can play around with in corners, and ultimately a Saab wouldn't even know which way my Golf had gone on the A and B roads. Additionally, my Golf will sprint to 60 in its standard 8.0 seconds, as I've done this against my friend who has a hot Mk4 GTi (180) and could only keep pace with me - indeed this was the case all the through the gears.

The GTi will go on to illegal speeds with ease, and 72mph gives its best mpg (42 on the tell tale MFA) and 85mph just getting itself warmed up...yet still returns 32mpg).

Admittedly not as comfortable I grant you...

[neil_cardiff]

pmanson said:

Octavia vRS

Now this is a more sensible choice. Easily chippable, and stunningly quick.

It would be a natural replacement for mine, but I think prices may be an issue...

>> Edited by neil_cardiff on Tuesday 20th December 08:52

[pmanson]

neil_cardiff said:

pmanson said: Octavia vRS Now this is a more sensible choice. Easily chippable, and stunningly quick. It would be a natural replacement for mine, but I think prices may be an issue... >> Edited by neil_cardiff on Tuesday 20th December 08:52

Yeah this is one of my favourites but judging by my bank balance its not going to be possible. With my current debts I reckon I can convince the bank manager to lend me £3/4k not £6/7k. With my student loan payments I may struggle to pay back the loan when the time comes.

[pentoman]

It's a shame but VR6's do seem to have become a bit of a chav favourite, despite the fairly high prices..

[neil_cardiff]

pentoman said:

It's a shame but VR6's do seem to have become a bit of a chav favourite, despite the fairly high prices..

I must admit I shed a small tear when I see a chavvied up VR6 or GTi. I can appreciate they brought a nice car, but I firmly believe that the Mk3 and Mk2 is best left alone. You'll get many more admiring glances with a clean original one than a Max Power LED festooned one - and when you have a car capable on trouncing most things on the road, why bother.

I almost feel like ripping them out of the drivers seat and beating them with their DTM exhausts...

[JonRB]

pentoman said:

It's a shame but VR6's do seem to have become a bit of a chav favourite, despite the fairly high prices..

Noo, Emma's lovely. How can you say that about her?

[tuscan_v8]

Did thought of getting VR6, seem most are chav'ved up and really expensive to get insured !!.

So just bought myself a unmolested mk3 GTi (one of the last mk3 - see profile) and the insurance is much cheaper (£361 from Admiral)