Insurance...best car 1.4 litre

L5

23, 1st provisional, 8 months as a named driver.
Looking to buy a 1.4 litre 1999/2000 car
What would be the best 1.4 litre car that would keep the insurance low?
Was quoted 1,700 from quinn direct for a 1999 1.4 astra

thanks

Stephen

Most 1.4's would be pretty much the same price to insure. Been there myself a few months ago when I was shopping for a used car.

murphaph

Whilst not explicitly stated, I believe irish insurers rely heavily on the UK insurance group system so you could mess about with this;
Parker's Insurance Group Finder

bazz26

L5 wrote:

23, 1st provisional, 8 months as a named driver.
Looking to buy a 1.4 litre 1999/2000 car
What would be the best 1.4 litre car that would keep the insurance low?
Was quoted 1,700 from quinn direct for a 1999 1.4 astra

thanks

Might want to look for something like a Ford Focus which may not be as lively as the Astra but imo is a better car allround. The only let down of the Focus is that it didn't have ABS as standard back then.

Look at the Toyota Corolla also though the 99 model is the one with the ugly frog eyes so if you can afford a 00 they are slightly better looking and have the more powerful VVTi engine. My father ran one for the best part of five years and never gave a moments bother.

Also look at the Honda Civic but avoid modified ex boyracer wagons. Great car and very nippy even in 1.4, only thing is insurance companies go on red alert when young males buy these.

Another to look at is the Skoda Octavia which is a very good car. You could buy a 01 for the same money as a 00 model of the above. Alot of car for the money but the only thing that puts some people off them is badge snobbery. A sensible purchase especially if it is your first buy and better equipped than a VW Golf.

The other one to look for is the Seat Leon which is the same as the Golf/Octavia.

AlienGav

bazz26 wrote:

Look at the Toyota Corolla also though the 99 model is the one with the ugly frog eyes so if you can afford a 00 they are slightly better looking and have the more powerful VVTi engine.

What's a better engine, power wise?

The 1.4 VVTi Corolla or a 1.4 Focus Zetec?

bazz26

The 1.4 Corolla had around 97bhp where as the Focus had around 80bhp.

PauloMN

Another to look at is the Skoda Octavia which is a very good car.

With that VW 1.4? Don't do it man, you'd be quicker walking.

quarryman

what's the difference btween a focus zetec versus non-zetec?

Stephen

Zetec is a bit nipper - 16 valve engine. They usually throw in alloys, fog lights, small spoiler etc on the zetec models.

quarryman

cool thanks. i'm in the market for em.

unkel

murphaph wrote:

Whilst not explicitly stated, I believe irish insurers rely heavily on the UK insurance group system so you could mess about with this;
Parker's Insurance Group Finder

That's what I believe(d) too. Thanks for posting linky!

However, my E38 735i V8 (group 18 in Parker's) was several hundred € cheaper to insure compared to a E39 523i (group 15 in Parker's) of same year / value / mileage

Makes no sense to me

BrianD3

Ford Focus Zetec and LX have the exact same engine. The Zetec is a trim level (alloys etc.) not an engine spec.

bazz26

PauloMN wrote:

With that VW 1.4? Don't do it man, you'd be quicker walking.

I would normally agree but that engine is more suited to the Octavia as the Octavia is not as heavy as the Golf.

Stephen

BrianD3 wrote:

Ford Focus Zetec and LX have the exact same engine. The Zetec is a trim level (alloys etc.) not an engine spec.

Are you sure? On the fiestas (at least the mark IV/V ones) zetec is an engine type (though like i mentoined earlier, it does indicate a certain amount of trim too, with the alloys and fogs and so on), with LX/Ghia etc indicating trim level. The non-zetec fiestas had crappy old ford enduro engines, based on a design around 30 years old.
Did they make the zetec engine standard on the focus or something?

...maybe i'm talking through my arse.

John R

unkel wrote:

That's what I believe(d) too. Thanks for posting linky!

However, my E38 735i V8 (group 18 in Parker's) was several hundred € cheaper to insure compared to a E39 523i (group 15 in Parker's) of same year / value / mileage

Makes no sense to me

I would expect the 7 series has a much older and less claim-prone demographic than the 5.

Seth Brundle

John R wrote:

I would expect the 7 series has a much older and less claim-prone demographic than the 5.

...suggesting that its insurance grouping should be lower than the E39s!

bazz26

Stephen wrote:

Are you sure? On the fiestas (at least the mark IV/V ones) zetec is an engine type (though like i mentoined earlier, it does indicate a certain amount of trim too, with the alloys and fogs and so on), with LX/Ghia etc indicating trim level. The non-zetec fiestas had crappy old ford enduro engines, based on a design around 30 years old.
Did they make the zetec engine standard on the focus or something?

...maybe i'm talking through my arse.

The Fiesta has a 1.25 16v engine which is designed by Yamaha. It and the Ka also have a 1.3 8v Duratec engine which originates back to the Ford Anglia of the 60s. There is also the 1.4 16v engine in the Fiesta which was also in the last Escort and carried over to the Focus. I think this 16 valve design was originally called "Zeta" engine in the early 1990s as it ear marked the production of new 16 engines by Ford in the Escort and MKI Mondeo. Ford had to change the name to Zetec later because some other company used the "Zeta" name or something. Confusingly they then decided to introduce a "sporty" trim level to the Focus and Fiesta called the Zetec but it uses the same engine as the rest of the range. This is my understanding of it anyway.

The Mondeo on the other hand is different, the 1.8 Zetec model has 125bhp as apposed to the 1.8 LX which only has 110bhp.

milltown

Definitely take a look at the Seat Leon. I had one for the last two years and couldn't fault it. VW build quality with better equipment and a livelier drive for a few grand less than a similar vintage Golf. Also have to say that the standard stereo is miles better than the one in the BMW I traded it for. I miss me sounds

Jip

How about a 1.2 Bravo ? You get 82BHP out of it, more than alot of 1.4s and your insurance might be cheaper again ?