Car insurance question - unusual situation

braveheart2006 wrote: ↑ My auto insurance is coming due. I have an unusual situation:

1. I've been driving for 25+ year, no accidents, tickets etc.
2. My wife used to drive but had a brain tumour and no longer drives
3. We have 2 cars.

(a) A sedan I drive (about 6-8km per year). I work from home. Just shopping and errands.
(b) An SUV. I drive maybe once every 2-3 months to tow something or very bad snow. Thinking of selling but would miss it for the odd time I would need it. I use the SUV so little I need to keep a charger attached to the battery.

4. Now the issue... my teenage daughter is taking her driving test soon (G license)

If I simply add my daughter, the insurance goes from about $1,600 to $4,300 since she is forced to be a primary driver (2 cars 2 drivers). She will only drive occasionally.

Ideally I'd renew my existing policy (belair) but just for the sedan and add my daughter as an occasional driver.

I'd then insure the SUV just for myself under CAA MyPace (per km) just for 500km per year.

Not sure if I am allowed to do this (covered under 2 policies, different car on each).

I could also garage the SUV and just add it back for the odd trip but this would be a huge pain.

Any ideas?

starchoice wrote: ↑ You have a few options and some would depend on the cooperation of your insurance company. I had a situation where the insurance company wanted to put my son as primary driver on one of my vehicles (three vehicles, three drivers) but I wasn't having none of it because one of the vehicles, I am sole driver and he would never drive that vehicle. It took a bit of work but the company relented and put him on as occasional driver. For sure, I was not going to be paying (inflated) premiums for him as principal driver on a car that he would never set foot in, as a driver.

Is your wife still licensed? There is no harm in having her on the policy if your insurance company is being pig-headed, as there is no obligation that she actually has to drive. I mean if they want your daughter as a primary driver for a vehicle on which she is not primary, simply reverse the situation in your favour with your wife as primary, making your daughter occasional.

There is nothing from preventing you from getting two policies with different companies. This is often done to get better rates, more so on collector vehicles because you would typically lose out on a two or more vehicle discount.

georvu wrote: ↑ Both insurance companies would need to be informed of all licensed drivers in household I believe but there is waiver think can be signed that named person not going to drive said vehicle.

Perhaps @COSMIC5 can clarify.

starchoice wrote: ↑ You have a few options and some would depend on the cooperation of your insurance company. I had a situation where the insurance company wanted to put my son as primary driver on one of my vehicles (three vehicles, three drivers) but I wasn't having none of it because one of the vehicles, I am sole driver and he would never drive that vehicle. It took a bit of work but the company relented and put him on as occasional driver. For sure, I was not going to be paying (inflated) premiums for him as principal driver on a car that he would never set foot in, as a driver.

Is your wife still licensed? There is no harm in having her on the policy if your insurance company is being pig-headed, as there is no obligation that she actually has to drive. I mean if they want your daughter as a primary driver for a vehicle on which she is not primary, simply reverse the situation in your favour with your wife as primary, making your daughter occasional.

There is nothing from preventing you from getting two policies with different companies. This is often done to get better rates, more so on collector vehicles because you would typically lose out on a two or more vehicle discount.

mer1ion wrote: ↑ I'd look into insuring both vehicles with CAA MyPace. I switched from regular insurance (insuring each vehicle for 6 months each during winter and summer) to insuring both vehicles year round under CAA My Pace and saw a huge drop in premiums. Wish I had done it earlier. Now I have the choice to drive whatever I want whenever I want

braveheart2006 wrote: ↑ I did speak with CAA MyPace. They were probably the worst insurance company I have ever experienced. I would never insure with them even if their rates were lower. I can't imagine trying to make a claim with them.

Maybe my experience was unusual but I did speak with two different agents.

mer1ion wrote: ↑ My experience with them has been the opposite and I've been with them for over 30 years. Service has always been great. Mind you I've only been in one not at fault accident. Claim was handled efficiently with no BS. My rates have been competitive with other insurance companies and now they are lower because of various discounts because of my experience. For me, they have been great. With MyPace, I pay less than half of what I used to pay and it now insures both vehicles at the same time

gr8dlr wrote: ↑ Curious...how much do you drive on each vehicle roughly and roughly how much is your insurance for each vehicle.

mer1ion wrote: ↑ The rates are so good I'm almost afraid to say it. It's almost too good to be true.

On the Audi RS5, I pay a base price of $415/year and $115/1000 kms. I used to average 3k kms a year but only did 1k in the last year because I had major surgery. On the Mitsubishi RVR, I pay $250 base a year and $85 per 1000 kms. Normally I put about 3k to 6k kms a year but as I mentioned before, it has gone down since the surgery.

When I was on traditional insurance, I was paying about $1k per vehicle for each six month period. The Audi was only insured in the summer and the RVR for the winter. Each vehicle had fire/theft in the off season.

MyPace suits me these days as both vehicles are insured year round and costs a fraction of what I used to pay.

I forgot to mention that I live in Brampton. Rates are cheaper if I use my Mississauga or Toronto addresses but it's not something I want to do.

gr8dlr wrote: ↑ Interesting. And thanks for the info.

Normally coverage is per vehicle and per driver with each vehicle have a primary driver.

Do they care when or how much each person drives on each vehicle? Or is there some kind of adjustment?

Also wonder how they handle "occasional" drivers?

MrBungal wrote: ↑ Sell the SUV. Crazy prices now for used cars. I sold my 2nd car as well. 07 Civic 117km for $8000. Glad I got rid of it finally, I was risking it with the engine block potentially cracking and the paint starting to peel off. I had to juggle which one to drive so that the battery wouldn't die on one of them.

In the off chance you need to tow something, just rent a HD van for $20/hr or worst case rent a uhaul truck. It will cost you less renting than your insurance and you get a good chunk of cash selling your unused vehicle.

braveheart2006 wrote: ↑ I did speak with CAA MyPace. They were probably the worst insurance company I have ever experienced. I would never insure with them even if their rates were lower. I can't imagine trying to make a claim with them.

Maybe my experience was unusual but I did speak with two different agents.