BMW 318i

Luke15 · 11 Apr 2006 at 23:37

Well, my grandad is getting too old to drive, and he has given me his BMW 318i. Its 1991 on a H reg. Its the one from 1991 to 1998.

I really want to drive this, but i need to get insured on it. Im 17, will there be any chance of getting insured for a reasonable amount?

Stellios · 11 Apr 2006 at 23:40

Youll get stung mate, and unfortunately theirs no real way of avoiding it unless your get your parents to insure themselves and put you as a named driver, but then agan if you crash doing that could cause hell.

Mackass · 11 Apr 2006 at 23:42

I think it will be insurance group 11 or 12.

With pass plus, you may be looking in the region of atleast £2000.

[TW]Fox · 11 Apr 2006 at 23:44

Sell it and buy something else. Should get about a grand for it.

Lashout_UK · 12 Apr 2006 at 00:01

Aye, I vote with the rest here - it's not particuarly interesting enough to fork out for and you'll get picked on for insurance as it's BMW and parts & repairs will be deemed expensive, hiking your insurance.

Morba · 12 Apr 2006 at 00:03

agree with fox tbh, not just because of the car, but the added insurance of driving a BMW at your age.

could have something better for you and cheaper :]

andi · 12 Apr 2006 at 00:10

Try getting a quote for it, you never know. Big cars are generally cheaper to insure.

[TW]Fox · 12 Apr 2006 at 00:12

andi said:
Try getting a quote for it, you never know. Big cars are generally cheaper to insure.

I really wish I knew where this myth came from.

Big cars > small cars but insuring a big car generally > insuring a smaller car.

andi · 12 Apr 2006 at 00:15

Its no myth for me, I can insured on larger cars up to group 13, but anything above about 5 or 6 is either stupid money, or no quote.

[TW]Fox · 12 Apr 2006 at 00:16

andi said:
Its no myth for me, I can insured on larger cars up to group 13, but anything above about 5 or 6 is either stupid money, or no quote.

So you are telling me you'd have no trouble at all insuring a 2.0 16v Mondeo, but nobody will quote you for a Fiesta 1.25 Zetec?

Right, ok.

andi · 12 Apr 2006 at 00:21

[TW]Fox said:
So you are telling me you'd have no trouble at all insuring a 2.0 16v Mondeo, but nobody will quote you for a Fiesta 1.25 Zetec?

Right, ok.

No I'm not.

Maybe the numbers where a little out, being made up on the spot (as 27.7% of all statistics are) but the point stands, I can get insured on bigger cars of higher insurance groups, where the same company won't touch me on a car of similar group.

[TW]Fox · 12 Apr 2006 at 00:30

andi said:
No I'm not.

Maybe the numbers where a little out, being made up on the spot (as 27.7% of all statistics are) but the point stands, I can get insured on bigger cars of higher insurance groups, where the same company won't touch me on a car of similar group.

The Ford Fiesta Zetec is Group 6.

Generally, smaller cars are cheaper to insure than bigger cars. This is both logical, and fact. There, as ever, a few exceptions to this - some cars like the Saxo VTS etc are quite pricey to insure, but generally, the smaller the car, the cheaper the insurance.

benneh · 12 Apr 2006 at 01:21

At 18 i got insured on a '96 318i for about 1200 quid.

If i were you i would ignore the bad advice, keep the 318, maybe look at some decent wheels and lower it a tad, and evoila, you have a lovely car that will give you a great deal more fun than any mondeo (barring maybe the st220, which inevitably will always be FWD). Have fun and learn to drive properly i say.

[TW]Fox · 12 Apr 2006 at 01:24

benneh said:
keep the 318, maybe look at some decent wheels and lower it a tad, and evoila, you have a lovely car

No, you will have a 15 year old bottom of the range BMW with black plastic bumpers, windup windows, hard plastic seat backs and some 'decent wheels'.

To be fair, a 15 year old bottom of the range Ford Sierra would be naff as well, and in 5 years time, so will a 15 year old bottom of the range Mk2 Mondeo.

And although this is of no concern to a new driver, for a car attracting a Group 12 insurance premium, 11 seconds to 60 is also 'dog slow'.

I'm sorry but BMW on a budget is just a bad idea. You'll get something ancient and rubbish. If you want a BMW, you need to either...

a) Go for a true classic, like rare. The E30 he has, although I dislike the E30 personally, is a nice car. Well kept, decent, classic BMW.
b) Get a big budget, and buy a proper one.

In a few years time, maybe the E36 328's might reach the same sort of status as the nicer E30's now, but for the time being the E36, especially the 316/318 variants, is simply a *****-prestige-banger (Late 328 Coupe and M3 excluded).

Mystique · 12 Apr 2006 at 01:30

I've always thought 'naff' to be a synonym with 'ford'.

Morba · 12 Apr 2006 at 07:51

benneh said:
At 18 i got insured on a '96 318i for about 1200 quid.

If i were you i would ignore the bad advice, keep the 318, maybe look at some decent wheels and lower it a tad, and evoila, you have a lovely car that will give you a great deal more fun than any mondeo (barring maybe the st220, which inevitably will always be FWD). Have fun and learn to drive properly i say.

Pay more for insurance than the car is worth! horrible idea. Unless you driving a banger for under £500 then i would hate what you are suggesting.
adding wheels and dropping it will increase the insurance further.

Very young
BMW RWD
Alloys
Lowered

What would an insurer think? Oh hes a nice responsible chap in the perfect age bracket to offer him some discount...... No. Lets bend him over and ask for silly money as hes in the wrong bracket in a BMW who is modding his car.

Wheels + tyres + lowering would be near on £700, almost as much as the car is worth!

penski · 12 Apr 2006 at 07:57

Morba said:
Wheels + tyres + lowering would be near on £700, almost as much as the car is worth!

... :/

Scrappy visit + wheels off a 'nicer' bimmer + angle grinder = wheels, tyres, lowered for £100.

*n

Morba · 12 Apr 2006 at 08:01

penski said:
... :/

Scrappy visit + wheels off a 'nicer' bimmer + angle grinder = wheels, tyres, lowered for £100.

*n

wheels off a nicer beemer from a scrappy without being cheap?
youd be lucky.

chopping springs is great for safety for a new driver in a rwd car.

burns · 12 Apr 2006 at 08:09

Morba said:
wheels off a nicer beemer from a scrappy without being cheap?
youd be lucky.

I thought that was the point. Lowering springs would only be £100 or so any way.

Morba · 12 Apr 2006 at 08:55

burns said:
I thought that was the point. Lowering springs would only be £100 or so any way.

Oops, meant without being costly.

Your looking at £200+ for a set of M3 alloys, if they need tyres then thats another £350. Lower springs say £100. Add fitting / balancing etc and suddenly your paying £600+.
Add the mods to insurance and see what happens.

Always worth getting a quote tho.