Your opinions please

[Will]

Firstly as a new member to the forum i'd like to say hi to everybody.

Right here it goes...

I'm 19 years old living in nottinghamshire, and have loved clios for years. I own a 2004 1.4 dynamique in black, which has been my pride and joy for about a year and a half. Even though I havent been in an accident i've had two occasions where its been damaged by an unknown party, one involving a shopping trolly and the back quarter panel, and the other with a paint stripping substance and the other quarter panel. Unfortunately in both cases i've had to go the insurance route, so my 2 years no claims drank some red bull and flew into the horrizon.

One of my friends owns a trophy, #495, and ive fallen for it big time over the last year, to the point i want one as my next car, but i have a few factors against me i.e. my age and lack of NCB. There was a flash of hope though when i found an insurance company that would insure me.... for £3000

This made me think abit, and i went along to my local renault dealer, and enquired about the 197 (as its a few groups lower on insurance). After twisting the salesmans leg, i managed to blag a test drive.... So i turned up on the date arranged as there wasn't one for demo at that time, and took it for a few laps round the city using the bypass and a few back roads. I must admit i did like it, it felt quite fun in high revs, and i felt safe in pushing it abit. However i just couldnt get over the fact it felt like driving a bus with a rocket engine in it, not litteraly, but it felt so big and clumpy but get up in the revs and it is quick, so i told the salesman i'd think about it and let him know.

A few days later my mate let me drive his trophy, and after a 20 min drive in that i had a bigger smile on my face than after the hour drive in the 197 (im not saying i didnt push the 197 as hard, if anything it was the other way round.)

I know that the 197 as it stands isnt as good as the trophy, so it leaves me with abit of a dilema...
Being in the process of selling my car, do i:
a) buy a trophy, costing between 10-12 000 and forking out 3k on insurance? (total 15k)
b) wait until the 197 cup/trophy comes out (TBA)
c) wait a while and hope i can find a good trophy in a year or so

3k is alot of money, but i suppose id rather have something like this rather than spend my hard earnt cash "pi$$ing it up the wall" so to speak.

Your thoughts/opinions please.

Will

 

[fazedesign]

What's the on the 197? I'd guess that'd still be 2k+ given the circumastances?

 

[Max]

Maybe buy a 172 cup or a 306 Rallye and save a fortune?

 

[Neophyte]

What's the on the 197? I'd guess that'd still be 2k+ given the circumstances?

Good point FD.

Will, I would bide your time, £3k for insurance is quite racey.. Unless you just can't wait/are minted!.. A bit of deferred gratification basically. God, I sound boring; sorry.
You do have my sympathies though, I recall considering some similar equations and just being frustrated
Apologies for sensible advise.. Just playing devils advocate :roll:

 

[mc45]

im 20 bin driving bout 7 or 8 month and when i saw the trophy loved it! then i saw 308 for sale went and bought it then worried bout insurance . lol i didnt care just had to have it! ended up on ma mums insurance usin her no claims and still cost me £1700 with a grand excess but i wouldnt have it any other way! iv got the car of my dreams for my first car and its amazing! the no claims will eventually come hopefully

 

[FunkyMunky]

im 20 bin driving bout 7 or 8 month and when i saw the trophy loved it! then i saw 308 for sale went and bought it then worried bout insurance . lol i didnt care just had to have it! ended up on ma mums insurance usin her no claims and still cost me £1700 with a grand excess but i wouldnt have it any other way! iv got the car of my dreams for my first car and its amazing! the no claims will eventually come hopefully

text speak - how annoying! :wink:

be careful of doing it this way though as i'm sure many people have said previously - 1k excess :roll:

part of me says fair play though for doing it and getting such a good car so young

 

[Cue]

shop around with that insurance quote - Sounds like you have done but it doesn't sounds that competitive. Try Greenlight (broker who specialises in this sort of thing, plus they give discounts for membership of cliosport) also I've heard privalidge are cheap.

Waiting won't make a massive difference as the cost of the Trophy won't drop that much over the next 12 months. The next price drop will be in 2 years when people sell when their warrenty i running out - about 18 months to 2 years away yet.

If you can wait that long then great - buy something cheap and build up your no claims in that time. If not then you'll either have to make some hard decisions.

I'd start by phoning those 2 insurers. If the quote is still coming out at silly money - as Max said I'd get a phase 2 172 (newer bodyshell) - you can pick them up for 50/60% of the cost of a Trophy and it's better than 50/60% of the car, so a sound investment to me.

 

[Steve]

Being in the process of selling my car, do i:
a) buy a trophy, costing between 10-12 000 and forking out 3k on insurance? (total 15k)
b) wait until the 197 cup/trophy comes out (TBA)
c) wait a while and hope i can find a good trophy in a year or so

Hi Will

a) Yes, do it, fuck the insurance, it still costs less in a year than the equivalent running costs of a 'sports car' that can match it's performance and thrill factor.

b) No, it won't be a Trophy, if you like the feeling you get throwing a small car with a big engine around, the 197 will never provide that, a great car but not a Trophy. (a few suspension tweaks won't change this - it will still weigh more than a Mk1 Impreza).

c) Why? You will still only be 20, so the insurance won't be significantly cheaper and you will have talked yourself out of it by then and missed owning one of the greatest drivers cars of the 21st century while you're still a teenager.

And, as a counter-argument;

£3000 a year for what is essentially nothing could buy you;

1. A mint condition 1993 205 1.9 GTI or 106 Rallye (Group 13 Insurance)
2. A posh meal for two every week
3. 30 Chart DVD's a month (one a day).
4. One incredible or three really good holidays a Year.
5. A Canon 400D, 36" LCD Television, 80GB iPod and a Specialized Stumpjumper.
6. 10 really good trackdays including petrol and tuition.
7. A Cat D 172 Cup (but then you'll still have to insure it and it'll kill you (No ABS/ESP/TC)


Hope this helps.

 

[Cue]

did they strip out the ABS and TC for the cup? I know the FF 172 had them....

 

[Steve]

did they strip out the ABS and TC for the cup? I know the FF 172 had them....

Yep. Most of the 100kg weight saving, along with the alu bonnet and thinner glass. Lethal in the wet.

 

[Will]

cheers guys

I have scanned the tinternet for quite a while visiting all of the insurance sites i could find, the best price so far is 3000.20 with the folks as named drivers (saving 400 than if i didnt have them named on...)

Ive just toyed with the excess, and it showed with 1000 excess it puts the premium to 2498, instead of 3000 with 350 excess

so in effect i save 500, but if i claim i have to pay 750 more. so really its a game of odds decided by me stacking it within a year period, leaving me 250 worse off if i do.

The only other thing id prob want to do is find a good 182 cup in black, and try get a v6 spoiler for it and the recaros. Not a trophy i know but would save a few grand.

ahwell i got a week off from work soon so ill have a good look round, thanks for your input, ill have to make do with being the passenger in 495 lol

 

[mc45]

im 20 bin driving bout 7 or 8 month and when i saw the trophy loved it! then i saw 308 for sale went and bought it then worried bout insurance . lol i didnt care just had to have it! ended up on ma mums insurance usin her no claims and still cost me £1700 with a grand excess but i wouldnt have it any other way! iv got the car of my dreams for my first car and its amazing! the no claims will eventually come hopefully

text speak - how annoying! :wink:

be careful of doing it this way though as i'm sure many people have said previously - 1k excess :roll:

part of me says fair play though for doing it and getting such a good car so young

sory about the text speak hate doing when typing but think i send to many text and im just used to it i think!

 

[nitro]

Simple answer to this one, 3 grand is way too much for insurance. Just got to bide your time with something a little less expensive and build up that no claims.

Just remember that the trophy running costs will be a good bit higher than the clio you are used to. Some may argue that, but if you got one you would rack up the miles in no time, using fuel, tyres, and brakes like no mans business. No point really stretching yourself for the car.

As some of the guys say, there are excellent alternatives out there that are 95% of Trophy fun, but cost a great deasl less.

Also, maybe you should let the head rule the heart for a few months and save like hell!

My goodness, I sound like someones parents!!!

:lol:

 

[Steve]

Let's be honest here, there are probably lots of cars to be had for Trophy money or less that are more fun,. they just won't have the killer combination of Practicality/warranty/newness/exclusivity on top of genre blurring performance and proper driver feedback.

I would still like to own a 205 Rallye, awesome cars, 100bhp from a carb-fed 1.3 and 750kg kerb weight. And the decals!

Group 13 too...

 

[TracyC]

I would try Bell Insurance. I'm with them, and my other half is the main driver and I am the named driver and am 26 and its on £700 ish. But then its my first car and my other half has only claimed on his insurance once or twice in 10 years or so. However I do think Bell Insurance are worth a check.

Good luck
TC

 

[nitro]

Let's be honest here, there are probably lots of cars to be had for Trophy money or less that are more fun,. they just won't have the killer combination of Practicality/warranty/newness/exclusivity on top of genre blurring performance and proper driver feedback.

I would still like to own a 205 Rallye, awesome cars, 100bhp from a carb-fed 1.3 and 750kg kerb weight. And the decals!

Group 13 too...

Showing your age now Steve!

Think it's time you took off your rose tinted spectacles. lol

 

[Steve]

Let's be honest here, there are probably lots of cars to be had for Trophy money or less that are more fun,. they just won't have the killer combination of Practicality/warranty/newness/exclusivity on top of genre blurring performance and proper driver feedback.

I would still like to own a 205 Rallye, awesome cars, 100bhp from a carb-fed 1.3 and 750kg kerb weight. And the decals!

Group 13 too...

Showing your age now Steve!

Think it's time you took off your rose tinted spectacles. lol

I'm 27 you cheeky get!

No rose tinted spectacles for me, I've not owned a Rallye just always liked them, owned a 1.9 GTI though that I loved to bits. I like a lot of older cars, some of them have character that no modern cars can capture, the reason I liked the Trophy was it had that old-school charm about it still, even though it was new and rattle free (at the time!).

 

[__CA__]

£3k? Ouch. Not worth it IMO. Buy a hot(ish) hatch for a few grand that isn't going to depreciate much, take it easy for a year and then find a Trophy, if you still want one. I suggest a 106 GTi - I had great fun in mine - click.

Mind you I don't know how much cheaper the insurance will be on a 106... what do you pay at the moment?

 

[drexel]

Been getting some quotes today and some scotish company (i think) wanted 5k!!! :roll:

 

[g40steve]

Been getting some quotes today and some scotish company (i think) wanted 5k!!! :roll:

5K ](*,) #-o (?!)