# Help!! advise on car insurance in toronto please !!



## bumble (Jul 9, 2010)

Hi Everyone

We just moved from Ireland to Toronto eight weeks ago, my husband has done his g2 driving test and he is waiting to do his g test soon, we are currently paying approx 450 dollars every month for his car insurance on his g2. Can anyone tell me will this price drop by much when he gets his g licence. I'm just a bit in shock we had expected it to be high but my word this is mad, my husband is 35 and has a full drivers licence since he was seventeen but it really doesn't count for anything or that is what our insurance company is telling us - is there a light at the end of the tunnel guys - has anyone got better quotes - or a company that may consider the Irish driving history - thanks x


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but i doubt the upgraded license will make much, if any, difference.


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## G-Mo (Aug 17, 2011)

You can try writing to the Irish licensing dept and have them send a letter outlining your husbands licensing history, and try getting no claims letters from any Irish insurers then get a good broker (PM me, I can recommend one) who will work hard for you and shop you around, you _may_ be able to save a couple of hundred per year. You can also generally save if you bundle your home and driving insurance together with the same company. You could also move out of Toronto, which tends to have the highest insurance costs in the city... Insurance is based on post code as well as driver(s).


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Ask your insurance company for a quoto if your husband would have his g. But don't think it will make a 30% difference... :-(


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## CDN2012 (Jun 15, 2011)

Try Compare Car Insurance Quotes Online - Insurance Hotline they compare a lot of different companies. And the price difference can be dramatic sometimes. Don't hesitate to switch companies right away if you find get a much better deal. Be loyal to the best possible price not to the biggest rip-off companies out there.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

But be aware that some give you less coverage than others, so take a look at the amounts, and decide what is the best for you (or don't look at coverage, but choose the cheapest, although that is not always wise to do...)


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## monika80180 (Nov 26, 2011)

Hi everyone, after a week of searching for a reasonably priced car insurance I finally got somewhere!!! I am still in shock and disbelieve as it's fresh news!!!

Here's my brief profile, I originate from Poland, I lived in the UK for 12 years and I have just moved to Mississauga. I have a letter of experience from AXA in England confirming 5 years no claims. I exchanged my British driving licence for an Ontario one 10 days ago and I was given full G. I got myself a Hyundai Tiburon from 2006, looks good but it is one of the most expensive cars to insure, which makes me laugh as it's only 2 litre!!

One of the companies to contact on my list was The Personal Insurance and it was a hidden gem!! Considering that most quotes where coming in at $6000-$9000, by the time I spoke to The Personal Insurance I pretty much lost the hope. The online quote was $4400 but it did not include 5 years from England, still it was an improvement. I then phoned them and e-mailed them a copy of the letter of experience which they accepted and gave me a full coverage insurance for a bargain $1978 per year ($164 per month!!) including 1st accident being forgiven!! But here's a trick and the bit that made me laugh most. To get insurance from The Personal you must be a member of some kind of a union or association, well, I wasn't. But I just started thinking outside the box and I checked the list of possible suspects and found Canadian Country Music Association, you can become a member for free!! I don't care much about Canadian Country Music, but for the sake of car insurance I'll listen to anything ;-)

Prior to contacting The Personal, my best option was Aviva at $6600 or at $4606 if I completed a beginner's driving course. As I hold a full G, it would have been just a matter of completing the driving course for the sake of getting a discount, no need to take the test.

The feedback I got from the popular State Farm was that they used to be competitive for newcomers but not any longer, they are after a different market now. They wanted something like $8000 from me. Robbing such and such!!

Anyway, I hope the above helps some of you


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## Canuck2Kiwi (Jun 22, 2011)

monika80180 said:


> I got myself a Hyundai Tiburon from 2006, looks good but it is one of the most expensive cars to insure, which makes me laugh as it's only 2 litre!!



The Tiburon is expensive to insure because it is one of the most commonly stolen cars


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## monika80180 (Nov 26, 2011)

Canuck2Kiwi said:


> The Tiburon is expensive to insure because it is one of the most commonly stolen cars


Yes, I know that, just like Honda. The reason it made me laugh is because in the UK the bigger the engine, the higher the cost of insurance. I lived there for 12 years and with all the discounts I had, the insurance for even a 2.5 litre car, never mind 3 or 4 litre was too expensive to consider!! Here in Canada engine size is really irrelevant, but SUVs or 4x4 are really not my thing, it's just my personal taste. Anyway we are going off topic here. Let's stick to suggestions about insurance companies that offer reasonably priced car insurance.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Anybody who is having experience with The Personal Insurance?
We are paying almost $9000/year for 2 cars (one 2011 and one 2005), and up till now I could only find 1 that is less expensive with the same coverage (CAA, almost $900/year less expensive).

What I found on the internet:
The Personal Insurance Company of Canada Business Review in Gloucester, ON - Eastern and Northern Ontario and the Outaouais BBB
But it doesn't say much.
It seems to be part of a bigger group: Desjardins General Insurance. I have heard of them, they do the health care and life insurance and so on for my husbands' employer.


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

EVHB said:


> Anybody who is having experience with The Personal Insurance?
> We are paying almost $9000/year for 2 cars (one 2011 and one 2005), and up till now I could only find 1 that is less expensive with the same coverage (CAA, almost $900/year less expensive).
> 
> What I found on the internet:
> ...


I have been with THE PERSONAL for 40 years. Excellent service and acceptable rates. I pay $1800 p/a for two cars. The permit paying monthly.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Thanks for that feedback, Auld Yin!


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## RobMc (Feb 14, 2011)

Hi,
I got insurance on a G license (did the test) for $178, driving a jeep. I used a broker who was excellent and kept me updated at all times. I had 5 years no claims bonus from Aviva in Ireland but initially Aviva here refused to recognise it, they relented eventually thanks to the broker and the quote dropped from 300-400 down to 178. This is fully comp. As an aside, my wife was with AXA in Ireland and they would have honoured her experience but she had not yet got the full license.
PM me if you want the details, based in Toronto city.
Rob


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Why don't you name the company here? That's easier for current and future readers.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Auld Yin said:


> I have been with THE PERSONAL for 40 years.


I got a quote, and that is half of what we are paying now. 
Have you ever had an accident, or did they ever had to pay you for something? If so, is that going easy? Do you have to fill in a lot of paperwork online?
It is all going online, so you can not go to an office? (I am always a little bit hesitant for these things, as I don't have a lot of opportunity to practice my English, so I feel more comfortable with conversations irl)


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## RobMc (Feb 14, 2011)

EVHB said:


> Why don't you name the company here? That's easier for current and future readers.


Sorry, the brokers were GR McBride & Co (62 Charles St East) and I dealt with Bennett McBride ph 416 364 3468.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Thanks for this information!


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Bump.



EVHB said:


> I got a quote, and that is half of what we are paying now.
> Have you ever had an accident, or did they ever had to pay you for something? If so, is that going easy? Do you have to fill in a lot of paperwork online?
> It is all going online, so you can not go to an office? (I am always a little bit hesitant for these things, as I don't have a lot of opportunity to practice my English, so I feel more comfortable with conversations irl)


@Auld Yin: did you ever had to deal with that insurance company for a claim? How did that go?


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## Auld Yin (Mar 10, 2009)

EVHB said:


> Bump.
> 
> 
> 
> @Auld Yin: did you ever had to deal with that insurance company for a claim? How did that go?


I think over 40 years I've had four claims. All were dealt with most satisfactorily.


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## EVHB (Feb 11, 2008)

Auld Yin said:


> I think over 40 years I've had four claims. All were dealt with most satisfactorily.


Thank you! I will give them a call.


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## mjtrejo (Sep 11, 2012)

G-Mo said:


> You can try writing to the Irish licensing dept and have them send a letter outlining your husbands licensing history, and try getting no claims letters from any Irish insurers then get a good broker (PM me, I can recommend one) who will work hard for you and shop you around, you _may_ be able to save a couple of hundred per year. You can also generally save if you bundle your home and driving insurance together with the same company. You could also move out of Toronto, which tends to have the highest insurance costs in the city... Insurance is based on post code as well as driver(s).



Hello Gmo

Im in toronto and i got my full G license but all quotes are coming up to 4200 a year!!

Im 27 yrs old. Full G license. I just moved to toronto 
What are my options? How do i contact yoy or your broker?

Thanks in advanve


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## Totoriko (Jul 5, 2012)

Johnson insurance. Cheapest for expats I found


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## Caz n Neil (Oct 6, 2010)

Totoriko said:


> Johnson insurance. Cheapest for expats I found


Just like to say a huge thanks for the info. We were quoted a price from Intact that gave us three years rateable, then I remembered this thread, we called Johnson's and their quote cut the previous best in half. Also good advice from the insurers here was get a bigger safer car like a pick up or SUV ( we got a ford escape) they are cheaper to insure as the medical costs of an accident tend to be less than a small city car. Completely opposite to the UK. But we are happy as got a lovely 4x4 with heated seats! Yes it was more expensive than the UK but the quote for a 2005 Escape and a 2009 Escape was more or less the same as most of the cost is insuring you for medical as opposed to the value of the car.
Also good advice is, if you had joint car insurance in the UK make sure you get your company to put BOTH names on the paperwork as the discount can then be applied to both drivers here. Now in Canada as I am a named driver on the car, my husband principal, we both get the driver experience years, so when I get a car next year my no claims has built up just the same as my husbands.


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## Totoriko (Jul 5, 2012)

Caz n Neil said:


> Just like to say a huge thanks for the info. We were quoted a price from Intact that gave us three years rateable, then I remembered this thread, we called Johnson's and their quote cut the previous best in half. Also good advice from the insurers here was get a bigger safer car like a pick up or SUV ( we got a ford escape) they are cheaper to insure as the medical costs of an accident tend to be less than a small city car. Completely opposite to the UK. But we are happy as got a lovely 4x4 with heated seats! Yes it was more expensive than the UK but the quote for a 2005 Escape and a 2009 Escape was more or less the same as most of the cost is insuring you for medical as opposed to the value of the car.
> Also good advice is, if you had joint car insurance in the UK make sure you get your company to put BOTH names on the paperwork as the discount can then be applied to both drivers here. Now in Canada as I am a named driver on the car, my husband principal, we both get the driver experience years, so when I get a car next year my no claims has built up just the same as my husbands.


Great to hear. Ford Escape, great car too. I have one


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## dave10walmer (Nov 29, 2012)

Drivers that are new to Ontario pay very high rates when they first get insurance. But after a couple of years, I found a broker, DMW Insurance that got me a good rate. They are located in Toronto


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## McBAIN07 (Feb 20, 2013)

Hi all,

anyone here moved from Australia to Toronto and successfully managed to get their driving history considered in their insurance costs? I've spoken to a few brokers that have said it's not worth anything.. (or i should clarify that they've said I would get a 3* rating. not sure where that sits in the scale.

Cheers


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## JMTJ (Feb 21, 2013)

Try Johnson's for car insurance, they will give you a good rate, excellent customer service, and you get air miles. :clap2:


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