Insuring your Impreza

A lot of what I'm about to say is common sense, and can apply to any vehicle in the UK, not just Impreza's.

Getting the Best Insurance Quote

There are a number of high street insurers who will not touch the Impreza, as it is classed as a high risk vehicle (insurance group 20), so you may need to go to specialist brokers to get your car covered.

I've had my Impreza insured with a couple of different insurance companies over the last 5 years, and have found that it pays to shop around at renewal time even if you think you are getting a good deal. My insurance costs nearly halved when I switched insurers, mainly because I'd become complacent, and not researched enough prior to renewal, leaving it too late to switch to a cheaper policy.

When you ring (or these days browse) for you insurance, be sure to know your facts - car details of course, but also things like your annual milage, and the value of the car.

Car Value?

Be honest with this question. While you may have paid £15,000 for it four years ago, it isn't going to be worth £12,000 now, regardless of what you've done to it.

Garaged?

Again, honesty is the best policy here. Don't claim the vehicle is garaged if its left on the street all night. Some policies now dictate that a car must be garaged between 11pm and 7am, when the vehicle is at home. Lie, and the insurance company finds out your garage is full of boxes, or worse, finds you don't have a garage, and they will void you policy.

Modifications?

This is perhaps the biggest pitfall of Impreza ownership, as most end up modified in some form or another. Its important that these modifications are noted on the policy, as failure to declare them may result in your policy being voided. If you are in any way unsure about whether something should be declared or not, declare it upfront. The level of modifications willresult in a company either refusing to insure you, or hiking the price up to suit the changes you have made. Generally, none-performance mods don't increase the preimum that much, but once you start increasing BHP, so will the cost.

Named Drivers?

Make sure you declare all those people who you are going to trust to drive your pride and joy. Adding named drivers to your policy, especially if they are older, more experienced drivers, can help keep the premium down. Don't put someone else down as the main driver however, if they only use the car occasionally.

Declare Endorsements

If you've got points on your licence, be sure to tell the insurance company, as this will have an impact on your policy cost. While 3 points normally results in a minimal increase, 6 or more points starts to look like you aren't learning the lesson, and are a higher risk than someone without points. Insurers make no distinction over how you obtained the points (40mph in a 30mph zone, or 75mph on a motorway). Insurers do take notice of points obtained through means other than speeding (SP codes). Infractions such as driving without due care and attention, drink-driving, or dangerous driving may leave you searching for an insurer who will want to take you on. While getting insurance is impossible, you may end up looking at some of the smaller companies, who charge a high premium due to the risk associated with your driving.

Tracking Devices

Some insurance companies will require that your vehicle is fitted with a tracking device. If you don't have one, its still possible to get your Impreza insured, but it may take some searching to find a suitable company. Older cars that are worth less money are starting to lose the tracker requirement, so long as the vehicle is garaged over night. Tracking devices themselves are becoming less expensive, but do require a monthly subscription.