Contributed by Gocompare.com’

Car insurance for Fiat Bravos and Fiat Bravas

Looking for car insurance for your Fiat Bravo / Brava? Read our guide here to how insurance companies view these cars how you can keep the premiums low.

Car insurance for Fiat Bravos and Fiat Bravas

There’s no definitive answer to how much a Fiat Bravo or Brava owner will pay for car insurance as quotes differ from insurer to insurer and premiums are determined by a number of risk factors. Among the considerations for an insurer are: your claims history; your personal circumstances – such as what you do for a living, your age,  whether you are married and whether you have any medical conditions; your address; and the vehicle itself.

Generally, older cars with smaller engines qualify for cheaper premiums as older cars cost less for insurers to repair/replace and cars with smaller engines are less likely to be involved in high impact collisions. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) ranks vehicles in groups from 1-50 with lower groups earning lower premiums.

Where your Fiat Bravo or Brava ranks depends on the specification of the vehicle, when it was made and its engine size. For example, a Fiat Bravo 90 is the lowest ranked Bravo model fitting into insurance group nine. However, by upgrading to a Fiat Bravo Active 90 your insurance costs will usually increase as this model is classed in insurance group 11. The highest ranked Fiat Bravo model is the HGT 155 20V, which was built from 1999-2001 – it fits into insurance group 29.

Insurance costs for the Fiat Brava do not fluctuate as widely as those for the Fiat Bravo. This is because the vehicle was only made from 1995-2001, meaning there are no newer, more expensive models available; and because there is no 20V version of the Brava, whereas there are high performance versions of the Bravo. According to the ABI database, the lowest ranked Brava model, therefore qualifying for the cheapest premiums, is the Brava S 75 TD (96-99), which fits into insurance group 11; while the highest ranked models are the Brava ELX (95-99) and the Brava ELX 115 16V (99-2001), both of which are included in insurance group 19.

How can you lower insurance costs for your Bravo/Brava?

If you haven’t yet bought a Fiat Bravo/Brava and want a car that will earn you cheap car insurance then focus on the vehicles with smaller engines and stick to standard specifications. Also don’t be tempted to modify the car as insurers tend to charge higher premiums to modified car owners as the vehicles can be more expensive to repair.

From there, focus on your personal circumstances and lowering your risk to an insurer. The higher the risk of you making a claim, the higher your insurance costs will be – so look for ways to reduce this risk, such as by:

- Choosing your cover carefully: The more cover you take out, the more expensive your premiums will usually be – the key is to get the balance right between the level of cover you need and the price you’re willing to pay. Third party only policies will only protect you against liability for damage and injuries to others as well as liability from towing a caravan or trailer. Third party, fire and theft cover adds protection for your own vehicle from theft, attempted theft and fire. Comprehensive cover is the most complete form of car insurance with all the protection available from third party, fire and theft plus it will typically cover damage to your own vehicle in the event of an accident (subject to exclusions), medical expenses, windscreen cover and more. Remember that policies vary widely between insurers so shop around to ensure you’re getting the right level of cover for you.

- Increasing security: Adding modern Thatcham-approved security devices such as alarms, immobilisers and tracking devices will limit the chances of car theft and will usually earn a discount from an insurer.

- Parking in a garage overnight: If you leave your vehicle in a locked garage it is less likely to be targeted by car thieves.

- Agreeing to a mileage limit: The fewer miles you travel, the lower your insurance costs should be.

- Adding a friend / relative: If the vehicle is also going to be driven by an older, more experienced driver with a clean driving record you could benefit from adding them as a named driver with lower premiums. However, avoid adding a younger or more inexperienced driver to your policy as that could push premiums up.

- Building up a bonus: Insurers assess your claims history when determining premiums. Most companies offer no-claims discounts which act as a reward for safe driving – the longer you go without making a claim, the more money you save on your annual premiums up to a maximum discount which is usually achieved after four or five years. You could earn as much as 60 per cent off by the time you have reached the maximum bonus.

- Increasing your excess: Most car insurance policies include a compulsory excess on their policies – this is an amount you must pay in the event of a claim. On top of this you can usually pay a voluntary excess – an additional amount determined at the outset that you agree to pay should a claim be necessary. Setting the excess at a high level lowers premiums because insurers know they have less to pay in the event of a claim. However, don’t set the excess too high – make sure you can comfortably afford this cost, just in case.