Young drivers insurance

[Tiff]

That's easy the Suzuki Swift has the reputation as one of the UK's most crashed cars thanks to it's poor handling and steering, the stats show it as a liability to Insurance companies. The X19 on the other hand in it's day was relatively good had a good handling record and I suspect claims were low which is probably the comparison the insurance company were making. You would have to be a very poor driver to get out of shape in an X19 nothing wrong with the braking IIRC more the choice of tyres on the car some of which (firestone) dramatically increased stopping distances.

I deliberately stayed away from the swift for the above reasons

I've spun an X1/9 more times than I can remember, I've also rolled one. They are safe up to a point, then bite. Braking in the wet is terrible, as the front locks up as they are so light. The X1/20 (Montecarlo) was taken off sale for a few years for the same issue.. they removed the servo on S2 cars...

 

[flango]

I've spun an X1/9 more times than I can remember, I've also rolled one. They are safe up to a point, then bite. Braking in the wet is terrible, as the front locks up as they are so light. The X1/20 (Montecarlo) was taken off sale for a few years for the same issue.. they removed the servo on S2 cars...

Not my experience of the X19 I'm afraid and I've dirven them fitted with the fiat mirafiori 2 litre twin cam, never had an issue. But have had a friend total there swift losing it on a corner which my vectra took easy, it barrel rolled at 45 mph in the wet. Another friend lost it accelerating off a roundabout went off road into a ditch writing it off. Swift is an inherently unsafe car I'm afraid Just MHO of course

 

[Tiff]

Not my experience of the X19 I'm afraid and I've dirven them fitted with the fiat mirafiori 2 litre twin cam, never had an issue. But have had a friend total there swift losing it on a corner which my vectra took easy, it barrel rolled at 45 mph in the wet. Another friend lost it accelerating off a roundabout went off road into a ditch writing it off. Swift is an inherently unsafe car I'm afraid Just MHO of course

Not arguing at all, I'm not a fan of the wee Suzuki either, but owning X1/9's for over 15 years I know them inside out, and they do bite if you drive them, erm... enthusiastically.. as do all mid engined cars. I managed to spin my Fiero doing no more than 15mph, and had a few moments in MR2's as well. I just think they are far more suited to a more experienced driver.

Is a Swift more than twice as dangerous as a Mk1 Fiat Panda though?

 

[flango]

Is a Swift more than twice as dangerous as a Mk1 Fiat Panda though?

Sorry I'm not arguing either just relaying what I was told when I was looking to insure cars for my daughter, ironically I really like the Swift and the rally version which I have driven a few times was brilliant, a handful but brilliant. If you look at the stats I would think they would show the Swift is crashed and subject to far more claims than the Panda thus uping it's premium, however in a crash situation I would want to be sat in the Swift not the Panda

 

[Tiff]

Those MR2's are made of chocolate, look what happens when they hit a pedestrian whose just stopped for a coffee and a fag...

 

[crockers]

Another factor, besides claim records, is repair costs.

 

[bh13coupe]

I've spun an X1/9 more times than I can remember, I've also rolled one. They are safe up to a point, then bite. Braking in the wet is terrible, as the front locks up as they are so light. The X1/20 (Montecarlo) was taken off sale for a few years for the same issue.. they removed the servo on S2 cars...

IIRC the Mk2 MR2 had issues when first released with snap oversteer.

 

[Dieselman]

IIRC the Mk2 MR2 had issues when first released with snap oversteer.

That was due to the level of grip being very high. Once the grip level was breached the speed was so high it was very difficult to recover.

A friend ditched his MK1 for that reason.
He was showing someone just how fast it could go round bends when he over-cooked the speed.