So we're hugely looking forward to the delivery of our Ford Explorer Sport next week. It's been a long time coming...2 months in fact.
Now we need to insure it.
Any idea what would be a reasonable cost for insurance for two of us?
I've been offered $2398 which seems hugely expensive.

We're taking the PA driving test next week, but the insurer have told us it wouldn't make a difference I understood from this forum it would.

Also we've provided NCD evidence for each of us, 9 and 11 years.

I thought perhaps a grand, but over two?? Really???

2398 for the year? Me and the wife pay around that but for 2 cars.

You'll come to realize insurance out here is insanely expensive compared to the UK.

My first 6 months on two cars - Ford Escape and Fusion - for two of us was $381 per month, we then switched and reduced it to $281 and our renewal this month came in at $214 per month.

If we pay it monthly, its $3,000.

It's based on your credit report as well as driving history, hence, bar being 17 again for real, this is as close as you get - buying car insurance in the USA for the first time! My example shows the reduction in 12 months, nearly half. Don't ever expect it to be much better than a punch on the nose though.

One year in the UK, using Quidco.com, I managed to get one year for 156 GBP and got 130 GBP cashback, oh for those days.

You only arrived in Philly 2 to 3 months ago didn't you?

If so, you have no credit history and most insurance companies will treat you as though you are a beginner at 17 (some might accept your no claims record)

When I arrived in 2000 I was quoted and had to pay around 2K per annum for a small Acura - so a big sporty SUV for 2,300 sounds about right to me.

(I had been driving for 30 years too!)

I also got quoted ridiculous amounts to start with.

Signed up with AIG travelguard (I think that is the name of it).
Premiums were significantly reduced. If I recall correctly it is in the region of $450 to sign up, but the saving on my car insurance alone more than covered that cost. They also offer additional services included within that fee. Worth a look in my opinion.

As others have said, you're technically a new driver with no experience in the US. I insure 2 cars for myself and my wife for around $900 every 6 months now (been here a couple of years).

As others have said, $2,000/yr is about the starting point, so $2,400 for a shiny new Explorer Sport sounds about right.

The only good news I have is that the cost is likely to decline fairly rapidly over the next 3-4 years, but you will probably need to switch insurers at least once, and perhaps more, to get the best reductions.

I take that price is annually? If so that is in line for what we were being quoted in NJ. We have an Escape and Explorer and got them in the summer from IAS. We ended up paying just under 4K annually for both as we went through NJM but everyone else was not dissimilar to your quote.
It is painful but at least as demonstrated by others, it will go down after 6 months so probably worth just going for a short term to start with.
Hope you like your new car, we love ours.

+1

And contrary to the commercials you will now see living in the US. 15 minutes will 95% of the time not save you 15% or more on your car insurance

Stupid british lizard

Three years in, we're paying $400 per quarter on 3 cars with a 17 year old driver.

Or is he Australian...?

Switching six-months in made a difference for us.

But: try and keep your licence clean! (Another thread).

And shop around a lot. In my case when I started, one insurer quoted me less than half of any of the others when I had almost given up trying to find something reasonable. In the end, the most expensive quote was six times the least. But do make sure they're all offering appropriate coverage levels.