Aitch42

Hi there,
My wife and I are moving to Greenwich CT in August and we want to get a car reasonably quickly. We have been lucky to get a good sign on bonus so have cash to buy car but have some questions on insurance.
Do US companies use UK driving history at all - secondly what sort of cost am I looking at for a nearly new RAV4 or Ford Escape?
Thanks
Howard

Kaffy Mintcake

Hi Howard. I can't comment on CT car insurance specifically, but just sold my RAV4 to my parents. It's a wonderful car - go with the RAV4 over the Ford Escape. For tips on purchasing your car - go to www.consumerreports.org - there's a report you can purchase (for maybe $12 I think) that will give you useful information if you're negotiating buying a new RAV4.

Buying a certified used Toyota is a very good idea as well. You will still have a warranty and can get one without many miles (I just bought one with 5,000 miles on it recently) but you won't pay for the depreciation that occurs as soon as the car is driven off the lot. Go to a dealer in your area to get a sense of the price and their current inventory, and keep in mind that the advertised price is higher than what you will ultimately pay.

Here's an example I found in your area:
http://www.toyotaofgreenwich.com/Pre...oryId=20346563

That's a barely used 2007 Toyota RAV4, they are asking $24,995. I would count on being able to shave $2,000 or so off that price maybe? (I am guessing.) Look at Kelly's blue book (website) or Edmunds to get a sense of what you should pay. They will allow you to select the options listed on a car that you are interested in so you can see what others are paying for that car.

Best of luck!

dinosaur

Welcome to CT - live in Newtown, which is also in Fairfield county (but a lot cheaper than Greenwich ). Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately!) insurers have no clue about or interest in your record in the UK, unless something has radically changed recently. As far as insurance companies go, there are operations like Geico and Progressive which afaik operate remotely (via the web or phone), then there's companies like State Farm and All State who have agents who will come and talk to you in person. Personally use State Farm out of habit and get all our insurance from them.

As for the cost of insuring the individual cars you identify, I really can't give an idea, as it seems quotes vary so much. Your best bet is to contact a company directly, though you'll probably need a US address.

On the subject of choosing *which* car, however, it's imho a no brainer, the Toyota. US car manufacturers remind me of the bad days of BL - no product focus and poor reliability. They appear to be making progress (e.g. the new GM Arcadia and the Ford Fusion), but the Escape is old school.

Also, in all honesty, you should think about 2 cars if your wife is moving with you - public transport in CT has the focus of getting people into NY and back, and not much else.

Aitch42

Thanks for this - it all seems so easy when you start the immigration process but it seems a bit of a minefield at times!

We hired a RAV 4 a couple of weeks ago when we were apartment hunting and it was OK so we will probably go for one of these - the American Car thing did tempt me but I must admit that the ones I have hired so far have been a little 'rough round the edges'!

Thanks again

Howard

lapin_windstar

They're importing the Opel Astra from Belgium as a Saturn Something - so they at least will be as well-built as European Astras. How well-built they are, I'm not too sure.

Kaffy Mintcake

Unfortunately American cars tend to be less reliable and definitely have lower resale, which is important to consider as well. As an experiment - build an identically equipped RAV4 and Escape (same year, options, mileage) and compare trade-in values to see the difference in what you would be able to get for the car later on were you to sell it.