Chipped Keys

[JustPassinThru]

Originally Posted by IllusionX

I believe some states require all cars to have a chip key. At least, it is by law in Canada since 2008.

It may be; although I can't understand the government's "compelling interest." This isn't a Lamborghini we're talking about.

And if someone wants a car badly enough, he doesn't need keys. A wrecker that lifts by the tires will do just fine. Most cars aren't stolen to drive, even as getaways - they're stolen to part out. So, use your wrecker to haul it away, chop and drop.

[The Limo 2]

My 2007 Yaris M.S.R.P was $19,835. I manage to talk the dealer down $800.00 since I purchased it at the end of July 2007 plus was paying cash. The Federal government gave me back $1000.00 for buying a fuel saving car. Total price to me $18035. So I guess I can still look in the mirror.
Roy

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

I'd considered, briefly, that smaller Prius derivative. $24,000. The gee-whiz technology was seductive; but I ran the numbers, and on gasoline savings alone, using $3.75 a gallon...I'd be about 90,000 miles breaking even

The Prius C Four is $23,360 MSRP ( + the $810 destination = same as a Yaris), but the Prius C One is $19,080 MSRP (+ the destination charge). A sales tax difference (from the Yaris) would be another difference.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

It may be; although I can't understand the government's "compelling interest." This isn't a Lamborghini we're talking about.

And if someone wants a car badly enough, he doesn't need keys. A wrecker that lifts by the tires will do just fine. Most cars aren't stolen to drive, even as getaways - they're stolen to part out. So, use your wrecker to haul it away, chop and drop.

Yeah, that post was an eye roller to me. I love Canada, but that policy = too much government meddling IMO.

[dj92]

Well, where do you want to go if you steal a car in the US? :D
Mexico might be hard (or isn't it?)

In Europe, it's the east (from Poland to Russia), especially since the iron curtain has fallen, that's why it's mandatory in Germany since 1.1.1998 afaik

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

This is big business giving us expensive "solutions" to problems that dont exist. Naturally, they make huge profits from these expensive gimmicks like electric windows, central locking power mirrors (Ive had to adjust my non adjustable mirrors maybe three times in five years) and auto matic transmissions.

Not to mention items used to track the driver (which I think is wrong):

http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forum...edr-in-tacoma/

There is a section in the Yaris owners manual that talks about a box that the owner is not supposed to remove. I can't remember if that passage relates to what the Tundra driver is writing about. I'll bet CTScott knows the answer.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by dj92

In Europe, it's the east (from Poland to Russia), especially since the iron curtain has fallen, that's why it's mandatory in Germany since 1.1.1998 afaik

What if the person paid cash for their car, doesn't carry what we call 'comp and collision', and therefore won't be making a claim to their insurance company. Why is it any of the government's business? If the answer is to aid the other person's insurance company (if you are not at fault), that is a real eye roller IMO.

Is full coverage insurance (comprehensive, collision, and liability) mandatory in Germany? If so, is it mandatory no matter the age of the car?

[IllusionX]

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

It may be; although I can't understand the government's "compelling interest." This isn't a Lamborghini we're talking about.

And if someone wants a car badly enough, he doesn't need keys. A wrecker that lifts by the tires will do just fine. Most cars aren't stolen to drive, even as getaways - they're stolen to part out. So, use your wrecker to haul it away, chop and drop.

Well, there IS a big issues with cars being stolen and exported. So, there are probably as many cars being stolen and then exported than parted out. This is where the gov't step in. They don't care if it is a luxury car or a econobox, they just generalize and have all cars have a chip key. Seriously, it doesn't bother me.

Originally Posted by The Limo 2

My 2007 Yaris M.S.R.P was $19,835. I manage to talk the dealer down $800.00 since I purchased it at the end of July 2007 plus was paying cash. The Federal government gave me back $1000.00 for buying a fuel saving car. Total price to me $18035. So I guess I can still look in the mirror.
Roy

My Sedan was around that price, but having purchased it in 2006, i was not eligible for the 1000$ rebate, so i paid something around 23400$ T&P and taxes included. Anyways, the whole point of trading in the echo was to have a fully loaded car.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by IllusionX

Well, there IS a big issues with cars being stolen and exported. So, there are probably as many cars being stolen and then exported than parted out. This is where the gov't step in. They don't care if it is a luxury car or a econobox, they just generalize and have all cars have a chip key. Seriously, it doesn't bother me.

I still don't see what (as JustPassin Thru put it) 'compelling interest' the government has....unless HUGE numbers of citizens are complaining TO THE GOVERNMENT that their vehicle insurance rates are going up FOR THIS PARTICULAR REASON.

[The Limo 2]

Most car insurance in BC is purchased through The Insurance Corporation of BC which is a Provincial Government run agency. They see having a chip in the key as a way of reducing the number of stolen vehicles, therefore reducing their payouts for stolen vehicles and helping to keep auto insurance as low as possible.
Roy

[bronsin]

[QUOTE=nookandcrannycar;723485]Not to mention items used to track the driver (which I think is wrong):

QUOTE]

Yeah where this is all going in the future is really scary. At work they have cameras all over the place, they read all your emails, and have rats everywhere you wouldnt suspect that report back to the boss.

As far as cars go though the general driving public is totally out of control. Im in favor of recording devices on cars that are police accessable after an accident.

But of course you cant have it your way. If things go on the way they are we will all be just things that government and business can do whateveer they want with.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by The Limo 2

Most car insurance in BC is purchased through The Insurance Corporation of BC which is a Provincial Government run agency. They see having a chip in the key as a way of reducing the number of stolen vehicles, therefore reducing their payouts for stolen vehicles and helping to keep auto insurance as low as possible.
Roy

OMG, I hope we never have this. However, the way things are headed, nothing would surprise me.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by bronsin

If things go on the way they are we will all be just things that government and business can do whateveer they want with

LOL. See my post #30 directly above.

[JustPassinThru]

In 2010, 74 Yarii were reported stolen - a rate of 1.16 for every thousand.

http://www.aboutautomobile.com/Theft/2010

Not very high; and not worth the cost of a three-figure chipped-key replacement.

[jack black]

Originally Posted by JustPassinThru

In 2010, 74 Yarii were reported stolen - a rate of 1.16 for every thousand.

http://www.aboutautomobile.com/Theft/2010

Not very high; and not worth the cost of a three-figure chipped-key replacement.

The rate is about average.
Looking at the subcompacts:

Honda Fit 0.2
Kia Rio 2.9
Huyndai Accent 2.5
Prius C 0.3
Mini Cooper 0.4
Scion xD 0.6
VW Beatle 1.1
Toyota Yaris 1.2
Nissan Versa 2.0

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by The Limo 2

Most car insurance in BC is purchased through The Insurance Corporation of BC which is a Provincial Government run agency. They see having a chip in the key as a way of reducing the number of stolen vehicles, therefore reducing their payouts for stolen vehicles and helping to keep auto insurance as low as possible.
Roy

What they ought to do is give a reduction in premiums to owners of cars with low theft rates and raise the ones of frequently stolen cars.

[JustPassinThru]

Originally Posted by bronsin

What they ought to do is give a reduction in premiums to owners of cars with low theft rates and raise the ones of frequently stolen cars.

Yup.

I've never had a car stolen in my life - and I've been driving for 38 years.

I've ALWAYS kept a key inside the car. Starting with one of my first cars, an old Pinto beater...the ignition lock would sometimes jam, so I just took an extra key, put it in and left it in.

Been doing that ever since. The insurance company doesn't need to pay for lockout trouble calls; and it hasn't needed to pay on a stolen car.

And a chipped key isn't the answer. Now, if I were parking on a busy city street, I'd do something different...but I know that where I'm at, people don't steal cars. Not unless they're trying to get out from under their car note...

[dj92]

Originally Posted by nookandcrannycar

Is full coverage insurance (comprehensive, collision, and liability) mandatory in Germany? If so, is it mandatory no matter the age of the car?

Nope, however I'm having a basic insurance (which is mandatory (mostly to save people from getting e.g. half-paralyzed and getting no compensation), it pays for all damage you do to others (cars/persons/things/...)) plus a full coverage insurance.
I'm just having the bill for this year in front of me, so I can give you details:
I'm paying in total 720,69€, which is quite cheap for a full coverage.

The not-really-full-coverage pays for damage on my car by:
-"forest animals" (no, we have nor bears here :D )
-theft
-storm/lightning/flood/hail
-broken glass
-fire/explosion
-short corcuits, including marten's bites
-collisions with cattle
-glass repairs after rock fall (with no co-payment!)


The full coverage adds payment for:
-vandalism
-hit and run (done to me)
-accidents due to my fault

When I use one of these coverages, I pay 100...300€ of the damage done out of my own pocket, this is an option to get a lower bill ;)

For the basic coverage, I pay 378,1€, which is 37% of the standard rate (gained by 9 years of damage free driving), and for the full coverage I pay 342,59€, which is 27%/ 20 years.

You see that I could not drives this long time without damage :D

It's a fully legal trick; my granddad retired from driving (very wise decision), in this case, one has the option to "rescue" the bonus earned up to then.
The only problem is, that the legal owner of the car can not get more damage free years than the has his license.
This would have given me 4 years each, which is not that much.
So officially, it's my father's car (but I pay for it and am the only one who regularly uses it).

It's hard to afford a car otherwise, for beginners, the rates are at whopping 130% and more...

This way, I'd have to pay 2290,74€! (calculated with 100%)
That's about 1/3 of what I paid for my used car

I'm also having another car (since some weeks officially), this olive green beauty:


It gets a quite good MPG due to its diesel engine :)
I'm planning to get it on the road again (if I find a small holiday job - working 4 weeks for a whole year of car use is okay imho), in addition to the yaris.
In this case, I might take only a basic insurance because despite its neat condition, its remaining value is just about 2000€.
PS: She also suffers from lock jam (due to wear), but I'll tackle this issue maybe already this month :D


PPS:

Originally Posted by IllusionX

They don't care if it is a luxury car or a econobox, they just generalize and have all cars have a chip key. Seriously, it doesn't bother me.

Me neither, I'd even go that far to be willing to get used to pay 500€ more for a car if VSC, fog lights (ridicoulously rear fog lights ARE mandatory in Germany) and some other things became mandatory, because imho they're nowadays rather easy to fix (at least with techstream and toyota manuals at hand)