In 1946, Charles and John Cooper started building racing cars. By 1962 Pat Moss – one of the first and most successful female rally drivers – claimed the first international victory for Mini Cooper. An icon in British motoring history, Mini represents independence, spontaneity and innovation.
The Brand is still popular with over 300,000 Minis on UK roads. The self-confessed greatest car of all time boasts practicality, performance and style. Drivers are attracted to the compact and stylish Mini for its unmatched speed and agility. Moreover, these classic cars are affordable and economical.
Driving a Mini is a joy, however, if the worst happens and the car is written off or stolen, you’d be in a financial shortfall. You could cover the gap with Guaranteed Asset Protection insurance. Learn about how to protect your investment.
Over time cars depreciate. Unfortunately, new cars experience the steepest loss in value – you can lose up to 40% of the car’s value in just three years. If you write off your vehicle, you’ll only get a market value settlement from your car insurance, not the amount you paid, or the replacement cost.
Not to mention, if you paid for your Mini on finance and you write the car off before the end of your agreement, you’ll have payments to make for a car you no longer own.inhe case of car leasing, you may have outstanding payments or a deposit to put down on the next car.
Almost every driver will experience a financial shortfall after a total loss making it difficult to afford a replacement vehicle. In fact, only 17% can afford a like-for-like replacement with their motor insurance settlement after a total loss.
No car avoids depreciation, even Mini Coopers. Unless you have a vintage model or classic car it will lose value over time. Total loss GAP insurance tops up your car insurance settlement to help you afford a replacement after a total loss. Mini GAP insurance covers cars up to £125,000 which are not used for hire or reward purposes. The following explains each of the four types of GAP insurance cover:
Back to Invoice Plus: This covers the difference between your motor insurance payout and the original purchase price, or the outstanding finance balance if this is higher. You have up to 180 or 360 days to take out a policy and the vehicle must have been purchased from a VAT-registered dealer.
Vehicle Replacement Plus: this covers the difference between the motor insurance payout and the replacement cost of a like-for-like model (from when you bought it). Vehicle replacement GAP insurance also covers the outstanding finance balance if this is higher than the replacement cost. You have 90 days to take out a policy. Vehicles must be less than 7 years old and 80,000 miles. Only vehicles bought from VAT-registered dealers are eligible.
Contract Hire Plus: this covers the shortfall in your insurance payout and covers any outstanding lease payments. Contract Hire GAP also covers up to £3,000 of your leasing deposit to help you afford your next lease. You have 180 or 365 days to take out a policy and the vehicle must not be older than 10 years.
Agreed Value GAP insurance: covers the loss in value from when you started a GAP policy. There are no age or mileage limits but your vehicle must be included in the Glass’s Guide to be eligible. This policy covers cars bought from private sellers and vehicles outside of the timeframe requirements of the other policies.
Back to invoice GAP insurance is our best-selling policy. We compare Mini GAP insurance quotes for a brand-new car bought in cash from a VAT-registered dealer. Back to Invoice policies are available for up to four years.
|
Model |
Price (2024) |
BTI – 1 year |
BTI – 2 years |
BTI – 3 years |
BTI – 4 years |
|
Mini Cooper |
£23,000 |
£140.51 |
£71.48 |
£95.30 |
£152.49 |
|
Mini Cooper Countryman |
£29,000 |
£146.61 |
£131.65 |
£175.52 |
£289.98 |
|
Mini convertible |
£26,000 |
£146.61 |
£131.65 |
£175.52 |
£289.98 |
|
Mini 5-door Hatch |
£24,500 |
£140.51 |
£71.48 |
£95.30 |
£152.49 |
The average payout to policy cost ratio is 20:1 meaning if you do need to make a claim you’ll get a 95% return.
A working example:
You bought your Mini for £25,000 and a 3-year BTI GAP insurance policy costs £95.30.
You write it off in the third year after which, the Mini has depreciated by 35%, you’d get a market value settlement 0f £16,250 from your car insurance company, losing the other £8,750 to depreciation. Moreover, if you have finance to pay off, these outstanding payments will contribute further to your shortfall.
In this example, with GAP insurance in place, you’d save at least £16.254. The amount you save depends on your policy type and the shortfall you encounter.
If your finance balance is higher than the invoice price or the replacement cost, we’ll cover up to the loan balance instead. You won’t be paying for a car you no longer own.
When you join ALA, you enjoy the peace of mind that you can afford a replacement car after you Mini is declared a total loss. Regardless of how you paid for your Mini, we have a policy for you. Over 17,000 of our customers rate us 5 stars on Trustpilot and ALA is awarded the title of ‘Best in Insurance’ for good reason. Explore the customer benefits below:
GAP insurance is a good idea to be able to afford a replacement vehicle after a total loss. Make sure you’re fully protected. Add even more cover with Tyre & Alloy Wheel Insurance, Stratch & Dent Insurance or Insured Warranty.
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Usually, you have between 90 and 365 days to take out a GAP insurance policy. Agreed Value policies don’t have a time limit.
ALA policies last up to five years but this depends on your policy. Vehicle Replacement and Back to Invoice GAP insurance lasts up to 4 years. Meanwhile, Agreed Value and Contract Hire GAP last up to five years. Read about GAP insurance policy legnths
As standard, you’re covered up to the value of the vehicle but this is capped at £50,000 if your car is worth more. However, most policyholders don’t come close to their policy limit; you can opt for a lower limit to bring down the cost of your policy.
Car Excess Insurance
Short Term Motor Insurance
Scratch and Dent Insurance
Tyre & Alloy Wheel Insurance
Cycle Insurance
