fumoffu

Hi there, first time poster long time lurker.

I will be moving to Toronto (from the US) this summer and I have come across a few questions that may need some help. Relax, it's not about border crossing questions

1) Insurance. What are some of the major players in the insurance business for downtown Toronto. Just a quick list of companies will do and I can narrow it down later.

2) Daytime Running Lights. I will be driving a Cayenne S across the border and since its US spec, the DRL fix is needed. My question is, rather than turning on all the lights full time, is it possible to only 'flash' the fog lights or the other side lights as opposed to the xenon?

3) Theft/Crime. Should I install security films on my windows (LLumar/3m) in the event of a possible break in? How likely will it happen to Porsches in Toronto that are parked underground of the condo?

This is all I can think of so far.

Dale Gribble

1) State Farm, RBC, TD Meloch-Monex, Dominion, Wawanessa, CAA, AXA, Aviva (the last 4 might be the best for cars as they do a 10 star crash free rating bonus).

2) can't help you there, but i gotta ask, why do most americans i know (family included) seem to freak out over DRLs?

3) Not likely that your car will be broken into, depending on the building you are in. Park outside in a bad area, and just like any city you might get into trouble. I've left mine in some of the worst areas in toronto (including the west/east ends) and nothing bad has happened. If you are in downtown toronto, I wouldn't loose sleep over it. Most ppl are too busy stealing motorbikes out of condo lots these days

4) Welcome to Canada. Buy a Toque, learn about the Toronto Maple Leafs, learn to spell words with '-our' at the end of em and last but not least, don't vote for Dalton McGuinty

fumoffu

Thanks for the quick reply.

The DRL in my opinion is a hassle, granted its for the safety of others. From my limited knowledge, I thought turning on the lights full time would shorten the xenon bulbs would it not? By all means I would put the safety of others in front, just at the cost of putting it on my fog lights instead of xenons

fumoffu

At the moment I'm also looking at subscribers for my internet and phone services.

I'm leaning towards Rogers for cell, TekSavvy for DSL, and Bell for TV/home phone.

Other inputs welcome.

Dale Gribble

try to get all ur stuff from one company as they offer bundled discounts. if you can get bell sattellite, cable and a 3rd service, they give you a very reasonable rate.

Jaak Lepson

I work for Rogers and we provide all of these services. The more you have the cheaper the costs ... just my biased opinion ...

Economical Insurace is one ... look for a Insurance Broker to get you the best prices, there may be a few on here.

DRL ... google for the hacks out there. You just may need to put in a jumper to enable these. Once over, you could disable this and just run with the fogs on as there is no other vehicle check required, just the smog test every two years.

Crime is not too bad here and most condos have good security. Just use common sense and you should be fine. We are a lot safer here in Toronto than a lot of other places ...

Jaak Lepson

Also, see if you can bring your insurance records from the States and give it to the broker who will show a history which helps bring the costs down. Try to get a copy from them.

pongobaz

I ditched Bell for home, internet after decades because they could never fix the poor quality of the lines in my area. Went with Rogers for all, got a bundle discount and haven't had any major issues since.
Toronto is a pretty safe city compared to just about any US city. People here tint their windows more for looks than security.

Torontoworker

Teksavvy for net - no d/l limits - it's why I left Rogers - and no lowering (filtering) the speed for Torrent people as well.

JimV8

I've been trying to get people to put security film on their car's glass for years (it's my type of work) and I can't get inquiries. Thats got to tell you something about the state of affairs.

Dale Gribble

Actually that's a good point.
OP, if security is a concern, Jim has an excellent product.

fumoffu

New question, how do those of you who park underground in Toronto maintain the car battery w/o a wall socket nearby?

I plan to leave the car underground for periods of 4wks-12wks, and the Porsche battery charger (Charge-O-Mat) requires a power outlet which I assume is difficult to reach/find in most underground parking lots.

chopperzz

I'd enjoy extended test drives of a Cayenne S, and could park yours in my garage when you're away????

boman993

I think it depends on the situation/building...I doubt every single condo building in the
US has an outlet next to a spot..

Here is what I use for my services;

Rogers - HDTV
Teksavvy - Highspeed, unlimited bandwidth internet
Telus - household cell phones

If I could have my way, I'd drop Rogers like a rock; but got a deal I couldn't
pass up last year so we're going with the flow until it runs out.. (Not a huge
fan of the government supported Rogers monopoly)

webbie

- find out the radio code if any
- disconnect the battery
- do not fully close the hook, leave a gap there, put something there to jam it just in case

The worst case is you need a jump start, or take the battery home and charge it up, that why you don't fully close the hook.