What is reasonable to pay for car insurance?

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I'm trying to work out how I'm going to pay for this car I'm buying today (my first car that I'm actually going to be making payments on), and I have to pay a LOT more for insurance than I was paying for my last car. It's about 60% of my monthly car payment. Is this just how it works in the U.S.?

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 30 August 2004 18:59 (twenty-one years ago)

No more dvd's for me, I'm thinkin'.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)

shoulda gotten the four door. Also, don't move to New York or New Jersey.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

It depends on several factors including driving history, location, value of the car, how long you've been a customer of your insurance company. If your record is clean, you should call 21st Century for a quote.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

well after 2 speeding tickets i am paying roughly 65% towards insurance of what i pay towards my lease. plus the rate went up when they found out i had moved into the city.

― dyson (dyson), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:07 (twenty-one years ago)

i have the skimpiest car insurance on the planet AND it's an online company, but i only pay $500/year, which is pretty cheap.

― kelsey (kelstarry), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

web address please¡

― dyson (dyson), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:10 (twenty-one years ago)

make an appmnt to go in and set up your policy in person. have them explain everything and i bet you can kock the premium down a bit

― kephm (kephm), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:10 (twenty-one years ago)

esurance.com

― kelsey (kelstarry), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

(x-posts)

That is CHEAP, I'm paying way way more. Part of the clincher is that since it's financed, I have to get full/collision insurance, unlike my last car (this is what they tell me).

Btw I'm getting a 2001 Toyota Corolla, I've had a pretty clean record for the last few years but I am reasonably young and male. I also got a ticket for taking a right at a red light while test-driving the car (!!).

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:14 (twenty-one years ago)

My car is 7 years old, I don't have any tickets. I'm female. I'm over 25 . . . all those things bring my rate down. But I also only got the stuff that Illiniois requires drivers to have insurance for.

― kelsey (kelstarry), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

when I bought a car last year, my insurance went from something like 40/month on my old ford escort to something absurd like $250/month for the new(ish) accord; granted I didn't have comprehensive before, but that was still a pretty big hike. I was with progressive. I wound up switching to 21st.com a few months later because it was much cheaper, but it's still, I think, unreasonably high (I don't live in a big city and have no accidents or tickets). It's expensive. it sucks.

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:16 (twenty-one years ago)

We're sorry, but Esurance doesn't offer car insurance in your state

I live in fucking Wisconsin!

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I'm in your boat Kyle ($147/month, though). I'll check out 21st.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I pay $800 for a six month policy now which includes my wife and another car (no comprehensive or collision on that, and it's 15 years old and we don't drive it). Note though, that I have a $500 deductible, which means anything that happens to it I usually still have to pay for myself.

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Oooookay, 21st doesn't provide services for my state either.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:20 (twenty-one years ago)

I used to pay low-$100-something a month on a 2-door Civic in Chicago, but that was USAA. I think you have to be a member through having a relative who is/was in the Armed Forces or something.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Weird, I had USAA on my last car.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I guess that's not really weird. I'm not sure why I said it was.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:23 (twenty-one years ago)

obv. wisconsin is entirely too high a risk area for insurance companies to deal with.

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:24 (twenty-one years ago)

usaa is the way to go if you're eligible

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm fairly certain Progressive and Allstate offer personal auto insurance in Wisconsin. Both have websites at their names.com. Lately Allstates rates have been slightly better in KY and TN, I know this from experience.

I think the only state Progressive won't write in is WV.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:25 (twenty-one years ago)

find out if you're eligible for USAA membership

― TOMBOT, Monday, 30 August 2004 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

USAA thirded (yay our year on the AF base!)

― sexyDancer, Monday, 30 August 2004 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

OMG I AM THE WORST INSURANCE MAN EVER I NEVER KNEW OF THIS USAA

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I actually checked with Progressive (as did my insurance company), and it was even higher, by a lot.

Thanks Tom, I'll check it out.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:33 (twenty-one years ago)

I got a way better rate with State Farm than 21st Century or Allstate quoted me

― luna (luna.c), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Honestly the best thing about USAA isn't the car insurance, bcz I know some people who got better quotes through Geico or Progressive, but the checking account and their credit cards. They have really nice interest rates and dude, the checking account, I can take out money at ANY ATM I WANT because I get a $15.00 reimbursement each month for ATM surcharge fees. This has saved me so much money it's retarded.

― TOMBOT, Monday, 30 August 2004 19:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Based on the information you provided, it appears that you are absolutely fucking not eligible for insurance with the USAA group of property and casualty insurance companies.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Marry a sailor!

― TOMBOT, Monday, 30 August 2004 19:40 (twenty-one years ago)

plus if they have a good year, usaa will give you a small rebate on your car insurance, which i think is pretty atypical

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Haha this is the thread where we rub it in everybody's face how nice it is to be related to veterans and such

― TOMBOT, Monday, 30 August 2004 19:43 (twenty-one years ago)

My dad's a veteran, but I don't know if he was ever a member of USAA.

― luna (luna.c), Monday, 30 August 2004 19:45 (twenty-one years ago)

seven years pass...

bill came through for next year - £1600

dunno what the fuck to do atggasdjksfjdk

― tpp, Wednesday, 11 January 2012 18:47 (fourteen years ago)

i pay $1450/yr or so for full coverage & i still have a $500 collision deductible. i have a pristine driving record too (i guess shitty credit is to blame).

― hooked on ebonics (Pillbox), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 18:54 (fourteen years ago)

£1600! How old are you? Shop around obviously, you might be able to cut your cost if you get a limited mileage/curfew policy.

― fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 11 January 2012 19:03 (fourteen years ago)

eleven years pass...

Car insurance claim query.

I hit a deer, causing damage that appears cosmetic.

I've had two quotes from repair centres - one of £1250 and one of £1200-1500.

I've 9+ years no claims bonus and an excess of £250. Policy costs £542. Car has a value of £3500 (WeBuyAnyCar) to £6000 ("I'm guessing it's worth £6000," says bloke in garage).

Do I claim on insurance?

― djh, Sunday, 5 February 2023 10:58 (three years ago)

How many years of driving do you have left

― They do the Shug a loo, do the Shy Tuna, do the Kemba Walker (fionnland), Sunday, 5 February 2023 11:08 (three years ago)

Well, I'm in my early 50s.

― djh, Sunday, 5 February 2023 11:16 (three years ago)

I have noticed recently some policies let you have one claim without losing your no-claims discount, sometimes these are just for windscreens or tyres but some seem more flexible. Might be an option.

― Camaraderie at Arms Length, Sunday, 5 February 2023 12:06 (three years ago)

one month passes...

Car has been written off and I've been offered an amount, that doesn't seem hideously awful but probably doesn't really get me a car equal to the one I'm losing. Is an offer from an insurance company a "final" offer or is there any point going back to them and trying to negotiate??

― djh, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 22:59 (three years ago)

Wouldn’t hurt to try

― calstars, Tuesday, 21 March 2023 23:37 (three years ago)

Hard to tell. What does blue book say for a car in your's condition, prior to accident?

I'm sure people do it, you could always ask how they wound up at that valuation

― hootenanny-soundtracking clusterfucks about milking cows (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 21 March 2023 23:52 (three years ago)

I can confirm I have negotiated a better payoff than what was initially offered when my car was totaled. I think they usually come in a little low with some wiggle room in case you’re not happy. I’m sure it only goes so far though and they have a hard ceiling. Good luck.

― epistantophus, Wednesday, 22 March 2023 00:01 (three years ago)

They usually send an inspector though, who will no doubt see things that might make it worth less than blue book. Be prepared to explain any body work, etc. that had been done previously.

― epistantophus, Wednesday, 22 March 2023 00:06 (three years ago)

Thanks all - got an extra couple of hundred just for asking (I did get off the phone and wished I'd been more specific/organised and known what was reasonable).

― djh, Monday, 27 March 2023 13:02 (three years ago)

one month passes...

Any recommendations for companies to insure a sub £4000 Yaris? Have lost NDC. (UK)

― djh, Sunday, 14 May 2023 20:39 (three years ago)

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