Car Insurance: What are your experiences?

Hey,

Finally getting my first car, so now I'm hunting for the best place to get insurance (full coverage, obviously).

Every online calculator I've checked is hitting me with about $500. Anyone know if there's a way to actually lower that number?

Also, which company is worth sticking with long-term if I'm looking for loyalty perks, discounts, or rewards?

thanks

It's a Honda HR-V, 109HP, standard registration 🙂

Leave it online; you’ll always get a better deal if you negotiate face-to-face.

True, but where can I actually find the best payouts? Just looking for some real-world feedback from policyholders...
I don't know anyone in the industry, and all those "under the table" deals usually end up being total garbage.

You don't need a network to run a side hustle; shared interests do all the heavy lifting for you. 😉

Dennis Roberts6 said:True, but where can I actually find the best payouts? Just looking for some real-world feedback from policyholders...
I don't know anyone in the industry, and all those "under the table" deals usually end up being total garbage.

Oh, they definitely happen, you just have to be a little more proactive, I guess... 😁
Just head over to Euro Car Parts and ask for a discount face-to-face; you don't need to be the CEO's kid to get a break...
Trying to pull that off via email is kind of tricky since they won't really know who you are...
Maybe just tell them it's your first time insuring a car and you don't have a clean driving record yet, then see if they can work out a decent rate.
Last year, I managed to get a $83 discount on my policy of $900, even though I didn't know a single soul there and it was my first time using that insurance company. A guy working at one of their branches actually bought something from me on Craigslist and reached out through his official work email; I sent him a reply within 15 days and we worked everything out perfectly, he even mailed all the paperwork directly to my house!

You might want to check with the local guys in the USA too, because I heard they're getting pretty flexible lately since so many customers jumped ship to General Motors for better rates. But honestly, you really need to talk to someone in person—don't bother with emails... I'd say try emailing a few different places first, and if that doesn't work, maybe just go in and have a chat in person.

This supposed "discount" from Allstate is an absolute joke.
For a 43kW car with a 50% safe driver discount and my local plates, I was paying $488 in premiums at Allstate last year. According to their new "cheaper" calculation from yesterday, I should be paying $497...and that’s even after they tack on roadside assistance and bonus protector on top. It’s hardly a discount, is it?

e look, man... Allstate isn't just throwing numbers out of a hat; they actually run the math on risk and crunch the stats, so they aren't about to just slash rates for everyone across the board. It’s not like some government agency where everything is subsidized. Small engines under 60 horsepower and teenagers behind the wheel are basically a walking red flag for insurance companies, which is why those premiums end up being so much higher. You really gotta dig into the fine print and look at what kind of coverage you're actually getting, rather than just staring at the bottom line....

Paul Lee46 said:e look, man... Allstate isn't just throwing numbers out of a hat; they actually run the math on risk and crunch the stats, so they aren't about to just slash rates for everyone across the board. It’s not like some government agency where everything is subsidized. Small engines under 60 horsepower and teenagers behind the wheel are basically a walking red flag for insurance companies, which is why those premiums end up being so much higher. You really gotta dig into the fine print and look at what kind of coverage you're actually getting, rather than just staring at the bottom line....

I appreciate the compliment, truly, but I don't exactly consider myself "young" at forty-one. That's why I went hunting for the best deal over at Rocky Mountains... I managed to hammer out a private agreement for a premium of $417, plus they threw in a $33 gas gift card as a little sweetener...

Well, you definitely had a good run. Why worry? It’s always worth checking a few different insurance providers just to see what happens. Personally, State Farm didn't give me any discount either.

Megan Ward said:I appreciate the compliment, truly, but I don't exactly consider myself "young" at forty-one. That's why I went hunting for the best deal over at Rocky Mountains... I managed to hammer out a private agreement for a premium of $417, plus they threw in a $33 gas gift card as a little sweetener...

That’s an interesting point, isn't it? Ever since we joined the United States, insurance companies haven't been allowed to hand out gas vouchers like that anymore... though I suppose we'll see if all those regulations finally get sorted out by January 1st.

Michael Howard24 said:That’s an interesting point, isn't it? Ever since we joined the United States, insurance companies haven't been allowed to hand out gas vouchers like that anymore... though I suppose we'll see if all those regulations finally get sorted out by January 1st.

Man, if they were only giving away gas cards and only through State Farm, that would actually be the least of our worries... the thing is, they give them out for all sorts of shopping malls and gas stations, and pretty much every insurance provider does it too—though it varies quite a bit depending on which state you're in or just the specific policy you have.

I used to have my coverage through $0.87(an 85 kw car, New York City), but I just ended up paying a whopping $0.67 over at State Farm. Before this, I was with Europe... and honestly, they were just taking me for every cent I had for years...
Hopefully, the rates will drop even further...

So far, I’ve found the best rates here in the States, though I’m still waiting to hear back from GEICO and State Farm—they haven't even bothered to reply to my emails after a whole week, which is kind of annoying.
After those guys, I looked at Prudential with a $10 higher premium, and then Generali was also a bit more expensive at $17.
As for MetLife, Progressive, and Liberty Mutual, they just seemed way too pricey and honestly not worth the hassle.

Back home, I actually had the option to pay with a credit card and split it into ten interest-free installments without any extra fees, whereas most other places seem to hike the price up by at least 5% if you do that.
On top of that, they actually knocked $247 off the official quote for me.

I guess now I finally understand how it feels when a woman is being crowded by five different guys at once.😁

Jeffrey Campbell97 said:I used to have my coverage through $0.87(an 85 kw car, New York City), but I just ended up paying a whopping $0.67 over at State Farm. Before this, I was with Europe... and honestly, they were just taking me for every cent I had for years...
Hopefully, the rates will drop even further...

that's basically what I'm looking at with my policy from 😁 😍

I don't even bother replying to emails anymore, unless I'm just throwing out a random number... 🙄

Ryan Carter52 said:So far, I’ve found the best rates here in the States, though I’m still waiting to hear back from GEICO and State Farm—they haven't even bothered to reply to my emails after a whole week, which is kind of annoying.
After those guys, I looked at Prudential with a $10 higher premium, and then Generali was also a bit more expensive at $17.
As for MetLife, Progressive, and Liberty Mutual, they just seemed way too pricey and honestly not worth the hassle.

Back home, I actually had the option to pay with a credit card and split it into ten interest-free installments without any extra fees, whereas most other places seem to hike the price up by at least 5% if you do that.
On top of that, they actually knocked $247 off the official quote for me.

I guess now I finally understand how it feels when a woman is being crowded by five different guys at once.😁

go jump in a lake... the cheapest bet is to just bring your own quote from the US... you can even do installments... same price.

My policy expired last week..
Here’s what I’ve been quoted so far:
Allianz $667
Allianz and another provider at about $1,800
State Farm was asking 1,400...😁...

For a car with 68kW 🙂

Gary Reyes9 said:My policy expired last week..
Here’s what I’ve been quoted so far:
Allianz $667
Allianz and another provider at about $1,800
State Farm was asking 1,400...😁...

For a car with 68kW 🙂

Over 66 kW and only 1400??? From those Rocky Mountains folks😲...
1800 is pretty low, but 1400? I don't buy it...☕...

David Parker44 said:go jump in a lake... the cheapest bet is to just bring your own quote from the US... you can even do installments... same price.

I'm not really sure I get it, like why would I bother switching to insurance that's ten times worse if the cost is going to be identical?
Back home in the States, they're quoting me $636 plus some accident coverage. I've got a 15% bonus on my 63kW car.

Gary Reyes9 said:My policy expired last week..
Here’s what I’ve been quoted so far:
Allianz $667
Allianz and another provider at about $1,800
State Farm was asking 1,400...😁...

For a car with 68kW 🙂

I guess I'm wondering what kind of bonus you're getting with those prices?

David Parker44 said:go jump in a lake... the cheapest bet is to just bring your own quote from the US... you can even do installments... same price.

You’re talking nonsense. I recently brought an offer from ExxonMobil down to the Atlantic, and my wife actually ended up charging me even more.

By the way, in the US, you can spread the cost over 10 monthly payments.🙄

You can pretty much find installment plans anywhere these days...
As for the actual pricing, companies like GEICO, Atlantic, and Everest—well, they haven't even updated their official rates yet here in the US. It seems like they’re still offering those kinds of "under the table" discounts depending on the situation, the specific agent, or even just the client... I guess the discounts vary quite a bit, and honestly, they can usually end up being bigger than what you'd see from places with strict, official new price lists, like Warren Buffett, Basel, or Prudential...