hoffage123

I am finally getting around to buying a car, and there is a 2010 Nissan Versa Hatchback that I am interested in ($7700).

So, I asked for a quote from Geico for insurance and they came up with $111 a month with me being the primary driver, and my missus being allowed to use the car with a learner permit (I will be teaching her to drive).

It seems very high and I am going to check out other companies, but what do you guys think? Should I be able to get it lower? I have 8/9 years driving experience in the UK, no accidents, no fines etc. My credit score here is 729.

Hoffage

NatashaB

Geico is always cheapest for us, albeit still eye wateringly expensive - we pay $350 a month for an F150, a Flex and an old Miata in Michigan (no fault state). Who do you have home/ any other insurance with, could you see if they offer discounts for bundles of policies?

hoffage123

We have renters insurance with Allstate, so I am going to try them and there is an organisation collaboration with Metlife as well ...

username.exe

I checked with AAA and Geico but didn't look around further as I need to get straight onto the road. That's about what I pay for a 2009 Prius. No credit score and wife as secondary driver (but with clean US driving history).

I'll get around to shopping for a better deal soon.

Also, one thing that's slightly more complicated here is you need ot make sure you're comparing apples with apples on the insurance quotes - they let you twiddle the liability limits on all areas of the policy which can affect the final quote significantly.

I borrowed a copy of my brother in law's policy to get a better idea of where to look and thought about appropriate levels for us (don't want to risk losing our deposit for a house etc.).

hoffage123

Yeah, I spoke to them on the phone and they (GEICO) wouldn't really budge much ... I may just take it as it is a comprehensive policy and then in 6 months I will have found a better deal etc.

rpjs

If you have house insurance (if you're a home-owner of course) often you'll get a discount on that if you take your car insurance out with the same company.

It seems odd to me - basically, in our case we were saying to our insurance company "Hello, you know the house you've insured us for fire etc? Well, can you give us a discount on that insurance if we regularly store inside it a machine that's powered by a highly flammable fuel and has an auxiliary power source that uses concentrated acid? You can? Wonderful!"

civilservant

Our 2012 Fusion SEL (financed) with me as a driver without a permit costs us $91 a month fully comp with Farm Bureau ($500 deductible)

Bob

Doesn't sound that bad for no US history...especially for a learner driver.

Big discount comes from home insurance policy with the same folks. If you're renting and it's renters insurance, it's a small discount, on par for making the renters being a few bucks a month.

Another big saving is knocking up the default $500 deductible to either $1K or $1.5K per incident.

Anything else, makes a difference, but not that noticeable in comparison.

Gillymonkey

We are with Mercury and got a good deal because they fully took into account my UK history. Hubby also gets an applied discount because he is a scientist and works for one of their preferred employers.

We pay $125 a month for 2 cars - one leased (brand new Chevy) and one 6 years old (Toyota Minivan). Have $500 deductibles, fully comp with coverage far above the recommended minimum (can't remember the exact figure). We also get a discount on our renters insurance so that is $99 a year. I'm in CA.

hoffage123

Missus is the learner, I have the full driving license ....

UPDATE: So, I spent two hours at the dealership and there are two possible deals on the table.

1) The used car mentioned originally on a 48 month financing deal ($211/month)

2) New car 2015 Nissan Altima on a lease for 36 months on a 0% lease ($211/month)


The payment is higher than I expected, but I can make it work. I will let you know what happens as it will all be confirmed tomorrow.

Hoffage

markonline1

That original quote probably sounds about right with a learner driver on the policy. For info, I'm with Geico and they accepted my No Claims Bonus as good driving history.

Gillymonkey

Also should add, my husband was a learner/new driver.

LotusEater33

I'm paying $379 / month for me and my wife fully comp on a brand new Ford Focus and 2006 Prius

With GEICO

I'm looking to change that soon

S Folinsky

The answers on payment amounts may very well be "comparing apples to oranges." One needs the level of coverage and then compare to other people in Rochester NY, perhaps Monroe County.

Sometimes, the companies give discounts if you have homeowners/renters insurance with them. Also, you may want to look into "Umbrella" coverage. Sometimes the umbrella allows one to lower the liability limits on the primary coverage and end up with more liability coverage for not much more in the way of premiums.

If you are financing, do look at credit unions.

For your entertainment, perhaps a little

Bob

Location also makes a huge difference.

When we were in Maine, the first year, insurance was $620 a year that went down to $480 the next year.

When we moved to MA, the exact same level of coverage was $1500 for the year