BritishGuy36

So I got my SSN card in the post just 7 working days after entering the US (wow!). That was really handy as I need to buy a car next week and was wanting my SSN to get lower insurance quotes - I was going to queue up on Monday at the SS office to try and get a printout of the number but now I don't have to - great!

I have been looking at a few dealerships already, I wondered what you all thought of the following car and insurance rate:

I saw a 2004 Ford Taurus SES (nice car, seems in good nick) for a smidge under $7k (I'd hope to get the price down from that a bit more).

I had a chat to progressive on the phone and they quoted me just $249 for liability and uninsured/underinsured driver coverage, and $455 for full coverage (both for 6 months) which I thought wasn't too bad. My FIL has had his family covered with Progressive and has had to claim twice and said they were good when it was time to claim.

Any observations from y'all?

Ray

Your SSN won't get you lower priced Insurance ..
getting your License will

Progressive are fair

Bill_S

I have an older Taurus. Engine has been very reliable; transmission less so. How many miles on that 2004? Has the tranny been serviced regularly?

What does Progressive mean by "complete" coverage? Our liability coverage is $100,000/$300,000 which is way more than the state minimum. We use Nationwide, but get a significant discount because they do our homeowners and umbrella policies as well.

fatbrit

Don't go anywhere near a dealer without reading, understanding and following the instructions @ carbuyingtips.com. You need an carfax whatsit.

As a cash buyer (tell 'e, it'll be a cashier's check), life is pretty easy. Look at cars, find one you could live with, then return home and research it on the web. Then negotiate by phone. Offer them the price (insist tax, registration, delivery and plates inclusive if it's a dealer) and if they don't like it, say thanks but no thanks. If they call you back with a lower offer, fine. If not, there are plenty of vehicles out there.

BritishGuy36

Thanks Ray - yeah I got my Ohio license on Tuesday so that's taken care of.

a) 52,000

b) Dunno....how do I find out?

c) Liability coverage same as the figures you quote, also collision coverage to pay for my own car....plus uninsured/underinsured driver, roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement and 'comprehensive' cover (vandalism, hail, theft, collision with an animal).

I just noticed that the levels on the full coverage for liability were lower for the previous quote, so bringing them up to the same level ($100/300k) costs another $19, so the quote is $474.

Bill_S

That mileage is reasonable for a four-year-old car. Check to see if there are service records for oil changes etc. Tranny service is typically around 30K miles. If you get the car, have the service done (fluid flush&exchange, filter change). Insurance coverage sounds adequate, price probably isn't out of line for new (in their eyes) driver. It wouldn't hurt to get a couple more quotes, though.

BritishGuy36

Ok - next (related) question.

Carfacts.com, authocheck.com, or other similar service? Autocheck seems a lot cheaper for the "unlimited" check service (and lasts longer), is it as good as carfacts?

Sue

I haven't used those you've mentioned but another one to throw in the mix is CarFax, we've used them quite a few times.

meauxna

BG, have you looked at getting this in your USC's name or are you doing it under your own record for a reason?
Different parts of the country & multiline discounts etc, but my 98 Volvo is valued not much higher than that I'd guess and the premiums are quite a bit lower ($280).

Progressive is the company of the girl who hit me this week; they called me pretty quick, and no hassle with liability, so that's good.

Carfax is the industry granddaddy; I'd lean to them. And I'd take the trans-a-mission advice. 'That's some cheap insurance' she says, two transmissions later (it was a lemon, honestly!).

BritishGuy36

Is 'she can't drive' a reason?

meauxna

What's your point?

I wonder what the difference would be?