How do you guys handle getting cheaper insurance?

Telexen · 07-05-2008, 04:54 PM

Hello. First time poster. I've been looking into getting an RX8 and have spent hours researching on these forums already. During that research, I've seen multiple people say they were able to get a bit of a discount when insuring their RX8 as a non-primary vehicle.

My current situation leaves me trying to sell my '99 Toyota Tacoma and purchase a very cheap late '90s economy car to end my current debt problems (about $2500 aside my truck loan). This will likely be a Chevy Cavalier. Once this "transition car" is paid for I can begin the 3-5 month journey of saving for a good down payment on an RX8. I looked up a quote on Geico for this situation and was quoted nearly $500 LESS per year than it would cost me to insure just the RX8.

Now what I would like to do once I buy the RX8 is continue to insure the Cavalier as a primary vehicle with liability coverage only, telling the insurance company I drive it to work 5 days a week and 5000-6000 miles per year. I would then say I do not drive the RX8 to work, and it would receive 3000 miles per year at most. This is not much of a stretch at all. I live in Idaho where we can have harsh and snow buried winters here. My RX8 will not meet more than an 2-3 inches of snow, therefore winter driving is extremely limited and it really shouldn't go above 3000 miles per year (with as little as I drive).

Does this strike anyone as unacceptable from the point of view of the insurance company? I'm under the impression they would pull a rule out of their asses which forces me to insure the most expensive car as the primary vehicle. I believe my parents tried a trick like this about 5 years ago with the same insurance company I'm with now, and this insurance company would not let them insure a Dodge Neon as the primary vehicle for the reason stated before.

So how do you guys get cheaper insurance? Thanks for reading and for the help, I know it's a long post.

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kvndoom · 07-05-2008, 05:00 PM

Dunno, I told Progressive that it would be a recreational car, and they've never protested it at all.

Best bet is to shop around, make lots of calls, use all the comparator websites like esurance.com. The money you save will probably be in direct proportion to the effort you put into it. Of course other things matter too, like your age and driving record. Excellent credit will get you a discount with some companies, but poor credit will never make you pay extra.

Telexen · 07-06-2008, 01:41 AM

Thanks. I've actually used one site that compared several options, and for some reason they all listed more than double what Geico quoted me. I guess I'm just going to have to wait until I'm actually in the market for an RX8 to look seriously, but I was just curious to see what other people are doing to get a few ideas in my head and look at my options.

I know my big problem is that I'm 23, and it's frustrating paying so much for insurance considering I've been driving since 15 and I've never needed a dime from an auto insurance company...perfectly clean driving record.

Fathead_03 · 07-13-2008, 07:03 PM

Just as a heads up. I used to have an 03 wrx, full coverage with $1k deductibles, was about $250 a month. I then switched to an 04 Silverado, at $212 a month. Then my accident from 3 years ago left my record, the same month, I had my birthday, and my insurance went down to $138 a month. Insurance now, on my 8, as my primary driver, is $141 a month. $3 more a month. Not to shabby.

I'm 23, single, no accidents or tickets now, and go through State Farm.

Telexen · 07-13-2008, 07:23 PM

State Farm must give the discount at 23 rather than 25 (or married). I'm of the belief I was told that my insurance company (Farm Bureau) does too, but I turned 23 6 months ago and I've yet to see a drop....though I'm sure they're waiting for me to bring it up. I will after I sell my truck. I've always had a clean record and nobody seems to be willing to cut me some slack for it.

I won't go near State Farm though. Maybe they're good to you, but I've seen a couple family members get absolutely burned and left with nothing after accidents that were 0% their fault by State Farm - even after 18 months of legal proceedings.

Fathead_03 · 07-14-2008, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Telexen

State Farm must give the discount at 23 rather than 25 (or married). I'm of the belief I was told that my insurance company (Farm Bureau) does too, but I turned 23 6 months ago and I've yet to see a drop....though I'm sure they're waiting for me to bring it up. I will after I sell my truck. I've always had a clean record and nobody seems to be willing to cut me some slack for it.

I won't go near State Farm though. Maybe they're good to you, but I've seen a couple family members get absolutely burned and left with nothing after accidents that were 0% their fault by State Farm - even after 18 months of legal proceedings.

well, it wasnt a big discount at 23, only like 20 bucks. but they did say ill see a big drop at 25. They have been good to me, but i dont know what that means, because i havent done anything with them except pay my bills, haha. i do know that they work well with the shop i used to work at, insurance claims and whatnot, and they have great insurance for motorcycles, because i ride a cbr. maybe give them a call, get a quote, and if its much less, bring this to your companies attention.

beachdog · 07-14-2008, 06:41 PM

It's not a good idea to stretch the truth when dealing with your insurance company. Among all of the papers you will sign when applying for a new policy will be a statement that all of the information you provided is truthful and subject to verification. Now it has been many years since I've heard of any insurance inspectors snooping around to verify if your car is in the driveway all day long, but here's what does happen. You drive to work and the car get vandalized while in the parking lot. You submit a claim and the insurance company refuses the claim because you had the car at your place of business. Much better to fill in the application and state that you might use the car 1 day a week to drive to work. That way your covered.

As far as shopping, don't just look at Geico and the big advertisers. I used to have Allstate and Geico was only about 12% less for me. Hartford was 50% less and I actually picked up more coverage at the same time. If you have an independent insurance broker in your area, let them do the shopping for you. You might be surprised. Don't use the same one that you or your family have used for years. They have no motivation to find a low cost option for you. They'd rather lose you as a customer than all of a sudden find you a great deal and it looks like they were ripping you off for years.