Beginning Car/ Car Insurance questions.

18 years ago

Hello. I will be turning sixteen in a few days and it occured to me that I know next to nothing about cars, auto insurance and other such things that I will need to know when I get a car. So I got on the net and started searching around a bit, but when I tried to find information on auto insurance it was mostly ads, not that it was a problem, except that their quote calculator things were designed for people who have already had car insurance, so I couldn't easily find a way to get a quote or compare the prices I could expect to pay for such services. Then I decided to try something simpler and look for used cars in my area, but I quickly discovered that, as I know almost nothing about cars, I didn't really know what I was looking for. So I decided to find a good auto forum somewhere online, since I've gotten help from nice people online with other subjects.

This is where you come in. I neeed suggestions on a good car brand or model to look for that you think would work well for someone in my age group (i.e. runs well, is cheap) and it needs to be a roomy car, as I am somewhat tall (6'2'' or so, and getting taller.)

Secondly, any information you think I should have about auto insurance, such as how much I can expect to pay, what company offers the best rates, or whatever other information you can think of (like I said, I don't know anything about it, so everything will be appreciated.)

Third, an estimate on how much I can expect to pay, say, per week on gas, especially with the car you reccomend taken into consideration (since a fuel efficient car would be easier on my budget.)

Lastly, just tell me anything you wish you'd known when you went out to get a car when you were my age. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

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Comments (8)

mikie_gw
18 years ago
I like GM cars for everyday drivers - guy your height might want to look for a mid sized one with an electric powered seat adjuster - they go up/down forward/back and tilt - down and back could be important for you.

If you take the time to look around here, you eventually can find that little old lady or senior citizen car thats in the $1000 - $2000 range with low miles and a noisy muffler. Mufflers rotted from never getting completely dry on short trips to Sunday Church and the grocery but otherwise the cars are usually well maintained.

Insured, man you need to talk to your parents insurance agent/carrier and see what it would cost for the particular make and model and year car you choose to add to their policy. Insurance aint cheap for young guys, but added to a parents policy can be super reasonable for a school transportation car. Then when you finish college and start earning the big bucks splurge on a used corvette and the really big insurance bill when you're on your own.

Gas cost a bunch, so it depends on how many miles your drive .. let your friends share the costs and try to avoid the temptation to see the world until you can afford it.
steve_o
18 years ago
Your best bet in a used car will be a well-maintained American car. I don't want to get into the U.S./rest of the world "discussion" being held on other threads. I'll just say that proper maintenance has more to do with a car's trouble-free operation than where it is made.

Right now, there are some decent American cars out there, but perception has not caught up with the reality, so American cars suffer more depreciation than many foreign cars. As a buyer of a used car, you can take advantage of that. Some of the cars you might want to look at include the Ford Taurus, or just anything midsize or larger from GM. I'm guessing that, since you got to the age of 16 without being a "gearhead," you mostly want a comfortable, reliable car. These will do the job. They shouldn't cost a fortune for insurance, either.

Mikie is right -- even if you're paying for your own insurance, it will be cheaper to piggyback on your parents' policy than it will be for you to go solo. Ask about discounts if you get good grades in school or are willing to drive only a certain number of miles per month, etc.

Finally, what else I wish I'd known about cars at your age? Having a car is a joy and a privilege -- and a responsibility. As a teenager, you have the benefit of quick reflexes and (I hope) formal training. You can be an excellent driver. But there's no substitute for experience -- especially at night in the rain and on icy roads. I knew how to steer out of a skid -- until the first time I found myself in one and narrowly missed a fence as I spun into a farmer's field. It's different when it really happens.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking that you're immortal (every teenager thinks so; so did I). You're in control of almost two tons of metal and glass and plastic, so be careful. When I was 16, nobody had cell phones and we were lucky if the car had an FM radio, nevermind multi-channel stereo systems and iPod links and the like. I know teenagers are better at multi-tasking than they used to be, but you still have one primary task in a car -- driving. Don't be distracted by fiddling with the stereo or talking with friends. It's okay to concentrate on driving. Professional auto racers do.

Have fun! Getting my first car was a blast. I hope you find one you really like and have many happy miles with it.
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Ahhhhh....deep breath. Thank you all for your wisdom and replies! I'm going to look into the companies you suggested as we still have time to change before our old coverage expires. Now that I'm calmer (!), I think I wouldn't have hit the ceiling if yesterday's email from Esurance had included a statement like: "Please note: if this vehicle was purchased within the past XX days, please confirm that the registration has been updated to reflect your ownership" or something to that effect. I simply opened the email and was blasted with the notice that they'd found something that we'd apparently hid from them, and my interpretation of that was that it was slamming our ethics. I'm not saying that very well, but you get my drift. I also find it terribly creepy that they put the full name of a stranger in our email. When we purchased the truck last week from a long-standing reputable dealer, never in any paperwork was the previous owner's name listed. Frankly, we're buying a used truck, and the previous owner's name is none of our business. So that email on top of the previous one that claimed we'd provided inaccurate information about a gap in our coverage on top of our current insurance agent's genial incompetence on several occasions (not that his incompetence had anything to do with Esurance!) was enough to send me around the bend. We have excellent credit and a clean driving record other than a deer hit at the end of 2009 (the deer hit last fall didn't count against us since no insurance was paid out) so this should be SO simple. Thank you all again. I'm off to do some internet research! You guys are the best!
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A ticket should be public record, but contact the officer who was at the scene. I imagine it could be that it's not public data until they either admit guilt and pay the fine or go to court. Did you get a copy of the police report yet? If so, it should have the insurance company and policy number of all drivers, including other info. Often it will say whether a ticket was issued but it's usually not a big deal to call the officer. It might take a few days to get back to you. Oh, wait, I see you did get the report. Whether a ticket was issued really won't make a lot of difference though as far as repairing the vehicle. Being on the road automatically makes the driver partly to blame. Just depends on how much. Around here, 20%-30% is pretty common. I don't keep an attorney on hand. I know of some I would use for certain things but they also charge $200-$600 or more per hour. I've represented myself in court 3 times and won every time. 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So if book value is $10k and the damage approaches it, they'll probably total it and ink you a check. If it's under that, they'll pay for the repair. And if you choose to not repair the vehicle they can deduct a portion, something like 25%-30% as I recall. Now keep in mind laws vary from state to state so asking legal advice online is a precarious thing to do. You will need to do your homework. Also keep in mind that most of the adjusters have more than one person they're dealing with so they might not be available to you at every moment you want them. Questions and the like can be routed through your agent. That's what they get paid for. They certainly should be able to tell you a time frame for things and whether the delays are normal or not. Sometimes it can be a good thing to have it totaled, buy it back and fix it. However it depends on what they can get for salvage value too. And occasionally they have people lined up to get insurance recoveries so it can up the price of it. I negotiated my one settlement as $___ plus I keep the vehicle. Although that was an old car and they really didn't want it anyway. It's a stressful time. Keep your head. Keep calm. Things will work out. BTW, Great Northern Insurance Agency in Chicago is an insurance broker so they handle several companies. This is neither good nor bad. I used to be with a broker. I liked the idea of several options since my agent would regularly check which company had better rates for me and would switch me around. Now with a single company, I have to do the checking. Anyway, it should be easy enough to do a little homework from the info you have to determine if it's this agency or if there's an insurance company called Great Northern. If you want to do more legwork, then deal directly with the other insurance company. If you want to let your company do the work, let them. You might get a better settlement if you represent yourself but you'll trade off time and frustration, plus you'll be going up against a "professional" most likely so do you feel confident? As long as you understand the assignments of blame and the like and understand and research values, etc, you could do OK. There's truth to the statement that insurance companies want to settle for as little as they can, but there's another factor few people understand. The quicker they can settle it, the less it costs them in some ways too so if they spend a few more dollars to get a quick settlement, it's to their benefit. This is why insurance companies settle rather quickly with each other even taking a bit less. Close the file and move on. Have you had a chance to get an estimate on it yet? That should give you more info on deciding how you want to approach it. Naturally all caveats and disclaimers apply since my experiences are with Minnesota laws, not Illinois. Around here, replacement coverage only applies on Homeowners policies. With a new car, certainly it's going to be different and they'd be more amenable to totaling a 3 week old vehicle since the reclaim value on that car would be quite high. Fix it and sell it. I had an uncle in the auto parts business for a lot of years and he bought totals, fixed and sold them, among other things. Good luck. Try not to let it bug you too much. As long as nobody was seriously hurt, the car is a small thing in the grand scheme of life.
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earthworm
18 years ago
Some excellent advice ..
Yes, but I still like my VW and Saabs, one must be a DIY in at least most areas of car and home upkeep.

Cost but 70 cents to fix the Chevrolet shift linkage.The Buick starter was "repaired" with masking tape on the field and new bushings.. The Hudson head was, either 5 or 10 dollars - this was a mistake - the engine was finished..
First car purchase, I was headstrong and brain weak !

I forget about the insurance, but it was affordable back then.Working at least 20 hours per week and attending school was the way of life...

Best to buy privately, most POs(previous owners) are decent people, avoid many dealerships - they cannot be trusted, and routinely overcharge..My Chevy cost $28 at a used car place, the engine had bad rod bearings, I destroyed it, and sold her for $35 !

DarkMuse, you seem to be one smart cookie..Those who say they "know nothing" usually know more than those who "know everything"..
RooseveltL
18 years ago
I think your profile says Iowa - try online quotes so you know what you are working with. Try www progressive.com or www gieco.com

Additionally, get a car which fits the local market - what I mean by that - don't buy a foreign car if every other car on the street is a Dodge pick-up or vice versa don't buy a pick-up if every other car is a Toyota. Easier to find parts and cheaper qualified knowledgeable techs to work on your car.

As you buy a used vehicle you will learn quickly about your car and should be eager to learn tips/tricks to maintain it from mechanics, friends, parents, etc. Additionally, drive slowly and don't push your vehicle or yourself.
brianl703
18 years ago
If you buy a used car, check for the availability of the shop manual CD-ROMs on Ebay, and for the availability of a Hayne's manual at your local bookstore.

These will tell you how to do many maintenance tasks yourself. The Hayne's manual is good for a general overview, and the shop manual is good for the details.
Lexie76
18 years ago
Look for a car that has good rating in safety. I drove a 2001 Cavalier (lemon) and when I replaced it with a brand new 2005 Honda Accord, my insurance went up $10. The Accord cost 3x that of the Cavalier and I even lower my deductible from $500 to $250 on the Accord. Honda rates in the top 5 in the 'most stolen' list too so that surprised me.

If you are looking for a reliable car with good fuel economy, check out the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla. They have very good Certified Used Programs if you are looking to buy used.
brianl703
18 years ago
Do NOT buy a Honda Civic if you care about your insurance rates. They have a reputation for attracting a certain type of driver and believe me that the insurance companies are well aware of it and charge accordingly.
gary__
18 years ago
Get a car worth less than $2000. Drive carefully and carry liabilty insurance only. That will keep the premium down a bunch. Collision insurance will drive the price up. That's the reason to drive a cheep car at this point. Don't wreck it for a couple years and you'll have already saved what the insurance premium would have cost if you. I'd guess liablity would be $400-ish every 6 months. Think that's what my daughters' is.

Beginning Car/ Car Insurance questions.

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mikie_gw

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