Which do you buy first ? Car or auto insurance ?

ahmadka

I'm in the market for my first car and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to buy the car first and then auto insurance, or the other way around. I've heard dealers don't let you drive off which having insurance, and when I try to get auto insurance quotes online, I'm asked when did I buy the car ... I'm confused!

kyfdx

ahmadka said:

I'm in the market for my first car and I'm not sure if I'm supposed to buy the car first and then auto insurance, or the other way around. I've heard dealers don't let you drive off which having insurance, and when I try to get auto insurance quotes online, I'm asked when did I buy the car ... I'm confused!

You should do some preliminary shopping for auto insurance. Get some quotes for a specific model and a commitment to insure. Then, once you buy the car, call the insurance agent and tell them what you have. You might have to wait a day to pickup the car, since you don't currently have auto insurance. (you aren't a driver on any car insurance policy?).

You might have to call a local agent. If you've never been insured, then online might not be the way to go.
Another reason to shop ahead of time: It might be way more expensive than you imagined.

ahmadka

Thanks for the advise.

I don't currently have any auto insurance, so I guess the steps for me would be:

1) Lease/Finance the vehicle but don't drive it out yet.
2) Buy the insurance
3) Drive out the vehicle.

Is the above correct ?

Since this would be my first car in the US after getting licensed just 2 months ago here in California, insurance costs online are proving to be quite expensive, typically ranging between $500 ~ $600 per month for a Mazda 6 GT which I'm interested in. Is there any way to reduce these premiums ? I don't have any family living with me so I cannot piggyback on someone else's policy.

kyfdx

ahmadka said:

Thanks for the advise.

I don't currently have any auto insurance, so I guess the steps for me would be:

1) Lease/Finance the vehicle but don't drive it out yet.
2) Buy the insurance
3) Drive out the vehicle.

Is the above correct ?

Since this would be my first car in the US after getting licensed just 2 months ago here in California, insurance costs online are proving to be quite expensive, typically ranging between $500 ~ $600 per month for a Mazda 6 GT which I'm interested in. Is there any way to reduce these premiums ? I don't have any family living with me so I cannot piggyback on someone else's policy.

Before 1), contact a local insurance agent (State Farm?) to get a quote on a vehicle you are interested in. Ask them for advice and help. If you've never had insurance before, it's likely to be very, very expensive.

If I had to pay $500/mo. to insure a $300/mo. lease, I would just uber everywhere.

ahmadka

Luckily Progressive is giving me a quote which isn't *too* high. Their "Basic" quote is for $113/month, then "Choice" is for $277/month, and lastly "Recommended" is for $393/month. Not sure which to go for.