Written by Q: Should I get a car insurance estimate on a new car before I buy it, before I test drive it, or after I buy it?
AIS Answer: This is a question that undoubtedly a lot of people don’t know the answer too, which is simply YES! To understand test driving and the need for auto insurance read this article “Do I Need Auto Insurance To Test Drive A Car?“, and below I’ll explain auto insurance estimates for purchasing a new car as for the 3rd part of the question – it should be a given that you’ll need auto insurance after a purchase.
Auto Insurance Estimate On A New Car
With 2 of the 3 parts of the question out of the way, let’s look at the first part. “Getting an insurance estimate on a new car“. Why would someone want to do this? Wouldn’t it be easier to just test drive the car and get auto insurance after? Not really, and certainly not if the car you’re looking to purchase suddenly makes your insurance premium skyrocket. Wouldn’t you like to know how much it will cost to insure a specific vehicle before you buy? I would.
The absolute best move you can make regarding a new vehicle (new or used actually) is to get an auto insurance estimate BEFORE you buy. This way you can narrow down vehicles based on their relative premium increase if you like them the same, and if you choose to go with the more expensive vehicle with higher insurance rates – then at least you knew going in.
On top of this obvious rate comparison benefit, if you currently carry auto insurance which you should even if you don’t own a vehicle (SEE: Buying A Non-Owner Car Insurance Policy) then you may find that you can save money switching to another insurance company.
It’s amazing how often people want to get a better auto insurance rate, yet never go out and get estimates. It’s completely free, and really only takes about 15 minutes of your time AND if you use a comparison service online you’ll get more than one estimate – that’s efficiency at its best.
Whatever method you choose to get an insurance estimate whether it’s over the phone, in person, or online – the answer is yes. You should always compare auto insurance estimates on vehicles you’re considering purchasing and equally as important you should be getting estimates from different insurance companies about every 6 months before your policy comes up for renewal as it just may save you some money switching to another company.
good tip. I usually get a car insurance quote for a lineup of vehicles so I know what I would pay. It’s pretty amazing to see the difference in some of the higher end sports cars, even among other sports cars.
when I test-drive a vehicle I already have an insurance policy, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t carry an insurance policy when looking for cars. If I know which car I’m going to buy I get quotes online to find out how much it would cost, this way it’s super quick and I don’t have to call my insurance company and spend 30 minutes talking to them about cars and having them push me to buy the policy, or take forever to get a quote with a different car.
before, always before. You don’t want to get home with your brand new car and find out your insurance tripled.
what about test driving a used car from a private seller?
buy it new and get insurane