Teenage insurance?

[Mike]

Hey all,

I'm getting my license within the next 3 months, and am buying a car within the next 4-5 months. What are the teenage drivers around here paying for insurance? I got a quote on esurance.com of around $425 a month... which seems to be pretty ridiculous. Their survey seemed a bit rudimentary as well, didn't ask about my grades or anything.

I guesstimated my payments at around $200-$250 a month. I'm looking at getting a B5 (96-2001) Audi A4 2.8 Quattro. 16 year old male, honor roll GPA, certificate from certified driving school. I'd be added onto my family's plan (with parents and 19 year old sister).

Does this seem to be reasonable?
Is there anything I can do to bring down the costs?

-Mike

[Wetzel]

Want cheaper insurance? Don't get a luxury sports car.

Wetzel

[Adam Richards]

Insurance companies generally hate under 25 year olds from what it seems.. our insurance costs are always going to be through the roof, since we're most likely to get involved in an accident.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Wetzel

Don't get a luxury sports car.

Wetzel

But they're soooooo nice

Does $425/mo sound like the norm for that kind of car? I mean I knew it was going to be high... but in two years my insurance will cost more than the car itself!

[sanddrag]

It's funny. It may still be true that teenage drivers are the most prone to getting in wrecks, but most of the idiots I encounter are not teenagers at all. During the school year, I drive 75 miles per day, five or six days per week, and most of the "close calls" I've had and poor driver's I've seen were not teenagers. I say let them in cheap, and if they don't prove they can avoid hitting things then raise the rate.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

It's funny. It may still be true that teenage drivers are the most prone to getting in wrecks, but most of the idiots I encounter are not teenagers at all. During the school year, I drive 75 miles per day, five or six days per week, and most of the "close calls" I've had and poor driver's I've seen were not teenagers. I say let them in cheap, and if they don't prove they can avoid hitting things then raise the rate.

Exactly. Don't penalize those of us who actually value our safety (and cars) just because of the idiots out there that decide its a good idea to get drunk and go smash up their daddys Lexus.

[KenWittlief]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

...most of the "close calls" I've had and poor driver's I've seen were not teenagers...

close calls only count with hand gernades, Horseshoes and Nukes.

statistically teenagers do the most damage. Its not a matter of driving like an idiot, its a matter of experience.

After you have been driving for several years you develope subconcious reflexes that kick in, where a new driver is more prone to make a mistake and hit something.

One way to lower your rates: dont have collision on your car. Get an older car that is paid for, then if you wreck it your insurace does not have to pay for your mistake.

[Andy A.]

Get something from the late 80's or early 90's with the smallest engine you can find. It won't last long, but it might last long enough to get you out of you're teens. Once you are in you're twenties, rates start to go down (as I am just finding out).

Audi anything for a 16 year old is going to be expensive. Pretty much anything a 16 year old owns will be expensive to insure. A junk car helps though, much more then good grades (discounts for grades and such are a very small drop in a very large bucket, so don't count on that).

Remember- Insurance companies don't care if you say that you are a safe driver. It's all statistical, and the statistics are decidedly not on you're side. You are a new driver and they will assume the worse.

Consider a scooter?

-Andy A.

[Wetzel]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

One way to lower your rates: dont have collision on your car. Get an older car that is paid for, then if you wreck it your insurace does not have to pay for your mistake.

I don't understand this. Why would the insurance not pay me if the car is wrecked? I would certainly want them to cover the damage to my car and whatever I wrecked into, regardless of if I or the bank owns it.

Wetzel

[Eugenia Gabrielov]

Mike -

I know it seems unfair to you that the insurance you'll have to pay is so high. However, it won't change the situation for your company. I started on an older used car, and insurance was ok. Remember that you're going to be driving with a lot of crazy teenagers, and even if you are an extremely safe driver, others won't be, and as somebody said above that car may not survive your teens.

Are you paying for this yourself? Or are your parents paying? Remember that you have college to pay for ahead, and even regardless of scholarships there can be big costs for that as tuition rates skyrocket. I hate to be a killjoy, but the decision is really where you want your money - a sports car now, or an even better sports car later .

- Geni

[Cynette]

Originally Posted by Wetzel

I don't understand this. Why would the insurance not pay me if the car is wrecked? I would certainly want them to cover the damage to my car and whatever I wrecked into, regardless of if I or the bank owns it.

Wetzel

If you have an older car with a blue book value of let's say $700 (aka my son's '95 Saab) and your insurance deductible is $500 and you total the car, all they will give you is at the most $200. That's $17/ month for a year. So if your collision part of the car insuance is greater than $17/month, and it usually is, drop the collision and put that money in the bank for the fund to replace your car when you need to. You keep the liability on the car, that protects the people part of the accident and the other car.

And to answer the original question...We have a 17 year-old with a 2005 Masda RX-8, (her choice, she earned it) she is on our insurance and its about $1100 for six months (She also has a job, and pays for half of the cost). I know she is cheaper than if she was a teenage boy, but other than that, I can't imagine having to pay much more than that. So I think the $450/month estimate is way off base. And I think NY has one of the highest rates in the country.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by mocat1530

I know she is cheaper than if she was a teenage boy ...

Maybe, maybe not. Some places have embraced gender equity in law, and insurance companies cannot charge different rates for males and females. I also suspect that the accident rates between teen girls and guys has converged.

[KenWittlief]

Originally Posted by GaryV1188

... I also suspect that the accident rates between teen girls and guys has converged.

why do you think that now, after people have been driving for approximately 100 years, that teenage boys no longer like to hot-rod and show off once they get behind the wheel?

or is there some other reason behind your suspicions?

[Cynette]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

why do you think that now, after people have been driving for approximately 100 years, that teenage boys no longer like to hot-rod and show off once they get behind the wheel?

or is there some other reason behind your suspicions?

LOL! I think the shrinking difference between teen girl and guy rates may be because the girls have finally realized how cool it is to "hot-rod and show off once they get behind the wheel."

Originally Posted by mocat1530

I know she is cheaper than if she was a teenage boy ...

I was basing this on the disparity between my son's initial rates for driving one of the family cars, vs my daughter's rate two years later. His rate was about 30% higher.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

My sister just got her insurance yesterday. I think she might be a guy because she now pays more than I do with the same plan. She drives a '97 Hyundai Elantra. 4 door whatnot. $750 every 6 months. Mine's only about $500 every 6 months. I would check my bill but I just threw it out.