Best Cost Car Insurance

Insurance costs for new drivers?

I am thinking of getting my driver's license in about seven months (when i turn 18), but i am a bit discouraged by the quotes for car insurance that i have been given. I was told that car insurance for new driver's is about $3500 per year (and this is with a 40% discount for maintaining a 4.0 GPA). If i am put on my parent's insurance plan, it will still cost me $1100 per year (i have to make up the difference caused by adding me to their policy). Is this the normal rate for insurance for new driver's? Any other way to lower the cost? Any help would be greatly appreciated because i really want to learn to drive but the cost is so great...especially since i will be starting college next year. How much driving experience do i have to have before the insurance cost goes down? What other factors would cause the cost to go down? I'm sorry..forgot to say that i live in New Mexico

Public Comments

1. Usually it's higher, based on the fact that you're getting a discount and your parents are helping you by adding you to their policy. You can find cheaper but remember........ you get what you pay for!
2. Get put on your parents policy. Rates would go down after threee years of having a liscence. You're getting the triple whammy of age, new liscence and no insurance history.
3. Insurance is regulated at the state level so it's hard to give you accurate info without knowing what state you're in. Generally though, if your parents have vehicles that require full coverage ie. comprehensive/collission and you can carry a basic liability policy on the vehicle you drive, it will be cheaper to get a policy by yourself. When I say that, I mean have your parents get a second policy with their names and yours as drivers (that way you get all their discounts) but just your vehicle. That way you don't have to pay for the BIG increase on their full coverage. If you need full coverage also or if they just carry liability then it's usually best to just get on with them. All insurance policies have flat fees called policy fees so if you're on with them you at least get to split it three ways. As for your age, it varies. In Texas you will be uprated til age 25 if you're male, 21 fem. Some states it's just 21 for everybody. Other states it's a 3 year rule no matter what your age. Always remember though, the single biggest factor in pricing for young people is driving record. A speeding ticket for an adult rated driver may only raise their monthly rate by $5-10 but an 18 year old will see a $30/month jump at least. ALWAYS get a lawyer. Keep whatever you can off your record. You will thank me.
4. Insurance rates are influenced by age, sex, driving experience, number of violations, and credit score. If you seek insurance on your own, you will pay for a 17 yr with one vehicle. On your parents policy, you can get their credit score discount, multi vehicle discount, and if they have homeowners insurance a multi policy discount. Rates are also influenced by geographical region, meaning you pay more in certain states than other. Insurance gets cheaper if you do liability only, or if you do full coverage with higher deductibles. Lower liability limits cost less too. But $1100 per year sounds pretty darn good, depending on your coverage.
5. Getting a driver's license is not easy, but insurance will charge you more because they based on experience of the drivers. Mine will be about $400 to $450 as a inexperience driver. To get cheaper car insurance, you need to take defensive driving course and get up to 10% off of your car insurance price, but you cannot repeat defensive drivng course until 6 months later, depending on the state's law.
6. $1100 is a good price for a year's coverage at your age. A clean record over the next several years should make it go down. Believe it or not, if you get married, it should also go down further.