It's true that vehicles get a little bit safer, cumulatively, with every passing year. Each time a car, truck, SUV, or van is redesigned, the automaker can optimize it to ace the safety ratings and incorporate new features that car buyers value to help protect their families and others on the road, like pedestrians and bicyclists. But new cars are subject to more comprehensive safety testing than ever, and there's a gradient of available safety out there.
Car Insurance
Before your state or lender insisted your vehicle be insured, you knew you needed car insurance. Whether itâs the low speed fender bender with no one hurt or a high speed collision with everyone hurt, vehicles and the people in them need affordable insurance coverage for collision, hospitalization and liability.
The Autoblog insurance guide is designed to make securing auto insurance both easy and affordable. A menu of reputable providers will supply competitive quotes for the coverage you need, at rates you can afford. While behind your laptop you can insure your ride â and begin to feel secure behind the wheel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q How much is the average car insurance?
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A With so many variables associated with insuring a car, establishing an 'average' is difficult. With that, insuring a vehicle in an urban area is more expensive than coverage in a rural area, securing total coverage is more expensive than obtaining only liability, and your driving record will factor significantly into your rates. Most studies suggest an across-the-country average of $800 per year, but insuring your 16-year old might cost four times that, while obtaining only liability on your 16-year old minivan might be 1/4th that.
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Q What does travel auto insurance cover?
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A Few things complicate travel as much as a car accident or hospitalization. And if involved in a car accident on a vacation, you or your passengers might suffer both. Insurance is important wherever you and your vehicle might be, but it's exceptionally important when traveling. When comparing insurance providers, you need to consider three aspects of your coverage: Personal Liability, the Collison Damage Waiver and Supplemental Coverage. Personal Liability coverage pays the bills if you are at fault, the Collision Damage Waiver will repair or replace your vehicle, and Supplemental Coverage is just that - a means of covering those unforeseen expenses that are an inevitable product of an unforeseen accident. It's why they're called accidents.
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Q What can I do to lower my Auto insurance costs?
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A If you park an expensive vehicle on the street in a congested, urban area you are probably paying a great deal for your auto insurance. Conversely, if you drive a less expensive, older vehicle in the suburbs and garage that vehicle every evening, you'll probably pay significantly less. However, if you're staying where you are and driving what you drive, you can still reduce costs of insurance with the addition of an anti-theft menu of modifications to your car, maintaining a clean driving record while opting for defensive driving, and improving both your driving habits and driving routine.
Q Am I covered if I drive someone else's vehicle?
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A Generally, coverage while behind the wheel goes with the vehicle you're in - and not who's in the vehicle. If, however, the vehicle you're driving is not insured, or the coverage does not match those costs associated with the accident, your policy's coverage will kick in to close that gap. For specific answers to the limits of your coverage, regardless of what you're driving, it's best to consult your insurance agent.
Q If I rent a car, am I covered?
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A While driving a rental car or truck your own insurance coverage may or may not cover you, your passengers and vehicle. In that this coveage will vary state by state, it's best to take the question to your insurance company for a complete and accurate evaluation of your current coverage, as well as the costs associated with any supplemental coverage you might need or wish to secure. It's far better to pay the relatively small fees prior to a rental than the thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs if your own policy were to fall short.
Should insurers dictate autonomous driving behavior?
Who is responsible when an autonomous car crashes? That's a difficult question to answer. Is it the owner? The company who built the car or its autonomous hardware? The people who programmed the car to make decisions? It's a complex issue, and one that gives legislators — and the general public — pause.
Wells Fargo officially agrees to $1B penalty: What's in the settlement
Wells Fargo & Co will pay $1 billion to settle with U.S. regulators who say the bank wrongly layered insurance on hundreds of thousands of drivers and routinely hit homebuyers with excessive fees, officials said on Friday.
Wells Fargo reportedly will pay $1 billion fine for loan abuses
Wells Fargo & Co is close to settling a record fine of $1 billion imposed by two U.S. regulators for its risk management business, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.
Car theft skyrockets thanks to rising parts prices
On a 2016 Toyota Camry, 15 commonly stolen parts cost $11,000.
A car-buyer's glossary of terms
Incentives are more common during seasonal sales or are offered on slower-selling models. They encourage the dealer to make room for new inventory.
British insurer Direct Line offers Tesla Autopilot discount
Customers with Autopilot can save five percent on insurance premiums.
Care by Volvo subscription plan: XC40 flat monthly fees start at $600
Flat monthly fees for the 2019 XC40 start at $600.
Lincoln hopes month-by-month leasing will woo luxury clients
"We want to reinvent leasing in the 21st century, and this is a step in that direction."
Polestar 1 price targeted at $153,000 to $177,000
The 600-horsepower hybrid Polestar 1 has a targeted price of between $153,000 and $177,000. Still, a subscription model is being pushed by the company.
Should you buy a used car? We weigh the benefits
Straight purchase price doesn't tell the entire story.
Lane-departure warnings really are saving lives, says IIHS
U.S. drivers like to turn the systems off, though.
AAA names cheapest vehicles to own and operate, and the costliest
Large vehicles are rather pricey.
AAA will boost Tesla’s insurance rates by about 30%
AAA cites data saying Tesla Model S and Model X drivers make more claims, and the repair costs are higher, than other 'large luxury' vehicles.
These are the cars most likely to be damaged in an accident
Car accidents may be an inevitable part of our daily lives, but some cars and trucks are more likely to be involved in crashes than others.
Car insurance costs more in minority neighborhoods without higher risk
California, Texas, Illinois and Missouri were examined.
Unluckiest man alive has two vehicles crushed by trees in one day
In an incident that must make him the unluckiest man alive, a California man had two cars mangled by two trees during a storm in Sacramento last week.
Mercedes-Benz launches Croove, a peer-to-peer carsharing service
Think Turo, only facilitated by Mercedes-Benz.
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