Living Car Free - For those 1 step from "Car Free"...Specialty Insurance for the "Car Lite"?

I have 2 cars I find a need to drive at the very most 50 miles per month. I think my current insurance company, that we share our home owners with (State Farm), gives a very small $40 discount for someone like myself that drives under 3000 miles a year...compared to those driving 10-15k a year. Seems like too minimal a discount considering there are times when I have not driven even 1 day in two months.

1 car lives in the car port and the other in the garage. 92 VW GTI that I had all done up from when I was really active in the VW watercooled scene (mostly enjoy it for yearly road trips and the bi yearly car shows I might drop in with)...and a 87 turbo Chevy Sprint...over 40 mpg and an odd fun car to use for those really long Wednesdays 8am-8pm when I am stuck with a crummy Trimet bus system that has minimal busses after the evening hours.

Anyone have one of those insurance carriers that cost under $300 a year as long as you agree the vehicle is a classic, show car, or very minimal use vehicle that is mostly garaged or something?

Currently I like having these cars around...I know I could pull off car-free...but I am getting close. :)

When I had a car in Manitoba, they had at least two choices for insurance ... one was for people who used their cars to drive to work every day, and on weekends, etc. etc. (called "All Purpose"); and one was for people who used their cars occasionally on a weekend or something, or maybe to drive to work a couple days a month, etc (called "Pleasure". The second choice was about half the price of the first choice.

They still have those options, but I just ran my car through their calculator and I see that the difference is only $125 now.

When your not going to drive one of them for a period of time you could change to storage insurance. I have a newer (08) small car (full coverage) and an 02 van. I get a 2 car discount all year but I keep the van under storage insurance for 8 months per year. Saves money.

I would check other company's rates. Mine gave me about 25% discount under 7000 miles if I used the vehicle only for "pleasure" not work.

If you live in Cali, this might be of interest to you.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-insure28-2008aug28,1,5163500.story


SACRAMENTO -- California drivers could be offered a new -- and often cheaper -- kind of car insurance next year under a voluntary pay-as-you-drive plan proposed Wednesday by Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner.

His plan would base annual rates partly on the exact number of miles driven and would allow people to pay less if they drive less. Poizner issued proposed regulations spelling out the plan, and the state's insurers Wednesday were enthusiastic about the idea but wanted to see more details.

Two out of three households in the state could save an average of $276 per vehicle, and lower-income people, who generally use their cars less than the middle class or the wealthy, might save even more, said a July study by the Brookings Institution in Washington. However, some high-mileage drivers might see their rates increase by opting for pay as you drive, the Brookings report said.

I know one man who has his truck licensed for four months of the year. The rest of the time he lives car-free. He's been living this way for several years. His entire lifestyle is incredibly low-cost and low-maintenance.

YMMV depending on location. Vehicle insurance is governed by the state you reside in. (at least in the US) We have several cars/trucks, the cheapest insurance is on the ones listed for farm use. It works out to about $40 a month. I tried the recreational use/limited use on one of mine a few years back when I still had a company truck but it was a not enough of a discount and if you went over the alloted mileage there was a pretty substantial penalty. It will also vary from company to company. Our previous insurance company went way up on our rates with no apparent reason, we switched to a different company and the rate was almost half for the same amount of coverage. It pays to review you insurance yearly and check for updated rates.

Aaron:)

When I was car lite instead of car free, I asked my insurance company if they offered a reduced rate for those who rarely use their car. The lady said no, and seemed completely shocked that I had asked. :lol:

I have the same scenario (discussed in the cost of going car lite thread). I'm at that point of deciding if the cost of registering and insuring the car is worth it when it won't turn a wheel for months on end. In the past I had a motorcycle and a car insured by the same company. I was able to get a decent sized discount on the auto insurance when I converted the motorcycle to be my primary vehicle. In fact if you did this and bought some old beater motorcycle I bet the cost of the motorcycle and insurance would be low enough that you could justify it even if you never plan to ride it. My hope is to find some specialty insurance so I can keep the car legal without going out of pocket too much. I'll let you know if I find anything, but like others have said this varies greatly from state to state.

When I was car lite instead of car free, I asked my insurance company if they offered a reduced rate for those who rarely use their car. The lady said no, and seemed completely shocked that I had asked.

I was once a customer service rep for a large company. I can assure you that there are times that a customer service rep says that a product or policy doesn't exist, just because they've never heard of it, rather than because it really doesn't exist. ;)

Liberty Mutual offers low mileage discounts. Not just some $40 chump change, either. When I first moved to WA and my mileage was considerably less than back in OH, I got a rate discount for driving less than 7500 miles/yr. Then I started commuting by bike and I got a second discount when I told them I drive under 5000 miles/yr. Last year I asked about a low mileage discount, and they said "you're already on our Under 5000 discount, sir. How many miles do you put on your vehicle in a year?" to which I replied "Under 2500." Sure enough, there's a discount category for that, too.
If you don't use it as a daily driver, you can sometimes get away with the 'recreational vehicle' classification that I fell into. Under a certain amount of miles, and not your primary transportation. If you don't have a "primary" vehicle insured with the same company, as I don't, they may require you to send a yearly ODO statement to verify the mileage status.

When I was car lite instead of car free, I asked my insurance company if they offered a reduced rate for those who rarely use their car. The lady said no, and seemed completely shocked that I had asked. :lol:

I would have explained to that lady that I intended to take my business elsewhere. You would be surprised what insurance agents are able to put together when they risk losing revenue...


If you live in Cali, this might be of interest to you.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-insure28-2008aug28,1,5163500.story

I like this concept.. pay as you go. It would be a double incentive for drivers to reduce mileage. When will this introduce it in Iowa?

If you live in Cali, this might be of interest to you.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-insure28-2008aug28,1,5163500.story

I used to live in CA. That is all over and done with. :D

When your not going to drive one of them for a period of time you could change to storage insurance. I have a newer (08) small car (full coverage) and an 02 van. I get a 2 car discount all year but I keep the van under storage insurance for 8 months per year. Saves money.

I just put the GTI on storage. Well, this was spearheaded by the fact that my fuel pump went out and school books were a bigger priority. :)

Came in for the alternator ($360)...still wasnt OK. Found out it "might" be the in-tank fuel pump causing the car to stall and lurch. If after they replace the in tank one for $140 and it doesnt do the trick...it would be the out-0f-tank pump...$360 (ouch!). Throwing parts at a car while attending school FT is no option. I just dropped the insurance and garaged the car.

I am researching options now for when I finish the quarter and wish to repair the car, drive it on occasion again.

Liberty Mutual offers low mileage discounts. Not just some $40 chump change, either. When I first moved to WA and my mileage was considerably less than back in OH, I got a rate discount for driving less than 7500 miles/yr. Then I started commuting by bike and I got a second discount when I told them I drive under 5000 miles/yr. Last year I asked about a low mileage discount, and they said "you're already on our Under 5000 discount, sir. How many miles do you put on your vehicle in a year?" to which I replied "Under 2500." Sure enough, there's a discount category for that, too.
If you don't use it as a daily driver, you can sometimes get away with the 'recreational vehicle' classification that I fell into. Under a certain amount of miles, and not your primary transportation. If you don't have a "primary" vehicle insured with the same company, as I don't, they may require you to send a yearly ODO statement to verify the mileage status.

I will look into this. Maybe Liberty Mutual has a ultra low mile use policy that would work for me.

Someone on another forum spoke of a company called Haggerty's. I searched all over the net in Portland and it never came up. He apparently had some 'garaged and rarely used car' policy that kept his rates under $300 a year.

That is what I want. Driving a max of 75 miles a month. 1-2 days per week "maybe"...it seems under $300 is appropriate.

Yes..PLEASE share if you find something.

My carrier is Safeco. My premiums run around $300.00 and I got discounts for light use of a car. I should tell them how much I actually use it, maybe they'll discount it more.

Check to see if the the 1987 car is an antique in your state.

Check to see if the the 1987 car is an antique in your state.

Wow...I completely forgot it is 20 years old now! A classic. Trip out.