Quote It Before You Buy It

Insurance is one of the running costs of a car and it varies between models more than people expect. Finding that out after signing is the wrong order, and quoting beforehand takes minutes.

What you need to quote a car you don't own

• Year, make, model and trim. Trim is the one that gets guessed and it matters.
• The VIN, if the specific car has been identified. Listings and dealer stock pages usually publish it.
• Whether it will be financed, leased or bought outright.
• Who will be the registered owner and who will drive it.

Comparing two cars you are choosing between

This is the most valuable version of this exercise. Ask for both quoted on the same day at the same coverage, and you get a genuine comparison of what each one costs to insure for you — which is not the same as what either costs to insure in general. The differences can be meaningful and they run for as long as you own the car.

Don't buy the car on a quoted number

A quote before the VIN exists is built on an assumed trim. Once the specific vehicle is identified, confirm the number against that VIN before you commit. This is the same reason we say plainly that an advertised figure is not a quote — including our own $29, which is a starting point for qualifying drivers and an advertised starting point, not a quote; your own number depends on your record, mileage, vehicle and coverage choices.

The day of purchase

1. Get the VIN from the seller or the dealer's finance office.
2. Call and bind coverage effective the moment you take possession.
3. Have the binder or evidence of insurance sent to the dealer if they need it, and the ID card to you.
4. If financed, give the lender's exact name and insurance-notice address at the same time.

Private-party purchases

The same sequence, minus the finance office. Get the VIN before you hand over money, arrange the coverage before you drive it home, and complete the title transfer promptly — the seller has an obligation to notify the DMV of the transfer within five days under Vehicle Code section 5900, and the buyer's own registration steps have their own deadlines.

Send us the two cars you are choosing between and we'll price both before you decide.