Best insurance companies for Leaf owners (GEICO a RIPOFF)

[sittingbythedock]

I'm just wondering if anyone has suggestions of the best affordable insurance company for a Leaf. I dumped my Benz cause I was spending a ton of money on gas, and saw it as a way to save money and do the right thing for the environment.

My wife recently purchased a 2011 Honda CRV (used with 25 miles) for $21k. I was driving a late model Mercedes E430 (8 cyl). I still have the Mercedes (until I sell it on Craiglist) and we called Geico to add the Leaf (1 week old) and transition the Mercedes from a commuter car to a recreation (less use = less cost).

We were SHOCKED :!: that adding the Leaf DOUBLED the monthly insurance premium we were spending on the Benz and the 2011 Honda CRV.

This is AFTER a 10% discount Geico gave because it was an EV. My wife was surprised and asked why this was the case. The Geico person said it was partially because the car was new but also because the car used "advanced technology" and therefore Geico had to charge more for insuring it.

I think this is bogus and I'm wondering if GEICO is sticking it to EV owners. :twisted: Does anyone have recommendations? I'm saving money on gas but now I'm spending the money I saved on insurance!!! :x

 

[gsleaf]

I like Amica although I've never actually filed a claim yet.

 

[JeremyW]

Geico was actually the cheapest for me, being a young driver and a ticket on my record. Shop around, you'll probably find cheaper rates elsewhere.

 

[sittingbythedock]

Geico was actually the cheapest for me, being a young driver and a ticket on my record. Shop around, you'll probably find cheaper rates elsewhere.

Strange. I'm in the Bay Area (CA) and I'm wondering if there might be some geographic variety. We're middle aged folks with no tickets, accidents, etc. Actually, I don' think I filed a claim in my life and last ticket I got may have been 10 years ago. The whole "it uses advanced technology so we charge you more part" was just too much for me.

 

[Randy]

Insurance is different for everyone, based on your zip code and driving record. I was able to save a substantial amount by switching recently from 21st Century to Costco's Ameriprise...

 

[Randy3]

Insurance is different for everyone, based on your zip code and driving record. I was able to save a substantial amount by switching recently from 21st Century to Costco's Ameriprise...

Another Randy for Costco's Amerprise. We saved a $200 or so per year when we moved from AAA (or CSAA).

 

[UBUYGAS]

I need to call Costco!

 

[LeftieBiker]

We switched from Amica to Esurance, because the former's lack of recognition for domestic partnerships wuold have really cost us. As it is, we are paying about what we paid for the Prius alone, for *both* cars. In return, we get Crappier service and mistakes made by agents.

 

[ColumbiaRiverGorge]

American Family insurance charges me $72 a month with comprehensive & a $500 deductible.

 

[TomT]

Just remember that cost alone is not the best reason to pick a particular insurance company unless you never expect to need customer service or file a claim... For the record, we have USAA.

 

[dgpcolorado]

I use Electric Insurance (yes, really) and they claim to offer a 10% discount for EVs and hybrids; just got a letter to that effect yesterday. I'll be interested to see my renewal rates next spring.

 

[KillaWhat]

Can't say enough about USAA.
But I confess, I would love To have it insured by "Electric" ?
Seriously?
Electric car insured by Electric insurance?
Seems like a no brainier .

 

[Yogi62]

USAA was quite reasonable, less than I expected for a new car.

USAA has always done right by us, so we will stick with them even for more bucks.

 

[LeftieBiker]

Just remember that cost alone is not the best reason to pick a particular insurance company unless you never expect to need customer service or file a claim... For the record, we have USAA.

It's not black or white. If a company has a record of denying claims, then certainly. If you're saving a grand a year on two cars but may have to put more effort into a claim with the same end result, though, those of us who can only afford to lease a Leaf don't always consider fast, courteous phone service the #1 priority.

 

[RonDawg]

We switched from Amica to Esurance, because the former's lack of recognition for domestic partnerships wuold have really cost us. As it is, we are paying about what we paid for the Prius alone, for *both* cars. In return, we get Crappier service and mistakes made by agents.

Yet I have gotten nothing but the best service from Esurance, though I admit I have never filed a claim with them. They've never made a mistake with my policy, though for some reason I cannot update the Leaf's mileage online like I can with the Audi; that box is always grayed out.

Both the gecko and Flo have consistently quoted very high rates for me, though the Leaf didn't make it any higher than usual. AAA though was a different story: before the Leaf, their quotes were similar to my previous insurer Allstate, but with the Leaf they were far and away the most expensive of anybody I requested a quote from.

Even though they are technically part of Allstate, Esurance quoted me the same for both the Leaf and my Audi the same price as Allstate was charging for the Audi alone.

 

[GerryAZ]

I added the Leaf to my Allstate policy with no increase in total premium.

Gerry

 

[user 10599]

I was relatively pleased with the rate for adding my Leaf to my Safeco policy.

I know my brother got real upset with the rate that State Farm quoted for his Tesla that he got in 2012. He got a much better offer from AAA.

The dealer handed me a form for a discount with Farmers. So perhaps Farmers is actively interested in insuring Leafs and may be competitive.

This is a case where some calls to agents may save a substantial amount as some insurers will be wanting this segment while others will consider it a nuisance.

 

[AmicaInsurance]

We switched from Amica to Esurance, because the former's lack of recognition for domestic partnerships wuold have really cost us. As it is, we are paying about what we paid for the Prius alone, for *both* cars. In return, we get Crappier service and mistakes made by agents.

Hi LeftieBiker – I work on the social media team for Amica and am sorry to hear about your experience. As such, I’d like to offer our assistance by having someone reach out to you directly. If you’re interested, please email your name and contact information to [email protected]. From there, we can review your account and will get in touch with you as soon as possible to discuss the situation. I hope to hear from you soon. – Jess H.

 

[gsleaf]

Just remember that cost alone is not the best reason to pick a particular insurance company unless you never expect to need customer service or file a claim... For the record, we have USAA.

+1

 

[KellyROlsen]

We have Amica and the adding of the LEAF did make a substantial increase. In fact about 50%. We are in the $1,400 a year range for two people in the L.A. area with clean records. Seems really high to me but they have a good reputation. Thankfully we ave never had to file a claim. However, would like to save some money if possible so I'll check out some of these others.