I've been thinking about this exact thing lately. I went with the roadside coverage through my insurance too—mostly because I'm cheap and $2-3 a month is way easier to swallow than AAA's annual fee. But yeah, that 25-mile limit has always been in the back of my mind. Last summer, my friend broke down on a road trip, and we were easily 40 miles from the nearest decent-sized town. Luckily, he had AAA premium or whatever it's called, so we got towed without extra charges. Made me realize how quickly those miles add up when you're out in the sticks.
I guess it depends on your driving habits though. If you're mostly commuting around town or sticking close to home, 25 miles is probably plenty. But if you're regularly hitting the highway or exploring rural areas, it might be worth reconsidering.
Has anyone actually compared the cost of paying out-of-pocket for a longer tow versus upgrading coverage? I'm curious if it's cheaper to just risk it and pay as you go...
"Has anyone actually compared the cost of paying out-of-pocket for a longer tow versus upgrading coverage?"
I looked into this a while back—around here, towing runs about $4-6 per mile. One long-distance tow could easily cost more than a year's upgraded coverage. If you're regularly out in rural areas, upgrading might be worth the peace of mind...
I've always wondered about this myself, especially since my older car tends to be a bit temperamental on longer drives. Last summer, I had to get towed about 40 miles back home, and the bill was definitely eye-opening. Makes me curious—does anyone know if classic car insurance typically includes better towing coverage, or is it usually a separate add-on? Might be worth looking into for those of us driving older vehicles...
"Last summer, I had to get towed about 40 miles back home, and the bill was definitely eye-opening."
Haha, I feel your pain. When I first got insurance, I thought towing coverage was just automatically included... until my trusty '98 Corolla decided to take a nap on the freeway. Let's just say that tow bill taught me more about insurance than any pamphlet ever could. Classic car policies might have better perks built-in, but honestly, I'd double-check—insurance fine print is sneakier than my car's check engine light.
Yeah, towing coverage is one of those sneaky little details that always seems to slip through the cracks. I remember thinking I was all set until my old Civic decided to give up halfway through a road trip. Middle of nowhere, no cell reception, and when I finally got through to a tow company, the price they quoted me nearly made me consider just abandoning the car right there. 😂
Honestly though, even if your policy says "roadside assistance," it's worth double-checking exactly what's covered. Some policies have mileage limits or only cover towing to the nearest mechanic—not necessarily your preferred one or even your hometown. Learned that the hard way too.
Classic car policies can be pretty decent, but they're not always the magic bullet either. My buddy has a vintage Mustang, and he swears by his classic car insurance. But when he actually needed a tow, turns out they had some weird restrictions about where they'd tow it and how far. He ended up paying extra anyway.
Insurance fine print is like that friend who promises to help you move but suddenly has "plans" when the day arrives—sounds great until you actually need it. 😂 Always worth a quick call or chat with your agent to clarify exactly what you're getting. Better to spend 10 minutes asking questions than 2 hours stranded on the side of the road wondering why you didn't.
Glad you figured out your state's minimum coverage though—saving money is always nice, especially when you realize how much you've been overpaying for stuff you don't even use. Just make sure you're not cutting corners on something you'll regret later. Minimum coverage can sometimes leave you hanging if things get serious.