Choosing between basic liability and full coverage for your first car - what did you go with?

Had to stick with full coverage, honestly. My record’s not the cleanest - couple tickets, one fender bender - so liability alone would’ve been risky for me. Premiums sucked, but if I’d totaled my car, I’d be screwed without it. If you drive a lot or have bad luck like me, sometimes it’s just the price you pay. Otherwise, yeah, liability’s fine for cheap cars... if you’re lucky.

I hear you on the “bad luck” thing - my last car got rear-ended twice in a year, both times while parked. I kept wondering if full coverage was overkill since my car’s not worth much, but after that second hit, the payout basically saved me from being car-less. Do you think it’s worth dropping to liability once the car’s value dips below a certain point, or is the peace of mind just too important?

I’ve always kept full coverage longer than most people probably would, just because my luck with parked cars is about as bad as yours. Once the car’s worth less than a couple grand, though, I start thinking liability makes more sense. Still, that “what if” feeling is hard to shake...

Once the car’s worth less than a couple grand, though, I start thinking liability makes more sense. Still, that “what if” feeling is hard to shake...

Totally get that “what if” worry. Here’s how I usually break it down: 1) Check what you’d actually get from insurance if your car got totaled. 2) Compare that to what you’re paying for full coverage each year. 3) If the math doesn’t add up, I just switch to liability and stash the difference for emergencies. It’s not foolproof, but it helps me feel a bit more in control. I’ve had my share of dings in parking lots too... sometimes you just have to roll with it.

I totally relate to that “what if” feeling - especially as a newer driver. I went with liability on my first car since it was already pretty old, but I remember stressing about every little scratch at first. My logic was kinda similar: if the insurance payout wouldn’t even cover a decent used bike, why pay more? Still, I get nervous about big accidents sometimes... but honestly, having a little emergency fund set aside helps me chill out about it.