Had to laugh reading this—reminds me of when I tried to “outsmart” my insurance and dropped comp on my ‘72 Chevelle. Two weeks later, a freak hailstorm left it looking like a golf ball. The savings didn’t even cover the dent repair. Sometimes the universe has a sense of humor...
Man, that’s rough. I’ve always wrestled with when to drop comp or collision, especially on older rides. My ‘68 Charger’s not a daily driver, but I still keep full coverage—mostly because I’d never forgive myself if something random happened. Curious if you (or anyone else) factor in how much you actually drive the car? Or is it more about the car’s value and sentimental attachment? I feel like there’s no perfect answer...
I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I don’t see the point in keeping full coverage on something that barely leaves the garage. You said,
Curious if you (or anyone else) factor in how much you actually drive the car? Or is it more about the car’s value and sentimental attachment?
Here’s how I look at it:
1. If you’re not driving it much, the odds of an accident are way lower.
2. If you’ve got a safe spot to park it (garage, storage, whatever), then comprehensive is mostly just for freak stuff like theft or a tree falling.
3. Sentimental value doesn’t pay the bills. If you’d be crushed to lose it, sure, keep coverage. But if you’re just worried about money, run the numbers—sometimes the premiums add up to more than the car’s worth after a few years.
I dropped comp/collision on my old Civic once it hit 15 years and never looked back. If something happened, I’d just eat the loss. Not saying it’s for everyone, but sometimes you gotta be realistic about risk vs. cost.
I totally get where you’re coming from. Honestly, I’m right there with you—once a car hits a certain age or value, full coverage just feels like throwing money away. I had a 2008 Corolla that I babied for years, barely drove it except for grocery runs, and finally realized my premiums were almost half the car’s value every year. Just didn’t make sense anymore.
But here’s something I’ve wondered: do you factor in stuff like hail or vandalism if you live somewhere unpredictable? My neighbor got his parked car keyed last year, and it made me second-guess dropping comprehensive even though I barely use my ride. Sometimes it feels like you’re gambling either way—save money now or risk a random bill down the line.
Curious if anyone’s ever regretted dropping coverage after something unexpected happened? Or is that just the price of being practical...
I totally get the “gambling” feeling you mentioned.
I’m still on my first car (not fancy, but it gets me around), and I keep thinking about hail damage since we get those freak storms here. My uncle dropped comprehensive on his old Civic and then a tree branch fell on it during a windstorm—he was so frustrated, but he also said he’d probably make the same call again because the car wasn’t worth much. Guess there’s no perfect answer, just what feels right for your situation.Sometimes it feels like you’re gambling either way—save money now or risk a random bill down the line.
