RENTAL COVERAGE: WORTH IT OR JUST EXTRA COST?
I get where you’re coming from about rental coverage, but I’ve actually gone the other way after a few years of paying for it and never using it. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but in my experience, the cost adds up over time—especially if you’re already carrying comprehensive and collision. I did the math last year and realized I’d paid more in premiums for rental coverage than I would’ve spent on a week-long rental out of pocket.
That said, I do a lot of road trips and tend to drive older cars that are pretty easy (and cheap) to fix. If something happens, I can usually get by with public transit or borrowing a friend’s car for a few days. Not everyone has that flexibility, though—I totally get that if you rely on your car for work or have a long commute, being without wheels isn’t really an option.
The one time I did need a rental after an accident, the other driver’s insurance covered it anyway since they were at fault. That’s not always guaranteed, but it made me rethink whether the extra monthly charge was worth it for me personally.
Insurance companies definitely make these add-ons sound essential, but sometimes they’re just padding the bill. For folks who don’t mind a little risk or have backup options, dropping rental coverage might make sense. But yeah... if you’ve been burned by high rental costs before, I can see why you’d want to keep it around. Just depends on your situation and how much risk you’re comfortable with.
