Smart Auto Insurance Blog

Even though Memorial Day has already passed, you can still get the auto deals that were offered over the weekend.  U.S. News & World Report’s Rachel Smith says that you can still get the “Best Memorial Day Car Deals” through the end of this month.  One of the best deals this Memorial Day weekend is from Chrysler Group LLC.  They are offering new customers 90 days without making any payments when they buy a new Chrysler, Jeep, RAM, Dodge, or FIAT.  The new 2012 autos have to be financed by Chase Auto Finance or Ally Financial.  Chrysler is also giving military members an added $500 off, in addition to the $500 that they always offer the military.

In addition to deals like 0% financing or $2,000 in customer cash, Chevrolet has a $750 Memorial Day cash offer on the Cruze, Malibu, Traverse, and two Silverado models.  GMC has another $750 cash offer, which can also be combined with their other offers.  If you are looking at a Buick, you can get between $500 and $2,250 in Memorial Day cash, depending on the model.  The Enclave is offering 0% financing and $750 cash back or a combination offer of $2,250 cash back.

Nissan’s yearly National Tent Event offers 0% financing on certain autos, as well as $500 holiday cash on the Altima sedans and coupes, Juke, Frontier, Rogue, Maxima, and the Versa hatchback.  Acura is offering .9% financing for five years on six of their models.  Honda is also offering .9% financing for 2-5 years on their Accord and Civic sedans and coupes, Pilot, Crosstour, and Odyssey.  After a busy driving weekend, consumers might have realized that their car was a gas guzzler or too small for travel.  Take these factors, as well as changes in auto insurance premiums, and look for a deal on a new car if you are in the market.

I just read about some really cool new car features in Forbes.  Some of these features are likely to reduce your auto insurance premiums, because they can help ensure that you avoid an automobile accident.  In Jim Gorzelany’s article, “Eight ‘Killer New Car-App’ Features for 2013,” the unique new features are pictured and described.

Infiniti is expanding on the rear camera we see on many new vehicles for its JX35 SUV.  Their ‘backup collision intervention’ will give a 360 degree view around the vehicle and even put the brakes on if the driver doesn’t when there is an object, such as another vehicle or child, in the way.  Three vehicles from different manufacturers will now have a center airbag in between the driver and passenger in the front seat to protect against collisions from multiple sides.

Anyone trying to load or unload an SUV will appreciate the Ford Escape’s hands-free power liftgate, where you just tap your foot on the bottom of the bumper to open or close the liftgate.  The Dodge Dart will now have an inductive wireless charging system so that you can just place any electronic in the designated area to keep it charged while driving.  Lincoln’s MKX is one of the first vehicles to bring back a push button gear selector, leaving more room in the center console for other things.

Car insurance companies may lower rates if you drive Cadillac’s XTS with a tactile-warning safety seat.  Drivers are alerted through seat vibrations on either side when veering too close to something or if another vehicle is approaching rapidly.  The Nissan Altima will now have a hands free text message assistant that can respond to your text messages via voice control or automatic texts, such as “driving, can’t text now.”  The Altima will also introduce zero-gravity seats to keep drivers more comfortable and work to reduce fatigue.  A lot of these cool, new features will help reduce accidents and keep you safer on the road.

USAA just performed their second annual study of the vehicles offering consumers the Best Value.  In Online Auto Insurance News’s article, “Four Cars Noted for Low Insurance Costs in USAA Best Value List,” Charles Nguyen gives the list of the sixteen new cars giving consumers the Best Value.  USAA takes many factors into account when making their list including auto insurance premiums, fuel economy, vehicle cost, and safety ratings.

There is a top car listed in sixteen different categories.  In order, the best value large, medium, and small sedans were the Dodge Charger, the Toyota Camry hybrid, and the Hyundai Elantra.  The Hyundai Genesis and Volvo S60 were the best large and midsize luxury sedans.  The SUV category was also broken up in large, medium, and small with the winners being the Chevrolet Traverse, the Dodge Journey, and the Kia Sportage.  The Audi Q7 and the Lexus RX 450h hybrid were the top large and midsize luxury SUVs.  The best large and small pickup trucks were the Toyota Tundra 2WD and the Nissan Frontier.  Ford’s Mustang took the best sports car spot and Honda’s CRZ hybrid was the best coupe.  The Nissan Juke took the top spot in the wagon category and the Dodge Caravan was the best minivan.

Auto insurance premiums were a big consideration when looking for the best value of automobiles for USAA’s list.  In combination with the car’s MSRP, reliability, safety ratings, and fuel economy; auto insurance costs are important to consumers.  A full one-third of USAA’s clients went with a Best Value car when they were buying a new 2012 vehicle.  The top 16 vehicles were narrowed down from a list of 80.  On that list, the four cars with the cheapest auto insurance were the Nissan Juke, the Kia Sportage, the Dodge Journey, and the Audi Q7.  Take a look at a Best Value car and see if it will work for your needs.

UPDATE 8/7/2012

A few months ago, we wrote about the changes being made to Florida’s auto insurance laws.  A MarketWatch press release shows how disappointed many Floridians and consumer groups are with these changes.  In “Opponents blast auto insurance reform, medical care cuts,” we learn that many opponents of Governor Scott’s auto insurance changes believe that they are only in the best interest of auto insurance companies.  Governor Scott disputes those claims and says the main purpose for these changes is to cut down on fraud and eventually lower Florida’s cost of living.

In July, around 150 new laws took effect, including the limitation of medical benefits that will be paid out and the stipulation that injuries must be reported within 14 days of a car accident.  The government in Florida says that the $1.4 billion that personal injury protection claims have increased over the past 4 years is largely due to fraud in the insurance market.  Now that PIP benefits are capped at $2,500 unless an “emergency condition” is reported by a valid medical professional, Governor Scott believes there will positive strides in Florida’s auto insurance marketplace.

But opponents say that many terms in the new laws are too vague, such as what constitutes an “emergency medical condition” and what providers can be seen.  Chiropractors, acupuncturists, and physical therapists say they are concerned that people will develop many more chronic conditions after car accidents because they aren’t getting reimbursed for seeing these types of providers.  They government disagrees with these claims and is trying to assure Floridians that they will be treated for their valid medical claims following a car accident.  They say they are just trying to get rid of the rampant fraud caused by many of the things they have changed or banned.

The most important thing to remember if you are a Florida driver is that you have to file any medical claim within 14 days of a car accident.  Once you have done that, follow the exact procedures listed under the new laws so that you will be reimbursed by your car insurance company.  Despite the battle between consumer groups and the government, you need to follow the laws until they change, if they do.

5/5/2012

After years of debate, changes have been finalized for Florida’s PIP auto insurance.  According to Tampa Bay’s Fox 13 News, Jeremy Campbell says “Car insurance changes (are) coming soon.”  Rick Scott, Governor of Florida, signed a bill this week that will take effect on July 1st of this year.  Auto insurance companies and lawmakers have been working for years to battle fraud related to Florida’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance.  They say that these changes will help to lower auto insurance rates because the fraud was out of control.

What will the new bill change?  First of all, Florida drivers will have to seek medical attention for any injuries related to an automobile crash within fourteen days of the occurrence.  At one point, there was no cap on the amount of time that could lapse between an accident and receiving medical treatment.  Unfortunately, some drivers were abusing the PIP system and seeking treatment for injuries or medical conditions unrelated to the crash quite a time later.

Drivers will also have to seek this medical attention from a certified medical doctor or dentist.  They cannot go to see a chiropractor or a holistic type of healer for care if they have been injured in an automobile accident.  The amount of benefits you can be paid has now been capped at $2,500, unless a certified doctor says that you have an “emergency medical condition.”  The cap used to be $10,000, so this is quite a significant change.  If you live in Florida and need to use your PIP insurance, make sure to have your claim documented by a medical professional within fourteen days of your accident.