Best Collision Car Insurance: Quotes, Discounts for 2023

So your auto lender says you need collision insurance. But isn’t that what car insurance is for? When you’re involved in a collision? Well, kind of. But if you think liability car insurance protects your car from damage in a crash, you should read on—and really consider buying collision coverage if you don’t already have it.

When you’re shopping for any insurance products, let Insurify do the heavy lifting. Spend just a few minutes, and you’ll be presented with a slate of real insurance quotes personalized to you. It’ll even adjust your quote if you switch around your deductible amount and coverage limits. Compare car insurance quotes today and save hundreds of dollars on your annual policy.

Cheapest Companies for Full-Coverage Car Insurance

Because full-coverage car insurance covers a lot of damage that a simple liability insurance auto policy doesn’t, you can expect higher premiums than the minimum amount. These insurance companies have the cheapest rates around, according to Insurify:

What is collision car insurance?

Collision coverage is an optional add-on you can buy on top of liability car insurance. Collision insurance pays the cost of repairs up to a certain coverage limit—usually the actual cash value of your vehicle—if your car is in a collision of any kind, whether you hit a deer, a guardrail, a pothole, or another car. And you’re covered regardless of fault.

Here’s what makes collision coverage different from minimum liability auto insurance. The only insurance coverage you’re legally required to have—bodily injury and property damage liability coverage—pays for damages and medical bills that you are responsible for.

That means that if you’re at fault in an accident, your policy covers the other driver’s repairs and medical bills, but you’re on the hook for your own—which is where collision coverage comes in.

Collision coverage will cover damage to your vehicle if you’re in an accident and the other driver’s insurance won’t cover you or if you’re at fault. Similarly, if you hit a deer or a street sign and your car is damaged, collision coverage helps. Otherwise, you’ll pay the full repair costs out of pocket.

Speaking of out of pocket: there’s no free lunch in the insurance industry, and collision coverage comes with a collision deductible. When you make a collision claim, you pay that deductible—usually $500 or $1,000—before you get your payout.

If you’ve financed your car, most lenders require you to maintain full-coverage car insurance, which includes collision coverage and comprehensive coverage alongside the normal liability insurance. Got that? Collision coverage is part of full coverage, but it’s one of three types of coverage, and full coverage includes all three.

Types of Full-Coverage Car Insurance

There are three types of car insurance coverage. All insurance features liability coverage—you can’t meet the minimum insurance requirements without it. But in order to have full coverage, you must also have comprehensive coverage and collision coverage. Here’s what all those coverage types are for:

Liability Coverage

When you’re in a car accident, if the crash is your fault, you’ll be responsible to pay other people’s medical bills and the cost of repairs to their car. That’s what liability insurance is for—paying for other people’s property damage and bodily injury. Liability insurance comes with limits. And if the motorist at fault is uninsured or underinsured, you’ll be covered, too.

Collision Coverage

Do you live somewhere snowy and sometimes slide off the road? A place with lots of deer? Collision insurance covers damage to your vehicle that happens when you’re driving and hit something, but no one is at fault. Rollovers count, too. Collision insurance costs more if the value of your car is higher, but the peace of mind it affords is fantastic.

Similarly, if you’re in a crash and you’re the one at fault, having collision coverage is great because you won’t have to pay the cost of repairs to your own car and make a claim on your liability insurance. But you will pay higher premiums after making a collision claim.

If your car’s a total loss, collision coverage helps you recuperate the car’s value in cash so you can get back on the road. Since collision coverage usually is limited to the car’s value at the time of the crash, if you have an old car, this type of car insurance coverage might not be worth it. That’s why car insurance quotes are so helpful for informational purposes.

Comprehensive Coverage

You might be thinking that it would be nice to have some protection should your own car get damaged or stolen when you’re not even driving it. And that’s what comprehensive coverage covers: the cost of repairs for vandalism, natural disasters, theft, and other calamities. Alongside liability insurance, comprehensive insurance and collision coverage make full coverage.

Cheapest States for Full-Coverage Car Insurance

The cost of auto insurance—especially full coverage—varies significantly between states. Here are the five cheapest states for full-coverage car insurance, but keep in mind that premiums vary significantly by ZIP code, even in a cheap state.

Tips for Cheaper Car Insurance with Collision Coverage

There are so many creative ways to bring the cost of auto coverage down. Here are a few that should help your collision insurance premiums:

Only Get Collision Insurance If You Need It

Before you decide to add collision coverage to your auto insurance policy, make this calculation: compare your car’s value with the amount you would pay in a given year toward your collision insurance premium. (This is why insurance quotes are so important.) If the collision insurance costs over 10 percent of the car’s value, just leave collision coverage off your policy.

Choose a Higher Deductible

If you are required by your lender to have collision coverage or you want peace of mind but are on a budget, a higher deductible will help keep your premium down. Sometimes insurance providers don’t move the premium down significantly when you opt for a higher deductible, so ask to compare before deciding.

Work on Your Credit Score

One of the most important things you can do to take advantage of cheap car insurance is to raise your credit score as high as possible. It’s one of the most influential metrics insurance companies use when setting your premiums, except in some states where they’re not allowed to do so.

Shop Around for Car Insurance

The real trick to cheap car insurance is finding the auto insurance quotes that match your coverage needs and your budget. And the best way to do that is with Insurify, which sources quotes tailored to you from the most important insurance companies out there.

Get the Best and Cheapest Collision Coverage Quotes

It’s a huge load off to drive in dangerous conditions when you have collision coverage. Instead of worrying that a collision could ruin you financially and hurt you and others around you, you can focus on being safe and not sweat the cost if something bad happens.

Still, there’s always the cost of the insurance coverage to worry about. But with Insurify, you can easily compare auto insurance policies by accessing a free list of personalized quotes in just a few minutes, and you’ll be sure you have the cheapest policy around. How’s that for peace of mind?