Multiple Car Questions...???

Question

Ok, I am a 19 year old sophomore in college. I have never owned a vehicle before but had questions regarding owning a vehicle.

I want to buy a used car, but I don't know how to go about this. Do I have to get insurance first, or can I buy the car than get insurance?

I don't have my drivers license yet, I do have my permit, and I was told that if you are 18+ in Oklahoma, than I won't need to go through the written test again, and I might not have to go through the driving test if I've held my permit for long enough with driving experience. Is this true?

Where would I go to get tags and plates for a vehicle if I live in Midwest City, OK? Where is the closest place?

Which car insurance company should I go for, being 19 years old, single, and a first time driver? How does car insurance payments work? If a vehicle is old, does the price of car insurance go down or up? If I buy a used car, will car insurance be cheaper for the vehicle or will it still be the same? Does car insurance vary between standard or automatic transmission?

Pretty much, these are all the questions I have regarding owning my own vehicle. If anyone can answer these, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advanced.

Answer 1

Go visit a lot and pick about 3 cars that you like.  Go to your insurance agent and ask for quotes based on those 3 cars.  Then go back to the dealership.  If you are financing the vehicle, most (if not all!) finance companies will require that you have proof of insurance before you drive off the lot.  You can call your insurance agent over the phone and have them add the vehicle to your policy, then fax over an insurance binder to the dealership.  They do this all the time.

Part of the fees you pay when you buy a car from a dealership (new or used) are TT&L...tax, title, and license.  You are paying the sales tax on the purchase price of the vehicle, paying for the title and registration and plates.  The dealership should take care of all this for you.

If you are purchasing a car from a private seller, to register it, you will need the title to the vehicle (signed over to you by the previous owner).  You take this to your local tax office or DMV, pay your sales tax, registration fee and title fee, and have the title changed into your name and your registration and plates will be issue to you.  Most states allow you 20-30 days to get all of this taken care of when you buy a new vehicle.

As for insurance, it really all depends on what your budget is.  You can go to a smaller independant agent, and it will probably be cheaper,  but if the time ever comes when you have to make a claim, you may have more difficulty.  Larger, franchised agents (e.g. State Farm, Farmers, Progressive) are more reliable.

Good Luck! :-)

Answer 2

You have to have a car to insure, so you must buy the vehicle first.  I don't know what specific laws in your state are, but I would image you must first have a drivers license to even test drive a car, as in most states.  So you'd certainly need a drivers license to drive off the car lot if you bought one.  To register your vehicle you must go to your county DMV.  This is usually located in the County Courthouse.  As far as insurance, you'll probably be really expensive to insure, the best idea is to have a parent insure it, and add you as a driver.  Their driving experience will get a them a better rate.  Usually with car insurance payments, if your on a 6 month policy is they rate you for 6 months and break it up. Your first months premium (payment) is ALWAYS higher because of a ''deposit''  you put down.  Mandatory.  Buying a new or used car doesn't necessarily mean the insurance will be cheaper or more expensive, it mostly depends on the driver driving history.  Nor does it matter what kind of transmission.  The things they give you discounts for are seat belts, air bags, alarm system, garage parking at night.  

Answer 3

for the insurance, get the car first unless OK. has a named nonowners policy.  best place to start is by calling a agent and ask your questions to him or her.  they should be able to help you out.  

Answer 4

I have met this kind of situation before,here is the place I found useful.http://carinsurance.expertsupport.info/a...

Answer 5

You can't get insurance until you buy a car. The cost is determined by make, model, and age and condition of the vehicle.

Shop around for insurance. The cost varies widely from one company to another.

I don't think transmission will affect the insurance cost. As a new driver you might want to consider automatic, since it requires less thought on your part.