What considerations should a person make if they’re moving to the bay area and are thinking about buying a car

As mentioned by others, some areas are well covered by public transportation. Check it out to see if you really need a car. As you know, the cost of living in the Bay Area is one of the highest in the country. It affects the cost of everything.

In view of the above, cars are not that much more expensive than elsewhere (unlike housing!). Sure, price is a bit higher, sales tax and DMV license fees are higher. But, if you can afford a car else where, you can afford one here too.

On the other hand, auto insurance can be very expensive. It is not so much an issue of California or other State, but more rural area vs urban area. Zip codes in urban areas carry higher insurance rates because there are more accident in heavy traffic in urban areas.

There is one main thing you can do to save on insurance premium. Buy only the insurance you need. This means going for the highest possible deductible on collision insurance. It is typically $ 1,000. By doing so, you will probably nearly half your collision premium vs standard coverage with a deductible of only $ 250. Actually, if you buy an old car you may consider foregoing collision insurance entirely and save a bundle. Liability insurance is pretty cheap and is crucial to have.

Definitely shop around for different insurance quotes. The Internet has several auto insurance website. Esurance.com is pretty good.