How can I find cheap car insurance?
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In the face of inflation, many Swiss are embarking on the quest for cheap car insurance. The interest may be to reduce that monthly payment that can reach more than a hundred Swiss francs. Fortunately, insurers offer attractive deals, which you can easily take advantage of.
Our team also gives you all these tips, to benefit from the cheapest offers and make valuable savings. Contrary to popular belief, it's possible to find cheap insurance without sacrificing quality.
Cheap car insurance: what are the compulsory coverages?
Before setting off in search of cheap car insurance, it's important to take stock of the compulsory coverages. This will enable future policyholders to select only those coverages they consider essential.
Civil liability
Civil liability is the only compulsory insurance for the owner of a car. Its purpose is to protect other road users, in the event of damage committed through the owner's fault. For example, in the event of a collision in which the vehicle owner is found to be at fault, the insurance will compensate any third parties who have suffered damage.
In particular, the coverage may enable the insured to avoid paying for material repairs to the vehicle. In the event of bodily injury, the insurance will also take into account any treatment and other damages claimed by the victims.
For someone looking to draw up a quote for auto insurance that's cheaper than the norm, it's therefore possible to turn to a company offering civil liability exclusively, apart from any other cover.
Partial casco insurance
Partial casco insurance is a level of insurance that allows car owners to be insured against certain external elements. When another road user causes damage, via a collision, for example, it's their civil liability that will allow the vehicle owner to be compensated.
On the other hand, when it's other external elements, such as weather, a collision with an animal or even vehicle theft, partial casco insurance allows you to be compensated.
This cover is optional, when you acquire your own personal vehicle. On the other hand, it is compulsory when leasing a car. Those who opt for living will therefore not be able to find cheap car insurance, choosing not to take out partial casco insurance.
Collision casco insurance
Collision casco insurance is another type of insurance, enabling the owner of a vehicle to be covered when he himself is responsible for a collision.
When an insurance contract includes partial comprehensive insurance and collision damage waiver, it's called full comprehensive insurance.
Here too, coverage is not compulsory for someone acquiring their own vehicle. It is nevertheless strongly recommended when buying a new vehicle. It is also compulsory when the vehicle is leased. The aim is to protect the owner of the car.
Occupants' insurance
Finally, the last optional cover that can be added to the contract is occupants' insurance. In the event of an at-fault accident involving the vehicle owner, this will compensate the car's occupants, particularly in the event of bodily injury.
It remains crucial to stress that every Swiss person has insurance in the event of an accident. For someone who transports only Swiss nationals, the option is therefore potentially irrelevant.
On the other hand, for someone who transports cross-border workers or foreigners passing through Switzerland, this option may become unavoidable.
10 tips for cheap car insurance
Here are our top tips for finding cheap car insurance.
Take advantage of the competition
In Switzerland, it's possible to cancel a car insurance contract in the following cases:
- The contract is reaching its expiry date,
- The premium has increased,
- The insured changes vehicle,
- A claim, whether responsible or not, has occurred.
It may therefore be worthwhile to challenge your insurer's competitors regularly, to look for a cheaper insurance company. Obtaining other quotes will thus be an opportunity to change your contact, or even to renegotiate your contract with your current insurer.
It's important to note that changing insurance companies is often a good idea, to find the cheapest alternative.
Take advantage of offers for new members
Finding a cheaper insurance company, often involves looking for the best offers for new members. Many companies offer advantageous first-year rates.
It's therefore important not to hesitate to change your contact regularly, to look for the latest promotions available.
Cheap first-year car insurance can take many forms. For example, you may be offered one or more months' insurance, or a discount on the entire year's premiums.
Accept a higher deductible
To find cheap car insurance, the insured can also take the gamble that claims won't occur. It will then be possible to ask the insurer to pay a higher deductible, should one occur.
When the deductible is more expensive, premiums are cheaper. Indeed, by agreeing to participate more in the event of a hazard covered by the contract, it is possible to significantly lower the price of car insurance.
On the other hand, in the event of an accident, the insured may have to pay a high deductible. So there's eventually a happy medium between the amount of the deductible, and that of the premium.
Pay your premium in one go
Most insurers offer discounts for insurers agreeing to pay their premium in one go. This represents a significant expense, but one that only comes once a year.
The saving you make is sometimes worth using money you've saved. It also relieves you of a monthly payment that can sometimes be substantial, depending on the vehicle insured.
Be careful on the road
Good drivers are rewarded by the Swiss bonus system. In fact, every claim-free year reduces the price of your car insurance. By driving carefully, and therefore reducing the risk of having a claim, you'll therefore have the opportunity to find cheap car insurance.
Conversely, drivers who have suffered claims are charged a malus. The event can significantly increase the price of the premium to be paid. In Switzerland, a claim is considered to increase the price of car insurance by an average of 10%. This can therefore have a considerable impact on household budgets.
Choosing a cheap car
The price of car insurance is proportional to the costs that the insurance company will potentially have to pay in the event of a claim. The higher the value of a vehicle, the greater the reimbursements that will have to be made in the event of a claim.
For someone on a tight budget, acquiring a cheap car can thus help bring down the price of insurance. It's also advisable to favor cars for which replacement parts are readily available in Europe. We would therefore tend to favor European manufacturers, such as French and German brands.
Choosing an eco-friendly car
Faced with growing environmental issues, many insurance companies are encouraging their customers to opt for an eco-friendly car. It may therefore be possible to find cheap car insurance when you drive an electric or hybrid car.
The savings offered by insurers can sometimes be more indirect than a simple price reduction. For example, AXA is offering its policyholders a reduction on the price of each of their electric vehicle recharges, thanks to a special offer.
Once again, putting several insurers in competition with each other generally helps to find the best formula.
Reduce your level of cover
In Switzerland, only third-party liability is compulsory. This covers other road users when the driver of a vehicle causes them damage. To get the cheapest possible car insurance, it's therefore possible to insure only for this type of claim.
The partial casco and collision casco coverages are optional. They enable you to be insured when collisions originate from external elements other than motorists. Examples include collisions caused by animals. It also covers the vehicle and any passengers, in the event of a collision for which the insured is responsible.
Optional occupant cover is also available. It covers any damage suffered by passengers in a vehicle, when the driver is at fault in an accident. What's more, this coverage is not useful when the passengers are Swiss. They are covered by their basic insurance. The latter can therefore be seen as a superfluous expense, when you're only transporting Swiss people.
Don't pay for a vehicle that doesn't run
In Switzerland, license plates are assigned to a person and not to a particular vehicle. It is therefore possible to use the principle of interchangeable plates, to pay less car insurance. So, when a vehicle is not running, it will be possible to use its plates for another personal vehicle.
The non-running vehicle may only be insured with third-party liability. In fact, as it is not on the road, the risks of damaging it are reduced.
Group your insurances
To find cheap car insurance, you need to put as many chances as possible on your side. To be able to negotiate rates with an insurer, it can be useful to group all your insurance contracts.
Don't hesitate to ask about the contracts offered by the company you choose. By bundling your home and car insurance, you could potentially benefit from a discount.
How to get a quote for cheap car insurance?
With the advent of new technologies, getting a quote for cheaper car insurance has become child's play.
Classical request or online insurance?
Some individuals remain attached to a classic relationship with their insurer. They can therefore request a quote by telephone, or directly in an agency. Human contact may indeed allow more room for negotiation, than with a virtual solution.
For those adept at quick solutions, online insurance comparators are a real godsend. They enable you to compare several dozen insurers in just a few clicks.
Also, it's important to remember that more and more insurers are offering online car insurance quotes. It will then be possible to underwrite, via an entirely dematerialized process. Insurers offering this type of service are generally those with the lowest rates. The dematerialization of services effectively lowers an insurer's operating costs. This can be felt in the rates charged.
Information to be provided to take out car insurance
The information to be provided to take out car insurance in Switzerland first concerns the vehicle. You'll need to provide:
- The contract of sale for the vehicle,
- Your vehicle registration document,
- The old insurance policy may also be useful for negotiating prices.
As far as the driver is concerned, it's useful to be able to provide:
- The driver's license,
- A possible former insurance policy.
As you'll have gathered, the administrative steps involved in taking out cheap car insurance are fairly straightforward. That's why more and more individuals are choosing to change insurers regularly, to find the best rate.
What are the cheapest companies for car insurance?
Our team has selected the cheapest insurance companies for you, to help you find car insurance.
AXA car insurance
AXA positions itself as the leader in cheap car insurance in Switzerland. It is actually currently possible to insure a car for less than CHF 40 per month. The offer is very attractive, since it includes bonus protection as well as cover for serious driver errors.
A loan vehicle can also be made available to the insured, in the event of damage. In addition, the insurance remains customizable according to the coverages the driver needs.
Allianz car insurance
Alliance also offers cheap car insurance, priced at less than CHF 50 per month. However, compared with AXA, we note the need to pay a deductible in the event of damage caused by the insured.
The company nevertheless continues to appeal to many private individuals, for the reliability and responsiveness of its customer service.
Helvetia car insurance
Finally, the Helvetia insurance company also offers very attractive solutions for private individuals. It will be possible to find cheap car insurance, and without deductible for damage caused to third parties.
The brand regularly offers attractive promotions for new customers. Subscribing online, for example, can entitle you to a 10% discount on the entire contract for the first year.
The insurer also offers a few additional coverages that can be useful, such as psychological follow-up after an accident.
Minimum insurance in Switzerland: good or bad idea?
It was important for our team to give you an expert opinion, on cheap car insurance. This can involve lowering contract cover. In some cases, this choice is not necessarily relevant.
For the acquisition of a used vehicle
It is for the acquisition of a used vehicle that minimum insurance seems to be the most appropriate. In the event of damage, with simple third-party liability, the insured will be reimbursed for costs incurred, for damage to third parties. On the other hand, he will not be reimbursed for his own car, or for any bodily injury he may have sustained.
When the car has not been bought on credit, or its acquisition cost is low, it is conceivable to take the risk of having no other cover. The driver must nevertheless calculate the financial impact, should he lose his vehicle or be exposed to bodily injury.
For the acquisition of a new vehicle
For the acquisition of a new vehicle, it is strongly advised to select additional options. In fact, this will enable you to be reimbursed for part or all of the vehicle in the event of a claim.
Furthermore, it enables you to protect yourself against a greater number of cases, such as collisions with animals, climatic hazards or even collisions caused by the driver himself.
For leasing a car
Finally, when leasing a vehicle, subscribing to partial casco and collision casco cover is compulsory. In the event of a claim, the lessee of the vehicle must be able to guarantee the owner that he or she will be reimbursed up to the amount of the damage caused.
Here, therefore, we may need to find other tricks for taking out cheap car insurance. You could, for example, opt for a low-powered car, or put insurers in competition with each other to find the most attractive package.
Updated on: 30.01.2024Written by Antoine LégerHead of non-life insurance department at Comparea.To learn more about our team click here.