With many upstart companies offering cheap auto insurance, there's no reason for most consumers to have to pay too much for coverage. But, there's a difference between cheap auto insurance and decent insurance. Making sure you have good coverage is vital not only to meet legal requirements, but to ensure you're protected in the event of an accident.

When it comes to buying auto insurance, you need to make sure certain minimum requirements are met by the policy you buy. It's also vital to make sure the company you're dealing with is reputable and has the backing to pay claims and does so in a timely, fair manner.

Let's take a look at the first requirements for car insurance. To ensure you have a good policy, you'll need to have some basic coverage types. These are:

* Personal injury protection. No matter the price of auto insurance, this tends to be the law in most states, so make sure you have it. This coverage pays for medical expenses in the case of an accident.

* Liability. This coverage also should be included in most basic insurance policies. This helps cover you should you cause damage to another person's property. Most states require a minimum amount of liability coverage for drivers whether they have inexpensive auto insurance or not.

* Comprehensive and collision. These coverage types are considered optional and they might make cheap car insurance a little more expensive, but if they're needed to fulfill the requirements of an auto loan, they're vital. The two combine to cover the vehicle you're driving from everything from accident-related damage to acts of god, such as falling trees and flood.

A cheap auto insurance policy can still come with all of the above, but it might not be a good policy. The reputation of the insurance company involved will tell you if the policy you've found is worth even its cheap price or it should be avoided. Checking into an insurance company and its background will be vital for helping you decide if an inexpensive auto insurance policy is a good one or not.

Here's what to look for in a cheap auto insurance company:

* Check consumer reports to see if your insurance company has good reviews from past clients. A good company, cheap or not, will review claims with expediency and will also have a track record of paying out in a timely fashion when the situations warrant it.

* Inquire with state regulatory agencies to see whether complaints have been filed against the company. If there are too many, the it might not be a bargain after all.

* If the company is publicly traded, ask about its financials. Even a cheap auto insurance company should have good backing.

Cheap auto insurance can be found, especially from companies that deal in bulk and have a propensity to eliminate the middlemen, but that doesn't mean they're all cracked up the same. Check into a cheap auto insurance company's background before settling on a policy. If you need the insurance down the road, you'll be glad you did.