View 1994 Mazda 323 Car Insurance Cost

Locating cheap auto insurance online is difficult for drivers who are new to comparing rates on the internet. Because there are so many online companies available, how can drivers even start to compare them all to find the lowest price available?

Buying car insurance is not rocket science. Just about everyone who carries insurance should be able to find lower rates. But car owners must comprehend how big insurance companies sell insurance online and apply this information to your search.

Why your insurance premiums might be higher

Part of the insurance coverage buying process is learning the different types of things that are used to determine your premiums. When you understand what determines base rates, this enables informed choices that will entitle you to lower rates. Multiple criteria are taken into consideration when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are pretty understandable such as your driving history, although others are less apparent such as whether you are married or your financial responsibility.

Shown below are some of the most rate-impacting factors insurance coverage companies consider when setting your rates.

  • No insurance claims equals cheaper premiums – If you are the type of insured that files lots of claims you can definitely plan on increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Companies award the lowest premiums to insureds who do not file claims often. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of larger claims.
  • Little extras can really add up – There are many additional extra coverages that can add up if you don’t pay attention. Coverage for things like rental car reimbursement, accidental death, and extra life insurance coverage are examples of these. The coverages may be enticing when talking to your agent, but if you have no use for them eliminate them to save money.
  • Low physical damage deductibles mean high rates – Comp and collision deductibles define how much the insured will be required to pay before your insurance coverage pays a claim. Physical damage protection, aka comp and collision, insures against damage to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are a windshield broken by a bird, collision with a deer, and damage from wind. The more expense you pay before a claim is paid (deductible), the lower your rates will be on 323 coverage.
  • Careless drivers pay higher premiums – Your driving citation history can have a huge impact on auto insurance premiums. Attentive drivers get better prices than their less careful counterparts. Getting just one speeding ticket or other violation can boost insurance rates substantially. Drivers who get severe violations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to complete a SR-22 with their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.
  • Mileage impacts premiums – Driving more miles annually the more it will cost to insure it. Most insurance companies charge rates based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars that are left in the garage receive lower rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Ask your agent if your declarations sheet properly reflects the right rating data, because it can save money. An incorrectly rated 323 can result in significantly higher rates.
  • Low credit rating equals high rates – Having a good credit score is likely to be a major factor in determining what you pay. If your credit history can use some improvement, you could save money insuring your 1994 Mazda 323 by taking the time to improve your credit score. Insureds that have high credit ratings tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than drivers who have lower credit scores.

How to buy insurance coverage

Performing a rate comparison can take hours if you don’t understand the best way to get rate quotes. You can waste a lot of time talking to insurance companies in your area, or you can stay home and use online quotes to maximize your effort.

Most car insurance companies enroll in a system that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and at least one company returns a competitive quote determined by their information. This prevents consumers from doing quote requests to each individual insurance coverage company. To compare rates now click to open in new window.

One minor caviat to pricing coverage this way is you can’t choose which insurance companies you want pricing from. If you wish to select specific providers for rate comparison, we put together a list of low cost insurance coverage companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.

It’s up to you which method you use, but compare apples-to-apples coverage limits and deductibles on every price quote you get. If you have unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be very difficult to determine the best price for your Mazda 323. Even a minor difference in insurance coverages or limits could throw off the whole comparison. Keep in mind that quoting more will improve the odds of getting a lower rate than you’re paying now. Not every company does rate quotes online, so you should also compare price quotes from those companies as well.

Insurance advertisements

Big name companies like Geico, State Farm and Progressive seem to constantly run ads in print and on television. All the ads state the claim of big savings if you move your insurance coverage to their company. It sounds good, but how can they all give you a lower rate? It’s all in the wording.

Insurance companies have underwriting criteria for the type of driver that earns them the most money. One example of a preferred risk might have to be between the ages of 30 and 45, has a clean driving record, and the vehicle is rated for pleasure use. Any new insured who matches those parameters may get the lowest premium rates and as a result will probably save money with a new company.

Insureds who cannot meet this ideal profile will get more expensive rates which results in the customer not buying. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “customers who switch” not “all people who quote” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can advertise the way they do. This really illustrates why you need to get as many free auto insurance quotes as possible. It’s just too difficult to predict with any certainty which company will have the lowest rate quotes.

Do you qualify for discounts?

Insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but there are discounts available that may help make it more affordable. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied at quote time, but some need to be specifically requested prior to getting the savings.

  • Driver Safety – Taking a driver safety course could earn you a small percentage discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
  • Save with a New Car – Adding a new car to your policy can get you a discount due to better safety requirements for newer models.
  • Auto/Home Discount – If you can combine your homeowners and auto policy with one company you could save at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
  • Braking Control Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can avoid accidents so companies give up to a 10% discount.
  • Student Driver Training – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them enroll in driver’s education as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
  • Homeowners Discount – Simply owning a home can help you save on insurance because it requires a higher level of personal finance.

One thing to note about discounts is that some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you won’t be that lucky.

Insurance companies that may offer policyholders these discounts include:

When quoting, ask every prospective company which discounts can lower your rates. Some discounts might not be offered on policies in your area.

Don’t assume everyone needs the same car insurance coverage

When choosing coverage, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Each situation is unique.

For instance, these questions may help highlight whether or not you could use an agent’s help.

  • Am I covered if I hit my neighbor’s mailbox?
  • Can I make deliveries for my home business?
  • What is an SR-22 filing?
  • What is the difference between comprehensive and collision coverage?
  • Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
  • When should I not file a claim?
  • I have health insurance so do I need medical payments coverage?
  • When can my company non-renew my policy?
  • Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
  • Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?

If you can’t answer these questions then you might want to talk to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Parts of your auto insurance policy

Having a good grasp of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be ambiguous and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Liability coverage

Liability insurance can cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show liability limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage pays for things like pain and suffering, funeral expenses, loss of income, attorney fees and emergency aid. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.

Comprehensive protection

Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like fire damage, hitting a deer and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

This coverage provides protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your Mazda 323.

Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.

Medical expense coverage

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for short-term medical expenses such as surgery, nursing services, prosthetic devices, EMT expenses and doctor visits. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Collision insurance

This coverage pays for damage to your 323 resulting from a collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage protects against claims like crashing into a building, sideswiping another vehicle, driving through your garage door and rolling your car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Online plus local equals savings

As you restructure your insurance plan, you should never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. Too many times, someone sacrificed full coverage only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your goal should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best cost, not the least amount of coverage.

Consumers who switch companies do it for a variety of reasons including being labeled a high risk driver, policy cancellation, questionable increases in premium and even delays in responding to claim requests. Whatever your reason, choosing a new insurance company is not as hard as you think.

You just learned some good ideas how you can lower your 1994 Mazda 323 insurance prices. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. You may be surprised to find that the lowest prices are with some of the lesser-known companies.

Much more information about insurance coverage can be found at the links below