1997 Volkswagen Passat Car Insurance Cost – 5 Discounts for Best Prices

Finding cheaper auto insurance on the internet might appear challenging for people that are not comfortable with quoting and price shopping online. With dozens of insurers available, how can anyone efficiently compare every one to find the lowest price available?

More discounts mean affordable premiums

Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but companies offer discounts that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts will apply when you get a quote, but occassionally some discounts must be requested specifically in order for you to get them.

  • Service Members Pay Less – Having an actively deployed family member may lower your rates slightly.
  • Full Payment Discount – If you can afford to pay the entire bill rather than paying in monthly installments you could save up to 5%.
  • Discounts for New Vehicles – Insuring a vehicle that is new can save up to 30% because new model year vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
  • Theft Deterent Discount – Vehicles with anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and will save you 10% or more.
  • Distant Student – Any of your kids living away from home attending college without a vehicle on campus may qualify for this discount.

Keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Despite the appearance that you can get free auto insurance, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

A few of the larger companies and their possible discounts are shown below.

  • Progressive offers discounts for good student, homeowner, multi-policy, online signing, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and online quote discount.
  • Geico may have discounts that include anti-lock brakes, emergency military deployment, multi-vehicle, seat belt use, and daytime running lights.
  • State Farm includes discounts for good student, Drive Safe & Save, driver’s education, student away at school, safe vehicle, good driver, and accident-free.
  • Esurance discounts include defensive driver, anti-theft, Switch & Save, multi-car, and claim free.
  • The Hartford has discounts for anti-theft, defensive driver, vehicle fuel type, driver training, bundle, and air bag.

If you need lower rates, check with every prospective company the best way to save money. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be available to policyholders in your area. If you would like to choose from a list of auto insurance companies that offer the discounts shown above, follow this link.

Can you really save that much by switching?

Well-known car insurance companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive constantly bombard you with television, radio, and online ads. All the companies make an identical promise about how much you will save if you change your policy. How is it possible that every company can give you a better price?

Most companies have specific characteristics for the type of insured that earns them the most money. For example, a desirable risk might have to be between the ages of 30 and 50, carries full coverage, and drives newer vehicles. A customer getting a price quote that matches those criteria is entitled to the best price and is almost guaranteed to save quite a bit of money when switching.

Consumers who do not fit those criteria must pay higher prices and ends up with the customer buying from a different company. The trick is to say “drivers that switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” will save that much if they switch. That is how companies can advertise the savings. This really emphasizes why it’s extremely important to do a price quote comparison at every renewal. It’s just too difficult to predict with any certainty which company will give you the biggest savings.

It’s not one size fits all

When it comes to buying the best insurance coverage, there is no cookie cutter policy. Each situation is unique.

Here are some questions about coverages that could help you determine if you might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
  • How do I insure my teen driver?
  • Should I get collision insurance on every vehicle?
  • Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
  • Do I need replacement cost coverage?
  • Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
  • Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?
  • How can I find cheaper teen driver insurance?
  • Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
  • How do I buy GAP insurance?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

Parts of your insurance policy

Understanding the coverages of your policy aids in choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other drivers when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your 1997 Volkswagen Passat.

Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Medical expense coverage – Med pay and PIP coverage pay for bills like surgery, prosthetic devices, chiropractic care, hospital visits and dental work. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive protection – Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things like damage from getting keyed, fire damage, vandalism and a broken windshield. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Collision coverages – Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Passat resulting from a collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for things like crashing into a ditch, rolling your car and hitting a mailbox. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from older vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Liability coverage – This provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage protects against claims such as attorney fees, court costs, medical expenses and medical services. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Cheaper insurance is a realistic goal

We just showed you quite a bit of information on how to lower your 1997 Volkswagen Passat insurance prices. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding inexpensive insurance coverage. Consumers may even find the lowest prices come from a smaller regional carrier.

Affordable 1997 Volkswagen Passat insurance can be bought on the web in addition to local insurance agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies may not offer the ability to get a quote online and many times these small insurance companies prefer to sell through independent agencies.

Drivers change insurance companies for any number of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, denial of a claim, delays in responding to claim requests and poor customer service. Regardless of your reason, choosing a new company can be less work than you think.

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