2003 Volkswagen Passat Insurance Rates

Buying the lowest price insurance on the web might seem difficult for vehicle owners that are relatively new to comparing rates over the internet. With more and more companies competing online, how can anyone effectively compare every one to find better insurance prices?

How to shop auto insurance online

Performing a rate comparison can be challenging if you aren’t aware of the most efficient way to do it. You can waste hours talking about coverages with insurance companies in your area, or you can utilize the web to maximize your effort.

Most car insurance companies belong to a marketplace that allows shoppers to enter their policy data once, and every company returns a rated price determined by their information. This system prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions to every company.

To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click to open in new window.

The one downside to comparing rates this way is you can’t choose which companies you will receive quotes from. So if you prefer to pick specific providers to compare rates, we put together a list of low cost auto insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.

The approach you take is up to you, just compare the exact same quote information on every quote you get. If each company quotes different data you will not be able to determine which company has the best rates. Quoting even small variations in insurance coverages could mean much higher rates. Just remember that having more price comparisons will enable you to find more affordable rates. Some insurance companies are not set up to provide quotes online, so it’s important to also get rates on coverage from those companies, too.

Can you really save $388 a year?

Respected companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive continually stream ads in print and on television. They all state the claim about how much you will save if you just switch your coverage. How is it plausible that every one can give you a better price? This is the way they can do it.

Insurance providers have specific criteria for the type of customer that is profitable for them. For example, a profitable insured might be a married male, has no prior claims, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Someone that matches those criteria gets the lowest car insurance rates and as a result will probably save a lot if they switch.

Consumers who don’t measure up to this ideal profile will be quoted a more expensive rate and the customer buying from someone else. The trick is to say “customers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” save that much when switching. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make those statements. Because of this risk profiling, it’s extremely important to compare free car insurance quotes often. It is just not possible to predict with any certainty which company will have the best prices for your profile.

Why you might pay lower rates

A large part of saving on insurance is knowing some of the elements that aid in calculating your policy premiums. If you understand what impacts premium levels, this allows you to make educated decisions that could result in better insurance rates.

  • Traffic violations hurt – Even a single citation can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. Careful drivers receive lower rates compared to bad drivers. Drivers who have received license-revoking citations like DUI or reckless driving may face state-mandated requirements to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Teenage driver insurance costs – Young drivers are statistically shown to be less responsible with other occupants in the car so they pay higher insurance rates. Having to add a teen driver onto a policy can cause a big jump in price. Older insureds are more cautious drivers, are lower risk to insure and are safer drivers.
  • Women tend to be lower risk – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. It does not mean women are better drivers. Both genders are responsible for fender benders at a similar rate, but the male of the species tend to have higher claims. Men also statistically get cited for more serious violations such as reckless driving. Young men ages 16 to 20 have the highest risk to insure so it costs more to insure them.
  • Remove unneeded add-on coverages – There are quite a few add-on coverages you can purchase on your insurance policy. Coverages for personal injury protection, death and dismemberment, and term life insurance are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when buying your policy, but your money might be better spent on other coverage so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Deter vehicle theft – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices such as OnStar found on GM vehicles, advanced tracking like LoJack, and vehicle immobilization systems all hinder vehicle theft.

Get cheap car insurance with discounts

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, but you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you get a quote, but some may not be applied and must be specially asked for before being credited. If you are not receiving all the discounts available, you could be paying more than you need to.

  • Good Student – A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount until age 25.
  • Accident-Free Discounts – Drivers who stay claim-free can earn big discounts when compared to drivers with a long claim history.
  • Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies and insure them with the same company you may save nearly 15% which can help you find the cheapest car insurance.
  • Theft Deterent – Cars, trucks, and SUVs equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are stolen less frequently and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Passenger Safety Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags may qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
  • Own a Home – Owning your own home or condo can save you money because it is proof that your finances are in order.
  • More Vehicles More Savings – Buying coverage for all your vehicles on a single policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • Responsible Driver Discounts – Safe drivers can save as much as half off their rates on Passat insurance than their less cautious counterparts.

Consumers should know that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So when the math indicates adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck.

A list of companies and their offered discounts are outlined below.

  • State Farm includes discounts for Steer Clear safe driver discount, anti-theft, multiple policy, passive restraint, safe vehicle, driver’s education, and student away at school.
  • Progressive offers discounts including continuous coverage, online quote discount, homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle.
  • Travelers may include discounts for new car, driver training, home ownership, payment discounts, and save driver.
  • American Family discounts include Steer into Savings, early bird, mySafetyValet, multi-vehicle, accident-free, and TimeAway discount.
  • Liberty Mutual may have discounts that include multi-policy, newly retired, new graduate, multi-car, new vehicle discount, newly married, and preferred payment discount.

When quoting, ask every prospective company how you can save money. Depending on the company, some discounts might not be offered on policies everywhere. If you would like to choose from a list of providers that offer discounts, click this link.

Tailor your car insurance coverage to you

When buying the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

For instance, these questions can aid in determining whether you would benefit from professional advice.

  • Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
  • Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
  • Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
  • Am I insured when driving a different vehicle?
  • Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
  • If my pet gets injured in an accident are they covered?

If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Information about specific coverages

Knowing the specifics of a car insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be ambiguous and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Coverage for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for bills such as prosthetic devices, funeral costs, doctor visits, nursing services and X-ray expenses. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Collision coverage

This pays for damage to your Passat resulting from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision can pay for things such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, scraping a guard rail, colliding with a tree and hitting a parking meter. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Comprehensive coverages

This pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive can pay for claims such as damage from getting keyed, a broken windshield, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a bird and hail damage. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider dropping full coverage.

Liability insurance

Liability insurance provides protection from damage that occurs to other’s property or people that is your fault. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 25/50/25 that means you have $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability insurance covers things like funeral expenses, loss of income and structural damage. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as high a limit as you can afford.

In Summary

A few companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these smaller providers only sell through local independent agents. Budget-friendly auto insurance is definitely available on the web as well as from independent agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates.

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of techniques to save on 2003 Volkswagen Passat insurance. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the better your comparison will be. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company.

As you shop your coverage around, make sure you don’t sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. In many cases, someone sacrificed liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. The aim is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

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