2004 Pontiac Sunfire Insurance Cost

Trying to find cheaper auto insurance rates for your Pontiac Sunfire? No sane person likes buying auto insurance, especially when they are aware that they could find better rates elsewhere.

Insurance companies such as Progressive, Geico and Farmers Insurance all claim big savings with TV and radio ads and it is challenging if not impossible to see past the geckos and flying pigs and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.

How to lower your insurance rates

Many factors are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. A few of the factors are predictable like a motor vehicle report, but other factors are less obvious such as your credit history or how safe your car is.One of the most helpful ways to save on auto insurance is to to have a grasp of the rating factors that play a part in calculating your policy premiums. If you understand what impacts premium levels, this enables you to make decisions that can help you get big savings.

  • Adjust physical damage deductibles and save – Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your vehicle. Some examples of claims that would be covered could be a broken side mirror, flood damage, and damage caused by flying debris. Physical damage deductibles tell how much you are required to pay if the claim is covered. The more the insured is willing to pay, the less money you will pay for auto insurance on Sunfire coverage.
  • Buy as much liability insurance as you can afford – Liability coverage will provide protection if you are ruled to be at fault for damages from an accident. Your policy’s liability insurance provides legal defense starting from day one. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to physical damage coverage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
  • Better auto insurance rates on cars with good safety ratings – Vehicles with high crash test scores tend to have better insurance rates. These vehicles reduce occupant injuries and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company which can result in lower premiums.
  • Improve your credit rating and save – Having a good credit history will be a significant factor in determining your rates. If your credit rating could use some work, you could save money insuring your 2004 Pontiac Sunfire if you clean up your credit. Insureds with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records as compared to drivers with lower credit scores.
  • Costs increase with policy add-ons – There are a ton of additional coverages that can waste your money when buying auto insurance. Coverages for replacement cost coverage, towing, and extra equipment coverage may not be needed and are just wasting money. The coverages may be enticing when buying your policy, but if you’ve never needed them in the past eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Use one insurance company and save – Most companies afford a discount to buyers that buy multiple policies such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. The discount can be as much as ten percent or more Even if you’re getting this discount consumers should still compare other insurance prices to help ensure you have the lowest rates.
  • Drive lots and pay more – Driving more miles annually the higher your rate. Most insurance companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars used primarily for pleasure use receive lower rates than cars that get driven a lot. Make sure your declarations sheet reflects the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money. Having an incorrect usage rating on your Sunfire can result in significantly higher rates.

Auto insurance discounts are available to reduce your rates

Companies don’t always advertise every discount they offer very clearly, so below is a list some of the more common and also the lesser-known credits that you can use to lower your rates.

  • College Student Discount – College-age children who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from home without a vehicle on campus can receive lower rates.
  • Bundled Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you may save as much as 10 to 15 percent.
  • Good Student – A discount for being a good student can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount up to age 25.
  • Sign Early and Save – Some companies reward drivers for buying a policy prior to your current policy expiration. You could save around 10% when you buy auto insurance online.
  • Drive Safe and Save – Drivers without accidents can pay as much as 50% less on Sunfire coverage as compared to drivers with claims.
  • Theft Deterent Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs optioned with advanced anti-theft systems are less likely to be stolen and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Multi-car Discount – Insuring several vehicles on one policy could earn a price break for each car.
  • Seat Belts Save – Requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could save 15% off the PIP or medical payment premium.

Just know that most discount credits are not given the the whole policy. A few only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates adding up those discounts means a free policy, nobody gets a free ride.

Popular auto insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are included below.

  • Mercury Insurance discounts include good driver, location of vehicle, annual mileage, multi-policy, age of vehicle, good student, and type of vehicle.
  • Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for homeowner, early shopping, multi-car, youthful driver, and business and professional.
  • Farm Bureau may include discounts for multi-vehicle, driver training, good student, 55 and retired, youthful driver, and renewal discount.
  • State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including driver’s education, anti-theft, multiple autos, accident-free, good student, defensive driving training, and Drive Safe & Save.
  • Allstate offers discounts including defensive driver, safe driver, EZ pay plan discount, anti-theft, good payer, 55 and retired, and teenSMART discount.
  • Geico offers discounts for membership and employees, emergency military deployment, defensive driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, five-year accident-free, and daytime running lights.

When quoting, ask each company or agent to give you their best rates. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply to policies in every state. To see auto insurance companies with discount rates, follow this link.

Everyone needs different insurance coverage coverages

When buying proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that These are some specific questions can help discover if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.

  • Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?
  • What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
  • Is a blown tire covered by insurance?
  • Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
  • Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
  • Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Auto insurance coverage specifics

Learning about specific coverages of auto insurance helps when choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.

Liability car insurance – Liability coverage can cover damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. It protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see values of 100/300/100 that translate to $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit which limits claims to one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability can pay for claims like court costs, structural damage, medical expenses and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible.

Comprehensive protection – Comprehensive insurance pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things such as damage from flooding, damage from getting keyed and falling objects. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Medical expense coverage – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses for things like hospital visits, X-ray expenses and dental work. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your 2004 Pontiac Sunfire.

Due to the fact that many drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Usually these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Collision coverages – This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as hitting a mailbox, driving through your garage door, colliding with a tree, hitting a parking meter and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Coverage on a shoestring budget

In this article, we presented a lot of ways to compare 2004 Pontiac Sunfire insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get rates for, the better chance you’ll have of finding low cost auto insurance. Drivers may discover the best prices are with a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, Geico and Progressive.

When searching for the cheapest auto insurance quotes, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. Too many times, someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits and learned later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. The ultimate goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest price.

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