Compare 2009 Mazda Tribute Car Insurance Quotes

Want lower insurance rates for your Mazda Tribute? When trying to find more affordable insurance, are you baffled by the sheer number of insurance choices in your area? Lot’s of other drivers are too. You have such a large number of options that it can really be a real difficult job to find the perfect company for you.

It’s important to shop coverage around periodically because insurance prices are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Despite the fact that you may have had the best rates on Tribute insurance at your last renewal you may be paying too much now. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about insurance because I’m going to teach you the tricks you need to know to lower your annual insurance bill.

Why your insurance premiums might be higher

When buying car insurance it’s important to understand a few of the rating criteria that are used to determine your policy premiums. When you know what positively or negatively determines base rates, this allows you to make good choices that could result in lower premium levels.

  • Having a spouse is a bonus – Your spouse can actually save you money when shopping for car insurance. It means you’re more mature and responsible and insurance companies like that married drivers tend to file fewer claims.
  • Higher comp and collision deductibles reduce costs – Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket in the event of a claim. Physical damage coverage, aka comp and collision, protects your car from damage. Examples of some claims that would be covered would be a windshield broken by a bird, fire damage, and having a roll-over accident. The more money the insured has to pay upfront, the better rate you will receive on Tribute insurance.
  • Optional features that lower premiums – Driving a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can earn a premium discount. Advanced theft deterrents like OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms all aid in stopping vehicle theft.
  • Safety ratings are a factor – Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Highly rated vehicles reduce the chance of injuries and reduced instances of injuries means your insurance company pays less which can result in lower premiums. If your Mazda Tribute has at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website it is probably cheaper to insure.
  • Car insurance policy lapses lead to higher rates – Not maintaining insurance is not a good idea and you will pay a penalty because you let your insurance lapse. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance may earn you a license revocation or jail time. You may need to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with your state motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.

Get lower-cost auto insurance with discounts

Auto insurance companies do not advertise the entire discount list very well, so the list below details both the well known and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving when you buy car insurance online.

  • Auto/Home Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles and place coverage with the same company you will save up to 20% and get you cheaper car insurance.
  • Paperless Signup – A handful of auto insurance companies will give a small break simply for signing on their website.
  • Driver’s Ed – Teen drivers should enroll in driver’s education in school or through a local driver safety program.
  • Senior Citizen Rates – If you’re over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for a slight reduction on a car insurance quote on Tribute insurance.
  • Seat Belts Save – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts could save 15% off PIP or medical payments premium.
  • Smart Student Discounts – This discount can earn a discount of 20% or more. Most companies allow this discount up until you turn 25.
  • Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Having multiple vehicles on a single policy qualifies for this discount.
  • Defensive Driving Course – Taking part in a course teaching defensive driver skills may get you a small discount and easily pay for the cost of the class.

Discounts save money, but please remember that some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So despite the fact that it appears you could get a free auto insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

Large auto insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer include:

  • Progressive may offer discounts for online signing, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, homeowner, online quote discount, and good student.
  • MetLife has discounts for good student, defensive driver, accident-free, multi-policy, claim-free, and good driver.
  • Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include anti-theft, accident-free, professional/association, low natural disaster claims, and multi-car.
  • Nationwide offers discounts for defensive driving, accident-free, good student, Farm Bureau membership, family plan, and easy pay.
  • Geico policyholders can earn discounts including daytime running lights, emergency military deployment, good student, defensive driver, membership and employees, federal employee, and anti-lock brakes.
  • AAA offers discounts including multi-policy, good driver, anti-theft, education and occupation, pay-in-full, and multi-car.

If you need affordable car insurance quotes, ask each company how many discounts you can get. Savings may not be available in your area. For a list of companies with the best discounts, click here.

Brand name doesn’t guarantee savings

Big name companies like Allstate and Progressive endlessly run ads on television and other media. All the companies make an identical promise that drivers can save some big amount just by switching your coverage. How is it possible that every company can save you money? This is the way they can do it.

Insurance companies look for specific characteristics for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable insured might be over the age of 35, carries high limits, and chooses high deductibles. Any person who matches those parameters gets the lowest auto insurance rates and most likely will save a lot of money.

Insureds who are not a match for these criteria will probably be forced to pay higher premium rates which translates to the customer not buying. If you pay attention, the ads say “drivers who switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that much. That is how companies can claim big savings.

Each company has different criteria, so you really should compare rate quotes every year. Because without a comparison, you cannot know with any certainty which company will have the best prices.

Tailor your car insurance coverage to you

When buying adequate coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different.

For instance, these questions might point out if your situation might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Does my 2009 Mazda Tribute qualify for pleasure use?
  • Am I missing any policy discounts?
  • Is upholstery damage covered by car insurance?
  • Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
  • Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
  • Is pleasure use cheaper than using my 2009 Mazda Tribute to commute?
  • Is a blown tire covered by insurance?

If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form.

Detailed coverages of your auto insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of your policy can help you determine which coverages you need and the correct deductibles and limits. Auto insurance terms can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Collision coverage – This pays for damage to your Tribute caused by collision with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as crashing into a building, rolling your car and damaging your car on a curb. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – This coverage provides protection from other motorists when they are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your 2009 Mazda Tribute.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Normally the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – This will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hitting a bird, hail damage, hitting a deer and falling objects. The maximum payout a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Insurance for medical payments – Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for immediate expenses like X-ray expenses, rehabilitation expenses and ambulance fees. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. It covers you and your occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Liability coverages – This provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people by causing an accident. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see policy limits of 25/50/25 that means you have a limit of $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 for the entire accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL that pays claims from the same limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability can pay for things such as court costs, pain and suffering, legal defense fees and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but consider buying higher limits if possible.

At the end of the day…

Drivers switch companies for many reasons like delays in responding to claim requests, being labeled a high risk driver, high prices and even questionable increases in premium. It doesn’t matter what your reason, switching insurance companies is less work than it seems.

When buying insurance coverage, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many situations where someone sacrificed full coverage to discover at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your goal is to find the BEST coverage for the lowest cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

There are still a few companies who do not offer online price quotes and most of the time these smaller providers work with local independent agencies. Budget-conscious 2009 Mazda Tribute insurance is possible online as well as from independent agents, and you should compare rates from both in order to have the best chance of saving money.

More information is available at the links below