Cheap 2010 Suzuki SX4 Insurance Cost

Buying budget-priced auto insurance online can be somewhat intimidating for drivers that are not comfortable with quoting and price shopping on the internet. With such a large number of companies competing online, how can anyone be able to compare every one to find the best pricing?

It’s a good idea to price shop coverage before your policy renews because prices are rarely the same from one policy term to another. If you had the best rates on SX4 coverage two years ago you can probably find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because I’m going to teach you one of the best ways to lower your annual insurance bill.

Finding the best rates is not that difficult. If you currently have car insurance, you will be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. But vehicle owners need to have an understanding of the way companies sell insurance online and take advantage of how the system works.

The Suzuki SX4 insurance rate equation

Many different elements are taken into consideration when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious like your driving record, but some are not quite as obvious like your continuous coverage or how financially stable you are.

  • With age comes lower costs – Older insureds are more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers.Youthful drivers are statistically proven to be more careless when driving with friends so they pay higher auto insurance rates.
  • Do you qualify for a multi-policy discount? – Most major insurers will award a discount to people who consolidate policies with them, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, it’s still a good idea to shop around to ensure the best deal. It’s possible to still find lower rates even if you have your coverage with different companies
  • Improve your credit score – Having a bad credit score will be a significant factor in determining premium rates. Insureds with excellent credit tend to be less risk to insure than those with bad credit. Therefore, if your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could potentially save money when insuring your 2010 Suzuki SX4 if you improve your credit rating.
  • Men pay higher costs – Over the last 30 years, statistics show that females tend to be a little less risky than males. However, this does not mean men are worse drivers. Males and females cause fender benders at a similar rate, but the males have costlier accidents. Not only are claims higher, but men have more aggressive citations like reckless driving and DUI.
  • Getting married reduces risk – Having a wife or husband may earn you lower rates on your auto insurance policy. Having a significant other may mean you are more stable financially and statistics show drivers who are married are more cautious.
  • Annual mileage and car insurance costs – The higher the miles on your Suzuki in a year’s time the higher your rate. A lot of companies apply a rate based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Autos that are left in the garage can be on a lower rate level as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. An improperly rated SX4 is just wasting money. Ask your agent if your auto insurance coverage properly reflects the right rating data, because improper ratings can cost you money.
  • Your location is important – Being located in small towns and rural areas has definite advantages when insuring your vehicles. Residents of big cities regularly have much more traffic and much longer commute distances. Fewer drivers on the road means reduced accidents and lower theft and vandalism rates.
  • Cautious drivers pay the best costs – A bad driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Just one ticket can bump up the cost to the point where it’s not affordable. Attentive drivers pay lower auto insurance prices than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who have gotten multiple violations such as DUI or willful reckless driving may be required to file a SR-22 with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive a vehicle.

Take advantage of every auto insurance discount

Some companies don’t always list all possible discounts very well, so the below list has a few of the more well known and also the more inconspicuous credits available to you.

  • Buy New and Save – Putting insurance on a new car can get you a discount because newer vehicles keep occupants safer.
  • Discount for Swiching Early – A few larger companies offer discounts for buying a new policy before your current coverage expires. You can save around 10% with this discount.
  • Multiple Vehicles – Insuring all your vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • No Claims – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims pay less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
  • Policy Bundle Discount – When you combine your auto and home insurance with one insurance company you could earn a discount of up to 20% and get you affordable insurance.
  • Driving Data Discount – Insureds that choose to allow data collection to track vehicle usage by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive might get better premium rates if they show good driving skills.

While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.

A few of the larger companies and a partial list of their discounts can be read below.

  • Esurance policyholders can earn discounts including emergency road assistance, defensive driver, multi-policy, anti-theft, multi-car, DriveSense, and anti-lock brakes.
  • The Hartford has discounts for bundle, vehicle fuel type, driver training, air bag, good student, and defensive driver.
  • AAA offers premium reductions for good student, good driver, AAA membership discount, anti-theft, and multi-car.
  • Geico discounts include multi-policy, five-year accident-free, air bags, membership and employees, defensive driver, daytime running lights, and anti-lock brakes.
  • State Farm may include discounts for multiple autos, anti-theft, good student, safe vehicle, and Drive Safe & Save.

Double check with each insurance company which discounts you qualify for. Some discounts may not apply to policies everywhere.

Can you really save that much by switching?

Companies like State Farm, Geico and Progressive seem to constantly run television, radio, and online ads. They all have a common claim that you can save if you move to them. How do they all make the same claim? This is how they do it.

Auto insurance companies give the cheapest rates for the type of driver they prefer to insure. A good example of a desirable risk may need to be over the age of 35, has no claims, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. A propective insured who matches those parameters receive the lowest rate quotes and will probably cut their rates substantially.

Drivers who don’t qualify for the ideal profile will be charged higher prices and this results in the customer buying from a different company. The ads state “people who switch” not “all people who quote” will save that much if they switch. That’s why companies can truthfully claim big savings. Because of the profiling, you really should do a quote comparison often. You cannot predict which insurance companies will be your best fit.

How to know if you need help

When buying coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different.

For example, these questions could help you determine if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

  • Do I have any recourse if my insurance company denies a claim?
  • Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
  • Should I have a commercial auto policy?
  • Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
  • I have health insurance so do I need medical payments coverage?
  • Does my policy cover me when driving someone else’s vehicle?
  • Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?

If you can’t answer these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Car insurance coverages 101

Understanding the coverages of a car insurance policy helps when choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

This gives you protection from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.

Collision coverage

Collision insurance pays for damage to your SX4 resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, hitting a parking meter, backing into a parked car, rolling your car and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for expenses such as X-ray expenses, prosthetic devices, funeral costs, EMT expenses and ambulance fees. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover both the driver and occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Comprehensive insurance

Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as damage from a tornado or hurricane, rock chips in glass, vandalism and hail damage. The highest amount your car insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Auto liability

This coverage can cover injuries or damage you cause to other people or property in an accident. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see liability limits of 100/300/100 that translate to $100,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $300,000, and property damage coverage for $100,000.

Liability coverage protects against claims like attorney fees, medical services, loss of income, emergency aid and repair costs for stationary objects. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is your choice, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Knowledge is power

Insureds switch companies for any number of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, unfair underwriting practices, delays in paying claims or not issuing a premium refund. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new company can be easier than you think.

When searching for cheap insurance quotes, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many instances, an insured dropped liability limits or collision coverage and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your strategy should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at the best cost and still be able to protect your assets.

In this article, we covered quite a bit of information on how to compare 2010 Suzuki SX4 insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers could even find that the best price on auto insurance is with a lesser-known regional company.

Other learning opportunities