1996 Volkswagen Passat Car Insurance Rates – 6 Tips for Cheaper Quotes

Scraping up a payment for overpriced Volkswagen Passat insurance can empty your accounts and maybe even restrict other spending.

Vehicle owners have so many insurance companies to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, more choices can make it harder to find the best rates for your vehicles.

You should take the time to do rate comparisons occasionally because insurance coverage prices change frequently. Even if you got the best deal on Passat coverage a few years ago you will most likely find a better premium rate today. There are a lot of ways to save on insurance coverage online but by reading this article, you’re going to learn some of the best ways to reduce your insurance coverage bill.

Finding affordable coverage is not rocket science. In a nutshell, anyone who buys insurance will more than likely be able to reduce their rates. But car owners need to have an understanding of how big insurance companies price online insurance because it can help you find the best coverage.

How to get auto insurance quotes

When looking for cheaper insurance coverage quotes, there are a couple ways to compare rate quotes from all the different companies. One of the best ways to find affordable 1996 Volkswagen Passat insurance rates is simply to get online rate quotes. This is very easy and can be done in a couple of different ways.

1. The most efficient method to find the lowest comparison rates is a comparison rater form like this one (opens in new window). This type of form keeps you from doing separate quotation requests for every auto insurance company. Filling out one form will return quotes from many national carriers.
2. A slightly less efficient method to find better pricing requires a trip to each individual company website and fill out a new quote form. For sake of this example, let’s say you want to compare rates from Liberty Mutual, State Farm and Farmers. To find out each rate you need to go to each individual site and repeatedly type in your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular.

   For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.

Whichever way you use, try to keep the same deductibles and coverage limits with every price quote. If you compare different limits and deductibles on each one it will be next to impossible to get a fair rate comparison. Just a small difference in insurance coverages can result in a big premium difference. And when price shopping your coverage, more quotes gives you a better chance of getting the best price. Not every company provides price estimates online, so it’s important to compare quotes on coverage from those companies, too.

Use discounts to get cheaper insurance coverage quotes

Insurance coverage is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but there could be available discounts that you may not know about. Most are applied at the time you complete a quote, but some need to be manually applied in order for you to get them. If you aren’t receiving every discount you deserve, you could be getting lower rates.

• Discount for Good Grades – This discount may save you up to 25%. The discount lasts until age 25.
• Driver’s Education for Students – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course in high school.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings of more than 20%.
• Student in College – Any of your kids who live away from home at college and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
• Accident Free – Claim-free drivers can earn big discounts when compared with drivers with a long claim history.
• Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Buying coverage for multiple vehicles on one policy qualifies for this discount.

As a footnote on discounts, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won’t be that lucky.

Some companies that have some of the above discounts possibly include:

• Geico
• Travelers
• Farm Bureau
• Liberty Mutual
• American Family
• Progressive

If you want cheap insurance coverage quotes, ask each company which credits you are entitled to. Savings may not be offered in your state. To choose insurers offering insurance coverage discounts, click this link.

Tailor your car insurance coverage to you

When buying proper insurance coverage, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions can help discover whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.

• When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
• Can I make deliveries for my home business?
• Where can I find DUI or SR-22 insurance?
• Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?
• When should I drop full coverage on my 1996 Volkswagen Passat?
• Will my vehicle be repaired with OEM or aftermarket parts?
• What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
• How can I force my company to pay a claim?
• Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
• Do I need rental car coverage?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.

Coverage specifics

Having a good grasp of your auto insurance policy can help you determine the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Auto insurance terms can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find the normal coverages available from auto insurance companies.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as vandalism, fire damage, damage from a tornado or hurricane and damage from getting keyed. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider dropping full coverage.

Medical costs insurance

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for expenses like chiropractic care, hospital visits, nursing services, doctor visits and ambulance fees. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. It covers all vehicle 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

Liability coverages

This coverage provides protection from damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. As an example, you may have policy limits of 100/300/100 that means you have a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a total of $300,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability insurance covers things like bail bonds, medical expenses and repair costs for stationary objects. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.

UM/UIM Coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your 1996 Volkswagen Passat.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.

Collision coverage

This pays for damage to your Passat resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for claims such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, driving through your garage door, colliding with another moving vehicle and sideswiping another vehicle. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Money doesn’t grow on trees

Cheaper auto insurance is attainable both online and also from your neighborhood agents, and you should compare rates from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who may not offer online rate quotes and these small insurance companies only sell through local independent agencies.

As you restructure your insurance plan, make sure you don’t buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are many occasions where an insured dropped collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The ultimate goal is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest cost, but do not skimp to save money.

More information is available below:

• What if I Can’t Find Coverage? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Things to Know Before you Cancel Insurance (Allstate)
• Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)
• Five Steps to Filing an Auto Insurance Claim (Insurance Information Insitute)