Trying to find cheaper car insurance rates for your Chevrolet S-10? Nobody I know anticipates paying for car insurance, in particular when their premiums are through the roof.
Drivers have many auto insurance companies to choose from, and although it’s nice to be able to choose, it can be more challenging to find a good deal.
Choosing the best insurance company for you is easy if you know what you’re doing. Just about every driver who has to buy auto insurance will be able to find better rates. But vehicle owners must understand how big insurance companies determine prices and use this information to your advantage.
Some companies do not advertise the entire discount list in an easy-to-find place, so the list below gives a summary of some of the best known as well as some of the hidden ways to save on car insurance.
Policy discounts save money, but most credits do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like all the discounts add up to a free policy, nobody gets a free ride.
Larger car insurance companies and their possible discounts are:
If you want cheap auto insurance quotes, ask every insurance company which credits you are entitled to. Savings may not be offered in your area. To choose providers who offer cheap car insurance quotes, click here.
Performing a rate comparison can be challenging if you aren’t aware of the best way to get rate quotes. You can waste a few hours (or days) discussing policy coverages with insurance companies in your area, or you could use online quoting to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.
Most major companies participate in an industry program where prospective buyers complete one form, and each participating company returns a rated price for coverage. This system prevents you from having to do quote requests for every car insurance company. To access this free quoting program, click here (opens in new window).
The only drawback to using this type of system is buyers cannot specifically choose which carriers to get pricing from. So if you prefer to pick specific insurance companies for rate comparison, we have a page of car insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.
Whichever way you use, try to use exactly the same coverage data for each comparison quote. If you enter different data you will not be able to determine which rate is truly the best. Slightly different insurance coverages or limits may result in large price differences. And when price shopping your coverage, making a lot of price comparisons increases your odds of finding more affordable insurance. Not every company provides rate quotes online, so you should also compare price estimates from them, too.
One of the most helpful ways to save on insurance coverage is to to have a grasp of the rating factors that are used to determine the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what impacts premium levels, this allows you to make good choices that can help you get big savings. Many things are taken into consideration when you get your auto insurance bill. Most are fairly basic like an MVR report, but other criteria are more transparent like where you live and annual miles driven.
Shown below are some of the major factors utilized by car insurance companies to help set your rate level.
When it comes to buying adequate coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions may help you determine if you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier
Well-known auto insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate and Geico seem to constantly run ads on TV and radio. All the ads have a common claim about savings if you get a free auto insurance quote and switch to their company. How do they all claim to save you money? It’s all in the wording.
Different companies quote the lowest rates for the type of insured that will be a good risk. For example, a driver they prefer might have to be between the ages of 40 and 55, has a clean driving record, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Any customer that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good car insurance rates and have a good chance to save when switching.
Insureds who do not meet these criteria must pay higher prices with the end result being the driver buying from a lower-cost company. If you pay attention, the ads say “people who switch” not “everyone who quotes” will save that much if they switch. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make those statements. This illustrates why you need to do a price quote comparison at every renewal. Because without a comparison, you cannot know the company that will have the lowest rates.
Understanding the coverages of a insurance policy can help you determine which coverages you need for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are typical coverage types found on the average insurance policy.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.
Collision – Collision coverage covers damage to your S-10 caused by collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as colliding with a tree, rolling your car, driving through your garage door and crashing into a building. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.
Auto liability – Liability insurance protects you from damage that occurs to other people or property by causing an accident. It protects you against claims from other people. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.
Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 25/50/25 that means you have a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability insurance covers claims like medical services, attorney fees, court costs and medical expenses. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy as much as you can afford.
Medical expense coverage – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for bills like doctor visits, X-ray expenses, nursing services, hospital visits and dental work. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Comprehensive protection – Comprehensive insurance will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as a tree branch falling on your vehicle, hitting a deer, hail damage and damage from getting keyed. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.
Lower-priced auto insurance is attainable from both online companies in addition to many insurance agents, so you need to quote auto insurance with both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers may not have the ability to get a quote online and most of the time these regional carriers work with local independent agencies.
When getting auto insurance quotes online, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. In many cases, someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The proper strategy is to get the best coverage possible at the lowest possible cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
For more information, feel free to visit these articles:
Elvie Merritt
Got a quote with Amica for my 1997 Chevrolet S-10 and cut my rates about $60 a year. I quoted rates online then called them. Book value doesn’t justify full coverage anymore.
Lisbeth Harper
21st Century is cheapest in New Mexico! :)
Tressa Beasley
Corporate greed I’m telling you. Located in Gaithersburg, MD. I got free prices from Auto-Owners, Nationwide, and some smaller one I can’t remember the name of for my S-10 and saved just over $90 a year. I have a couple other vehicles on the policy. Only insure liability on my Chevrolet.
Christian Hartman
From north side of West Valley City, UT. Went online for free insurance quotes for a 1997 Chevrolet S-10. Ended up at about $70 savings annually. Went with State Farm. Ask about discounts. I just carry liability insurance.
Marva Monroe
I’m in Fort Wayne, IN and need high risk coverage. Help!
Steve Roberts
Anyone like their agent?
Forrest Foreman
I think I’m paying too much. Proud to be from San Jose, CA. Don’t remember every company but I ended up saving about $20 each month. Thankfully I’m not a high risk driver. I used their website to get prices.
Zada Wagner
If you have a clean record and live near Mobile, AL, check out State Farm. They seem to be cheaper. I don’t have comp or collision coverage.
Dottie Wiley
In New York City, New York, Allstate auto insurance rates for my 1997 Chevrolet S-10 were good. Was with AIG Insurance. Teenage drivers are expensive! I used their online quote form to compare rates. Just liability coverage since it’s getting old.
Karissa Michael
Cheaper not always better. Got a quote with Sentry for my S-10 and am saving around $80 a year. BTW speeding tickets are not good. Hardly afford to drive anymore. I don’t put full coverage on it.
Elroy Buckley
Are State Farm or State Farm rates cheaper in Tennessee?
Carin Vinson
Not sure what I should be paying. I’m in the suburbs of Omaha, NE. Quoted quotes from GMAC, AIG Insurance, Sentry, and a couple others for my 1997 Chevrolet S-10 and I think I saved about $30 each month. Left Erie to switch. I have a teen driver too. They were helpful in switching over. Not worth enough to pay for comprehensive and collision.