View 1997 Ford Contour Insurance Rates

Searching for lower insurance rates for your Ford Contour? Are you regretting the purchase of overpriced insurance? Believe me when I say there are a lot of people just like you who feel imprisoned by their insurance policy.

Companies like Progressive, State Farm and Geico constantly blast consumers with ads and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the flying pigs and cute green geckos and find the best price available.

How to compare car insurance price quotes

Comparing car insurance rates can be a daunting task if you don’t know the easiest way. You can spend your afternoon driving to local insurance agents in your area, or you could use the internet to get rates in a matter of minutes.

Most of the larger companies take part in a program where insurance shoppers complete one form, and every company can provide price quotes based on that information. This system prevents you from having to do form submissions to each individual car insurance company.

To find out what other companies charge click here to start a free quote.

The only downside to doing it this way is you are unable to specify which insurance companies to receive prices from. If you prefer to choose from a list of companies to compare rates, we put together a list of companies who write car insurance in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.

Whichever way you use, double check that you are using equivalent deductibles and coverage limits on every quote you get. If you are comparing different values for each quote it will be nearly impossible to determine which company has the best rates. Just slight variations in insurance coverages or limits can make a big difference in price. And when price shopping your coverage, comparing all the rates in your area helps you find the best price. Not every company allows you to get prices over the internet, so you also need to get price quotes from the smaller companies as well.

Don’t miss these premium-slashing discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but there could be significant discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically when you purchase, but less common discounts must be asked for prior to getting the savings. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you are not getting the best rate possible.

• Multi-car Discount – Insuring multiple cars or trucks on the same car insurance policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
• Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can stop better under adverse conditions and earn discounts up to 10%.
• Driving Data Discount – Policyholders that allow their insurance company to scrutinize their driving habits remotely such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate’s Drivewise system could see a rate decrease if they have good driving habits.
• Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags can get savings up to 30%.
• Good Student – This discount can save 20 to 25%. The discount lasts up to age 25.
• Accident-Free Discounts – Claim-free drivers have much lower rates compared to policyholders that have many claims.
• Military Discounts – Being deployed with a military unit could trigger a small discount.
• Distant College Student Discount – Children who are enrolled in higher education away from home and leave their car at home may qualify for this discount.
• Federal Employees – Employees or retirees of the government may reduce rates when you quote insurance coverage for Contour coverage with select insurance companies.

As a sidenote, most of the big mark downs will not be given to all coverage premiums. Most only cut specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Just because you may think you could get a free car insurance policy, it’s just not the way it works. But all discounts will positively reduce the amount you have to pay.

A few of the larger companies and a partial list of their discounts are outlined below.

• State Farm has savings for accident-free, good student, Drive Safe & Save, defensive driving training, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and anti-theft.
• Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including newly retired, new graduate, good student, safety features, and preferred payment discount.
• American Family has discounts for air bags, bundled insurance, multi-vehicle, TimeAway discount, and good student.
• Progressive discounts include continuous coverage, online quote discount, good student, multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, and online signing.
• Farmers Insurance offers discounts for youthful driver, good student, electronic funds transfer, bundle discounts, mature driver, alternative fuel, and switch companies.
• Auto-Owners Insurance includes discounts for safe driver, student away at school, company car, anti-lock brakes, air bags, and paid in full.
• SAFECO may include discounts for teen safe driver, multi-car, anti-lock brakes, homeowner, safe driver, anti-theft, and drive less.

If you want affordable insurance coverage quotes, ask every company which discounts can lower your rates. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not be available in your area.

Do I need special coverages?

When buying coverage, there isn’t really a best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is a little different so this has to be addressed. For instance, these questions can aid in determining whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.

• Are rock chip repairs covered?
• Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
• Is my teenager covered with friends in the car?
• Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
• When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
• How does medical payments coverage work?
• How do I insure my teen driver?
• Will filing a claim cost me more?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

You can change your insurance prices

Many factors are part of the equation when you get a price on insurance. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, although others are not quite as obvious such as whether you are married or your financial responsibility.One of the most helpful ways to save on insurance is to to have a grasp of a few of the rating criteria that go into determining your policy premiums. When consumers understand what impacts premium levels, this helps enable you to make changes that may result in cheaper rates.

• Never let your coverage expire – Driving any period of time without insurance can get your license suspended and you may have a hard time finding new coverage because you let your coverage lapse. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance will get you fines and jail time.
• Battle of the sexes – Statistics have proven that females take fewer risks when driving. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Both genders tend to get into accidents at about the same rate, but the males have accidents that have higher claims. Men also tend to get higher numbers of serious violations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving.
• Drivers with good credit save – Credit score factor in determining premium rates. If your credit history is low, you could save money insuring your 1997 Ford Contour by improving your rating. Drivers with excellent credit tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with lower credit scores.
• Pay less if you’re married – Your spouse may save some money on your insurance policy. It demonstrates that you tend to be more mature and insurance companies like that being married results in fewer claims.
• Urban areas may pay more – Residing in small towns and rural areas has it’s advantages if you are looking for the lowest rates. Urban drivers regularly have more aggressive driving styles and much longer commute distances. Less people means reduced accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims.

Specifics of your insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of insurance aids in choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. Insurance terms can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find the normal coverages found on the average insurance policy.

Liability auto insurance

This coverage can cover damage that occurs to a person or their property in an accident. It protects you from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see liability limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability insurance covers things like medical expenses, medical services and legal defense fees. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Auto collision coverage

This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage pays for claims like crashing into a building, rolling your car and colliding with a tree. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when the “other guys” are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. It can pay for medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Ford Contour.

Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is important protection for you and your family.

Comprehensive coverage

This pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like vandalism, falling objects, damage from a tornado or hurricane and hail damage. The maximum amount your insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for expenses such as pain medications, EMT expenses and prosthetic devices. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Have money to burn

Lower-priced insurance can be purchased from both online companies and with local insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both so you have a total pricing picture. Some companies may not provide rate quotes online and these smaller providers only sell through local independent agents.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, you should never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and learned later that it was a big mistake. Your goal is to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest cost while still protecting your assets.

To learn more, feel free to browse these articles:

• Drunk Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Shopping for a Safe Car (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Alcohol Impaired Driving FAQ (iihs.org)
• What to do at the Scene of an Accident (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Learn About Car Insurance (Geico)
• Car Insurance: When not to Skimp (BankRate.com)