Cheaper 1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata Car Insurance Quotes

Nobody gets a kick out of paying for insurance, in particular when the prices are way too high. Big companies like Progressive, Geico and Farmers Insurance constantly bombard you with ads and it can be hard to avoid their marketing magic and find the best price available.

Consumers should take time to price shop coverage once or twice a year because prices fluctuate regularly. Even if you got the lowest rates for MX-5 Miata coverage last year you may be paying too much now. Ignore everything you know about insurance because you’re about to learn the fastest and easiest way to reduce your cost while improving coverage.

Car insurance quotes and discounts

Car insurance companies don’t necessarily list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both well-publicized and also the lesser-known discounts that you can inquire about if you buy auto insurance online.

• Drivers Ed for Students – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers enroll and complete driver’s education if offered at their school.
• Full Payment Discount – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can avoid monthly service charges.
• Responsible Driver Discounts – Insureds without accidents can save as much as half off their rates for MX-5 Miata coverage than their less cautious counterparts.
• Government Employee Discount – Having worked for a branch of the government could provide a small rate reduction for MX-5 Miata coverage with a few car insurance companies.
• Bundle and Save – If you can combine your home and auto policy and insure them both with the same insurance company you could save nearly 15% which can help you find cheap auto insurance.
• Include Life Insurance and Save – Car insurance companies who offer life insurance give lower premium rates if you buy a life policy as well.
• No Claim Discounts – Insureds with no claims or accidents have much lower rates in comparison with policyholders that have many claims.

Drivers should understand that many deductions do not apply to all coverage premiums. A few only apply to individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. Despite the fact that it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, it’s just not the way it works.

Larger car insurance companies and their offered discounts can be read below.

• The Hartford offers discounts for good student, air bag, anti-theft, driver training, defensive driver, vehicle fuel type, and bundle.
• American Family may have discounts that include air bags, defensive driver, TimeAway discount, Steer into Savings, accident-free, and early bird.
• Progressive includes discounts for online signing, good student, multi-policy, online quote discount, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and continuous coverage.
• Travelers has savings for early quote, IntelliDrive, hybrid/electric vehicle, good student, multi-car, continuous insurance, and home ownership.
• Farmers Insurance offers discounts including pay in full, alternative fuel, distant student, good student, electronic funds transfer, and youthful driver.
• USAA has discounts for good student, new vehicle, multi-vehicle, annual mileage, and defensive driver.
• Liberty Mutual policyholders can earn discounts including new graduate, teen driver discount, exclusive group savings, preferred payment discount, multi-car, and multi-policy.

If you need lower rates, check with every prospective company what discounts are available to you. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not apply to policyholders in your area. For a list of insurers that offer multiple discounts, click here to view.

Five tips to get cheaper insurance premiums

Lots of things are considered when premium rates are determined. Most are fairly basic like an MVR report, although some other factors are less obvious such as whether you are married or your vehicle rating.

• Don’t abuse policy claims – If you are a frequent claim filer, you shouldn’t be surprised to get much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Auto insurance companies award discounts to insureds who file claims infrequently. Insurance coverage is meant to be used in the event of claims that you cannot pay yourself.
• Costs and your address – Choosing to live in a small town is a positive aspect when shopping for auto insurance. Drivers in populated areas regularly have more auto accidents and more time behind the wheel. Lower population translates into fewer accident claims in addition to fewer liability claims.
• Cautious drivers pay the best rates – How you drive has a huge affect on how much you pay. Even one citation may increase your cost twenty percent or more. Drivers who don’t get tickets pay less for auto insurance compared to bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may find that they have to to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state DMV in order to prevent a license revocation.
• Are you male or female? – The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men tend to get into fender benders in similar percentages, but the males tend to have more serious accidents. Men also statistically get higher numbers of serious violations such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly.
• What’s your car’s safety rating? – Vehicles that have high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. These vehicles reduce the chance of injuries and fewer injuries means your insurance company pays less which can result in lower premiums. If your Mazda MX-5 Miata scored better than four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org you may be receiving a better rate.

Situations that may require an agent’s advice

When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage, there really is no single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance needs to address that. For instance, these questions may help highlight whether or not you might need professional guidance.

• Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?
• Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
• When should I drop full coverage on my 1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata?
• How does medical payments coverage work?
• Is my dog or cat covered if injured in an accident?
• Do I need an umbrella policy?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and may give you better protection.

Advertising myths

Drivers can’t ignore all the ads for cheaper insurance by companies like Progressive, Allstate and Geico. They all make an identical promise that you’ll save big after switching to their company.

How can each company sell you cheaper insurance coverage?

Many companies quote the lowest rates for a prospective insured that earns them the most money. One example of this type of driver should be between the ages of 30 and 50, carries full coverage, and has a short commute. A propective insured that meets those criteria will get very good rates and as a result will probably save quite a bit of money when switching.

Potential customers who are not a match for those standards may be forced to pay a more expensive rate and business going elsewhere. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “customers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” can get the lowest rates when switching. That’s the way companies can lure you into getting a quote.

This really illustrates why it’s extremely important to compare price quotes frequently. It’s impossible to know which company will have the best prices at this point in time.

Specific coverages for a 1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Knowing the specifics of insurance can help you determine the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find typical coverages available from insurance companies.

Liability coverages

This coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show policy limits of 50/100/50 which means $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability can pay for things such as medical services, loss of income, repair costs for stationary objects and bail bonds. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is up to you, but you should buy as much as you can afford.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This coverage covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as hail damage, rock chips in glass and vandalism. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Insurance for medical payments

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for expenses for pain medications, ambulance fees, chiropractic care and surgery. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Mazda MX-5 Miata.

Because many people only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Coverage for collisions

This will pay to fix damage to your MX-5 Miata from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as crashing into a ditch, backing into a parked car, scraping a guard rail, colliding with another moving vehicle and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

A little work can save a LOT of money

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In many instances, someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits and discovered at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. Your focus should be to buy the best coverage you can find for the lowest cost.

Lower-priced 1997 Mazda MX-5 Miata insurance is definitely available on the web in addition to local insurance agencies, and you need to comparison shop both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance companies may not provide online quoting and most of the time these small, regional companies sell through independent insurance agencies.

Other information

• Uninsured Motorists: Threats on the Road (Insurance Information Insitute)
• What Determines the Price of My Auto Insurance Policy? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
• Anti-Lock Brake FAQ (iihs.org)