1997 Nissan Sentra Car Insurance Cost – 7 Ways to Save

Have you fallen victim to high-priced insurance? Trust us, many drivers feel the same as you. You have so many car insurance companies to buy insurance from, and although it’s nice to have a selection, it makes it harder to find the lowest rates.

How to buy car insurance

There are a variety of methods you can shop for car insurance but some are easier and takes less work. You could spend your day driving to local insurance agents in your area, or you could use the internet to get the quickest rates.

Many popular insurance companies belong to a marketplace that enables customers to submit one quote, and each participating company returns a rated price determined by their information. This prevents consumers from doing repetitive form submissions for every car insurance company. To enter your information into the quoting system, click here to open in new window.

The only downside to comparing rates this way is you don’t know exactly which carriers you want to price. So if you prefer to choose specific providers to compare rates, we put together a list of car insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.

It’s up to you which method you use, but make sure you use identical coverage limits with each company. If you enter different limits and deductibles on each one you can’t possibly determine which rate is truly the best.

Are you earning every discount?

Auto insurance is easily one of your largest bills, but companies offer discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some trigger automatically when you get a quote, but once in a while a discount must be asked for in order for you to get them. If they aren’t giving you every credit possible, you are not getting the best rate possible.

• Defensive Driver Discounts – Taking part in a defensive driver class could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
• Drivers Ed for Students – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them enroll in driver’s education in high school.
• New Car Discount – Buying a new car instead of a used car can get you a discount compared to insuring an older model.
• Resident Student – Kids who attend college more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car may be able to be covered for less.
• Low Mileage Discounts – Driving fewer miles can earn substantially lower premium rates.
• Good Student Discount – Being a good student may save you up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount up until you turn 25.
• Telematics Data Discounts – Insureds who allow companies to spy on their driving habits by using a small device installed in their vehicle like Allstate’s Drivewise could save a few bucks if they show good driving skills.

It’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. If you do the math and it seems like you can get free auto insurance, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.

A partial list of companies that may have many of the previously listed discounts include:

• Geico
• SAFECO
• State Farm
• MetLife
• 21st Century
• Progressive

When getting a coverage quote, ask all the companies what discounts are available to you. A few discounts might not be offered in your area.

When in doubt talk to an agent

When it comes to buying the best insurance coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different so your insurance should reflect that Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether you could use an agent’s help.

• Are rock chip repairs covered?
• Do all my vehicles need collision coverage?
• Do I need higher collision deductibles?
• Should I sign the liability waiver when renting a car?
• Is rental equipment covered for theft or damage?
• Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?

If you can’t answer these questions, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or click here for a list of insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, free and can help protect your family.

Auto insurance policy coverages for a 1997 Nissan Sentra

Having a good grasp of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverages offered by auto insurance companies.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for expenses for things like ambulance fees, chiropractic care and hospital visits. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and will also cover if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) – Your UM/UIM coverage gives you protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Normally the UM/UIM limits are set the same as your liablity limits.

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

Collision can pay for claims like damaging your car on a curb, colliding with another moving vehicle and sideswiping another vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are older. Another option is to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Liability – Liability insurance can cover injuries or damage you cause to other people or property by causing an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and property damage coverage for $50,000. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability can pay for things such as pain and suffering, loss of income and structural damage. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Comprehensive insurance – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as damage from flooding, rock chips in glass, theft and hitting a bird. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.