Cheap 1998 Mazda Protege Car Insurance Cost

Buying more affordable auto insurance may seem to be impossible for drivers who are new to comparing prices on the internet. With such a large choice of insurance companies available, how can you have a chance to compare every company in order to find cheaper auto insurance rates?

Smart consumers take time to shop coverage around every six months due to the fact that insurance prices tend to go up over time. Just because you found the best rates for Protege coverage two years ago a different company probably has better rate quotes today. Block out anything you think you know about auto insurance because I’m going to teach you the easiest way to save on auto insurance.

Compare insurance quotes

Effectively comparing insurance prices can be a daunting task if you don’t utilize the most efficient way. You can waste a lot of time discussing policy coverages with insurance agencies in your area, or you could save time and use online quoting for quick rates.

All the larger companies participate in an industry program that allows shoppers to complete one form, and every company can give them a price determined by their information. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions for each company you want a rate for. To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click to open in new window.

The only downside to comparing rates this way is you are unable to specify the insurers to get pricing from. So if you prefer to choose specific providers to compare rates, we have a listing of the cheapest insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.

The approach you take is up to you, just be sure you’re using identical quote data for each comparison quote. If you compare different deductibles you will not be able to decipher which rate is best. Having just a slight variation in coverages can make a big difference in price. And when quoting insurance, remember that comparing more rates from different companies will enable you to find more affordable insurance.

You may qualify for discounts

Car insurance companies do not list their entire list of discounts very clearly, so the list below contains some of the best known as well as some of the hidden savings tricks you should be using when you buy insurance coverage online.

• Discount for Home Ownership – Owning a home can help you save on insurance coverage because of the fact that having a home shows financial diligence.
• Auto/Home Discount – If you can combine your homeowners and auto policy and insure them both with the same insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
• Senior Citizen Rates – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may be able to get a small decrease in premiums for Protege coverage.
• No Charge for an Accident – This isn’t a discount exactly, but some insurance companies may permit one accident without raising rates if you have no claims for a specific time period.
• Theft Prevention System – Cars and trucks equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems have a lower chance of being stolen and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.

You can save money using discounts, but many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. A few only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Just because you may think all those discounts means the company will pay you, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy. But any discount should definitely cut the amount you have to pay.

To locate insurers with the best discounts, click this link.

There’s no such thing as the perfect car insurance policy

When buying coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Every situation is different.

These are some specific questions can help discover if you may require specific advice.

• Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
• Do I get a pro-rated refund if I cancel my policy early?
• Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
• How much liability insurance is required?
• Will filing a claim cost me more?
• Does liability extend to a camper or trailer?
• Does car insurance cover theft of personal property?
• Do I have coverage for damage caused while driving under the influence?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, you may need to chat with an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Specifics of your car insurance policy

Understanding the coverages of car insurance helps when choosing appropriate coverage for your vehicles. Car insurance terms can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. It can pay for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people have only the minimum liability required by law, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Most of the time these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Medical expense coverage

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for immediate expenses such as ambulance fees, X-ray expenses, hospital visits, nursing services and prosthetic devices. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Comprehensive protection

Comprehensive insurance covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like falling objects, theft, hail damage, damage from a tornado or hurricane and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider dropping full coverage.

Liability

Liability coverage can cover damage or injury you incur to a person or their property in an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims, and doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see policy limits of 25/50/25 that means you have a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged propery. Alternatively, you may have a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage protects against things such as structural damage, court costs, attorney fees, medical services and loss of income. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible.

Auto collision coverage

Collision insurance covers damage to your Protege caused by collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision coverage protects against things such as sideswiping another vehicle, backing into a parked car, hitting a parking meter and hitting a mailbox. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Another option is to choose a higher deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.