2001 Mazda MX-5 Miata Insurance Quotes – 7 Tips for Best Rates

Shopping for budget-priced car insurance online is challenging for consumers not familiar with comparing rates on the web. Because there are so many online companies available, how can you be able to compare all the different companies and get the best price?

It is always a good idea to compare rates occasionally because insurance rates trend upward over time. Even if you think you had the lowest premium rates for MX-5 Miata insurance last year other companies may now be cheaper. You’ll find a ton of advice on car insurance online, but you can learn some great ideas on how to reduce your car insurance bill.

Car insurance discounts are available to slash your rates

Car insurance can be pricey, but you might be missing out on some discounts to cut the cost considerably. Some discounts will apply at quote time, but some must be asked about before they will apply.

• No Accidents – Insureds who avoid accidents and claims pay much less compared to frequent claim filers.
• Student Discounts – Performing well in school can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The good student discount can last well after school through age 25.
• Discount for Passive Restraints – Factory options such as air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings up to 30%.
• Multiple Policy Discount – If you can combine your auto and home policy with one company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
• Pay Upfront and Save – If paying your policy premium upfront as opposed to paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
• Responsible Driver Discount – Drivers who avoid accidents can save as much as half off their rates for MX-5 Miata insurance as compared to drivers with claims.
• Drivers Education – Teen drivers should sucessfully take a drivers education course in school or through a local driver safety program.

As is typical with insurance, most credits do not apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because you may think you could get a free car insurance policy, nobody gets a free ride. But any discount will help reduce the amount you pay for coverage.

A list of companies and their possible discounts are:

• Geico includes discounts for good student, federal employee, driver training, emergency military deployment, five-year accident-free, and seat belt use.
• Travelers may offer discounts for multi-car, IntelliDrive, early quote, multi-policy, payment discounts, and continuous insurance.
• Farm Bureau has discounts for renewal discount, multi-policy, safe driver, good student, and driver training.
• Liberty Mutual offers discounts including newly married, new graduate, multi-policy, safety features, hybrid vehicle, and exclusive group savings.
• American Family discounts include multi-vehicle, TimeAway discount, good student, mySafetyValet, accident-free, defensive driver, and good driver.
• Progressive may include discounts for homeowner, online quote discount, multi-policy, continuous coverage, and online signing.

It’s a good idea to ask every company what discounts are available to you. Discounts might not be offered on policies in your area. For a list of insurers who offer discounts, click here.

The quickest method we recommend to compare car insurance company rates is to take advantage of the fact most larger insurance companies have advanced systems to provide you with a free rate quote. The only thing you need to do is give them rating details like the year, make and model of vehicles, if you went to college, how you use your vehicles, and if a SR-22 is needed. That rating data is instantly provided to all major companies and they provide comparison quotes instantly.

Everyone needs different auto insurance coverages

When it comes to buying adequate coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether you would benefit from professional advice.

• How does medical payments coverage work?
• Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
• Should I carry comprehensive and collision coverage?
• Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
• Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
• Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
• Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
• Am I covered if I hit my neighbor’s mailbox?
• Do I need to file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?
• Does my 2001 Mazda MX-5 Miata qualify for pleasure use?

If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form.

Insurance coverage breakdown

Knowing the specifics of insurance aids in choosing the right coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement.

Liability insurance

Liability coverage protects you from damage that occurs to people or other property. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability can pay for claims such as emergency aid, funeral expenses and attorney fees. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision)

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive can pay for things like fire damage, rock chips in glass, hitting a bird, vandalism and hail damage. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Medical expense insurance

Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for expenses for surgery, ambulance fees, prosthetic devices, X-ray expenses and pain medications. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Protection from uninsured/underinsured drivers

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

Collision coverage protection

Collision coverage pays for damage to your MX-5 Miata resulting from colliding with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision can pay for things like sideswiping another vehicle, hitting a mailbox and driving through your garage door. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to increase the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Quote more. Save more.

Some insurance providers may not provide the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional carriers only sell coverage through independent insurance agencies. Lower-priced car insurance can be found both online and from local insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates.

Consumers leave their current company for any number of reasons including unfair underwriting practices, being labeled a high risk driver, not issuing a premium refund or even an unsatisfactory settlement offer. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new company can be less work than you think.

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed liability coverage limits and learned later they didn’t have enough coverage. The aim is to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.

Even more information can be found in these articles:

• Safety Tips for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Top Signs Your Brakes are Giving Out (State Farm)
• Crash Avoidance Technologies FAQ (iihs.org)
• Vehicle Size and Weight FAQ (iihs.org)
• Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)