2005 Dodge Sprinter Insurance Cost – 8 Tricks for Cheaper Prices

Are you sick and tired of trying to scrape together enough money each month for car insurance? You’re in the same situation as millions of other drivers.

Since you have so many options, it can be diffult for people to pick a lower cost company.

Eight discounts for cheap insurance coverage rates

Insurance coverage is neither fun to buy or cheap, but you can get discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Certain reductions will be credited at quote time, but a few need to be asked about in order for you to get them.

• Telematics Discount – Policyholders that allow driving data collection to analyze driving manner by using a telematics device in their vehicle such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system could see a rate decrease as long as the data is positive.
• Save with More Vehicles Insured – Buying a policy with all your vehicles with one company qualifies for this discount.
• Drivers Education – Require your teen driver to take driver’s ed class if it’s offered in school.
• Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job may reduce rates when you quote auto insurance on Sprinter coverage with certain companies.
• Smart Student Discounts – Excelling in school could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Most companies allow this discount until age 25.
• Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your policy upfront rather than spreading payments over time you could save 5% or more.
• Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may qualify for discounts as much as 30%.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a defensive driving course may get you a small discount if your company offers it.

As a footnote on discounts, some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. So even though you would think adding up those discounts means a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business. But any discount will lower the premium cost.

Companies and the discounts they provide can be read below.

• American Family includes discounts for early bird, good student, defensive driver, mySafetyValet, TimeAway discount, and Steer into Savings.
• State Farm has discounts for good driver, anti-theft, Steer Clear safe driver discount, passive restraint, driver’s education, and Drive Safe & Save.
• 21st Century may include discounts for 55 and older, automatic seat belts, homeowners, early bird, good student, and student driver.
• Travelers may have discounts that include new car, driver training, good student, continuous insurance, multi-car, student away at school, and payment discounts.
• Geico may offer discounts for military active duty, seat belt use, emergency military deployment, federal employee, and multi-policy.

When comparing rates, check with all the companies which credits you are entitled to. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not be offered in your area.

Advertising and auto insurance

Auto insurance providers like Progressive, Allstate and Geico endlessly run ads on TV and radio. They all seem to make the point about how much you will save just by moving your coverage to them. It sounds good, but how can they all charge you less for car insurance? It’s all in the wording.

Insurance providers offer their best rates for the type of customer that will most likely be profitable. An example of a desirable insured might be described as between the ages of 30 and 50, has other policies, and drives a car with an anti-theft system. Any person who matches those parameters may get the lowest rates and have a good chance to save when switching.

Drivers who don’t measure up to this ideal profile will be charged higher rates with the end result being the customer buying from a different company. If you listen to the ad wording, they say “drivers who switch” not “everyone who quotes” can save as much as they claim. That’s why companies can make the claims of big savings.

Because of these techniques, drivers should get auto insurance quotes from several different companies. It is impossible to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

You may need specialized insurance coverage coverage

When it comes to buying coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that may help you determine whether or not you might need an agent’s assistance.

• Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
• When would I need rental car insurance?
• Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my 2005 Dodge Sprinter is totaled?
• Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
• What is the ISO rating for a 2005 Dodge Sprinter?
• I have a DUI can I still get coverage?
• Is my camper covered by my car insurance policy?
• What are the best liability limits?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Auto insurance coverages 101

Having a good grasp of auto insurance can be of help when determining the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be ambiguous and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are typical coverages available from auto insurance companies.

Comprehensive protection

This coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims such as vandalism, damage from getting keyed, hitting a bird and damage from flooding. The highest amount a auto insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Auto liability insurance

Liability coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other people or property. It protects you against other people’s claims. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Some companies may use one limit called combined single limit (CSL) that pays claims from the same limit with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage protects against claims such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, court costs and funeral expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Auto collision coverage

Collision insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with an object or car. 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, damaging your car on a curb and driving through your garage door. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Medical expense coverage

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses for things like funeral costs, pain medications, ambulance fees and surgery. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers you and your occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Uninsured or underinsured coverage

This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants from other motorists when they 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 Dodge Sprinter.

Since many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Frequently these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Saving money is sweet as honey

You just read quite a bit of information on how to reduce 2005 Dodge Sprinter insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more you quote auto insurance, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive.

As you prepare to switch companies, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where someone sacrificed collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price while still protecting your assets.

For more information, link through to these articles:

• Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
• How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)
• Electronic Stability Control FAQ (iihs.org)
• Credit and Insurance Scores (Insurance Information Insitute)