View 2007 Kia Sportage Insurance Cost

Looking for better car insurance rates for your Kia Sportage? Pricey car insurance can diminish your personal savings and make it impossible to make ends meet. Comparison shopping can lower your rates and help to cut your insurance bill.

Because you have many choices, it’s difficult to choose a more affordable car insurance company.

This article will help you learn the best way to quote coverages and some tricks to saving. If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your premiums substantially using this information. Nevertheless, car owners can benefit by having an understanding of the way companies sell insurance online and use this information to your advantage.

How to buy insurance online

There are a variety of methods you can shop for insurance but some are more efficient than others. You can spend countless hours talking about coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you can utilize the internet to accomplish the same thing much quicker.

Many popular insurance companies take part in a program where prospective buyers enter their policy data once, and each company returns a competitive quote. This eliminates the need for quote forms for each company you want a rate for.

To access this free quoting program, click here (opens in new window).

The one disadvantage to doing it this way is that consumers can’t choose which companies to get quotes from. If you would rather choose from a list of companies for rate comparison, we put together a list of insurance companies in your area. Click here to view list.

Compare rates however you want, just make darn sure you compare the same coverages and limits on every quote you get. If the quotes have different values for each quote it will be very difficult to make a fair rate comparison. Having just a slight variation in insurance coverages could skew the results. Keep in mind that comparing a wide range of rates helps locate a lower rate. Some smaller insurers to not give online quotes, so it’s important to compare quotes from those companies as well.

Smaller companies may have the best rates

Companies like Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm constantly bombard you with television and radio advertisements. They all advertise the message about savings if you just switch your coverage. Is it even possible that every company can make almost identical claims? This is the way they can do it.

All companies have specific criteria for the type of customer that earns them a profit. For example, a profitable risk profile may be between 25 and 40, carries high limits, and chooses high deductibles. A propective insured who matches that profile will get the preferred car insurance rates and have a good chance to save if they switch.

Potential insureds who are not a match for these criteria will be quoted a higher rate which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The trick is to say “customers who switch” but not “everyone who gets a quote” save that much. That is how insurance companies can confidently state the savings.

That is why it’s extremely important to do a quote comparison often. Because you cannot predict with any certainty which company will fit your personal profile best.

Don’t overlook these insurance discounts

Car insurance companies do not advertise all their discounts very well, so the below list has both well-publicized as well as some of the hidden credits that you can use to lower your rates.

• Auto/Life Discount – Insurance companies who offer life insurance give a small discount if you purchase some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
• Good Student Discount – Maintaining excellent grades can get you a discount of up to 25%. The good student discount can last up to age 25.
• Discount for New Cars – Buying a new car instead of a used car can save you some money compared to insuring an older model.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to use their safety belts can save 10% or more off the PIP or medical payment premium.
• Multiple Vehicles – Drivers who insure primary and secondary vehicles on a single policy can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.
• Distant Student – College-age children who attend college more than 100 miles from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
• Sign Online – Some of the larger companies will give you a small discount for buying a policy and signing up online.
• Drivers Education – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers enroll in driver’s education as it can save substantially.
• Defensive Driver Discount – Participating in a course teaching defensive driving skills could possibly earn you a 5% discount and make you a better driver.
• Lower Rates for Military – Having an actively deployed family member can result in better insurance rates.

A little disclaimer on discounts, most discounts do not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce individual premiums such as comprehensive or collision. Despite the fact that it seems like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you aren’t that lucky.

A list of companies and a partial list of their discounts can be read below.

• Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including multi-vehicle, online signing, multi-policy, continuous coverage, and homeowner.
• AAA offers discounts for good driver, multi-policy, pay-in-full, anti-theft, good student, and education and occupation.
• Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for early shopping, business and professional, mature driver, electronic funds transfer, bundle discounts, alternative fuel, and switch companies.
• Geico includes discounts for multi-vehicle, membership and employees, anti-lock brakes, multi-policy, seat belt use, daytime running lights, and driver training.
• Esurance offers discounts including good driver, Pac-12 alumni, multi-policy, Switch & Save, defensive driver, multi-car, and claim free.
• SAFECO has savings for bundle discounts, safe driver, anti-theft, accident prevention training, and teen safety rewards.
• State Farm has discounts for accident-free, anti-theft, driver’s education, safe vehicle, and multiple policy.

When quoting, ask every insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some discounts may not apply in your area. To locate companies who offer online insurance quotes, click this link.

When to get professional advice

When it comes to choosing proper insurance coverage, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s situation is a little different and your policy should reflect that. Here are some questions about coverages that might point out whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.

• When would I need rental car insurance?
• Which companies will insure high-risk drivers?
• Do I need replacement cost coverage?
• If my pet gets injured in an accident are they covered?
• Am I covered if I wreck a rental car?
• Will I be non-renewed for getting a DUI or other conviction?
• Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
• Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver?

If you’re not sure about those questions, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Auto insurance coverage information

Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy aids in choosing the right coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Below you’ll find typical coverages found on most car insurance policies.

Comprehensive insurance

This coverage covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against claims like damage from getting keyed, damage from a tornado or hurricane and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is very important. Normally these limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Liability auto insurance

Liability coverage can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people in an accident. It protects YOU against other people’s claims, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show policy limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage protects against things like emergency aid, medical expenses, court costs and legal defense fees. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but you should buy as large an amount as possible.

Med pay and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)

Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses like X-ray expenses, rehabilitation expenses and ambulance fees. They are used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Collision insurance

This pays for damage to your Sportage caused by collision with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage pays for claims such as sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a ditch, hitting a parking meter and crashing into a building. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Another option is to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

Cheaper insurance is a realistic goal

More affordable auto insurance is possible both online and also from your neighborhood agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some companies may not offer online price quotes and most of the time these small insurance companies only sell coverage through independent agents.

As you shop your coverage around, it’s a bad idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are a lot of situations where consumers will sacrifice collision coverage and learned later that it was a big error on their part. Your objective should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.

For more information, feel free to browse the following helpful articles:

• Learn About Car Insurance (Geico)
• Should I Purchase an Umbrella Liability Policy? (Insurance Information Insitute)
• State Laws for Cellphones and Texting (iihs.org)
• Car Insurance: When not to Skimp (BankRate.com)
• What Does No-Fault Insurance Cover? (Allstate)