How Much Does 2009 Subaru Forester Car Insurance Cost?

Looking for the cheapest insurance coverage rates for your Subaru Forester? Are you at wits end from scraping nickels together to keep your car insured? You are in the same boat as many other people.

With people having so many companies to choose from, it is hard for the average consumer to find the cheapest insurer.

Do you qualify for discount insurance?

Some insurance providers don’t always list every possible discount in an easy-to-find place, so we researched some of the best known and also the lesser-known insurance savings.

• Defensive Driver – Passing a class that teaches driver safety techniques could possibly earn you a 5% discount depending on where you live.
• Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save 5% or more.
• Discount for New Cars – Buying a new car model can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new vehicles.
• Switch and Save Discount – Select insurance companies give a discount for signing up early. You can save around 10% with this discount.
• Policy Bundle Discount – If you combine your auto and homeowners policies with the same company you will save at least 10% off all policies.
• Smart Student Discounts – Maintaining excellent grades can earn a discount of 20% or more. Many companies even apply the discount to college students up to age 25.
• Driving Data Discount – Drivers who elect to allow their insurance company to analyze vehicle usage by installing a telematics device such as Allstate’s Drivewise and State Farm’s In-Drive system might see lower rates if they exhibit good driving behavior.
• Senior Citizen Discount – Mature drivers can possibly qualify for a slight reduction on a insurance quote for Forester coverage.

Don’t be surprised that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like comp or med pay. Despite the appearance that you could get a free insurance policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business. Any qualifying discounts should help reduce the cost of coverage.

If you would like to choose from a list of insurance companies with discount insurance rates, click here.

Informed drivers can reduce insurance rates

An important part of buying insurance is that you know a few of the rating criteria that are used to determine the level of your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what controls the rates you pay, this allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs. Multiple criteria are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious such as traffic violations, although some other factors are less apparent such as your marital status and annual miles driven.

• Avoid unnecessary extra coverages – Insurance policies have a lot of additional extra coverages that sound like a good idea at the time if you don’t pay attention. Add-on coverages like coverage for rental cars, accidental death, and term life insurance may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when deciding what coverages you need, but if they’re wasting money get rid of them and save.
• Auto insurance policy lapses increase prices – Driving with no insurance is against the law and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance coverage expire. Not only will you pay higher rates, getting caught without coverage might get you a steep fine or even jail time. You may need to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with your state motor vehicle department.
• Vehicles with better crash test results save money – Safe vehicles tend to have better insurance rates. The safest vehicles reduce injuries and fewer injuries translates into savings for insurance companies and thus lower rates.
• Don’t skimp on liability insurance – Liability insurance will afford coverage if you are determined to be liable for damages from an accident. Your liability coverage provides legal defense to defend your case. This coverage is relatively inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
• The higher your credit score the lower your prices – Credit history can be a huge factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. People with high credit scores tend to be more responsible and file fewer claims than drivers with lower credit ratings. If your credit history can be improved, you may save money insuring your 2009 Subaru Forester by spending a little time repairing your credit.
• Save money with GPS tracking and theft deterrents – Owning a car with a theft deterrent system can save you some money. Systems that thwart theives such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all hinder your vehicle from being stolen.
• Where do you drive? – Driving a lot of miles in a year’s time the more it will cost to insure it. A lot of companies charge to insure your cars based on how the vehicle is used. Cars and trucks used primarily for pleasure use can be on a lower rate level than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Improper usage on your Forester is throwing money out the window. Ask your agent if your auto insurance declarations sheet is showing the correct driver usage, because it can save money.
• Cheaper rates with high comp and collision deductibles – Your deductibles tell how much you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. Protection for physical damage, aka comp and collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply would be colliding with a stationary object, damage caused by hail, and damage caused by road hazards. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the lower your rates will be for Forester coverage.

What insurance coverages do I need?

When it comes to choosing the best auto insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no one size fits all plan. Everyone’s situation is a little different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. These are some specific questions can help discover if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• When can I cancel my policy?
• Should I bundle my homeowners policy with my auto?
• Am I covered when driving a rental car?
• How much liability insurance is required?
• Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
• Am I covered if I hit my neighbor’s mailbox?
• If I drive on a suspended license am I covered?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area.

Insurance coverage companies are expert advertisers

Popular insurance coverage providers such as Progressive, Geico, Allstate and State Farm consistently run ads on television and other media. All the ads make the point that drivers can save some big amount if you switch to them. How do they all lower your car insurance rates? This is the trick they use.

All companies have specific criteria for the type of customer that will most likely be profitable. One example of a desirable risk may need to be between the ages of 30 and 45, has a clean driving record, and chooses high deductibles. A driver that meets those criteria will get a cheap rate quote and is almost guaranteed to cut their rates if they switch.

Potential customers who cannot meet the ideal profile may be required to pay a more expensive rate and ends up with the customer not purchasing. The ad wording is “customers that switch” not “all people who quote” save the amount stated. That is how companies can make claims that they all have the best rates.

That is why it’s extremely important to do a quote comparison often. It is impossible to predict which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

Educate yourself about car insurance coverages

Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Below you’ll find typical coverages found on most car insurance policies.

Collision coverage – Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Forester resulting from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers claims like crashing into a ditch, hitting a mailbox, scraping a guard rail and crashing into a building. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Medical expense coverage – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for expenses such as surgery, doctor visits, EMT expenses and funeral costs. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. They cover all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Liability coverages – Liability coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to other people or property. It protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. Your policy might show liability limits of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Alternatively, you may have a combined limit which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage protects against claims like legal defense fees, medical services and loss of income. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but you should buy as much as you can afford.

Comprehensive protection – Comprehensive insurance covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims such as fire damage, damage from flooding, a broken windshield, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and damage from getting keyed. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as damage to your Subaru Forester.

Since many drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Normally your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Save your cold hard cash

We just covered many tips how you can compare 2009 Subaru Forester insurance prices online. It’s most important to understand that the more companies you get rates for, the higher the chance of saving money. Consumers may even find the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company. These companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm, Geico and Nationwide.

Discount 2009 Subaru Forester insurance is available from both online companies and also from your neighborhood agents, and you need to price shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through independent insurance agencies.

To read more, feel free to visit these articles:

• Safety Belts FAQ (iihs.org)
• No-Fault Auto Insurance Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Rental Car Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Auto Insurance Learning Center (State Farm)
• Event Data Recorders FAQ (iihs.org)
• How Much Auto Coverage do I Need? (Insurance Information Insitute)