2010 Dodge Caliber Car Insurance Cost

Trying to find the cheapest insurance for your Dodge Caliber could be a lot of work, but you can learn these tips and make it easy.

There are more efficient ways to compare insurance coverage rates and you need to know the absolute fastest way to price shop coverage for a Dodge and find the best price possible from both online companies and local agents.

Take advantage of every car insurance discount

Car insurance is not inexpensive, but there could be available discounts that you may not know about. Certain credits will be shown at the time of quoting, but less common discounts must be specifically requested in order for you to get them.

• Homeowners Discount – Owning your own home or condo may trigger a policy discount on car insurance because owning a home is proof of financial responsibility.
• Membership in Organizations – Being in qualifying clubs or civic groups could qualify you for a break on your next car insurance statement.
• Resident Student – Older children living away from home attending college and don’t have a car can receive lower rates.
• Cautious Driver Discounts – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can save up to 40% or more on their insurance coverage quote for Caliber coverage compared to accident prone drivers.
• Full Payment Discount – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying in monthly installments you may have a lower total premium amount.
• Telematics Devices – Policyholders that allow their car insurance company to monitor vehicle usage by installing a telematics device such as State Farm’s In-Drive might get better premium rates if their driving habits are good.
• Seat Belt Discounts – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to use a seat belt can save 10% or more on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
• Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts may qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
• Buy New and Save – Putting coverage on a new car is cheaper since new model year vehicles have better safety ratings.

We need to note that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. Despite the appearance that all the discounts add up to a free policy, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will definitely lower your premiums.

A few popular companies and their possible discounts are:

• Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-vehicle, homeowner, good student, continuous coverage, and multi-policy.
• Geico offers discounts for multi-vehicle, emergency military deployment, air bags, membership and employees, and seat belt use.
• State Farm may have discounts that include good driver, anti-theft, accident-free, Drive Safe & Save, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple policy, and multiple autos.
• Esurance includes discounts for paid-in-full, renters, multi-policy, anti-lock brakes, and anti-theft.
• The Hartford has discounts for good student, driver training, defensive driver, anti-theft, air bag, vehicle fuel type, and bundle.

Double check with all companies you are considering which discounts you qualify for. A few discounts may not apply to policies in your state. To see a list of providers with discount car insurance rates, follow this link.

Decisions you make can impact your insurance prices

Lots of factors are taken into consideration when pricing auto insurance. Some are pretty understandable like your driving record, but other criteria are not quite as obvious such as whether you are married or your financial responsibility.

• More than one policy can earn a discount – Some insurers will give better rates to clients that have more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even if you already get this discount, it’s still a good idea to get quotes from other companies to verify if the discount is saving money.There is a good possibility that you can find a better deal by buying from different companies
• Use credit responsibly and save – A driver’s credit score is a large factor in determining what you pay. If your credit rating is not that good, you could pay less to insure your 2010 Dodge Caliber by repairing your credit. Drivers with very good credit scores tend to be less risk to insure than those with lower ratings.
• Drive lots and pay more – The more you drive each year the more it will cost to insure it. Many insurance companies charge to insure your cars based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars left parked in the garage cost less to insure than vehicles that are driven to work every day. A policy that improperly rates your Caliber can cost quite a bit. It’s a good idea to make sure your insurance coverage is rated on the correct usage.
• Decrease premiums by maintaining coverage – Allowing your coverage to lapse is a sure-fire way to drive up your policy premiums. Not only will you pay higher rates, the inability to provide proof of insurance will get you a steep fine or even jail time.
• Men are more aggressive – The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that females are better at driving than males. Females and males cause accidents at a similar rate, but guys have costlier accidents. In addition to higher claims, males also receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI. Males from age 16 to 21 generally have the highest accident percentage and are penalized with high insurance rates.
• Discounts for married couples – Being married may cut your premiums on your insurance bill. Marriage may mean you are less irresponsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers get in fewer accidents.
• Where you call home plays a part – Being located in a small town has it’s advantages if you are looking for the lowest rates. Drivers in populated areas have congested traffic and higher rates of accident claims. Lower population means less chance of accidents and lower theft and vandalism rates.

How to know if you need help

When buying coverage for your vehicles, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

These are some specific questions can aid in determining whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• What is the rate difference between pleasure use and commuting?
• Should I buy only the required minimum liability coverage?
• Are there companies who specialize in insuring high-risk drivers?
• Is my Dodge Caliber covered if I use it for business?
• How do I file an SR-22 for a DUI in my state?
• What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
• Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
• What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
• Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?

If you’re not sure about those questions, you might consider talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form. It’s fast, free and you can get the answers you need.

Car insurance advertisements

Consumers can’t get away from ads that promise big savings by State Farm and Allstate. They all make the point that drivers will save a bundle if you get a free insurance coverage quote and switch your policy.

That’s great but how can every company say the same thing? It’s all in the wording.

All the different companies offer their best rates for the type of driver that earns them the highest profit. For instance, a profitable customer could possibly be over the age of 50, has a clean driving record, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. Anybody who meets those qualifications receive the lowest rate quotes and as a result will probably save a lot of money.

Potential insureds who are not a match for this stringent profile must pay a higher rate which translates to the customer buying from someone else. If you listen closely, the ads state “drivers who switch” not “all people who quote” save that much. That’s why companies can make claims like that.

Different companies use different criteria so drivers must do a quote comparison often. It’s not possible to predict which company will give you the biggest savings.

Insurance coverages and their meanings

Learning about specific coverages of insurance can be of help when determining which coverages you need and proper limits and deductibles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Collision – Collision insurance pays for damage to your Caliber resulting from a collision with another car or object. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision can pay for claims like damaging your car on a curb, hitting a mailbox, sideswiping another vehicle and hitting a parking meter. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. Another option is to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive protection – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like rock chips in glass, a broken windshield and theft. The maximum 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.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family and damage to your 2010 Dodge Caliber.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage should not be overlooked. Normally your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Medical expense coverage – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP kick in for short-term medical expenses for funeral costs, rehabilitation expenses and pain medications. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers you and your occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Liability – Liability insurance protects you from damage that occurs to people or other property that is your fault. It protects you from legal claims by others, and does not provide coverage for your injuries or vehicle damage.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 25/50/25 which means $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have a combined limit which limits claims to one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability insurance covers claims such as legal defense fees, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, structural damage, funeral expenses and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Smart shoppers get results

We just presented some good ideas how you can reduce 2010 Dodge Caliber insurance rates online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the higher your chance of finding the cheapest insurance coverage. You may even find the lowest rates come from the smaller companies.

More affordable insurance can be purchased both online and with local insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers don’t offer online rate quotes and usually these small, regional companies provide coverage only through independent agents.

As you shop your coverage around, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, an accident victim reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to discover later that they should have had better coverage. Your objective should be to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate while still protecting your assets.

Additional insurance information can be read at the links below

• Uninsured Motorists: Threats on the Road (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Auto Insurance FAQ (Farmers Insurance)
• Choosing a Car for Your Teen (State Farm)
• Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Anti-Lock Brake FAQ (iihs.org)