Shoppers have options when shopping for the lowest priced Chevy Sonic insurance. You can either waste hours calling around trying to get quotes or leverage the internet to get rate quotes.
There is a right way and a wrong way to shop for auto insurance and we’ll show you the proper way to compare rates for a Chevy and get the cheapest rates.
This information will tell you how car insurance quotes work and some money-saving tips. If you are paying for car insurance now, you will most likely be able to reduce your rates substantially using these methods. Consumers just need to learn how to compare price quotes on the web.
How to Compare Auto Insurance Quotes
There are a lot of ways to compare auto insurance quotes, but some are less time-consuming than others. You can waste a few hours (or days) discussing policy coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you could use the internet to get the quickest rates.
The majority of car insurance companies take part in a program where insurance shoppers submit one quote, and every company provides a quote based on that data. This saves time by eliminating repetitive form submissions for each company you want a rate for.
To participate in this free quote system, click here to start a free quote.
The one downside to pricing coverage this way is you don’t know exactly the companies to get pricing from. So if you prefer to choose individual companies to compare prices, we have a listing of auto insurance companies in your area. Click to view list.
It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make absolute certain that you use identical coverage information on every quote. If your comparisons have different deductibles it will be very difficult to determine which rate is truly the best.
Companies offer discounts so take them!
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but companies offer discounts to reduce the price significantly. A few discounts will automatically apply when you get a quote, but some may not be applied and must be inquired about prior to receiving the credit. If you’re not getting every credit available, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Good Students Pay Less – A discount for being a good student can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up until you turn 25.
- Multiple Policy Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same insurance company you may earn up to 20% off your total premium.
- Student Driver Training – Have your child enroll in driver’s education in school.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – By paying your policy upfront instead of paying each month you could save up to 5%.
- Safety Course Discount – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But any discount will bring down your premiums.
To see a list of insurers who offer auto insurance discounts, click here to view.
Why your Chevy Sonic insurance rates may be high
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get much lower annual insurance costs.
The following are some of the factors used by your company to calculate your rates.
- How your age affects price – Teen drivers have a tendency to be more careless behind the wheel so auto insurance rates are higher. If you’ve ever had to add a youthful driver to your policy can really hurt. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.
- Adjust deductibles and save – Insurance for physical damage to your car, also known as collision and other-than-collision, is used to repair damage to your Chevy. Some instances where coverage would apply are colliding with a building, damage from fire, and rolling your vehicle. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are required to spend out-of-pocket before your auto insurance pays a claim. The more you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be on Sonic insurance.
- Do you need the policy add-ons? – There are a lot of additional coverages you can purchase on your Sonic policy. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, better glass coverage and membership fees are examples of these. These may sound like a good investment when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Clean credit earns discounts – Your credit history is a large factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. If your credit is not that good, you could pay less to insure your Chevrolet Sonic by spending a little time repairing your credit. People with excellent credit tend to be more responsible than those with lower credit scores.
- An active claims history can cost you – Insurance companies award better rates to drivers who are claim-free. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can look forward to higher rates. Insurance coverage is intended to be relied upon for the large, substantial claims.
- Save money with special equipment – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Anti-theft features such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart car theft.
- How’s your driving record? – Your driving citation history has a huge affect on how much you pay. Good drivers receive lower rates compared to drivers with tickets. Only having one moving violation can increase rates by twenty percent. Drivers who have flagrant citations like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may need to submit a SR-22 form to the state department of motor vehicles in order to keep their license.
- Liability coverage is cheap – Liability coverage is the protection when a court rules you are at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared with rates for comp and collision, so drivers should carry high limits.
Online quotes with a local insurance agent
Certain consumers just want to sit down with an agent and that is just fine! Insurance agents can point out coverage gaps and help in the event of a claim. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying from local agencies is important especially if you live in a smaller city or town.
Once you complete this simple form, your coverage information is immediately sent to companies who will give you bids to get your business. You never need to leave your house since price quotes are sent immediately to your email address. It doesn’t get any easier!
Types of car insurance agents
If you’re trying to find a good insurance agent, you need to know there are two types of insurance agents to choose from. Agents are classified as either independent (non-captive) or captive. Either one can properly insure your vehicles, but it’s worth learning the differences because it can impact the selection process.
Independent Insurance Agents
These agents do not work for one specific company so they can insure your vehicles amongst many companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If you are not satisfied with one company, the business is moved internally without you having to go to a different agency. When searching for an agent, we recommend you get quotes from several independent insurance agents to have the most options to choose from. They often place coverage with different regional companies which can be an advantage.
Captive Insurance Agents
This type of agents work for only one company like Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. They usually cannot shop your coverage around so they have no alternatives for high prices. Captives are well schooled on the products they sell which helps them compete with independent agents. Consumers often choose to use a captive agent partially due to the prominence of the brand and the convenience of having all coverages with one company.
To view a complete directory of auto insurance agents, visit this site.
Choosing an insurance agency requires more thought than just a low price. Ask your prospective agent these questions:
- How long have they worked with personal auto insurance coverage?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- How often do they review policy coverages?
- Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
Once you have received satisfactory answers to these questions and locked in a price quote, you may have just found a car insurance agent that can service your policy.
One last thing about your coverage
People change insurance companies for a number of reasons such as delays in responding to claim requests, lack of trust in their agent, policy non-renewal or extreme rates for teen drivers. It doesn’t matter what your reason, choosing a new company can be pretty painless.
You just learned many ideas to compare Chevy Sonic insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the best prices are with a smaller regional carrier.
When buying insurance coverage, make sure you don’t buy less coverage just to save a little money. There have been many cases where an insured cut liability coverage limits only to regret at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price.