Everyone knows that insurance companies don’t want you shop around. Insureds who compare other prices are likely to buy a different policy because there is a good chance of finding better rates. A recent survey discovered that drivers who made a habit of comparing rates saved on average $3,400 over four years compared to those who never shopped around for lower prices.
If finding the lowest price on auto insurance is why you’re reading this, then learning about how to find companies and compare insurance rates can make shopping around easier.
It takes a little time, but the best way to find low-cost Subaru Impreza insurance is to start comparing prices regularly from insurance carriers who sell insurance in Sacramento. Prices can be compared by following these steps.
- Step 1: Read and learn about coverages and the changes you can make to prevent rate increases. Many factors that result in higher prices such as at-fault accidents and an imperfect credit rating can be eliminated by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
- Step 2: Compare price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can give quotes from one company like GEICO and Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes for a wide range of companies.
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a better price and make a switch, make sure there is no coverage gap between policies.
- Step 4: Notify your agent or company of your intention to cancel your existing policy and submit the application along with any required down payment for the new policy. Immediately place your new proof of insurance paperwork with your vehicle’s registration.
A key point to remember is to use identical deductibles and limits on each price quote and and to get rates from as many auto insurance providers as possible. Doing this enables a fair price comparison and the best price selection.
You Can Change Your Insurance Rates
A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing a few of the rating criteria that help determine auto insurance rates. When consumers understand what determines premiums, this allows you to make good choices that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.
Listed below are some of the items used by insurance companies to determine your prices.
Auto insurance rates and age – More mature drivers are shown to be more cautious, file fewer claims, and usually have better credit. Drivers with little experience tend to be easily distracted when at the wheel of a vehicle therefore auto insurance rates are much higher.
The next chart is based on a single driver, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
Premiums may be lower depending on your job – Do you have a high-stress occupation? Careers like military generals, air traffic controllers, and emergency personnel tend to have the highest rates due to job stress and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, jobs such as professors, athletes and homemakers generally pay rates lower than average.
Lower coverage deductibles cost more – Insurance for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, covers damage that occurs to your Subaru. Examples of some claims that would be covered would be colliding with a building, hitting a deer, and damage from a fallen tree branch. Your deductibles define how much you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. The more expense the insured has to pay upfront, the better rate you will receive.
Save money with high credit – Credit history can be a huge factor in calculating your premium rate. So if your credit could use some work, you could potentially save money when insuring your Subaru Impreza by spending a little time repairing your credit. Drivers with high credit ratings tend to be more responsible as compared to drivers with lower credit ratings.
Rates increase with driving citations – Your driving citation history influences premium rates substantially. Just one chargeable violation can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers with clean records have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who have serious violations such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions may face state-mandated requirements to maintain a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
The diagram below shows how violations and accidents can impact Subaru Impreza premium costs for different age categories. The data assumes a married female driver, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
Combining policies can get discounts – Most larger insurance companies allow discounts to buyers that purchase more than one policy, otherwise known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to five, ten or even twenty percent. Even if you already get this discount, you may still want to compare other Sacramento Impreza insurance rates to make sure you are getting the best deal.
Loss probability for a Subaru Impreza – Insurers use claims history when setting rates for each model. Models that are shown to have higher losses will have a higher cost to insure. The table below outlines the historical insurance loss data for Subaru Impreza vehicles.
For each type of coverage, the claim probability for all vehicles compiled together is a value of 100. Numbers that are below 100 indicate better than average losses, while numbers above 100 indicate frequent claims or tendency to have higher losses.
| Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subaru Impreza 4WD | 96 | 80 | 110 | 79 | 78 | 81 |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
When shopping for affordable Sacramento auto insurance quotes, there are a couple of ways of comparing rate quotes from lots of California auto insurance companies. The quickest method to compare rates involves getting comparison quotes online. Just keep in mind that quoting more provides better odds of finding more affordable insurance.
The companies shown below offer price quotes in Sacramento, CA. If you want to find cheaper car insurance in CA, we recommend you get rate quotes from several of them to get the most competitive price.
Coverage analysis
The premium table shown below highlights different coverage costs for Subaru Impreza models. Learning a little about how car insurance premiums are established is important for you to make smart choices when comparing insurance rates.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impreza 2.5I 4WD Station Wagon | $238 | $374 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,242 | $104 |
| Impreza 2.5I 4WD Station Wagon | $238 | $374 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,242 | $104 |
| Impreza Outback Sport 4WD Station Wagon | $238 | $454 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,322 | $110 |
| Impreza 2.5I AWD 4-Dr | $270 | $454 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,354 | $113 |
| Impreza 2.5I Premium Package AWD 4-Dr | $270 | $536 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,436 | $120 |
| Impreza WRX 4WD Station Wagon | $270 | $536 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,436 | $120 |
| Impreza 2.5 GT 4WD Station Wagon | $300 | $536 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,466 | $122 |
| Impreza WRX AWD 4-Dr | $300 | $616 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,546 | $129 |
| Impreza 2.5I GT AWD 4-Dr | $300 | $616 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,546 | $129 |
| Impreza WRX STI 4WD Station Wagon | $300 | $616 | $464 | $28 | $138 | $1,546 | $129 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Prices above based on married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and claim-free. Rates do not factor in vehicle location which can increase or decrease prices substantially.
The information below highlights how deductible selection and can change Subaru Impreza insurance costs for different age categories. The rate quotes are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, and no policy discounts are applied.
Do you need full coverage?
The chart below shows the difference between Subaru Impreza car insurance rates with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The costs are based on no claims, a clean driving record, $1,000 deductibles, single marital status, and no policy discounts are applied.
When to drop full coverage
There is no specific rule to drop full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than about 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
For example, let’s assume your Subaru Impreza settlement value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company will settle for is $3,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If it’s costing in excess of $300 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
There are some cases where removing full coverage is not a good plan. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not drop full coverage.
It may be expensive, but it’s not optional
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Subaru in Sacramento, insurance may be required and benefits you in several ways.
- The majority of states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to carry a minimum amount of liability protection in order to be legal. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you have a loan on your Subaru, it’s guaranteed your bank will force you to buy insurance to guarantee loan repayment. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may buy a policy for your Subaru for a much higher rate and force you to reimburse them much more than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects both your assets and your car. It will also reimburse you for medical transport and hospital expenses for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability insurance will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of buying enough insurance definitely exceed the price paid, especially for larger claims. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is overpaying more than $700 annually so compare rate quotes each time the policy renews to make sure the price is not too high.
Companies offer money-saving discounts on Subaru Impreza insurance in Sacramento
Not too many consumers would say car insurance is affordable, but there may be some discounts to help offset the cost. Many discounts should be triggered when you purchase, but less common discounts must be specially asked for prior to getting the savings. If you don’t get every credit you qualify for, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Being a homeowner can save you money since owning and maintaining a home requires personal responsibility.
- New Vehicle Savings – Adding a new car to your policy can get you a discount due to better safety requirements for new model year vehicles.
- Multi-line Discount – Some companies give a small discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
- Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Insuring several vehicles on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
- No Claim Discounts – Claim-free drivers get the best car insurance rates when compared to policyholders that have many claims.
- Discounts for Responsible Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% than drivers with accidents.
Don’t be shocked that most credits do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Despite the appearance that you can get free auto insurance, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount should help lower your policy cost.
The illustration below illustrates the difference between Subaru Impreza yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The rates are based on a female driver, no violations or accidents, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, and marriage discounts applied.
Insurance companies who may offer these money-saving discounts include:
Check with each insurance company what discounts are available to you. Savings may not apply in Sacramento. To locate insurers that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in Sacramento, click here.
Independent versus exclusive insurance agents
Some people still like to have an agent’s advice. The best thing about price shopping on the web is that you can obtain lower prices and still buy from a local agent. Buying from and supporting local agents is definitely important in Sacramento.
By using this simple form, your insurance data is immediately sent to local insurance agents who will give you quotes for your coverage. You don’t have to search for an agent as quotes are delivered straight to your inbox. You can get cheaper insurance rates and a licensed agent to talk to. If you want to get a comparison quote from a specific company, feel free to go to their quote page and complete a quote there.
Choosing the best provider should include more criteria than just the bottom line cost. The answers to these questions are important, too.
- Are they in the agency full-time?
- How long has their agency been open in Sacramento?
- Do they see any coverage gaps in your plan?
- Does the agency have a positive business rating?
- What insurance companies do they recommend if they are an independent agent?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- Is coverage determined by price?
Everyone needs different insurance coverages
When selecting proper insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is no one-size-fits-all type of policy. Each situation is unique.
These are some specific questions can aid in determining if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Why am I required to get a high-risk car insurance policy?
- Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- How high should my medical payments coverage be?
- Does my personal policy cover me when driving out-of-state?
- Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
- Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
- Is a fancy paint job covered?
- Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
- Does coverage extend to Mexico or Canada?
- What if I owe more than I can insure my car for?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form.
Persistence pays off
You just learned many ideas to lower your Subaru Impreza insurance rates in Sacramento. The key concept to understand is the more you quote Sacramento auto insurance, the better your chances of lowering your auto insurance rates. Consumers could even find that the biggest savings come from a small mutual company.
Low-cost Subaru Impreza insurance in Sacramento is available on the web as well as from insurance agents, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some companies do not provide price quotes online and these regional insurance providers sell through independent agencies.
Drivers switch companies for a number of reasons such as an unsatisfactory settlement offer, poor customer service, being labeled a high risk driver and even delays in paying claims. No matter why you want to switch, switching car insurance companies is not as hard as you think.
More tips and info about car insurance is available in these articles:
- Vehicle Insurance (Wikipedia)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for Low Credit Scores in Sacramento? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for College Graduates in Sacramento? (FAQ)
- How Much is Sacramento Auto Insurance for a Nissan Rogue? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Sacramento Auto Insurance for First-time Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for 17 Year Olds in Sacramento? (FAQ)
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- Smart Auto Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)