Feel like you’re a prisoner to an overpriced car insurance policy? You’re preaching to the choir because many Kansas City drivers have buyer’s remorse.
A recent car insurance study revealed that over 70% of consumers have bought car insurance from the same company for more than four years, and 38% of drivers have never even shopped around for cheap coverage. American drivers could save an average of nearly 46.5% each year, but they mistakenly think it’s difficult to go online and compare rates. Online insurance companies like State Farm and GEICO all promote huge savings with ad campaigns and it can be hard to not get sucked in by the cute commercials and take the time to shop coverage around.
Lower Insurance Rates with These Tips
Multiple criteria are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious like an MVR report, although others are more obscure such as your credit history and annual miles driven.
Continuous coverage saves money – Driving without insurance is against the law and as a result your rates will increase for letting your coverage lapse. In addition to paying higher rates, the inability to provide proof of insurance may result in fines and jail time. You may need to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Missouri motor vehicle department.
Guys pay higher prices – Statistics demonstrate that females tend to be a little less risky than males. It does not mean females are better drivers. Females and males tend to get into auto accidents in similar numbers, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Not only that, but men also get higher numbers of serious violations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving.
The diagram below illustrates the comparison of Suzuki Equator insurance premiums for male and female drivers. The rate quotes are based on no claims or violations, full coverage, $500 deductibles, drivers are single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Frequent policy claims increase prices – If you file a lot of claims you should expect higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Companies in Missouri provide the lowest premiums to policyholders who do not file claims often. Auto insurance is designed for claims that pose a financial burden.
Your car’s features help determine rates – Choosing a vehicle with advanced anti-theft systems can help bring down rates. Theft prevention devices like vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack all aid in stopping vehicle theft.
Proper usage rating affects prices – The higher the mileage driven in a year the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. Many insurance companies calculate rates based on how the vehicle is used. Cars that do not get driven very much cost less to insure than cars that get driven a lot. Having an incorrect usage rating on your Equator is just wasting money. Double check that your car insurance policy correctly shows the right rating data.
Consolidating policies can get discounts – Many insurers allow better rates to buyers that have more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. If you currently are using one company, it’s still a good idea to shop around to verify if the discount is saving money.
Pay more for higher performance vehicles – The performance of the vehicle you own makes a significant difference in the rate you pay. Economy passenger vehicles usually have the lowest rates, but your final cost has many other factors.
The following data assumes a single male driver age 20, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The data compares Suzuki Equator insurance rates compared to other models that have a range of performances.
Insurance coverage analysis
The table shown below outlines estimates of coverage prices for Suzuki Equator models. Being more informed about how rates are formulated can help customers make informed coverage decisions.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Equator Ext Cab 2WD | $172 | $334 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $886 | $74 |
Equator Ext Cab 2WD | $172 | $334 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $886 | $74 |
Equator Ext Cab 2WD | $198 | $406 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $984 | $82 |
Equator Ext Cab 2WD | $198 | $406 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $984 | $82 |
Equator Ext Cab 4WD | $198 | $406 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $984 | $82 |
Equator Crew Cab 4WD | $222 | $478 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $1,080 | $90 |
Equator Crew Cab 4WD | $222 | $478 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $1,080 | $90 |
Equator Crew Cab 4WD | $222 | $478 | $280 | $16 | $84 | $1,080 | $90 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Price data assumes married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and Missouri minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Rate information does not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can decrease or increase coverage prices noticeably.
The information below illustrates how your choice of deductibles and can impact Suzuki Equator annual premium costs for each different age category. The rates are based on a single male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Price comparison of only insuring for liability
The illustration below illustrates the difference between Suzuki Equator insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the Missouri minimum liability coverage. The premiums assume no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, single marital status, and no policy discounts are applied.
When to eliminate full coverage
There isn’t a steadfast formula to delete physical damage coverage, but there is a general guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is 10% or more of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Suzuki Equator replacement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, you would only receive $7,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying over $700 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
There are a few cases where dropping physical damage coverage is not recommended. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to maintain full coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not eliminate full coverage.
Verify you’re applying every discount
Car insurance is not cheap, but there could be significant discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Certain reductions will be credited when you get a quote, but a few must be inquired about before you will receive the discount. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, it’s possible you qualify for a lower rate.
- Onboard Data Collection – Kansas City drivers who agree to allow companies to analyze where and when they drive by using a telematics device such as State Farm’s In-Drive might see lower rates if they have good driving habits.
- No Accidents – Insureds with no claims or accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on Kansas City car insurance quote in comparison with frequent claim filers.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – This isn’t a discount exactly, but some companies like GEICO and Liberty Mutual permit an accident before they charge you more for coverage if you have no claims for a set time period.
- Good Student Discount – Performing well in school may save you up to 25%. Most companies allow this discount until age 25.
- Student Discount for Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver participate in a local driver’s education class as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- 55 and Retired – Older drivers may receive reduced rates.
- Anti-theft System – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles are stolen less frequently and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your policy upfront instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can avoid monthly service charges.
- Discounts for Good Drivers – Drivers without accidents may receive a discount up to 45% than drivers with accident claims.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to fasten their seat belts could cut 10% or more off the medical payments premium.
Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
The chart below shows the comparison of Suzuki Equator insurance premiums with and without discounts applied. The premiums are based on a male driver, no accidents, no driving violations, Missouri state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, marriage, multi-car, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver discounts applied.
To see a list of companies who offer cheap Suzuki Equator insurance quotes in Kansas City in Missouri, click here.
Cover all your bases
Budget-friendly auto insurance in Kansas City can be bought from both online companies and with local Kansas City insurance agents, so get free Kansas City car insurance quotes from both of them to get a complete price analysis. Some companies may not provide price quotes online and usually these regional carriers provide coverage only through independent agents.
As you prepare to switch companies, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. Too many times, drivers have reduced liability limits or collision coverage only to find out they didn’t purchase enough coverage. The aim is to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.
Steps to quoting cheaper Suzuki Equator insurance in Kansas City
The preferred way to save money on car insurance rates is to compare prices regularly from insurance carriers who provide auto insurance in Kansas City. Prices can be compared by following these steps.
First, take a few minutes and learn about how companies price auto insurance and the steps you can take to prevent high rates. Many factors that cause high rates like getting speeding tickets and an unfavorable credit rating can be eliminated by paying attention to minor details.
Second, compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from one company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can quote rates from multiple insurance companies.
Third, compare the new rate quotes to the premium of your current policy and see if you can save money. If you find a lower rate quote and make a switch, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
Fourth, provide notification to your current agent or company of your intent to cancel your current policy. Submit a completed policy application and payment to your new company or agent. As soon as you can, keep your new certificate verifying coverage in an accessible location in your vehicle.
One important bit of advice is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same liability limits and deductibles on every quote and and to get rate quotes from as many companies as feasibly possible. This helps ensure an apples-to-apples comparison and maximum price selection.
For more information, feel free to visit the following helpful articles:
- Avoiding Deer Collisions (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Teenage Females in Kansas City? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Kansas City Auto Insurance for Uber Drivers? (FAQ)
- Rental Car Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)
- Determining Auto Insurance Rates (GEICO)