Get Auto Insurance Quotes BEFORE You Buy Your Vehicle

One sure-fire way to pay less for your auto insurance is to do your research and get auto insurance quotes before you purchase your new vehicle. Auto insurance rates can be significantly different depending on the car you drive.

The year, make, and model of your vehicle are all factored in when your insurer determines what your auto insurance premium will be. Why you ask? Let's take a look at it from the insurance companies perspective. Insurance companies are in the business of risk and probability. Basically, the more of a risk you are driving down the road, the higher your auto insurance premium will be. Right now we are only talking about how your car factors into the risk equation, but obviously human factors like your age, location, driving record, etc. all play a part in determining your auto insurance premium.

Age of your car

By looking at the age of your car, an insurance company can determine the risk that your car will break down, or otherwise fail, causing an accident. The older the car, the more likely it is to fail. On the other hand, older cars are also worth considerably less than new cars. So, comparatively, an older car will cost less to insure than a newer car, despite the fact that there is more risk of a breakdown, simply because the replacement cost is less. However, if you are comparing two cars of similar ages, you may find a significant difference in auto insurance quotes, depending on the track record of the make and model, safety features, style of car, etc.

Make and model

Auto insurance companies have compiled data on the safety of every make and model of car. They take into factors such as safety recalls, safety features, driver behavior, risk of failure, and come up with an overall risk assessment for the vehicle. Basically, the make and model with the better track record as far as risk is concerned, will cost less to insure. Thus, when you are comparing cars, get auto insurance quotes on each as they may be significantly different, even if they are the same age, and a similar value.

Safety features

Safety features such as antilock breaks, automatic seatbelts, and airbags all help your car achieve a higher safety rating and thus the car poses less of a risk, specifically to bodily injury. This means in case of an accident, the auto insurance company will likely have to pay less in medical bills. Thus, you should look for cars with more safety features, and be sure to include this information when getting auto insurance quotes.

Style of car

The style of car makes a big difference in auto insurance rates. A Porsche owner will pay a lot more than a Camry owner. Of course replacement cost is a factor here, but also consider driving habits. A Porsche owner is more likely to go faster and utilize the features the car was built for, namely speed, agility and handling, whereas the Camry owner is probably using their car in a more utilitarian way, to get from point A to point B. The moral of the story here is your auto insurance premium will be lower if you stick to more "practical" cars.

Replacement value

This is an easy one. The higher the replacement value, the Kelly Blue Book value of your car, the higher your auto insurance premiums will be. Consider purchasing a used car with a good track record and safety features, and you will pay considerably less than buying a new one.

Remember, it is important to get auto insurance quotes before you purchase your car. Doing so could help you to choose a car that will save you a lot of money in the long run. When getting auto insurance quotes, be sure to include the safety information of your car and ask about any discounts.