I can’t think of anyone who looks forward to buying auto insurance, especially knowing the cost is way too high.
There are many insurance companies to pick from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, it makes it harder to adequately compare rates.
Choosing the best insurance company for you is not that difficult. Essentially everyone who has to buy auto insurance will more than likely be able to save money. But car owners can benefit from knowing how companies market on the web because it can help you find the best coverage.
These factors can influence what you pay for Audi A3 insurance
It’s important that you understand some of the elements that play a part in calculating your auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that could result in better auto insurance rates.
- Always keep insurance in force – Not having insurance is against the law and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance expire. And not only will your rates increase, but not being able to provide proof of insurance will get you a steep fine or even jail time.You may then be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with your state motor vehicle department.
- More claims means more premium – Companies award discounts to policyholders who do not file claims often. If you are a frequent claim filer, you can pretty much guarantee higher rates. Insurance coverage is designed for larger claims.
- Pay less if you’re married – Getting married helps lower the price on auto insurance. Marriage is viewed as being more responsible and statistics show being married results in fewer claims.
- Don’t sacrifice liability coverage – The liability section of your policy provides coverage in the event that you are found to be at fault for damages caused by your negligence. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense starting from day one. Liability is cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.
- Drive a safer car and pay less – Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. The safest vehicles result in less severe injuries and lower injury rates means less money paid by your insurance company and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Audi is rated at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website it is probably cheaper to insure.
- Poor driving leads to higher costs – A bad driving record has a huge affect on how much you pay. Drivers who don’t get tickets have lower premiums than people who have multiple driving citations. Only having one citation can bump up the cost forty percent or more. If you have severe violations like DUI or reckless driving may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to drive a vehicle legally.
- Men fork out a little more – Statistics have proven women are more cautious behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean men are worse drivers. Women and men cause accidents at about the same rate, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving.
How to Compare Auto Insurance Costs
When shopping for auto insurance there are multiple ways to get quotes from auto insurance companies in your area. By far the easiest way to compare insurance prices is to use the internet to compare rates. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
- The recommended way to find the lowest comparison rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This method prevents you from having to do multiple quote forms for each company you want a rate for. One form submission will get you rate comparisons from many national carriers.
- A different way to get comparison quotes is to take the time to go to each company’s website to complete a price quote. For instance, let’s say you want to compare Nationwide, Liberty Mutual and Farmers. To find out each rate you need to spend time on each company’s site and enter your information, which is why the first method is more popular.
For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.
It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you are comparing exactly the same deductibles and coverage limits for each comparison quote. If you have unequal deductibles or liability limits it will be very difficult to find the best deal for your Audi A3. Quoting even small variations in coverages may result in a large different in cost. And when price shopping your coverage, obtaining a wide range of quotes will improve the odds of getting the best rates.
Do auto insurance companies bend the truth?
State Farm and Allstate consistently run television and radio advertisements. All the companies make an identical promise of big savings if you change your coverage to them. But how can every company make the same claim? This is how they do it.
Insurance companies can use profiling for the type of customer they prefer to insure. A good example of a desirable insured could possibly be over the age of 50, has no tickets, and has a short commute. A customer that hits that “sweet spot” is entitled to the best price and therefore will save when switching.
Consumers who don’t measure up to the requirements must pay more money which usually ends up with business going elsewhere. The ads state “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that much. That is how companies can make those claims. This illustrates why you need to get as many quotes as possible. Because you never know which insurance companies will give you the biggest savings.
Take advantage of discounts
Companies don’t always list all available discounts very well, so here is a list both well-publicized and also the lesser-known discounts you could be receiving.
- Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver complete a driver education course in high school.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates on A3 coverage than drivers with accidents.
- No Charge for an Accident – A few companies permit an accident without raising rates so long as you haven’t had any claims for a set time period.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Some companies give better rates if you take out a life insurance policy as well.
- Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once instead of making monthly payments you may reduce your total bill.
- Club Memberships – Being a member of a civic or occupational organization could trigger savings when shopping for auto insurance on A3 coverage.
- Accident Free – Claim-free drivers pay much less when compared to accident-prone drivers.
- Homeowners Pay Less – Being a homeowner may earn you a small savings because maintaining a house requires personal responsibility.
- Sign Online – Some insurance companies give back up to $50 for buying a policy and signing up online.
As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you’re out of luck.
To choose providers with the best auto insurance discounts, follow this link.
How to know if you need help
When buying the right insurance coverage, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Everyone’s needs are different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.
- Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
- Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?
- Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
- Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
- Do I need rental car coverage?
- Do I pay less if my vehicle is kept in my garage?
- Is business property covered if stolen from my car?
- Do no-fault laws apply in my state?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.
What is YOUR best insurance company?
Lower-priced Audi A3 insurance can be sourced on the web and with local insurance agents, so compare prices from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies do not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
In this article, we covered a lot of tips how to get a better price on Audi A3 insurance. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with the smaller companies. Smaller companies may only write in your state and offer lower rates than their larger competitors like Progressive or GEICO.