Car Insurance Rates for a Volkswagen Passat in Riverside

If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to find cheaper prices for Volkswagen Passat insurance in Riverside is to compare prices once a year from companies that insure vehicles in California.

• Step 1: Get an understanding of the coverage provided by your policy and the changes you can make to lower rates. Many rating factors that result in higher prices like multiple speeding tickets and an imperfect credit score can be improved by being financially responsible and driving safely. Later in this article we will cover additional tips to get low prices and find missing discounts.
• Step 2: Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide prices for many different companies.
• Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage to see if you can save by switching companies. If you can save some money and buy the policy, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.

A valuable tip to remember is to try to use identical deductibles and limits on each quote and and to compare as many companies as possible. This helps ensure an accurate price comparison and maximum price selection.

Everyone knows that car insurance companies don’t want you to look at other companies. Insureds who compare rates annually are very likely to switch to a new company because they stand a good chance of finding a policy with better rates. A recent survey found that drivers who compared prices once a year saved approximately $3,500 over four years compared to other drivers who didn’t regularly shop around.

If saving money on Volkswagen Passat insurance in Riverside is your objective, understanding how to find companies and compare coverage rates can make it easier for you to save money.

Riverside Insurance Costs are Influenced by These Factors

Part of the auto insurance buying process is learning a few of the rating criteria that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you understand what determines base rates, this enables informed choices that could help you find big savings. Many things are part of the calculation when pricing auto insurance. Most are fairly basic such as traffic violations, but other criteria are more transparent such as your marital status or how financially stable you are.

• Cheaper rates for being claim-free – If you file claims often, don’t be surprised to see higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Insurance companies in California provide most affordable rates to drivers who do not file claims often. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of claims that pose a financial burden.
• Your address can impact price – Having an address in less populated areas of the country has definite advantages when shopping for auto insurance. People in densely populated areas have to deal with congested traffic and more severe claims. Less people translates into fewer accident claims.
• Save by driving less – Driving more miles in a year the more you’ll pay to insure it. A lot of companies calculate rates based on how the vehicle is used. Cars used primarily for pleasure use can get a lower rate compared to those used for work or business. Verify your auto insurance policy properly reflects how each vehicle is driven. An incorrectly rated Passat may be costing you higher rates.
• Don’t cancel your auto insurance without a new one in place – Driving with no insurance is a big no-no and companies may charge more for letting your coverage lapse. Not only will you pay more, getting caught without coverage might get you a steep fine or even jail time.
• Low coverage deductibles can be expensive – Insurance for physical damage to your car, also called comprehensive and collision insurance, helps pay for damage to your vehicle. Some examples of covered claims would be a broken side mirror, hail damage, and windstorm damage. Deductibles for physical damage define how much you are required to spend before a claim is paid by your company. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the less money you will pay for auto insurance.

• Loss statistics for a Volkswagen Passat – Insurers analyze the history of losses to help determine the price you pay. Models that are shown to have increased claim numbers or amounts will cost more for specific coverages.

  The table below shows the historical insurance loss data for Volkswagen Passat vehicles. For each type of coverage, the claim probability for all vehicles, regardless of manufacturer or model, is represented as 100. Numbers that are below 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while values that are above 100 point to more losses or tendency to have larger claims.

  
  

  Volkswagen Passat Insurance Loss Statistics

  Vehicle Make and Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Volkswagen Passat	101	99	99	111	113	102

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years

Auto insurance analysis for a Volkswagen Passat

The data table shown below covers detailed analysis of insurance rates for Volkswagen Passat models. Being aware of how insurance policy premiums are calculated is important for drivers to make decisions when shopping around.

Table data represents married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Table data does not factor in zip code location which can modify auto insurance rates considerably.

Raise deductibles and save

One common question asked by Riverside drivers is at what level do you set your deductibles. The comparisons below outline the cost difference between high and low coverage deductibles. The first rate comparisons uses a $250 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second price chart uses a $500 deductible.

Above prices assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Premium amounts do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can change coverage prices noticeably.

We can derive from the above data that using a $250 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $19 more each month or $228 each year than selecting the higher $500 deductible. Because you would pay $250 more if you turn in a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you normally go more than 13 months between claim filings, you would save more money by selecting a higher deductible.

The example below demonstrates how deductibles and can change Volkswagen Passat premium costs for each age group. The premiums are based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are factored in.

Rate comparison of males versus females

The diagram below shows the difference between Volkswagen Passat insurance rates for male and female drivers. The costs are based on no violations or accidents, comprehensive and collision coverage, $250 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are factored in.

Full coverage versus liability-only

The chart below illustrates the difference between Volkswagen Passat auto insurance rates with and without physical damage coverage. The rate quotes are based on no accidents or driving violations, $1,000 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

When to stop paying for full coverage

There is no written rule for dropping physical damage insurance, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it might be time to buy liability only.

For example, let’s assume your Volkswagen Passat replacement cost is $3,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most you would receive is $2,000 after you pay the deductible. If it’s costing you more than $200 annually for your policy with full coverage, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.

There are some conditions where dropping physical damage coverage is not in your best interest. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage in place.

Determine discounts on Riverside insurance

Companies do not advertise their entire list of discounts very clearly, so the following is a list of a few of the more common as well as the least known ways to save on insurance. If you’re not getting every credit you qualify for, you are paying more than you should be.

• Defensive Driver – Passing a class that teaches defensive driver techniques could earn you a small percentage discount if your company offers it.
• Federal Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government may qualify for a discount when you quote Riverside car insurance with some insurance companies.
• Bundled Policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles and insure them both with the same insurance company you could earn a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
• Low Miles Discount – Low annual miles could qualify for better premium rates on cars that stay parked.
• Save with More Vehicles Insured – Insuring multiple vehicles with the same company could earn a price break for each car.
• ABS Brakes – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can avoid accidents and will save you 10% or more on Passat insurance in Riverside.
• Renewal Discounts – Some larger companies reward drivers for buying a policy prior to the expiration date on your current Passat insurance policy. This can save 10% or more.

Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut individual premiums such as medical payments or collision. So despite the fact that it appears all those discounts means the company will pay you, nobody gets a free ride. But all discounts will cut your overall premium however.

The diagram below compares Volkswagen Passat yearly insurance costs with and without discounts. The rates are based on a female driver, no tickets, no at-fault accidents, California 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, multi-car, homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, and marriage discounts applied.

To choose insurance companies with discount rates in Riverside, click this link.

Persistent drivers can save

In this article, we covered many tips how you can reduce Volkswagen Passat insurance car insurance rates online in Riverside. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote Riverside car insurance, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the biggest savings come from an unexpected company. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.

As you prepare to switch companies, do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where someone dropped physical damage coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at the best cost and still be able to protect your assets.

Other learning opportunities

• Frontal Crash Tests (iihs.org)
• Who Has Affordable Riverside Car Insurance Quotes for a School Permit? (FAQ)
• Auto Crash Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• New Honda safety features benefit drivers of all ages (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Liability Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
• Teen Driving and Texting (State Farm)