No one rejoices having to buy auto insurance, particularly when they are paying too much.
It’s well known that insurance companies don’t want policyholders to compare prices from other companies. Insureds who shop around at least once a year will most likely buy a new policy because they stand a good chance of finding coverage at a cheaper rate. A study showed that drivers who made a habit of comparing rate quotes saved on average $3,500 over four years as compared to drivers who never shopped for cheaper rates.
If finding the best price on Saturn VUE insurance in Buffalo is your objective, then learning a little about how to get rate quotes and compare car insurance can help simplify the task of finding more affordable coverage.
Steps to finding better rates for Saturn VUE insurance in Buffalo
Really, the only way to find affordable quotes for Saturn VUE insurance in Buffalo is to start doing an annual price comparison from different companies in New York.
- Step 1: Try to comprehend the different coverages in a policy and the things you can change to drop your rates. Many things that increase rates such as traffic violations, accidents, and a less-than-favorable credit history can be improved by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. This article provides additional tips to help find cheaper rates and get bigger discounts that may have been overlooked.
- Step 2: Quote rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your existing coverage and determine if there is any savings. If you can save some money and make a switch, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
One bit of advice is to make sure you enter the same physical damage deductibles and liability limits on each quote and and to look at every company you can. This helps ensure a fair price comparison and a thorough price selection.
Companies like GEICO, 21st Century and Progressive continually hit you with catchy ads and it is difficult to see past the geckos and flying pigs and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
You should take the time to take a look at other company’s rates yearly due to the fact that insurance rates fluctuate regularly. Even if you got the best deal on Saturn VUE insurance in Buffalo at your last renewal you will most likely find a better price today. Forget anything you know (or think you know) about auto insurance because you’re about to learn how to use online quotes to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.
If you have car insurance now, you will definitely be able to reduce the price you pay using the ideas presented in this article. Choosing the best rates in Buffalo can really be easy if you know what you’re doing. But New York vehicle owners must understand the way companies determine how much to charge and use this information to your advantage.
What Affects Saturn VUE Insurance Costs?
Lots of factors are taken into consideration when you quote your car insurance policy. Most are fairly basic such as your driving history, but others are less obvious like your vehicle usage or your commute time. One of the most helpful ways to save on insurance is to to have a grasp of the different types of things that play a part in calculating your insurance rates. When you understand what influences your rates, this enables informed choices that can earn you much lower annual insurance costs.
- Drive fewer miles and save – The more you drive each year the more you’ll pay to insure it. Almost all companies calculate rates based on how the vehicle is used. Autos not used for work or commuting can be on a lower rate level than vehicles that have high annual mileage. Improper usage on your VUE may be wasting your money. It’s a good idea to make sure your insurance coverage properly reflects the correct driver usage, because improper ratings can cost you money.
- Qualify for multi-policy discounts – Most larger insurance companies provide a discount to clients that have more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. If you currently are using one company, it’s still a good idea to compare other company rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. Drivers may still find a better deal even if you have your coverage with different companies
- Pay more of a claim out-of-pocket – Physical damage protection, also known as collision and other-than-collision, helps pay for damage to your vehicle. Examples of some claims that would be covered are a dented fender, hail damage, and damage from a fallen tree branch. The deductibles you choose state the amount of money you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The more of the claim the insured has to pay upfront, the lower your rates will be.
- Occupation stress can make you pay more – Do you work in a high-stress field? Careers such as lawyers, police officers, and stock brokers are shown to have higher rates than average due to job stress and incredibly demanding work hours. Conversely, occupations like professors, athletes and retirees pay the least.
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Premiums increase with driving tickets – Your driving citation history impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Drivers with clean records get better prices than bad drivers. Just one citation can boost insurance rates by as much as twenty percent. Drivers with serious violations such as DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding may face state-mandated requirements to complete a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
The example below demonstrates how citations and accident claims drive up Saturn VUE insurance prices for different age groups of insureds. Data assumes a single male driver, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
- If you don’t need it don’t buy it – There are quite a few optional add-on coverages that you can buy on your insurance policy. Coverages like roadside assistance, accident forgiveness, and additional equipment coverage may be wasting your money. You may think they are a good idea initially, but your needs may have changed so get rid of them and save.
Coverage analysis
The rate information displayed next outlines estimates of prices for Saturn VUE models. Being more informed about how premiums are formulated can help you make smart choices when comparing insurance rates.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vue XE 2WD | $208 | $312 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $890 | $74 |
Vue XR 2WD | $208 | $378 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $956 | $80 |
Vue XR-L 2WD | $234 | $378 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $982 | $82 |
Vue XR AWD | $234 | $378 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $982 | $82 |
Vue XR-L AWD | $234 | $446 | $272 | $16 | $82 | $1,050 | $88 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Price data assumes married male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and New York minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Prices do not factor in your specific Buffalo location which can impact premium rates substantially.
Should you raise deductibles?
The hardest decision when buying coverage is how high should the deductibles for physical damage be. The data tables below approximate how much more rates are when you select higher and lower coverage deductibles. The first rate quote example uses a $250 deductible and the second pricing table uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vue XE 2WD | $204 | $284 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $873 | $73 |
Vue XR 2WD | $204 | $344 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $933 | $78 |
Vue XR-L 2WD | $230 | $344 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $959 | $80 |
Vue XR AWD | $230 | $344 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $959 | $80 |
Vue XR-L AWD | $230 | $406 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $1,021 | $85 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vue XE 2WD | $126 | $178 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $664 | $55 |
Vue XR 2WD | $126 | $216 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $702 | $59 |
Vue XR-L 2WD | $142 | $216 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $718 | $60 |
Vue XR AWD | $142 | $216 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $718 | $60 |
Vue XR-L AWD | $142 | $256 | $264 | $16 | $80 | $758 | $63 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and New York minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, multi-vehicle, claim-free, and multi-policy. Rates do not factor in zip code location which can change auto insurance rates greatly.
Based on this data, using a $250 deductible will cost you approximately $20 more each month or $240 a year averaged for all VUE models than requesting the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $750 more out of your own pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you have more than 38 months between claims, you would come out ahead if you opt for a higher deductible.
How to decide to raise your deductibles
Average monthly premium for $250 deductibles: | $79 |
Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $59 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $20 |
Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $250): | $750 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $750 / $20 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 38 months |
An important thing to remember is that a higher deductible means you will have to pay more out-of-pocket when you have a physical damage claim. You need to have some savings in order to pay more to get your vehicle repaired.
The example below illustrates how your deductible choice and can raise or lower Saturn VUE insurance prices for each different age category. The premium estimates are based on a single female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Auto insurance prices based on gender
The information below illustrates the comparison of Saturn VUE yearly insurance costs for male and female drivers. The price estimates are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, full coverage, $250 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied.
Get discounts on Buffalo auto insurance
Auto insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time you complete a quote, but some may not be applied and must be asked for before you get the savings.
- Discount for Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles can earn substantially lower auto insurance rates.
- Payment Method – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time instead of paying each month you can avoid the installment charge.
- Claim-Free Discount – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less compared to drivers who are more careless.
- Distant College Student Discount – College-age children who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from Buffalo and don’t have a car may be insured at a cheaper rate.
- Government Employees – Active or retired federal employment may qualify for a discount when you quote Buffalo auto insurance but check with your company.
- Safe Driver Discount – Insureds who avoid accidents can save as much as half off their rates as compared to drivers with claims.
- Telematics Discount – Drivers that enable their company to spy on driving patterns remotely such as Progressive’s Snapshot might see lower rates if they have good driving habits.
- Discount for Life Insurance – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a lower auto insurance rate if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – When you have multiple policies and insure them both with the same insurance company you may save up to 20% off your total VUE insurance premium.
- Switch and Save Discount – A few larger companies give discounts for switching policies before your current coverage expires. It can save you around 10%.
Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Most only cut individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Even though it may seem like you could get a free auto insurance policy, you’re out of luck.
The illustration below illustrates the comparison of Saturn VUE yearly insurance costs with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The rate quotes are based on a male driver, no claims or driving violations, New York state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, multi-policy, marriage, multi-car, safe-driver, and claim-free discounts applied.
A partial list of companies that possibly offer many of the previously listed discounts are:
If you are trying to find low cost Buffalo auto insurance quotes, ask each company or agent to give you their best rates. All car insurance discounts might not be offered on policies in your area. For a list of insurers that have a full spectrum of discounts in Buffalo, click here.
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
In this article, we presented many tips how you can lower your Saturn VUE insurance premium rates in Buffalo. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may even discover the most savings is with a small local company. Regional companies may only write in your state and offer lower prices compared to the large companies like State Farm and Allstate.
Cheaper insurance in Buffalo can be purchased online as well as from independent agents in Buffalo, so you should compare both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some companies may not offer the ability to get quotes online and many times these smaller providers work with independent insurance agencies.
How to find low-cost Saturn VUE insurance in Buffalo
If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to find affordable quotes for Saturn VUE insurance is to make a habit of comparing prices annually from insurers in Buffalo.
First, try to learn about the different coverages in a policy and the steps you can take to drop your rates. Many policy risk factors that result in higher rates such as accidents, traffic violations, and an unacceptable credit history can be amended by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
Second, compare prices from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote prices for many different companies.
Third, compare the new rates to your existing coverage to see if cheaper VUE coverage is available in Buffalo. If you find a lower rate and decide to switch, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
Fourth, tell your current company of your decision to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit a signed application and payment for the new policy. Be sure to place the new certificate verifying proof of insurance with the vehicle registration.
An important bit of advice to remember is to use identical coverages on each price quote and and to get price quotes from as many car insurance companies as possible. Doing this enables a fair rate comparison and a better comparison of the market.
To read more, take a look at the articles below:
- Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Buffalo Car Insurance for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Buffalo Auto Insurance Quotes for a 20 Year Old Male? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Rates for Drivers with Bad Credit in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for Real Estate Agents in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- What is the Best Cheap Auto Insurance in Buffalo, NY? (FAQ)
- Collision Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
- Distracted Driving (Insurance Information Institute)