Cheap 1997 Kia Sportage Car Insurance Rates

Drivers have lots of choices when trying to find the lowest priced Kia Sportage insurance. You can either waste hours contacting agents trying to get quotes or save time using the internet to get rate quotes. There is a right way and a wrong way to shop for car insurance and you need to know the quickest way to compare rates for a Kia and locate the cheapest rates.

Compare the Market for Insurance Coverage

There are several ways you can shop for Kia Sportage insurance coverage but one way is easier and takes less work. You can waste hours talking about coverages with agents in your area, or you could save time and use online quoting to get rates in a matter of minutes.

Many companies belong to an insurance system that enables customers to submit their information once, and at least one company provides a quote for coverage. This system prevents you from having to do repetitive form submissions for each company. To enter your information into the quoting system, click here to open in new window.

The single downside to doing it this way is that consumers can’t choose which carriers to get pricing from. So if you prefer to pick specific insurance companies to compare rates, we have a listing of insurance coverage companies in your area. Click to view list.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose, just make sure you use identical coverage information for every company. If your comparisons have different liability limits it will be impossible to find the best deal for your Kia Sportage.

Are you falling for claims of savings?

Drivers can’t get away from ads for car insurance savings by GEICO, State Farm and Progressive. All the ads make an identical promise that you’ll save big if you switch to their company.

How do they all say the same thing? This is how they do it.

Different companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer they prefer to insure. For instance, a desirable insured might be profiled as between 25 and 40, insures multiple vehicles, and has a short commute. A propective insured that hits that “sweet spot” will qualify for the lowest rates and therefore will pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Consumers who do not match this ideal profile will be quoted higher prices and ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is “customers who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that kind of money. That is how companies can state the savings. This emphasizes why drivers should quote coverage with many companies. Because you never know the company that will have the lowest Kia Sportage insurance rates.

What determines your Kia Sportage insurance premium

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for car insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay helps enable you to make changes that will entitle you to better car insurance rates.

The list below includes some of the factors that factor into prices.

  • How your age affects price – Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and are safer drivers. Teenage drivers have a tendency to be more careless behind the wheel therefore car insurance rates are much higher.
  • More than one policy can earn a discount – The majority of companies give discounts to people who consolidate policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. This can amount to anywhere from five to ten percent in most cases. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s in your best interest to compare other company rates to ensure the best deal.
  • Little extras can really add up – There are quite a few extra coverages that can waste your money on your car insurance policy. Insurance for roadside assistance, accident forgiveness and membership fees may be costing you every month. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but your needs may have changed so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Poor driving leads to higher costs – Just one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Careful drivers receive lower rates than bad drivers. Drivers who have serious citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with the DMV in their state in order to continue driving.
  • Your car insurance rates can be influenced by your job – Occupations like real estate brokers, social workers and dentists have the highest average rates attributed to high stress and long work hours. Other occupations like scientists, historians and retirees get better rates for Sportage coverage.
  • Your spouse saves you money – Being married helps lower the price on your car insurance policy. Having a spouse means you’re more responsible and it’s statistically proven that married drivers get in fewer accidents.

These discounts can slash auto insurance rates

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise every discount very clearly, so here is a list both well-publicized and the harder-to-find auto insurance savings. If you’re not getting every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.

  • Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% for Sportage coverage with select insurance companies.
  • Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers who don’t get into accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates for Sportage coverage than less cautious drivers.
  • Anti-theft Discount – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Multiple Policy Discount – When you have multiple policies with one insurance company you could get a discount of up to 20% off your total premium.
  • Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies will forgive one accident before raising your premiums so long as you haven’t had any claims for a set time period.
  • Passive Restraints and Air Bags – Cars that have air bags can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
  • Driver Safety – Taking a driver safety course could possibly earn you a 5% discount and easily recoup the cost of the course.
  • Clubs and Organizations – Affiliation with certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break when shopping for auto insurance for Sportage coverage.
  • Good Student – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. The discount lasts up to age 25.

It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like comp or med pay. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.

To see a list of companies who offer auto insurance discounts, click this link.

When might I need the advice of an agent?

When buying proper insurance coverage, there really is no “perfect” insurance plan. Every insured’s situation is different.

For instance, these questions may help highlight if your situation may require specific advice.

  • How high should my medical payments coverage be?
  • Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
  • I have good health insurance, so how much medical payments coverage do I need?
  • Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
  • What is the rate difference between pleasure use and commuting?
  • Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It’s fast, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Car insurance 101

Having a good grasp of your policy can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be confusing and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Medical costs insurance – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for immediate expenses for things like funeral costs, X-ray expenses and nursing services. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – This covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive can pay for things like damage from a tornado or hurricane, vandalism, a broken windshield, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and rock chips in glass. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.

UM/UIM Coverage – Your UM/UIM coverage provides protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

Liability coverage – Liability coverage provides protection from damage or injury you incur to other’s property or people. This coverage protects you from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. Your policy might show policy limits of 50/100/50 that translate to a $50,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $100,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property.

Liability coverage protects against claims like medical services, structural damage, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, court costs and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is a decision to put some thought into, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Collision coverage – This pays for damage to your Sportage resulting from a collision with another car or object. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for claims like colliding with a tree, hitting a parking meter, hitting a mailbox and backing into a parked car. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to increase the deductible to bring the cost down.

In conclusion

Cost effective 1997 Kia Sportage insurance is attainable online in addition to many insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Throughout this article, we presented many ideas to lower your insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. You may even find the lowest priced insurance comes from a small mutual company.

Consumers who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including poor customer service, unfair underwriting practices, denial of a claim and high rates after DUI convictions. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding a great new company is easier than you think.

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