You have lots of choices when buying insurance for your vehicle. You can either contact a local agent or shop online to check prices from car insurance companies. Finding cheaper car insurance from online rate quotes is easy and at the same time you might just save a little.

Consumers who are new to the process of comparison shopping may think shopping for cut-rate 2003 insurance is more work than they want to put in. When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways of comparing rates from car insurance companies in your area. The recommended way to find competitive is to perform an online rate comparison. It is quite easy and can be accomplished by completing this short form.

What factors impact car insurance premiums?

Auto insurance rates for your 2003 can be significantly different based upon several criteria. Taken into consideration are:

• The performance level of your 2003
• How many accidents you have had
• Home/auto policy bundles save money
• Pleasure, commuting or business use can affect rates
• Special coverage such as replacement cost
• What you do for a living
• The amount of protection requested
• Whether you rent or own your home

A final factor which can affect is the model year. Models that are a few years old have a reduced actual cash value in comparison to older models so the payout to repair will push premiums down. But newer vehicles may have a trim level with safety features including adaptive cruise control, anti-lock brakes, and active head restraints that may help give discounted rates.

Liability insurance - Liability insurance can cover damages or injuries you inflict on other's property or people that is your fault. Liability coverage protects against things such as emergency aid, pain and suffering, and medical services. Liability insurance is relatively cheap so consider buying as large an amount as possible.

Collision coverage - This covers damage to your resulting from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. It's also possible to bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive protection - Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by your comprehensive insurance. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle's value is low it's probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage - This protects you and your vehicle when the "other guys" either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

Medical expense coverage - Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for expenses (i.e. doctor visits, EMT expenses, and X-ray expenses). They are utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. PIP is not an option in every state but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage.