You have lots of choices when shopping for insurance coverage for your vehicle. You can either contact an insurance agent or get quotes online to compare rates from insurance carriers. Finding cheaper auto insurance by getting online quotes saves time, is easy to do and at the same time you may find lower rates.

Finding the best direct price on auto insurance is challenging if you are a beginner to online quotes. But relax because we're going to show you how. Getting better can be relatively painless. Just take time to compare quotes online from several insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished by comparing rates here.

What factors determine your insurance rates?

Insurance premiums paid to insure a 2002 can vary widely and are calculated by many factors. Taken into consideration are:

• High performance increases premiums
• Any accidents you may have
• Home/auto policy bundles save money
• How you use your vehicle
• Special coverage such as replacement cost
• Whether or not you have claims
• Maintaining coverage lowers rates
• Whether you rent or own your home

One important consideration which can affect your rates is the age of the vehicle. Newer models have a higher actual cash value compared to older models so the costs to repair can inflate annual premiums. But more recent vehicles have more advanced features including lane departure warning system, pedestrian detection, and tire pressure monitors which can lower rates.

Liability - This will cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property that is your fault. Liability coverage pays for things such as emergency aid, pain and suffering, and medical services. It is cheap coverage so buy higher limits if possible.

Collision coverage - This will pay to fix damage to your from colliding with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from lower value vehicles. You can also increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision - This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it's not worth much more than your deductible it's not worth carrying full coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage - This protects you and your vehicle's occupants when the "other guys" are uninsured or don't have enough coverage. Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn't take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

Medical costs insurance - Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for expenses like doctor visits, EMT expenses, and X-ray expenses. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay.