You have lots of choices when buying insurance for your vehicle. You can get prices from an insurance agent or shop online to compare rates from lots of different providers. Comparing car insurance through online providers is easy and at the same time you may find lower rates.

Beginners to comparison shopping may think buying affordable 2009 insurance is hard and time consuming. The are a couple different ways to compare rate quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The recommended way to compare involves getting comparison quotes online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished by comparing rates here.

What factors impact the rate you pay?

Insurance premiums paid to insure a 2009 will vary greatly based upon several criteria. Taken into consideration are:

• The performance level of your 2009
• Your accident history
• Home and auto can earn discounts
• How you use your vehicle
• Mature drivers pay less
• Whether you are married
• Special coverage such as replacement cost
• Your job
• The amount of protection requested
• Whether you rent or own your home

One important consideration that can impact your rates is the age of the vehicle. Used vehicles have a reduced actual cash value compared to new models so the costs to repair will push premiums down. But new models have more advanced features including active head restraints, an advanced theft deterrent system, and lane departure warning system so those may lower rates.

Liability auto insurance - Liability insurance provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property. Liability insurance covers things such as emergency aid, pain and suffering, and medical services. Liability insurance is relatively cheap so buy as much as you can afford.

Collision coverage - This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also increase the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive (Other than Collision) - This pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay. 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.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage - This protects you and your vehicle's occupants when the "other guys" either have no liability insurance or not enough. Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea.

Medical expense insurance - Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for expenses like doctor visits, EMT expenses, and X-ray expenses. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. PIP is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay.