You have many choices when buying insurance for your vehicle. You can buy direct from a local agent or shop online to compare rates from car insurance companies. Finding cheaper car insurance from online rate quotes is easy, in addition you might just save a little.

Consumers who are new to the process of comparing rates may think shopping for low-cost 2009 insurance is more work than they want to put in. When shopping for car insurance there are multiple ways to get quotes from car insurance companies in your area. The recommended way to compare is to perform an online rate comparison. This is very easy and can be done by comparing rates here.

Criteria which help determine insurance rates

Auto insurance rates on a 2009 can be significantly different based upon several criteria. A few of these criteria are:

• The performance level of your 2009
• How many accidents you have had
• Home/auto policy bundles save money
• Pleasure use vs. commuting use
• Optional coverages like vehicle replacement
• What you do for a living
• The amount of protection requested
• Owning a home can lower rates

A final factor which can affect is the model year. Models that are a few years old have a much lower replacement value in comparison to older models so the cost to replace them will push premiums down. But more recent vehicles may have a trim level with safety features including adaptive cruise control, anti-lock brakes, and active head restraints that may help lower rates.

Liability insurance - Liability insurance will cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property that is your fault. Liability coverage protects against claims such as funeral expenses, loss of income, and emergency aid. Liability insurance is relatively cheap so consider buying as large an amount as possible.

Collision coverage - This will pay to fix damage to your resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder. Collision coverage for your 2009 can be pricey, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. You can also bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive protection - This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by your comprehensive insurance. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if it's not worth much more than your deductible it's not worth carrying full coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage - This coverage 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, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked.

Medical expense coverage - Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage provide coverage for bills (i.e. ambulance fees, surgery, and doctor visits). They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. PIP is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay.