You have lots of choices when shopping for car insurance for your vehicle. You can either buy through an agent or get quotes online to compare insurance costs of many different companies. Finding cheaper car insurance from online companies saves time, is easy to do and at the same time you can save money.

Finding the best direct price on car insurance is challenging if you are a beginner to online quoting. Don't let that stop you because it's actually quite easy. There are several ways to compare rate quotes from different insurance companies. By far the easiest way to find the cheapest is to perform an online rate comparison. It is quite easy and can be accomplished by getting a quick quote here.

What factors determine ?

Car insurance premiums for your 2004 can fluctuate considerably and are calculated by many factors. Taken into consideration are:

• High performance increases premiums
• Accidents raise premiums
• Home/auto policy bundles save money
• Pleasure, commuting or business use can affect rates
• Special coverage such as replacement cost
• Your occupation
• The level of coverage
• Whether you rent or own your home

An additional factor which can affect is the year of the vehicle. Models that are a few years old have a reduced actual cash value than newer models so the payout to repair may end up costing you less. Conversely, new models may have safety features such as active head restraints, adaptive headlights, a backup camera, and tire pressure monitors which may help offset higher rates.

Liability coverage

This provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other's property or people that is your fault. Liability can pay for things such as emergency aid, pain and suffering, and medical services. It is cheap coverage so you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Collision insurance

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with an object or car. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle's value consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)

This provides protection from other drivers when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for expenses such as doctor visits, EMT expenses, and X-ray expenses. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. PIP coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible.