Auto insurance rates can sometimes come at a surprise if one does not research the cost of insuring a vehicle prior to purchasing it. This often leads to an overwhelmed person from an unexpected, but necessary expense.
There are many factors that are used to properly calculate premium rates including the price of the car, symbol, title, category, cost of replacement parts, among a few others. Vehicle value is also a very big part of determining insurable risk. Some companies may even set maximum acceptable values and a car with value exceeding the allowable limits may be turned down for physical damage coverage or even for any coverage whatsoever. Other details are also looked at for eligibility, for example, some carriers will not accept a vehicle with a salvage title since they’re considered structurally unsafe.
The rating system uses what’s called a “symbol” which is issued to each specific car for the purpose of assessing the risk factor involved in insuring the particular vehicle. Symbols vary no only between makes, models but sub-models such as EX, LX, SE, etc. The VIN number is what can be used to look up car’s symbol, and generally, the higher the symbol, the more expensive it will be to insure.
These symbols also vary depending on value, cost of parts and repairs and category such as “exotic”, “sport”, “luxury” of a car. A vehicle with a high value or a reputation for speed, and even a high statistical history of accidents or if it is often stolen, it is going to be issued a high symbol and will cost more to insure. In the other hand, the lower the symbol, the cheaper it is to insure. Some insurers will not accept those in the category of exotic, such as Ferrari and Lamborghini since they’re so expensive to repair and have such a high risk factor because they’re made to go fast!
Sometimes a car can have characteristics that will lower the cost of insurance such as safety. Many vehicles with multiple airbags, automatic seatbelts, daytime running lights and anti-theft devices will be given a discount since those features help lower the probability of injuries to passengers and may help avoid accidents entirely.
Purchasing a car insurance friendly vehicle will definitely lower your premiums; however, it is not the only factor taken into consideration. Driver information also plays a big role in determining rates. A person with low driving experience, or with a bad driver history (many tickets and accidents) will pay more than another with a good lengthy history of no violations or claims.
A great tip is to get a quick online auto insurance quote before you purchase a vehicle in order to determine if you want to proceed with the purchase or not. Many times, people will purchase a car and have to return it because they cannot afford insuring it.
OnlineAutoInsurance.com allows consumers to compare car insurance from a variety of companies without any obligations to buy.
