Find Cheaper Audi A3 Insurance in Durham

How long has it been since you sat down and looked for low-cost Audi A3 insurance in Durham? Being forced to pay for overpriced insurance premiums can bottom out your budget and make it tough to pay other bills.

A study showed that a large majority of drivers have purchased from the same company for at least the last four years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never compared rates with other companies. Most drivers in North Carolina can save hundreds of dollars each year just by comparing rates, but they don’t know the big savings they would realize if they changed companies. Since people have many choices of insurance companies that have affordable insurance for an Audi A3 in Durham, it can be impossible to pick the lowest cost insurance company.

Smart consumers take time to check insurance prices once or twice a year because insurance prices are usually higher with each renewal. If you had the lowest price on Audi A3 insurance in Durham last year other companies may now be cheaper. Block out anything you think you know about insurance because you’re about to find out the easiest way to find better coverage on Audi A3 insurance in Durham at a better price.

The following companies provide price comparisons in Durham, NC. To find cheap auto insurance in North Carolina, it’s a good idea that you click on several of them to get the best price comparison.

Save money with these rate reducing discounts

Car insurance companies don’t always list every discount they offer very clearly, so here is a list some of the more common in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits available to you.

• Driver’s Education for Students – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them take driver’s ed class if it’s offered in school.
• Club Memberships – Being a member of qualifying clubs or civic groups is a simple method to lower premiums on your next auto insurance statement.
• Theft Deterrent – Cars and trucks equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems are less likely to be stolen and can earn a small discount on your policy.
• Anti-lock Brake System – Cars with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and the ABS can save up to 10%.
• 55 and Retired – Older drivers can possibly qualify for a slight reduction on a Durham auto insurance quote.
• Auto/Home Discount – If you combine your home and auto policies with one company you may save 10% to 20% off each policy.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking time to complete a course teaching driver safety skills may get you a small discount and also improve your driving technique.
• Discounts for New Vehicles – Putting auto insurance coverage on a new A3 can get you a discount due to better safety requirements for new model year vehicles.

A little disclaimer on discounts, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Even though it may seem like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn’t work that way.

The diagram below shows the comparison of Audi A3 car insurance costs with and without policy discounts. The information is based on a male driver, no violations or claims, North Carolina state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, homeowner, marriage, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-car discounts applied.

Large auto insurance companies and their possible discounts are included below.

• Progressive offers discounts including multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, online signing, online quote discount, and continuous coverage.
• Farmers Insurance includes discounts for switch companies, multi-car, teen driver, youthful driver, homeowner, and mature driver.
• Farm Bureau policyholders can earn discounts including good student, youthful driver, multi-policy, 55 and retired, and driver training.
• State Farm has savings for good driver, student away at school, anti-theft, multiple autos, multiple policy, and Drive Safe & Save.
• GEICO discounts include daytime running lights, driver training, membership and employees, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, and emergency military deployment.
• SAFECO may offer discounts for bundle discounts, safe driver, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, accident prevention training, drive less, and teen safe driver.
• Liberty Mutual may include discounts for preferred payment discount, multi-policy, multi-car, new graduate, newly married, and safety features.

It’s a good idea to ask each insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not apply everywhere. To see a list of insurance companies that offer multiple discounts in Durham, follow this link.

Audi A3 insurance rates and statistics

The coverage information shown below showcases a range of prices for Audi A3 models. Having knowledge of how policy rates are figured can help customers make informed decisions when comparing rate quotes.

Price data assumes single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Table data does not factor in specific zip code location which can decrease or increase premiums considerably.

Physical damage deductibles

When shopping for car insurance, a common question is how high should the physical damage coverage deductibles be. The rates shown below may help you to understand the cost difference between high and low insurance deductibles. The first rate comparisons uses a $250 physical damage deductible and the second set of prices uses a $500 deductible.

Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, and safe-driver. Table data does not factor in specific location information which can change coverage rates significantly.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $250 deductible would cost the average driver about $11 more each month or $132 for a full year averaged for all A3 models than quoting the higher $500 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $250 more to file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you tend to have at least 23 months between claim filings, you would most likely save money by going with a higher deductible.

Rate comparison of men versus women

The information below shows the difference between Audi A3 annual premium costs for male and female drivers. The rate quotes are based on no accidents, no driving violations, full coverage, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Compare prices but buy from a local Durham insurance agency

Some people prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is recommended in a lot of cases Agents are trained risk managers and help in the event of a claim. An additional benefit of comparing rates online is that you can find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. Buying insurance from local insurance agents is important particularly in Durham.

After completing this form (opens in new window), the coverage information is immediately sent to companies in Durham who will return price quotes for your coverage. There is no need to do any legwork since price quotes are sent to your email. In the event you want to get a comparison quote from one company in particular, feel free to go to their quote page and complete a quote there.

If you’re trying to find a reliable insurance agent, it’s helpful to know the types of agencies and how they differ in how they quote coverages. Car insurance agents in Durham are classified as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive. Both types can write policy coverage, but it’s important to know the difference in how they write coverage because it may have an impact on the selection process.

Independent Car Insurance Agencies

Independent agencies are not locked into one company so they can insure your vehicles with any number of different companies and get the cheapest rates. If premiums increase, they simply move your policy to a different company and you don’t have to switch agencies.

If you are comparing rate quotes, you will definitely want to get some free quotes from independent agents so that you can do a thorough price comparison.

The following is a partial list of independent agencies in Durham that may be able to give you free price quotes.

More insurance agents

Exclusive Agencies

Agents that elect to be exclusive are contracted to one company and examples are State Farm or Allstate. They usually cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. These agents are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.

Below is a list of exclusive agencies in Durham that are able to give comparison quotes.

More insurance agents

Finding the right car insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the premium amount. These are some questions you should get answers to.

• How much experience to they have in personal lines coverages?
• What are their preferred companies if they are an independent agency?
• Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
• How is replacement cost determined on your vehicle?
• Do they specialize in personal lines coverage in Durham?
• Do they have designations such as AIC, CPCU, or CIC?
• Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?

Components of Your Audi A3 Insurance Rates

Multiple criteria are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some are obvious like a motor vehicle report, but other criteria are not as apparent such as whether you are married or how safe your car is.

The following are some of the most rate-impacting factors used by insurance companies to determine premiums.

• Pleasure use saves money – The higher the mileage driven annually the more you will pay for car insurance. A lot of companies price each vehicle’s coverage determined by how the vehicle is used. Cars left parked in the garage qualify for better rates than those used for commuting. Having an incorrect usage rating on your A3 can result in significantly higher rates. Ask your agent if your policy reflects how each vehicle is driven, because it can save money.
• Getting married is a bonus – Having a spouse can get you a discount when buying car insurance. Marriage is viewed as being less irresponsible and statistics show married drivers tend to file fewer claims.
• Lower stress equals lower prices – Did you know your career choice can influence rates? Careers like real estate brokers, executives, and emergency personnel generally pay the highest average rates due to high stress and long work hours. Conversely, occupations like scientists, engineers and performers receive lower rates.

• Lower rates come with age – Beginning drivers in North Carolina are statistically proven to be easily distracted in a vehicle so they pay higher car insurance rates. Parents adding a teen driver to your policy can be very expensive. More mature drivers are viewed as being more responsible, tend to file fewer claims, and are safer drivers.

  The following data uses these assumptions: single driver, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

• Insurance loss data for Audi A3 vehicles – Insurance companies factor in historical loss data when they set coverage costs for each model. Vehicles that historically have higher claim amounts or frequency will have a higher premium rate. The next table shows the actual insurance loss data for Audi A3 vehicles.

  For each policy coverage type, the loss probability for all vehicles combined as an average is a value of 100. Numbers under 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while percentage values above 100 point to more losses or an increased chance of a larger loss.

  
  

  Audi A3 Insurance Claim Statistics

  Vehicle Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Audi A3 4dr 2WD	152	90	109	85
  Audi A3 4dr 4WD	147	73	111	80

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Empty fields indicate not enough data collected
  Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years

Why you need insurance for your Audi vehicle

Even though it can be expensive, maintaining insurance may not be optional for several reasons.

• Almost all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means the state requires a minimum amount of liability if you drive a vehicle. In North Carolina these limits are 30/60/25 which means you must have $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
• If you have a lien on your Audi A3, more than likely the lender will make it a condition of the loan that you have physical damage coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If the policy lapses, the bank may buy a policy for your Audi at a more expensive rate and require you to reimburse them for it.
• Insurance safeguards your car and your assets. It will also provide coverage for all forms of medical expenses that are the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay to defend you if anyone sues you for causing an accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.

The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than cancel out the cost, especially with large liability claims. As of last year, the average driver in North Carolina overpays as much as $830 a year so shop around each time the policy renews to save money.

Smart shoppers get results

We covered quite a bit of information on how to save on Audi A3 insurance in Durham. The key concept to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even discover the lowest auto insurance rates come from a smaller regional carrier. Smaller companies may cover specific market segments cheaper than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

Cheaper Audi A3 insurance in Durham is available from both online companies in addition to many Durham insurance agents, so you need to shop Durham auto insurance with both to have the best rate selection. Some car insurance companies may not have online quoting and usually these smaller providers provide coverage only through local independent agencies.

As you shop your coverage around, never reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time they didn’t have enough coverage. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best possible price, but do not skimp to save money.

Steps to finding low-cost rates for Audi A3 insurance in Durham

To save the most money, the best way to save on Audi A3 insurance in Durham is to compare prices once a year from insurance carriers that sell auto insurance in North Carolina.

First, try to learn about how your policy works and the things you can change to prevent expensive coverage. Many risk factors that result in higher rates such as at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and an unacceptable credit score can be improved by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.

Second, quote rates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can give quotes from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from many different companies.

Third, compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find better rates, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.

Fourth, give notification to your agent or company to cancel your current coverage and submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to the new insurer. As soon as coverage is bound, keep your new proof of insurance certificate in your vehicle.

The key thing to remember is to try to compare similar limits and deductibles on every quote and and to get quotes from all possible companies. Doing this provides the most accurate price comparison and the best price quote selection.

More tips and info about car insurance can be found at these sites:

• Neck Injury FAQ (iihs.org)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Company Car in Durham? (FAQ)
• Distracted Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
• Rearview cameras reduce backing crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Information for Teen Drivers (GEICO)