If saving money is your primary concern, then the best way to get low-cost Volkswagen Beetle insurance in Durham is to start doing a yearly price comparison from providers who provide auto insurance in North Carolina.
First, try to understand how insurance works and the measures you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many things that cause high rates like inattentive driving and a less-than-favorable credit score can be amended by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
Second, compare rates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while independent agents can give you price quotes from many different companies.
Third, compare the new rates to the price on your current policy and see if there is a cheaper rate in Durham. If you find better rates and switch companies, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
Fourth, provide written notification to your current company to cancel your current coverage. Submit a completed policy application and payment for your new coverage. When you receive it, keep the new certificate of insurance above your visor, in the console, or in the glove compartment.
One thing to point out is to try to use identical coverage information on each price quote and and to get prices from every company you can. Doing this provides the most accurate price comparison and plenty of rates choose from.
We don’t have to point out that fact that car insurance companies don’t want their customers to go rate shopping. Insureds who perform rate comparisons are inclined to buy a new policy because there is a significant possibility of finding better rates. A recent survey revealed that drivers who did price comparisons regularly saved $3,450 over four years as compared to drivers who didn’t regularly shop around.
If finding the best rates on car insurance is your target objective, then having a good understanding how to find companies and compare insurance can save time and money.
Informed Drivers Know How to Get Car Insurance for Less
Multiple criteria are used when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are obvious like a motor vehicle report, but some are less obvious such as your marital status and annual miles driven. An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the factors that go into determining your car insurance rates. If you know what influences your rates, this helps enable you to make changes that can earn you lower car insurance prices.
Buy a safe car and pay less – Vehicles that have high safety ratings get lower rates. Highly rated vehicles result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection translates into savings for insurance companies and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Volkswagen Beetle is rated at least four stars on Safercar.gov or an “acceptable” rating on iihs.org it may be receiving lower rates.
Fewer miles means better prices – Driving a lot of miles in a year the more you will pay for car insurance. Many insurance companies charge to insure your cars based upon how you use the vehicle. Cars left parked in the garage receive lower rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. It’s a smart idea to ensure your car insurance policy correctly shows the correct driver usage, because it can save money. Having an incorrect usage rating on your Beetle can cost quite a bit.
Your spouse saves you money – Having a significant other helps lower the price on car insurance. Having a spouse demonstrates that you tend to be more mature and responsible and it’s statistically proven that married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.
Does car insurance cost less for gals? – Statistics have proven that females tend to be a little less risky than males. It does not mean females are better drivers. Both sexes get in fender benders at a similar rate, but males have costlier accidents. In addition to higher claims, males also get higher numbers of serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving.
The example below compares Volkswagen Beetle car insurance costs for male and female drivers. The information is based on no claims or driving citations, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, single status, and no other discounts are factored in.
Type of car, truck or SUV determines base costs – The performance level of the vehicle you own makes a big difference in how high your rates are. The lowest premiums are generally reserved for the lowest performance passenger models, but your final cost has many other factors.
The data below assumes a single male driver age 50, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It illustrates Volkswagen Beetle rates compared to other models that have a range of performance rating factors.
Remove unneeded extra policy coverages – Insurance policies have a lot of optional add-on coverages that you can buy if you aren’t careful. Things like coverage for rental cars, high-cost glass coverage, and additional equipment coverage could be just wasting money. You may think they are a good idea when buying your policy, but your needs may have changed so remove them and pocket the money.
Volkswagen Beetle insurance loss probability – Car insurance companies analyze historical claim data to calculate a rate that will offset any claims. Vehicles that are shown to have higher number or severity of losses will have higher rates. The table below illustrates the collected loss data for Volkswagen Beetle vehicles.
For each policy coverage, the claim probability for all vehicles averaged together is a value of 100. Values that are under 100 suggest losses that are better than average, while numbers above 100 show a trend for more claims or larger claims.
| Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen Beetle | 101 | 93 | 101 | 85 | 95 | 101 |
| Volkswagen Beetle Convertible | 85 | 78 | 95 | 76 | 89 | 79 |
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Rates and detailed analysis
The table shown next showcases a range of rate quotes for Volkswagen Beetle models. Understanding how premiums are calculated is important for making decisions when shopping your coverage around.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beetle S 2-Dr Hatchback | $118 | $270 | $240 | $14 | $72 | $714 | $60 |
| Beetle 2-Dr Convertible | $152 | $318 | $186 | $10 | $56 | $722 | $60 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Above prices assume single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can change premiums significantly.
Rate comparison for different deductibles
One frequently asked question is how high or low should comp and collision deductibles be. The rates below may help you to understand the premium difference when you select higher and lower physical damage deductibles. The first rate table uses a $100 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second price grid uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beetle S 2-Dr Hatchback | $186 | $386 | $212 | $12 | $64 | $885 | $74 |
| Beetle 2-Dr Convertible | $242 | $456 | $164 | $10 | $50 | $947 | $79 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beetle S 2-Dr Hatchback | $104 | $204 | $212 | $12 | $64 | $596 | $50 |
| Beetle 2-Dr Convertible | $134 | $240 | $164 | $10 | $50 | $598 | $50 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data rating is based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and multi-vehicle. Premium costs do not factor in specific zip code location which can lower or raise insurance rates noticeably.
Based on this data, using a $100 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $27 more each month or $324 each year than opting for the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would pay $900 more to file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally average at least 33 months between claim filings, you would save money if you decide on a higher deductible.
The information below highlights how deductible selection and can raise or lower Volkswagen Beetle insurance rates for different age groups. The premium estimates are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Difference between liability only and full coverage rates
The illustration below shows the difference between Volkswagen Beetle yearly insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in North Carolina. The costs are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $1,000 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Should you be buying full coverage?
There is no set guideline to drop comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s say your Volkswagen Beetle settlement value is $9,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most your company would pay you is $8,000 after paying your policy deductible. If it’s costing in excess of $800 annually to have full coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
There are some situations where dropping full coverage is not financially feasible. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not drop full coverage.
Car insurance quotes and discounts
Car insurance is not cheap nor is it fun to buy but there may be some discounts that can help lower your rates. Some discounts will apply at the time of quoting, but a few must be inquired about before you get the savings. If they aren’t giving you every credit you qualify for, you are throwing money away.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles are safer to drive so you can save 10 percent or more.
- Multi-car Discount – Buying coverage for primary and secondary vehicles on a single policy qualifies for this discount.
- Discounts for Federal Employees – Federal government employees could cut as much as 10% off with some car insurance companies.
- Driver Education Discount – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them take driver’s ed class as it can save substantially.
- Multi-line Discount – Larger car insurance companies have a discount if you purchase auto and life insurance together.
- Policy Bundle Discount – If you can combine your auto and homeowners policy with one insurance company you could get a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
A quick disclaimer, some credits don’t apply to the entire cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you aren’t that lucky.
The information below shows the difference between Volkswagen Beetle insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. The data assumes a female driver, a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, North Carolina state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, multi-car, claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, and marriage discounts applied.
Larger car insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be found below.
- State Farm has savings for good driver, multiple autos, safe vehicle, passive restraint, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and student away at school.
- GEICO may have discounts that include air bags, seat belt use, membership and employees, emergency military deployment, multi-vehicle, defensive driver, and multi-policy.
- SAFECO offers discounts including accident prevention training, anti-theft, drive less, anti-lock brakes, multi-car, homeowner, and teen safety rewards.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for homeowner, youthful driver, teen driver, alternative fuel, electronic funds transfer, pay in full, and business and professional.
- AAA offers premium reductions for multi-car, anti-theft, AAA membership discount, pay-in-full, good student, and good driver.
- USAA policyholders can earn discounts including safe driver, loyalty savings, new vehicle, military installation, and vehicle storage.
When getting free Durham car insurance quotes, it’s a good idea to every company what discounts are available to you. A few discounts might not apply everywhere. If you would like to see a list of car insurance companies who offer free Volkswagen Beetle insurance quotes in Durham, follow this link.
Get the best coverage at the most affordable price
Consumers switch companies for a variety of reasons including unfair underwriting practices, high rates after DUI convictions, not issuing a premium refund and even being labeled a high risk driver. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new insurance company can be easy and end up saving you some money.
As you shop your coverage around, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed uninsured motorist or liability limits and discovered at claim time that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The aim is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best possible price, not the least amount of coverage.
Budget-friendly insurance in Durham is definitely available from both online companies in addition to many Durham insurance agents, so you need to shop Durham car insurance with both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies may not provide rate quotes online and many times these small insurance companies sell through independent insurance agencies.
Additional resources
- Five Steps to Filing an Auto Insurance Claim (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has the Cheapest Durham Auto Insurance for a Jeep Wrangler? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a School Permit in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Over Age 70 in Durham? (FAQ)
- Coverage Information (Progressive Insurance)
- What does Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Cover? (Allstate)
- How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)