Auto Insurance Quotes for a Pontiac Vibe in San Jose

A recent insurance study revealed that a large majority of drivers have purchased from the same company for a minimum of four years, and approximately 40% of consumers have never shopped around. U.S. drivers could save an average of as much as 46.5% each year by just comparing quotes, but they don’t believe the rate savings if they bought a different policy.

If you want to save money, the best way to get cheaper car insurance rates is to compare prices once a year from insurers who provide car insurance in San Jose. Price quotes can be compared by following these guidelines.

• First, spend some time learning about the different coverages in a policy and the measures you can control to prevent rate increases. Many rating factors that drive up the price like high-risk driving behaviors and a low credit score can be rectified by making lifestyle changes or driving safer.
• Second, request price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can quote rates for a wide range of companies.
• Third, compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy and determine if there is any savings. If you find a lower rate, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
• Fourth, give proper notification to your current agent or company of your intention to cancel the current policy. Submit payment along with a signed and completed policy application for the new coverage. Don’t forget to place your new proof of insurance certificate with the vehicle registration.

The key thing to remember is that you’ll want to compare the same amount of coverage on each quote request and and to get price estimates from all possible companies. This guarantees a fair rate comparison and a good representation of prices.

Get More Affordable Insurance Premiums by Understanding These Factors

Lots of factors are used when you quote your car insurance policy. Most are fairly basic like an MVR report, but some are not quite as obvious such as whether you are married or how safe your car is. One of the most helpful ways to save on insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the elements that play a part in calculating insurance rates. If you have a feel for what determines base rates, this allows you to make educated decisions that could help you find big savings.

The following are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine rates.

• More traffic means higher claims – Having an address in smaller towns and rural areas of the country can be a good thing when talking about insurance. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accident claims. People who live in big cities regularly have more aggressive driving styles and higher rates of accident claims. Higher commute times means a statistically higher chance of an accident.
• Consider raising deductibles – Comp and collision deductibles define how much you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before your insurance pays a claim. Insurance for physical damage to your car, also known as collision and other-than-collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered are collision with another vehicle, fire damage, and having a roll-over accident. The more money you’re willing to pay, the less money you will pay for insurance.
• Only buy coverage you need – Policies have additional coverages that sound like a good idea at the time if you aren’t diligent. Add-on coverages like roadside assistance, towing, and extra life insurance coverage are some examples. The coverages may be enticing when discussing your needs, but if you don’t need them eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
• Drive a safer car and pay less – Safer cars are cheaper to insure. Vehicles built for safety result in less severe injuries and better occupant protection means your insurance company pays less which can mean better rates for you.

• Tickets can increase prices – How you drive has a huge affect on how much you pay. Just one citation may increase your cost substantially. Attentive drivers pay less for auto insurance as compared to careless drivers. Drivers who get license-revoking tickets like DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding may find they need to file a SR-22 with their state’s licensing department in order to continue driving.

  The information below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders can influence Pontiac Vibe premium costs for different insured age categories. The information is based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.

• GPS tracking and theft deterrents reduce insurance rates – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can get you a discount on your insurance. Advanced theft deterrents like vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack all help prevent your vehicle from being stolen.

• Drive a fast vehicle and pay more – The make and model of the vehicle you need to insure makes a huge difference in your auto insurance rates. The lowest rates will normally be found when insuring low performance passenger vehicles, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.

  The following data assumes a single female driver age 30, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It compares Pontiac Vibe policy rates compared to other makes and models that have different performances.

• Save money by staying claim free – If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to much higher rates or policy non-renewal. Auto insurance companies in California generally give cheaper rates to people who are claim-free. Your insurance policy is intended for larger claims.

Keep in mind that having more price comparisons helps increase your odds of locating more affordable rates.

The companies shown below have been selected to offer comparison quotes in California. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you compare several of them to get the lowest price.

Rates and detailed analysis

The premium table displayed below covers a range of insurance coverage prices for Pontiac Vibe models. Having a good grasp of how car insurance prices are calculated can help guide drivers when making smart choices when comparing insurance quotes.

Premium data assumes single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, claim-free, and homeowner. Rate information does not factor in garaging location in San Jose which can decrease or increase coverage prices significantly.

Physical damage deductibles

One common question asked by San Jose drivers is where should you set your physical damage deductibles. The data tables below may help you to understand the differences in premium rates when you buy lower versus higher physical damage coverage deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $250 deductible for comp and collision and the second data table uses a $1,000 deductible.

Above prices assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver. Rate information does not factor in vehicle location which can revise auto insurance rates noticeably.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $250 deductible will cost you about $33 more each month or $396 each year than selecting the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $750 more to settle a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you tend to have at a minimum 23 months between claim filings, you would most likely save money if you opt for a higher deductible.

Premiums by gender and age

The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Pontiac Vibe insurance prices for male and female drivers. Data assumes no accidents, no driving violations, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no other discounts are factored in.

Difference between liability only and full coverage rates

The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Pontiac Vibe insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The data is based on no claims or driving violations, $250 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied.

Deciding between full coverage and liability only

There is no definitive formula to drop physical damage insurance, but there is a general convention. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s assume your Pontiac Vibe book value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company would pay you is $6,000 after paying your deductible. If you are currently paying more than $600 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.

There are a few cases where dropping physical damage coverage is not financially feasible. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should not eliminate full coverage.

Insurance is not optional but you don’t have to overpay

Despite the high cost, insurance may be mandatory for several reasons.

• Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means you are required to carry a specific minimum amount of liability protection in order to drive the car. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.
• If you bought your Pontiac Vibe with a loan, most lenders will force you to carry insurance to protect their interest in the vehicle. If the policy lapses, the lender will be forced to insure your Pontiac at a more expensive rate and make you pay for the much more expensive policy.
• Insurance protects not only your car but also your financial assets. Insurance will pay for all forms of medical expenses for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay to defend you if you are sued as the result of your driving. If you have damage to your Pontiac as the result of the weather or an accident, collision and comprehensive coverages will pay to repair the damage.

The benefits of insuring your Vibe definitely exceed the cost, especially when you need to use it. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver is wasting up to $700 annually so you should quote rates every year to ensure rates are competitive.

Cheap Pontiac Vibe insurance in San Jose

Car insurance is expensive, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that you may not even be aware of. Many discounts should be triggered at the time you complete a quote, but some discounts are required to be manually applied before being credited. If you are not receiving all the discounts possible, you could be getting lower rates.

• Anti-lock Brakes – Cars and trucks that have anti-lock braking systems prevent accidents so you can save 10 percent or more.
• Low Miles Discount – Keeping the miles down on your Pontiac may allow you to get slightly better rates than normal.
• Professional Organizations – Being a member of specific professional or occupational memberships or organizations could trigger savings on your policy.
• Pay Upfront and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill as opposed to paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
• Government Employee Discount – Active or retired federal employment could qualify for a slight premium decrease with a few car insurance companies.
• Auto/Home Discount – If you have multiple policies with the same company you could earn a discount of up to 20% and get you cheaper Vibe insurance.
• Theft Deterrent – Cars and trucks with anti-theft systems help deter theft and that can save you a little bit as well.
• Distant Student – Children who are attending college and do not have access to a covered vehicle can be insured at a reduced rate.
• Active Service Discounts – Being on active deployment in the military could qualify you for better car insurance rates.
• Save with More Vehicles Insured – Having multiple vehicles with the same company can reduce rates for all insured vehicles.

Just know that most discount credits are not given to the whole policy. Most only cut specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though you would think adding up those discounts means a free policy, you aren’t that lucky. But any discount should help lower your policy cost.

The illustration below shows the comparison of Pontiac Vibe insurance prices with and without policy discounts. The rate quotes are based on a male driver, no claims or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-car, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, marriage, and homeowner discounts applied.

If you would like to see a list of insurers who offer discounts in California, click here to view.

Compare rate quotes but work with a local San Jose insurance agent

Many drivers just prefer to buy from a licensed agent and there is nothing wrong with that. A nice benefit of getting online price quotes is you may find cheap auto insurance quotes but still work with a licensed agent. Buying from and supporting small agencies is important particularly in San Jose.

After completing this short form, your insurance coverage information is submitted to local insurance agents that provide free San Jose auto insurance quotes to get your business. There is no need to contact any agents since rate quotes are delivered to your email. You can find better rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If for some reason you want to quote rates from a particular provider, you can always navigate to their website and give them your coverage information.

San Jose car insurance agents come in two flavors

If you are searching for an insurance agent, there are two different types of agents and how they can quote your rates. Insurance agencies in San Jose are considered either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer.

Independent Auto Insurance Agencies or Brokers

Independent insurance agents are appointed with more than one company so they can write business amongst many companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. If your premiums go up, the business is moved internally and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When comparison shopping, you definitely need to compare prices from at a minimum one independent agency to ensure the widest selection of prices.

Below is a short list of independent agencies in San Jose who may provide free auto insurance quotes.

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Exclusive Agencies

Agents that elect to be exclusive normally can only provide a single company’s rates such as AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so they have no alternatives for high prices. These agents are well schooled on their company’s products which helps them sell on service rather than price.

Below is a list of exclusive insurance agencies in San Jose who can help you get price quote information.

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Finding the right insurance agency should include more criteria than just a cheap price. The answers to these questions are important, too.

• Which company do they place the most coverage with?
• Does the quote include credit and driving reports?
• Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
• What is the agency’s Better Business Bureau rating?
• Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
• Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
• Can they give you a list of client referrals?

How much can you save?

When buying insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. Too many times, someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. The goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

Lower-priced auto insurance in San Jose can be purchased online and from local insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. A few companies don’t offer online rate quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through independent agents.

More information

• How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)
• Rental Reimbursement Coverage (Allstate)
• Auto Theft Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Preventing Carjacking and Theft (Insurance Information Institute)