Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that the vast majority of insurance customers kept their coverage with the same insurance company for well over three years, and just short of a majority have never even shopped around for affordable coverage. Florida insurance shoppers could save an average of nearly $1,130 each year, but they just don’t understand the actual amount they would save if they replace their high priced policy.
If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to get cheaper car insurance rates is to compare prices once a year from different companies who can sell car insurance in Tampa. Rates can be compared by following these guidelines.
- First, try to understand auto insurance and the measures you can control to keep rates in check. Many things that are responsible for high rates like distracted driving and a low credit rating can be eliminated by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. This article provides more ideas to get lower rates and get additional discounts that may have been overlooked.
- Second, request rate estimates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like GEICO or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide rate quotes from multiple insurance companies.
- Third, compare the quotes to your existing policy to determine if you can save on VUE insurance. If you can save some money and make a switch, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Fourth, notify your agent or company to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit the completed application along with a down payment to your new insurance company. Once the application is submitted, keep your new certificate verifying proof of insurance above your visor, in the console, or in the glove compartment.
The key aspect of shopping around is to make sure you’re comparing identical limits and deductibles on every quote request and and to get quotes from all possible companies. This guarantees a level playing field and maximum price selection.
Our objective in writing this article is to teach you a little about the best way to quote coverages and also pocket some savings If you are paying for car insurance now, you stand a good chance to be able to lower your rates using the ideas you’re about to read. Comparison shoppers just need to understand the least time-consuming way to get comparison rates on the web.
The companies in the list below provide comparison quotes in Florida. To find the cheapest auto insurance in Tampa, we suggest you visit as many as you can to get the lowest price.
Rates and other information
The premium table displayed below outlines a range of prices for Saturn VUE models. Learning as much as possible about how insurance rates are figured can aid in making informed decisions when shopping around for a new policy.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Vue XE 2WD | $154 | $234 | $392 | $24 | $118 | $922 | $77 |
Vue XR 2WD | $154 | $284 | $392 | $24 | $118 | $972 | $81 |
Vue XR-L 2WD | $174 | $284 | $392 | $24 | $118 | $992 | $83 |
Vue XR AWD | $174 | $284 | $392 | $24 | $118 | $992 | $83 |
Vue XR-L AWD | $174 | $334 | $392 | $24 | $118 | $1,042 | $87 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Premium data assumes married female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Florida minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and homeowner. Rates do not factor in specific location which can decrease or increase premiums considerably.
Physical damage deductibles: Should you raise them?
One common question asked by Tampa drivers is how high should your deductibles be. The comparison tables below may help to illustrate the price difference when you buy lower versus higher comp and collision deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $250 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second price chart uses a $500 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
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Vue XE 2WD | $322 | $446 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,359 | $113 |
Vue XR 2WD | $322 | $544 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,457 | $121 |
Vue XR-L 2WD | $364 | $544 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,499 | $125 |
Vue XR AWD | $364 | $544 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,499 | $125 |
Vue XR-L AWD | $364 | $640 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,595 | $133 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vue XE 2WD | $262 | $360 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,188 | $99 |
Vue XR 2WD | $262 | $438 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,266 | $106 |
Vue XR-L 2WD | $296 | $438 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,300 | $108 |
Vue XR AWD | $296 | $438 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,300 | $108 |
Vue XR-L AWD | $296 | $516 | $418 | $24 | $124 | $1,378 | $115 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Premium data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Florida minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and claim-free. Rate quotes do not factor in Tampa location which can increase or decrease prices considerably.
Based on these figures, using a $250 deductible would cost the average driver about $16 more each month or $192 annually than quoting the higher $500 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $250 more out of your own pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you usually have more than 16 months between claims, you would come out ahead if you choose the higher deductible.
How to decide to raise your deductibles
Average monthly premium for $250 deductibles: | $123 |
Average monthly premium for $500 deductibles (subtract): | – $107 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $16 |
Difference between deductibles ($500 – $250): | $250 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $250 / $16 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 16 months |
One important issue to know is that a higher deductible means you will have to pay more when you have to file a claim. That will require some available funds in the event you have to pay the higher deductible in order to repair your vehicle.
The example below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles and can increase or decrease Saturn VUE insurance rates for different age groups. The data assumes a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Full coverage rates vs. liability-only in Tampa
The illustration below illustrates the difference between Saturn VUE car insurance rates with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The data is based on no violations or claims, $1,000 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are factored in.
Deciding between full coverage and liability only
There is no set rule for eliminating comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then it might be time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s assume your Saturn VUE replacement value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, you would only receive $4,000 after you pay the deductible. If premium cost is more than $400 annually for physical damage coverage, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
There are a few situations where eliminating full coverage is not a good idea. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should keep full coverage.
Lower Your Tampa Insurance Premiums
Consumers need to have an understanding of the different types of things that play a part in calculating the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what impacts premium levels, this enables informed choices that could help you find big savings.
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Gals tend to cost less – Statistics have proven women tend to be less risk to insure than men. This data doesn’t prove that women are better drivers. Men and women are in auto accidents at a similar rate, but guys have costlier accidents. Not only are claims higher, but men get more serious tickets like reckless driving and DUI. Young men ages 16 to 20 cause the most accidents and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
The example below shows the comparison of Saturn VUE auto insurance costs for male and female drivers. The premiums are based on a clean driving record, no claims, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are applied.
- The more you drive the more you pay – Driving a lot of miles in a year’s time the higher the price you pay to insure it. Almost all companies apply a rate based upon how much you drive. Vehicles left parked in the garage receive lower rates than cars that get driven a lot. Having the wrong rating on your VUE may be wasting your money. Ask your agent if your auto insurance policy states how each vehicle is driven.
- City dwellers may pay more – Being located in areas with lower population is a good thing when insuring your vehicles. Fewer people corresponds to lower accident rates as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Drivers in populated Florida areas have congested traffic and longer commute times. More time behind the wheel means higher likelihood of an accident.
- Cheaper rates after marriage – Your spouse may save some money compared to being single. Having a spouse demonstrates that you tend to be more financially stable and statistics prove drivers who are married file infrequent claims.
- Defend yourself with liability coverage – The liability coverage on your policy will protect you when you are found to be at fault for physical damage or personal injury to other. It will provide for a legal defense to defend your case. This coverage is relatively inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
- Remove unneeded add-on coverages – There are many optional add-on coverages that can add up but may not be useful. Coverages like vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness, and extra equipment coverage are some examples. They may sound like good ideas when discussing your needs, but your money might be better spent on other coverage so get rid of them and save.
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Teenage drivers pay high premiums – Drivers with little experience have been known to be careless and easily distracted with other occupants in the car and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher. Older drivers are viewed as being more responsible, are lower risk to insure, and get fewer tickets.
The next chart is based on a single driver, full coverage with $500 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
- Know your vehicle’s crash test rating – Safe vehicles get lower rates. Safer cars have better occupant injury protection and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you.
Why you need to buy auto insurance
Even though Tampa VUE insurance rates can get expensive, insurance serves several important purposes.
- Almost all states have minimum liability requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific level of liability coverage if you drive a vehicle. In Florida these limits are 10/20/10 which means you must have $10,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $20,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you took out a loan on your Saturn, almost all lenders will make it a condition of the loan that you have full coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you default on your policy, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Saturn for a much higher rate and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
- Auto insurance preserves not only your car but also your assets. It will also pay for medical bills for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, will also pay attorney fees if you cause an accident and are sued. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, comprehensive and collision coverage will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of having insurance more than cancel out the cost, especially with large liability claims. Unknowingly, the average driver overpays more than $850 per year so we recommend shopping around every year to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Tampa car insurance companies ranked
Picking the highest-rated insurer can be difficult considering how many choices you have in Florida. The ranking information shown below may help you select which car insurance providers you want to consider when comparing rate quotes.
Top 10 Tampa Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- USAA – 91%
- AAA Insurance – 90%
- Esurance – 90%
- Mercury Insurance – 89%
- Nationwide – 89%
- Travelers – 88%
- Progressive – 88%
- Safeco Insurance – 88%
- State Farm – 88%
- Allstate – 88%
Top 10 Tampa Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Claims Service
- Travelers
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- State Farm
- Liberty Mutual
- GEICO
- American Family
- Esurance
- Titan Insurance
- AAA Insurance