Lower Your 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser Car Insurance Rates

High-priced auto insurance can diminish your personal savings and force you to tighten up your finances. Comparing rate quotes is an excellent way to ensure you are getting the best deal.

Vehicle owners have many auto insurance companies to buy insurance from, and though it is a good thing to have a selection, too many choices makes it more difficult to compare company pricing.

It’s a good idea to do price comparisons periodically because auto insurance prices trend upward over time. Just because you had the best rate for PT Cruiser insurance a year ago you will most likely find a better premium rate today. Forget all the misinformation about auto insurance because you’re about to learn how to quote online to buy cheaper auto insurance.

Pricing more affordable coverage can be fairly easy. Essentially everyone who has to buy car insurance will be able to reduce their rates. But drivers must understand the methods companies use to sell online because it can help you find the best coverage.

You can change your insurance costs

Multiple criteria are considered when you get a price on insurance. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, although others are not quite as obvious such as whether you are married or your vehicle rating.Smart consumers have a good feel for the factors that aid in calculating your premiums. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels, this enables informed choices that can help you get big savings.

The list below includes some of the most common factors used by your company to calculate your rates.

  • Liability coverage safeguards assets – The liability coverage on your policy is the protection when you are found to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Liability insurance provides you with a defense in court starting from day one. Liability insurance is pretty cheap when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
  • An active policy claims history can increase rates – If you frequently file small claims, you can definitely plan on increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Auto insurance companies give most affordable rates to people who do not file claims often. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of claims that you cannot pay yourself.
  • How your age affects prices – Beginning drivers are statistically proven to be less responsible when driving and because of this, their insurance coverage rates are much higher. Parents adding a first-time driver to your insurance coverage policy can break the bank. Mature drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to cause fewer accidents and get fewer tickets.
  • Lower deductibles cost more – Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your Chrysler. Some examples of claims that would be covered are a dented fender, hail damage, and windstorm damage. Your deductibles state the amount of money the insured will be required to pay before your insurance coverage pays a claim. The more damage repair cost the insured has to pay upfront, the bigger discount you will receive for PT Cruiser insurance.
  • Married people drive safer – Walking down the aisle actually saves money when shopping for insurance coverage. Having a significant other may mean you are more mature and responsible and insurance companies reward insureds because married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.

Free insurance rate quotes

When shopping for insurance there are multiple ways to compare quotes from many available insurance companies in your state. The quickest method to find the lowest Chrysler PT Cruiser rates is to get quotes online. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.

  1. One of the best ways to compare a lot of rates at once is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This method saves time by eliminating separate quotes to each individual insurance company. One form gets coverage cost estimates from insurance companies with the best prices.
  2. Another way to obtain and compare quotes online is spending the time to visit each company website and complete a new quote form. For examples sake, let’s say you need rates from Liberty Mutual, Farmers and American Family. In order to get each rate, you would have to go to each individual site and punch in your information repeatedly, which can be really labor intensive. To view a list of companies in your area, click here.
  3. The most difficult way to quote and compare insurance rates is to drive around to different agent offices. Quoting online has made agencies unnecessary unless you prefer the personal advice that only a licensed agent can provide. If you prefer, some companies allow you to compare online quotes and have a local agent actually service the policy.

The approach you take is up to you, just make sure you are using apples-to-apples coverages for every quote you compare. If you have different limits and deductibles on each one you will not be able to determine which company has the best rates. Slightly different coverages may result in a large different in cost. It’s important to know that having more price comparisons helps improve the odds of finding a better price.

More affordable rates by taking advantage of discounts

Auto insurance companies don’t always publicize the entire discount list in a way that’s easy to find, so we researched both well-publicized in addition to some of the lesser obvious credits that you can use to lower your rates.

  • Driver Training Discounts – Completing a class that teaches defensive driver techniques is a good idea and can lower rates and also improve your driving technique.
  • Military Deployment Discount – Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
  • Pay Early and Save – By making one initial payment rather than paying monthly you can avoid monthly service charges.
  • Bundle and Save – If you can combine your homeowners and auto policy with the same insurance company you could earn a discount of at least 10 to 15 percent or more.
  • Student Driver Training – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them participate in a local driver’s education class if offered at their school.
  • Waiver for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but some companies like Liberty Mutual, Allstate and State Farm will forgive one accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
  • Savings for New Vehicles – Insuring a vehicle that is new can save you some money because new model year vehicles keep occupants safer.
  • Discounts for Federal Employees – Having worked for a branch of the government can earn a discount up to 10% for PT Cruiser insurance with some auto insurance companies.
  • Resident Student – Children who are attending college and do not have a car may qualify for this discount.
  • Claim Free – Drivers with accident-free driving histories are rewarded with significantly better rates on insurance coverage quote in comparison with accident-prone drivers.

As is typical with insurance, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, nobody gets a free ride. Any amount of discount will lower the cost of your policy.

To see a list of auto insurance companies that offer some of these discounts, click here to view.

How much insurance do I need?

When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions can help discover whether or not you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

  • Am I insured when driving a different vehicle?
  • Who is covered by my policy?
  • Do I have coverage if my license is suspended?
  • Do I need higher collision deductibles?
  • Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
  • If my pet gets injured in an accident are they covered?

If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Insurance policy coverages for a 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser

Understanding the coverages of your insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Insurance terms can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are the normal coverages found on the average insurance policy.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for short-term medical expenses such as rehabilitation expenses, nursing services and funeral costs. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants and also covers being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

This coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your Chrysler PT Cruiser.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Frequently the UM/UIM limits do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive insurance coverage covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like damage from a tornado or hurricane, hail damage, damage from flooding, a broken windshield and falling objects. The maximum amount you’ll receive from a claim is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Collision insurance

This coverage pays for damage to your PT Cruiser from colliding with another car or object. A deductible applies then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for claims such as colliding with another moving vehicle, hitting a mailbox and damaging your car on a curb. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Liability

Liability insurance provides protection from damage that occurs to people or other property in an accident. This coverage protects you against claims from other people. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see limits of 100/300/100 that translate to a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $100,000 paid for damaged property. Alternatively, you may have one number which is a combined single limit which provides one coverage limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage pays for things such as repair costs for stationary objects, medical expenses and funeral expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.

Final thoughts

We just covered quite a bit of information on how to shop for 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better your chances of lowering your premium rates. You may even discover the biggest savings come from a small local company. Regional companies may have significantly lower premium rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive and GEICO.

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There have been many situations where someone dropped liability limits or collision coverage only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. The goal is to buy the best coverage you can find at the best possible price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.

To learn more, take a look at the resources below: