2010 Dodge Caliber Insurance Rates – 6 Tips to Save

Nobody I know looks forward to paying premiums for insurance, particularly when they are paying too much. Multiple insurance companies compete for your hard-earned dollar, and it can be difficult to compare rates and uncover the absolute lowest cost out there.

How to lower your insurance coverage cost

Comparing insurance coverage rates can be a lot of work if you don’t understand the fastest way to get free quotes. You can waste hours driving to local insurance agents in your area, or you can utilize the web to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.

Many insurance companies enroll in a system that enables customers to submit their information once, and every company then returns a price quote. This prevents consumers from doing quote forms for each company you want a rate for. To find out how much you’re overpaying now click here to open in new window.

The one disadvantage to comparing rates this way is you can’t choose the companies you want to price. If you would rather choose from a list of companies to request quotes from, we put together a list of low cost insurance coverage companies in your area. Click here to view list.

The approach you take is up to you, just do your best to enter nearly identical coverage data for each price quote. If you have different limits and deductibles on each one you will not be able to make a fair rate comparison.

Don’t overlook these six car insurance discounts

Some insurance providers don’t always advertise all possible discounts very well, so we took the time to find some of the more common and also the more inconspicuous credits that may apply to you.

  • Military Rewards – Being on active duty in the military could trigger a small discount.
  • Federal Employees – Federal government employees could provide a small rate reduction for Caliber coverage with select insurance companies.
  • Defensive Driver – Completing a safe driver course can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
  • Senior Citizens – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens are able to get a small decrease in premiums for Caliber coverage.
  • Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your auto and home insurance with the same company they may give you a discount of 10% to 20% off each policy.
  • College Student Discount – Youth drivers who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from home and do not take a car to college could get you a discount.

Discounts reduce rates, but you should keep in mind that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the entire cost. Most only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates you would end up receiving a 100% discount, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

A list of companies and some of the premium reductions they offer include:

  • AAA offers discounts for anti-theft, multi-car, multi-policy, AAA membership discount, education and occupation, and good student.
  • Progressive discounts include continuous coverage, online signing, multi-policy, good student, homeowner, online quote discount, and multi-vehicle.
  • State Farm may include discounts for multiple policy, Steer Clear safe driver discount, Drive Safe & Save, accident-free, and passive restraint.
  • Esurance has discounts for anti-theft, defensive driver, Switch & Save, online quote, multi-car, renters, and homeowner.
  • Nationwide may offer discounts for defensive driving, multi-policy, accident-free, Farm Bureau membership, good student, and anti-theft.

It’s a good idea to ask each insurance company which discounts can lower your rates. Some discounts might not apply in your area.

When to get professional advice

When it comes to buying the best auto insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions can help discover whether you will benefit from professional help.

  • Can I make deliveries for my home business?
  • What if I don’t agree with a claim settlement offer?
  • What is the rate difference between pleasure use and commuting?
  • Will my insurance pay for OEM parts?
  • Is motorclub coverage worth it?
  • Is my 2010 Dodge Caliber covered for smoke damage?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to a licensed insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area. It only takes a few minutes and can help protect your family.

Insurance coverage considerations

Learning about specific coverages of your insurance policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Listed below are the usual coverages found on the average insurance policy.

Comprehensive coverages

This pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive insurance covers things like damage from flooding, vandalism and fire damage. The most a insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as damage to your 2010 Dodge Caliber.

Since many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, their limits can quickly be used up. So UM/UIM coverage is very important.

Coverage for collisions

This coverage pays for damage to your Caliber resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as hitting a mailbox, sideswiping another vehicle, colliding with a tree and driving through your garage door. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Liability auto insurance

Liability insurance protects you from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property that is your fault. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have values of 100/300/100 that translate to $100,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability insurance covers claims like medical services, pain and suffering, loss of income, legal defense fees and bail bonds. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible.

Coverage for medical payments

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance pay for immediate expenses such as hospital visits, doctor visits, X-ray expenses and rehabilitation expenses. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Find Good Coverage for Less

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to skimp on coverage in order to save money. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced collision coverage only to regret at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your aim should be to buy enough coverage at an affordable rate while not skimping on critical coverages.

We’ve covered some good ideas how you can compare 2010 Dodge Caliber insurance rates online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. You may even discover the lowest rates come from the smaller companies. These smaller insurers often have lower car insurance rates on specific markets than their larger competitors like Allstate and Progressive.

Additional insurance information can be found on the following sites: