How Much Does 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Car Insurance Cost?

Looking for better insurance coverage rates for your Chevrolet Malibu? Finding budget-priced insurance coverage is rather challenging for vehicle owners new to quoting and comparison shopping over the internet. Since there are so many online companies available, how are vehicle owners able to even start to compare all the different companies and get cheaper insurance coverage rates?

How to buy car insurance

There are a variety of methods to compare car insurance quotes, and some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking about coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you can utilize the web to quickly compare rates.

Many companies take part in a program that allows shoppers to submit one quote, and each participating company provides a quote. This prevents consumers from doing form submissions for every car insurance company.

To fill out one form to compare multiple rates now click to open in new window.

The one disadvantage to doing it this way is buyers cannot specifically choose which insurance companies to get pricing from. So if you want to choose individual companies to compare rates, we put together a list of car insurance companies in your area. View list of insurance companies.

Whichever way you choose to compare rates, try to use identical information for each quote you get. If the quotes have differing limits it will be nearly impossible to truly determine the lowest rate. Slightly different coverages can result in a big premium difference. And when quoting car insurance, remember that comparing more rates from different companies will enable you to find a better price. Not every company does price estimates online, so it’s necessary to compare price quotes from those companies as well.

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Car insurance companies are expert advertisers

Car insurance providers like State Farm and Allstate constantly bombard you with ads on television and other media. They all advertise the message about savings if you switch your coverage to them. How does each company offer you a better deal? This is how they do it.

All the different companies quote the lowest rates for the type of insured that will be a good risk. One example of a profitable risk profile may be a mature driver, is a homeowner, and drives a lower-performance vehicle. A customer getting a price quote that meets those criteria receives the best premium rates and as a result will probably save a lot if they switch.

Insureds who fall outside these stringent criteria will be quoted more expensive rates and this can result in business not being written. The trick is to say “drivers that switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. That’s the way companies can truthfully make those claims.

Each company has different criteria, so you absolutely need to compare many company’s auto insurance rates. It is impossible to guess with any certainty which company will have the best rates at this point in time.

Chevy Malibu insurance cost factors

Lots of factors are part of the calculation when quoting car insurance. Some factors are common sense like a motor vehicle report, but some are not as apparent like your vehicle usage or your financial responsibility.

The factors shown below are most of the major factors used by your company to calculate your rate level.

• Traffic violations increase costs – Just one speeding ticket can boost insurance rates substantially. Drivers with clean records pay lower auto insurance prices compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have received severe violations such as DUI or reckless driving might be required by their state to complete a SR-22 with their state motor vehicle department in order to legally drive a vehicle.
• Save money by eliminating extra policy coverages – Insurance companies have many extra add-on coverages that you can buy when buying insurance. Coverages for replacement cost coverage, accident forgiveness, and term life insurance are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when deciding what coverages you need, but your needs may have changed so eliminate them to save money.
• Insurance rates and your employer – Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Careers such as doctors, architects and accountants generally pay the highest average rates in part from high stress and lengthy work days. On the other hand, careers like farmers, historians and performers receive lower rates on Malibu insurance.
• Liability coverage limits should be high – The liability coverage on your policy provides coverage if ever a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. It will provide you with a defense in court to attempt to prove you were not liable. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should buy more than the minimum limits required by law.
• Safer vehicles mean better rates – Vehicles with good safety scores tend to have lower insurance rates. Vehicles built for safety protect occupants better and fewer serious injuries translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and thus lower rates.
• Multi-policy discounts can save money – Many insurers will award discounts for people who have multiple policies with them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can amount to as much as ten percent or more Even with this discount applied, you still need to get quotes from other companies to verify if the discount is saving money. It’s possible to still find lower rates by buying from different companies
• Women tend to cost less – Over time, data shows that females take fewer risks when driving. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. Females and males are responsible for at-fault accidents in similar percentages, but males get into accidents with more damage. They also receive more major tickets such as DWI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are the most expensive to insure so they pay the highest premiums.
• The more you drive the more you pay – Driving more miles in a year the higher the price you pay to insure it. A lot of insurance companies charge to insure your cars based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars that are left in the garage get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. It’s always a good idea to double check that your policy states the right rating data. Improper usage on your Malibu can cost quite a bit.

Take policy discounts and save

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you might already qualify for some discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some discounts apply automatically at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be asked about before being credited.

• Accident Free – Drivers who stay claim-free pay much less when compared with frequent claim filers.
• Distant College Student Discount – Older children who attend college more than 100 miles from home and don’t have a car can receive lower rates.
• Discount for New Cars – Adding a new car to your policy can be considerably cheaper because new vehicles keep occupants safer.
• Life Insurance – Larger insurance companies have a small discount if you purchase some life insurance too.
• Drivers Education – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them sucessfully take a drivers education course as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
• Discounts for Multiple Vehicles – Insuring several vehicles on one policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
• Early Switch Discount – A few companies offer discounts for buying a policy before your current coverage expires. Ten percent is about the average savings.

While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the appearance that all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

To locate insurance companies with discount auto insurance rates, click here.

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Which policy gives me the best coverage?

When it comes to choosing adequate coverage, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.

For instance, these questions may help you determine whether your personal situation could use an agent’s help.

• How high should my uninsured/underinsured coverage be in my state?
• Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
• Am I covered if I hit my neighbor’s mailbox?
• Do I need medical payments coverage since I have good health insurance?
• When would I need additional glass coverage?
• Does my policy cover my teen driver if they drive my company car?
• Am I missing any policy discounts?
• Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
• Can my babysitter drive my car?
• What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?

If you can’t answer these questions, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.

Parts of your car insurance policy

Learning about specific coverages of your car insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Liability

Liability coverage provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to other people or property. This coverage protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which provides one coverage limit rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability coverage protects against things such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, funeral expenses and court costs. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but buy higher limits if possible.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

This provides protection when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Chevy Malibu.

Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important. Frequently the UM/UIM limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Insurance for medical payments

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for bills for dental work, prosthetic devices, EMT expenses, surgery and chiropractic care. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and will also cover being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal Injury Protection is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Collision protection

Collision insurance pays for damage to your Malibu caused by collision with an object or car. A deductible applies and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision coverage protects against things such as scraping a guard rail, hitting a parking meter, colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a building and crashing into a ditch. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so you might think about dropping it from vehicles that are older. Drivers also have the option to bump up the deductible to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This coverage covers damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive insurance covers claims like theft, fire damage, damage from a tornado or hurricane, damage from getting keyed and damage from flooding. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Get your money’s worth

When searching for cheap auto insurance quotes, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. In many cases, an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest cost, not the least amount of coverage.

More affordable auto insurance can be sourced both online and from local insurance agents, so you need to quote auto insurance with both so you have a total pricing picture. Some insurance providers may not have online rate quotes and many times these small, regional companies sell through independent insurance agencies.

Drivers change insurance companies for many reasons like delays in paying claims, policy cancellation, questionable increases in premium or even lack of trust in their agent. Regardless of your reason, finding the right auto insurance provider can be pretty painless.

Even more information can be found in these articles:

• Distracted Driving Extends Beyond Texting (State Farm)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for a Chevrolet Malibu in Cincinnati? (QuoteCincinnati.com)
• Senior Drivers (Insurance Information Insitute)
• What does Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Cover? (Allstate)
• Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Insitute)
• Crash Avoidance Technologies FAQ (iihs.org)

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