Auto Insurance Rates for a Dodge Caliber in Long Beach

Do you need a better way to compare the cheapest Dodge Caliber insurance in Long Beach? Overpriced auto insurance in Long Beach can eat up your monthly budget and put a big crunch on your finances. Shopping your coverage around is a fast and free way to make sure you’re not throwing money away.

Sadly, most auto insurance policyholders have purchased from the same company for at least the last four years, and almost half have never quoted auto insurance rates at all. California drivers could save roughly 35% a year by just comparing rate quotes, but most just don’t grasp the rate savings if they switched to a more affordable policy. Due to the abundance of options when it comes to auto insurance, it is very difficult to locate the most cost effective auto insurance company.

It’s a good habit to get comparison quotes on a regular basis because insurance prices change frequently. Despite the fact that you may have had the lowest rates on Dodge Caliber insurance in Long Beach at your last renewal other companies may now be cheaper. There is lot of inaccurate information about Caliber insurance on the web, but you can learn the easiest ways to buy auto insurance cheaper in Long Beach.

Getting low cost auto insurance pricing is pretty simple and can save money. Just spend a few minutes comparing rates online with multiple companies.

Comparing quotes online is fast and free, and it makes it a waste of time to go to different agent offices. Quoting and buying Dodge Caliber insurance online eliminates this option unless you prefer the extra assistance that can only be provided by a licensed insurance agent. Some companies do allow you to compare the best prices online but purchase the actual policy in an agency.

The companies shown below provide price comparisons in Long Beach, CA. To locate the best cheap car insurance in Long Beach, CA, it’s highly recommended you visit as many as you can to get a more complete price comparison.

Dodge Caliber coverage statistics

The information shown below outlines estimates of prices for Dodge Caliber models. Having a good grasp of how rates are formulated helps drivers make decisions on which coverage to buy.

Prices above based on married male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Premium amounts do not factor in specific garaging location which can lower or raise premiums significantly.

Auto insurance deductibles

One frequently asked question is where to set your physical damage deductibles. The rates shown below can help you visualize the rate fluctuation of buying low and high coverage deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $100 physical damage coverage deductible and the second price table uses a $1,000 deductible.

Table data represents married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can influence insurance rates substantially.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $100 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $42 more each month or $504 a year than selecting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would pay $900 more to settle a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you go at least 21 months between claims, you would more than likely save some money if you decide on a higher deductible.

Comparison of auto insurance rates by gender and age in Long Beach

The example below illustrates the comparison of Dodge Caliber insurance prices for male and female drivers. The price estimates are based on no accidents, no driving violations, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, single status, and no policy discounts are applied.

Comparison of full coverage and liability-only policies

The illustration below illustrates the difference between Dodge Caliber insurance premiums with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The data assumes no violations or accidents, $1,000 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

When to buy liability coverage only

There is no exact rule for phasing out comp and collision coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.

For example, let’s pretend your Dodge Caliber book value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $3,000 after paying your policy deductible. If you are paying more than $300 a year for physical damage coverage, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

There are some conditions where dropping full coverage is not financially feasible. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you must maintain physical damage coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage.

Three reasons to not skimp on car insurance

Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Dodge in Long Beach, car insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.

• The majority of states have minimum liability requirements which means the state requires specific minimum amounts of liability insurance if you want to drive legally. 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 have a lien on your vehicle, most banks will force you to have full coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may insure your Dodge at a much higher premium rate and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
• Insurance safeguards both your Dodge Caliber and your personal assets. It will also cover hospital and medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, will also pay to defend you if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, comprehensive and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.

The benefits of having car insurance more than offset the price you pay, especially with large liability claims. According to a survey of 1,000 drivers, the average driver overpays more than $750 every year so smart consumers compare quotes once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are inline.

Information about specific coverages

Learning about specific coverages of auto insurance aids in choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. Policy terminology can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are the normal coverages found on the average auto insurance policy.

Comprehensive coverages

This coverage will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like theft, hail damage, falling objects and damage from getting keyed. The highest amount your auto insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

This provides protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries to you and your family and also any damage incurred to your Dodge Caliber.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (15/30/5), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Auto collision coverage

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

Collision insurance covers things such as colliding with a tree, crashing into a ditch, sustaining damage from a pot hole, sideswiping another vehicle and hitting a parking meter. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also raise the deductible on your Caliber in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Liability car insurance

Liability coverage will cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property. This insurance protects YOU from claims by other people. It does not cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see limits of 15/30/5 which means $15,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $30,000 in injury protection per accident, and $5,000 of coverage for damaged property. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit that pays claims from the same limit and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.

Liability coverage pays for things like repair bills for other people’s vehicles, attorney fees and structural damage. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford. California requires drivers to carry at least 15/30/5 but you should think about purchasing better liability coverage.

The illustration below shows why buying minimum limits may not be adequate coverage.

Coverage for medical payments

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for immediate expenses like dental work, prosthetic devices, funeral costs and ambulance fees. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not available in all states and may carry a deductible

Ratings for California auto insurance companies

Picking a good quality car insurance company is hard considering how many companies there are to choose from in California. The company rank data shown below could help you decide which providers you want to consider putting your business with.