Nobody rejoices having to buy insurance, especially when they know they could find better prices if they shop around.
Inconceivable but true, almost 70% of insureds kept their policy with the same company for more than four years, and 38% of drivers have never even shopped around for affordable coverage. Many consumers in Seattle could pocket almost $400 a year, but they just don’t want to compare other rate quotes. Online insurance companies like State Farm, Allstate, GEICO and Progressive constantly bombard you with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to see past the geckos and flying pigs and effectively compare rates to find the best deal.
Smart Consumers Can Lower Insurance Rates
One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the factors that help determine your policy premiums. If you have a feel for what impacts premium levels, this enables informed choices that can earn you lower rates.
The factors shown below are most of the major factors that factor into rates.
High physical damage deductibles equal low rates – Insurance for physical damage to your car, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your Chevy from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are a windshield shattered by a rock, damage caused by hail, and having your car stolen. Comp and collision deductibles are the amount of money you are required to pay in the event of a claim. The more expense you have to pay, the less money you will pay for car insurance.
Filing insurance claims can cost more – Car insurance companies in Washington award the lowest premiums to drivers who are claim-free. If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you can look forward to higher premiums or even policy non-renewal. Auto insurance is intended for larger claims.
Keep the miles off and save – The higher the miles on your Chevy in a year’s time the more it will cost to insure it. A lot of companies calculate rates based on their usage. Cars and trucks not used for work or commuting receive lower rates than vehicles that are driven to work every day. Ask your agent if your vehicle rating is showing the proper vehicle usage, because it can save money. Improper usage on your Malibu can cost quite a bit.
Cheaper car insurance rates for prior coverage – Going without insurance is a sure-fire way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will rates go up, the inability to provide proof of insurance may earn you a revoked license or a big fine. You may need to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Washington DMV.
Chevy Malibu claim data – Insurance companies take into consideration insurance loss statistics for every vehicle in order to profitably underwrite each model. Vehicles that historically have higher claim amounts or frequency will have higher premium rates. The next table illustrates the insurance loss data used by companies for Chevy Malibu vehicles.
For each policy coverage, the statistical loss for all vehicles combined as an average is considered to be 100. Values that are under 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while percentage values above 100 point to more claims or a tendency for claims to be larger.
Auto Insurance Loss Data for Chevrolet Malibu Models
Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Malibu | 94 | 100 | 109 | 139 | 145 | 120 |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
The best way to compare rate quotes for Chevy Malibu insurance in Seattle is to realize auto insurance companies provide online access to give you rate quotes. To begin a comparison, all you need to do is provide a small amount of information including if it has an anti-theft system, if you’re married, your credit rating estimate, and if a SR-22 is required. That information is instantly sent to many highly-rated insurers and they respond with quotes instantly.
To compare lower-cost Chevy Malibu insurance rates now, click here and complete the quick form.
The following companies have been selected to offer quotes in Washington. If the list has multiple companies, we suggest you click on several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Malibu LS | $140 | $242 | $294 | $18 | $88 | $782 | $65 |
Malibu Hybrid | $178 | $326 | $282 | $16 | $84 | $886 | $74 |
Malibu LT | $238 | $310 | $386 | $22 | $116 | $1,072 | $89 |
Malibu LTZ | $222 | $444 | $310 | $18 | $92 | $1,086 | $91 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data rating is based on married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, claim-free, and homeowner. Table data does not factor in specific location which can change premium rates greatly.
Rate comparison for different deductibles
When comparing car insurance rates, the most common question is how low should you set your deductibles. The rates shown below sum up the difference in cost when you select higher and lower physical damage deductibles. The first pricing table uses a $100 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second set of prices uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Malibu LS | $254 | $458 | $294 | $18 | $88 | $1,137 | $95 |
Malibu Hybrid | $254 | $458 | $294 | $18 | $88 | $1,137 | $95 |
Malibu LT | $286 | $458 | $294 | $18 | $88 | $1,169 | $97 |
Malibu LTZ | $286 | $540 | $294 | $18 | $88 | $1,251 | $104 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Malibu LS | $140 | $242 | $294 | $18 | $88 | $782 | $65 |
Malibu Hybrid | $140 | $242 | $294 | $18 | $88 | $782 | $65 |
Malibu LT | $158 | $242 | $294 | $18 | $88 | $800 | $67 |
Malibu LTZ | $158 | $284 | $294 | $18 | $88 | $842 | $70 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Price data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Rate information does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can alter premium rates noticeably.
Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $100 deductible costs approximately $31 more each month or $372 every year than buying the higher $1,000 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $900 more to settle a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally average more than 29 months between claim filings, you would save money by going with a higher deductible.
Insuring your Malibu just makes sense
Even though it can be expensive, auto insurance serves several important purposes.
- The majority of states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to carry a specific level of liability coverage if you drive a vehicle. In Washington these limits are 25/50/10 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you have a loan on your Chevy Malibu, almost all lenders will make it a condition of the loan that you have full coverage to guarantee payment of the loan. If the policy lapses, the lender will be forced to insure your Chevy at a significantly higher premium and force you to reimburse them the higher price.
- Insurance protects not only your Chevy Malibu but also your assets. It also can pay for medical transport and hospital expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability insurance also covers legal expenses if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of having auto insurance more than cancel out the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. But the average American driver overpays more than $865 each year so you should quote and compare rates at least once a year to help ensure money is not being wasted.
These discounts can reduce Chevy Malibu insurance rates
Insurance can be prohibitively expensive, but you might find some hidden discounts that many consumers don’t even know exist. Larger premium reductions will be automatically applied when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be specially asked for before you get the savings. If you are not receiving all the discounts possible, you’re just leaving money on the table.
- Multiple Cars – Buying insurance for multiple vehicles with the same auto insurance company can get a discount on all vehicles.
- Payment Method – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than spreading payments over time you can avoid monthly service charges.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – This one isn’t a discount, but some companies like GEICO, State Farm, and Progressive permit an accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims prior to the accident.
- E-sign Discounts – A few auto insurance companies will give you a small discount get Seattle auto insurance online.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Seattle drivers who stay claim-free can save substantially as compared to policyholders that have many claims.
- Student Discounts – Excelling in school may save as much as 25% on a Seattle auto insurance quote. This discount can apply until age 25.
- Professional Organizations – Having an affiliation with certain professional organizations could qualify you for a break on your next renewal.
- Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who require all occupants to wear their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks on medical payment and PIP coverage.
A quick disclaimer, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Even though it appears having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it’s just not the way it works.
For a list of companies that provide some of the discounts listed above in Washington, click this link.
Buying insurance from Seattle auto insurance agents
A lot of people would rather talk to an insurance agent and that is a personal choice. Licensed agents are highly skilled in risk management and give you someone to call. A good thing about comparing insurance online is that drivers can save money and get cheap rate quotes but still work with a licensed agent.
Upon completion of this simple form, your coverage information is immediately sent to local insurance agents that give free quotes for your business. It’s much easier because you don’t need to find an agent due to the fact that quote results will go to your email. If you want to get a rate quote from a specific company, you would need to go to their quote page and complete a quote there.
Picking a company requires more thought than just the premium amount. These questions are important to ask:
- Is insurance their full-time profession?
- Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- If you are a high risk driver, do they have special markets for your coverage?
- Do the coverages you’re quoting properly cover your vehicle?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
Insurance can get complicated
When quoting and choosing coverage, there isn’t really a one size fits all plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs so your insurance needs to address that.
These are some specific questions can help discover whether your personal situation might need professional guidance.
- Will my insurance pay for OEM parts?
- What are the best liability limits?
- Should I bundle my homeowners policy with my auto?
- Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
- What are good deductibles for a Chevy Malibu?
- Am I covered if I break a side mirror?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, take a second and complete this form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.
Smart consumers save more
Some insurance providers may not provide the ability to get a quote online and many times these regional insurance providers work with independent agencies. Cheaper Chevy Malibu insurance in Seattle is definitely available on the web in addition to many Seattle insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.
We’ve covered many ideas to compare Chevy Malibu insurance premium rates in Seattle. The key thing to remember is the more price quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even find the biggest savings come from a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies can often provide lower prices in certain areas than their larger competitors like GEICO and State Farm.
When you buy Seattle auto insurance online, you should never reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where an insured cut full coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your strategy should be to find the BEST coverage at the best price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Much more information about car insurance in Washington can be read at the links below
- Protecting Teens from Drunk Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for a Chevrolet Silverado in Seattle? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates for a 20 Year Old Female in Seattle? (FAQ)
- Steps to Take After an Auto Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
- Frontal Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- Prepare your Teens for Safe Driving (InsureUonline.org)
- Determing Auto Insurance Rates (GEICO)