Trying to find more affordable Fiat 500 insurance in Seattle? Feel like you have an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us, many Seattle drivers have buyer’s remorse.
Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that a large majority of drivers renewed their policy with the same company for well over three years, and just short of a majority have never compared rate quotes at all. Consumers in America can save nearly 47% each year just by comparing rates, but they underestimate how much savings they would realize if they switched to a more affordable policy.
Due to the large number of options for buying affordable insurance for a Fiat 500 in Seattle, it can be diffult for drivers to pick the most affordable company.
These discounts can cut Fiat 500 insurance rates
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always publicize all available discounts very well, so the list below contains both the well known and the more hidden credits available to you. If you are not receiving all the discounts you qualify for, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Payment Discounts – By paying your entire bill at once rather than spreading payments over time you can avoid monthly service charges.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to use their safety belts could save 15% on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- Save with More Vehicles Insured – Buying a policy with multiple cars or trucks on the same insurance policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Senior Discount – Mature drivers can get better insurance rates.
- No Claim Discounts – Seattle drivers who stay claim-free have much lower rates as opposed to accident-prone drivers.
- Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver enroll and complete driver’s education as it can save substantially.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member could qualify you for better rates.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts can qualify for discounts of 25 to 30%.
Discounts save money, but please remember that many deductions do not apply to the whole policy. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So despite the fact that it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way. But all discounts will definitely lower your insurance premiums.
To see a list of insurance companies with the best Fiat 500 insurance discounts in Seattle in Washington, follow this link.
When comparison shopping, comparing all the rates in your area helps you find lower pricing.
The car insurance companies shown below provide price comparisons in Washington. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you visit several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
The Fiat 500 Insurance Cost Equation
Consumers need to have an understanding of the rating factors that go into determining the price you pay for auto insurance. If you understand what determines base rates, this enables you to make decisions that will entitle you to big savings. Multiple criteria are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Most are fairly basic such as your driving history, although others are more transparent like your continuous coverage or your vehicle rating.
- Prevent theft and lower premiums – Selecting a car model with anti-theft technology or alarm system can get you a discount on your auto insurance. Systems that thwart thieves such as GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can help prevent your car from being stolen.
- Having a spouse can save you money – Walking down the aisle may cut your premiums on your auto insurance bill. Marriage means you’re more mature and responsible it has been statistically shown that married drivers tend to file fewer claims.
- What type of car do you drive? – The performance of the car you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a substantial difference in determining your rates. The most favorable rates are generally reserved for the lowest performance passenger cars, but there are many factors that impact the final cost. Since the Fiat 500 is a passenger car, insurance will be similar in price or lower when compared to the average rates in Seattle.
- Your gender affects prices – Statistics demonstrate that women are safer drivers than men. That doesn’t necessarily mean that females are better drivers. Males and females get in accidents at a similar rate, but the males tend to have higher claims. In addition to higher claims, males also get ticketed for serious violations such as DWI and reckless driving. Teenage male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
- Where you live factors in – Being located in a small town has it’s advantages if you are looking for the lowest rates. Residents of big cities regularly have more aggressive driving styles and a longer drive to work. Fewer drivers means reduced accidents and a lower car theft rate.
- Liability is critical – Liability coverage is the protection in the event that you are ruled to be at fault for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. This coverage provides you with a defense in court which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability is cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
- Lower rates for vehicles with better crash test results – Safe vehicles tend to be cheaper to insure. Vehicles engineered for safety result in less severe injuries and fewer serious injuries means your insurance company pays less which can mean better rates for you. If your Fiat has ratings of a minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website it may cost less to insure.
- Fiat 500 insurance loss statistics – Insurers analyze historical claim data to help calculate a profitable premium rate. Models that have higher number or severity of losses will have a higher premium rate.
The table below demonstrates the insurance loss data used by companies for Fiat 500 vehicles. For each coverage type, the claim amount for all vehicles averaged together is considered to be 100. Numbers shown that are under 100 mean the vehicle has better than average losses, while values that are above 100 show a trend for more claims or larger claims.
Fiat 500 Insurance Claim Statistics
Vehicle Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Fiat 500 72 76 66 96 89 84 Fiat 500 Convertible 76 79 60 85 Fiat 500 Electric 73 59 76 60 Fiat 500L 112 80 102 128 93 97 Empty fields indicate not enough data collected
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Compare rates but still have a local Seattle insurance agent
A lot of people just prefer to talk to an insurance agent and that is OK! A good thing about getting free rate quotes online is the fact that you can find the best rates and still buy from a local agent. And buying from local insurance agencies is important particularly in Seattle.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), the quote information gets sent to agents in your area who will return price quotes for your car insurance coverage. There is no need to leave your house because prices are sent to you. You can most likely find cheaper rates without a big time investment. If you want to get a rate quote from a specific company, you can always search and find their rate quote page and submit a quote form there.
When searching for a reputable insurance agent or broker, it helps to know the two types of insurance agents and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Agents in Seattle are classified as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
These agents are normally appointed by many insurers so they can insure your vehicles with lots of companies and get you the best rates possible. If they quote lower rates, they can switch companies in-house and you stay with the same agent. When comparing car insurance prices, we highly recommend that you get several quotes from several independent agencies so that you can do a thorough price comparison.
Shown below are Seattle independent insurance agencies who can help you get free price quotes.
Adams Insurance
8613 35th Ave NE – Seattle, WA 98115 – (206) 523-8660 – View Map
Johnson Insurance Agency
9200 Holman Rd NW – Seattle, WA 98117 – (206) 789-5940 – View Map
Northwest Insurance Group
6055 California Ave SW – Seattle, WA 98136 – (206) 932-2500 – View Map
Exclusive Agents
These type of agents can only provide one company’s prices and some examples include American Family, State Farm, and AAA. They generally cannot place coverage with different providers so it’s a take it or leave it situation. They are well trained on the products they sell which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
Below is a list of exclusive insurance agencies in Seattle willing to provide comparison quotes.
Brent Amacher – State Farm Insurance Agent
2319 California Ave SW Ste A – Seattle, WA 98116 – (206) 935-0499 – View Map
Luan Vu – State Farm Insurance Agent
6951 Martin Luther King Jr Way S #224 – Seattle, WA 98118 – (206) 243-3041 – View Map
Chuck McFarland – State Farm Insurance Agent
9776 Holman Rd NW #107 – Seattle, WA 98117 – (206) 788-4640 – View Map
Finding a good car insurance agent should include more criteria than just a cheap price quote. These are some valid questions you should ask.
- What discounts might you be missing?
- What are their preferred companies if they are an independent agency?
- Will high miles depreciate repair valuations?
- Will the agent or a CSR service your policy?
- What will you get paid if your car is a total loss? How is that amount determined?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
After receiving good responses to all your questions as well as an affordable premium quote, you may have found an insurance agency that is a good match to properly insure your vehicles.
Three reasons to insure your Fiat 500
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Fiat 500 in Seattle, paying for car insurance may be required and benefits you in several ways.
- Most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to carry specific minimum amounts of liability insurance coverage in order to license the 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 500, more than likely the lender will require that you buy insurance to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totalled. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the bank may insure your Fiat at a much higher premium rate and require you to fork over the higher premium.
- Car insurance preserves your Fiat 500 and your assets. Insurance will also pay for all forms of medical expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay attorney fees in the event you are sued. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of insuring your 500 are without a doubt worth the cost, especially when you need to use it. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver overpays more than $810 a year so we recommend shopping around once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are competitive.
Find cheaper insurance prices by comparing often
As you shop your coverage around, you should never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. Too many times, an accident victim reduced full coverage and discovered at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. The proper strategy is to find the BEST coverage at the best cost while not skimping on critical coverages.
We covered quite a bit of information on how to get a better price on Fiat 500 insurance in Seattle. The key thing to remember is the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the better chance you’ll have of finding cheaper Seattle auto insurance quotes. You may even be surprised to find that the best price on insurance is with the smaller companies. Regional companies may often insure only within specific states and give better rates compared to the large companies like GEICO and State Farm.
More detailed insurance information is available in the articles below:
- Distracted Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Ford Focus in Seattle? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for High Mileage Drivers in Seattle? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Rates for 16 Year Olds in Seattle? (FAQ)
- State Car Insurance Guides (GEICO)
- What Determines the Price of My Auto Insurance Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)