It’s a fact that insurance companies want to prevent you from shopping around. Insureds who compare other prices are likely to switch companies because they stand a good chance of finding a lower-cost company. A recent survey found that drivers who compared price quotes annually saved an average of $3,400 over four years as compared to drivers who never shopped around for cheaper prices.
If finding low prices for car insurance in Detroit is your intention, then learning a little about how to compare car insurance can make the process less intimidating.
To save the most money, the best way to get budget auto insurance rates in Detroit is to compare quotes annually from providers that insure vehicles in Michigan. Rate comparisons can be done by following these guidelines.
- Step 1: Get a basic knowledge of what is in your policy and the measures you can control to keep rates low. Many policy risk factors that result in higher prices like careless driving and a bad credit rating can be improved by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. This article provides information to help prevent costly coverage and get bigger discounts that may have been overlooked.
- Step 2: Compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agents can provide prices from multiple sources. View rates
- Step 3: Compare the new quotes to the price on your current policy and determine if there is any savings. If you find a better price, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Step 4: Provide proper notification to your current company of your decision to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit the application along with any required down payment to the newly selected company. Once coverage is bound, put the certificate of insurance with your vehicle’s registration.
A good tip to remember is to compare similar coverage information on each price quote and and to get price quotes from as many carriers as you can. This guarantees the most accurate price comparison and the best price selection.
All major auto insurance companies give price estimates directly from their websites. Getting online quotes for Subaru Crosstrek insurance in Detroit is fairly straightforward as you simply enter your coverage information into a form. Once you submit the form, their rating system automatically retrieves your credit score and driving record and returns pricing information based on many factors. This makes comparing rates easy, and it’s also necessary to perform this step if you are searching for a lower rate.
In order to compare rates using this form now, compare quotes from the companies shown below. To compare your current rates, we recommend you copy the coverage information identical to your current policy. Doing this assures you’re receiving rate comparison quotes using the exact same coverages.
The companies in the list below can provide free rate quotes in Detroit, MI. If you want cheaper car insurance in Detroit, it’s highly recommended you visit several of them to get a more complete price comparison.
Here’s why car insurance is not optional
Even though it can be expensive, maintaining insurance may be mandatory for several reasons.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance in order to drive the car. In Michigan these limits are 20/40/10 which means you must have $20,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $40,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
- If your Subaru has a lienholder, it’s guaranteed your bank will stipulate that you have comprehensive coverage to guarantee payment of the loan. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Subaru at a much higher rate and require you to pay for the expensive policy.
- Car insurance protects not only your Subaru but also your assets. Insurance will pay for many types of medical costs for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. Liability insurance also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are sued as the result of an accident. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance definitely exceed the cost, particularly for liability claims. But the average driver in Michigan is overpaying more than $810 a year so it’s very important to do a rate comparison every year to save money.
Affordable Detroit car insurance rates with discounts
Auto insurance companies don’t always publicize every discount available very well, so the following list contains some of the more common and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance.
- Paper-free Discount – Some companies may give you up to $50 shop Detroit auto insurance on your computer.
- Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Low annual miles may allow you to get substantially lower rates.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Insurance companies who offer life insurance give better prices if you take out auto and life insurance together.
- Seat Belts Save – Forcing all vehicle occupants to buckle up could save 15% on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- ABS and Traction Control Discounts – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have steering control and anti-lock brakes have fewer accidents so companies give up to a 10% discount.
- Discounts for New Vehicles – Buying a new car model can save up to 30% since newer models are generally safer.
- Passenger Safety Discount – Cars that have air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may get savings of 20% or more.
- Driver’s Education for Students – Require your teen driver to complete a driver education course as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- Early Signing – A few companies give discounts for renewing your policy prior to your current Crosstrek insurance policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- No Claim Discounts – Insureds with no claims or accidents pay less as compared to policyholders that have many claims.
It’s important to understand that most credits do not apply to the whole policy. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Even though it appears it’s possible to get free car insurance, you aren’t that lucky.
A list of companies and some of the discounts can be read below.
- American Family policyholders can earn discounts including good driver, defensive driver, multi-vehicle, air bags, and early bird.
- Nationwide may offer discounts for anti-theft, good student, family plan, easy pay, business or organization, multi-policy, and accident-free.
- MetLife includes discounts for claim-free, good student, multi-policy, defensive driver, and good driver.
- 21st Century discounts include air bags, automatic seat belts, driver training, early bird, student driver, and 55 and older.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts including good student, pay in full, electronic funds transfer, mature driver, and homeowner.
- Allstate offers discounts for anti-theft, early signing, safe driver, eSmart discount, senior citizen, and teenSMART discount.
Before you buy a policy, ask every company to give you their best rates. Some discounts listed above may not apply to policyholders everywhere. To see a list of car insurance companies who offer online Subaru Crosstrek insurance quotes in Michigan, click here.
When should I talk to a local insurance agent?
Certain consumers would prefer to get professional advice from a licensed agent and often times that is recommended Agents can help determine the best coverages and give you someone to call. One of the best bonuses of comparing car insurance online is that you can find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. And supporting neighborhood insurance agencies is important particularly in Detroit.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is sent to local insurance agents in Detroit that can provide free Detroit auto insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. It simplifies rate comparisons since you won’t have to find an agent on your own because prices are sent to you directly. If for some reason you want to get a rate quote from a specific company, you would need to search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.
Exclusive or Independent: There is a difference
When searching for a local agent, there are two types of agencies to choose from. Car insurance policy providers can either be independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Both insure your vehicles, but it is a good idea to know the subtle differences since it may influence the type of agent you choose.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Agents that choose to be independent can sell policies from many different companies so they can insure your vehicles through many different car insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If your premiums go up, they simply move the coverage in-house and that require little work on your part.
When comparing rates, it’s a good idea to get some free quotes from independent agents in order to have the best price comparison.
Listed below are Detroit independent agencies that can give you pricing information.
Insurance Services of Michigan
615 Griswold St Griswold – Detroit, MI 48226 – (313) 963-7170 – View Map
Clark Insurance Agency
2711 E Jefferson Ave #206 – Detroit, MI 48207 – (313) 259-6600 – View Map
Look! Insurance
11324 W Jefferson Ave # 1 – River Rouge, MI 48218 – (888) 566-5467 – View Map
Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies
Agents of this type can usually just insure with one company and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farm Bureau. They generally cannot compare rates from other companies so they have to upsell other benefits. Exclusive insurance agents receive extensive training on what they offer and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.
Below are exclusive agencies in Detroit who can help you get rate quotes.
Michelle Sims – State Farm Insurance Agent
24970 W Outer Dr – Lincoln Park, MI 48146 – (313) 928-1348 – View Map
State Farm – Eric Huffman
3031 W Grand Blvd #568 – Detroit, MI 48202 – (313) 875-3172 – View Map
Kenya Wells – State Farm Insurance Agent
20021 Kelly Rd – Detroit, MI 48225 – (313) 822-5948 – View Map
Choosing an insurance agency should include more criteria than just the quoted price. Any agent in Detroit should have no problem answering these questions:
- What discounts might you be missing?
- What insurance company do they write the most business with?
- Is the agency involved in supporting local community causes?
- Will the company cover a rental car if your car is getting fixed?
- Will vehicle repairs be made with aftermarket parts or OEM replacement parts?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Are they able to influence company decisions when a claim is filed?
More effort can pay off
We just showed you some good ideas how you can save on Subaru Crosstrek insurance in Detroit. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote Detroit auto insurance, the higher your chance of finding affordable Detroit auto insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the best premium rates are with a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies may cover specific market segments cheaper compared to the large companies like Progressive or GEICO.
As you restructure your insurance plan, do not buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In many instances, consumers will sacrifice full coverage and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The ultimate goal is to buy enough coverage at the lowest possible cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
For more information, take a look at the following helpful articles:
- Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Lyft Drivers in Detroit? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers Over Age 50 in Detroit? (FAQ)
- How Much is Detroit Car Insurance for a Hyundai Santa Fe? (FAQ)
- Who has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes in Detroit, MI? (DetroitInsure.com)
- Eight Auto Insurance Myths (Insurance Information Institute)
- Uninsured Motorists: Threats on the Road (Insurance Information Institute)
- Young Drivers: The High Risk Years Video (iihs.org)