Save on 1998 Volkswagen Passat Car Insurance Quotes

Want lower car insurance rates for your Volkswagen Passat? Have you fallen victim to overpriced car insurance? Trust us when we tell you you’re not alone.

Companies like State Farm, Progressive and Geico increase brand awareness with fancy advertisements and it is challenging if not impossible to ignore the propoganda and do the work needed to find the best deal.

It’s a good idea to check car insurance prices every six months since insurance rates are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you got the best price for Passat coverage a year ago the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to find out the quickest way to properly buy coverages while reducing your premium.

Why your Volkswagen Passat insurance rates may be high

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that come into play when calculating your insurance coverage rates. Understanding what determines base rates enables informed choices that can help you get better insurance coverage rates.

The list below includes some of the factors insurance coverage companies consider when setting your rates.

  • Bump up deductibles to save – Deductibles for physical damage define the amount you are required to spend out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, insures against damage to your car. Examples of covered claims are running into the backend of another car, vandalism, and windstorm damage. The higher the amount you’re willing to pay, the lower your rates will be for Passat coverage.
  • Liability insurance protects assets – Liability coverage will protect you in the event that you are found liable for damages from an accident. Liability provides legal defense coverage starting from day one. Liability is cheap when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • More than one policy can earn a discount – Most insurance companies will award you with lower prices to policyholders who buy several policies from them such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can be 10 percent or more. Even if you’re getting this discount you still need to shop around to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
  • A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Allowing your coverage to lapse will be a fast way to trigger a rate increase. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance can result in a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.You may then be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with your state motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
  • With age comes lower rates – Young drivers are known to be less responsible when driving so they pay higher insurance coverage rates. If you’ve ever had to add a young driver onto a policy can be very expensive. More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents and receive fewer citations.
  • Add-on coverages can add up – There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that you can buy on your insurance coverage policy. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage and additional equipment coverage may be costing you every month. They may seem good when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
  • Clean credit earns discounts – A driver’s credit rating is a huge factor in calculating your insurance coverage rates. Drivers who have excellent credit tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims as compared to drivers with lower ratings. So if your credit can use some improvement, you could potentially save money when insuring your 1998 Volkswagen Passat by improving your credit score.
  • Big city or small town – Being located in a rural area can be a good thing when it comes to insurance coverage. Urban drivers have much more traffic and longer commute times. Fewer drivers means a lower chance of having an accident.

Comprehensive Insurance Comparison

There are a lot of ways to compare insurance prices but there is one way that is less time-consuming than others. You can waste hours discussing policy coverages with agents in your area, or you could use online quotes to accomplish the same thing much quicker.

Many of the larger companies belong to an insurance system where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and each participating company then returns a price quote based on that information. This eliminates the need for quote requests to each individual insurance company. To enter your information into the quoting system, click here (opens in new window).

The single downside to getting quotes like this is buyers cannot specifically choose the providers to receive prices from. So if you want to choose individual companies for rate comparison, we have assembled a list of low cost insurance companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.

Whichever way you use, make sure you use the exact same coverage limits and deductibles with each company. If your comparisons have differing limits it’s not possible to determine the best price for your Volkswagen Passat. Quoting even small variations in coverage limits can result in a big premium difference. Keep in mind that comparing a large number of companies will increase your chances of finding lower pricing.

Discounts to lower Volkswagen Passat insurance rates

Auto insurance companies do not list every available discount very clearly, so we break down both the well known and the harder-to-find ways to save on car insurance.

  • Payment Method – If you pay your bill all at once rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.
  • New Vehicle Savings – Putting insurance coverage on a new car is cheaper due to better safety requirements for new cars.
  • Multiple Policy Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one insurance company you will save approximately 10% to 15%.
  • Early Switch Discount – A few companies offer discounts for signing up prior to your current policy expiration. It’s a savings of about 10%.
  • Military Discounts – Being on active duty in the military could be rewarded with lower premiums.
  • Safe Drivers – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates for Passat coverage than their less cautious counterparts.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
  • Distant Student – Youth drivers who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.
  • Anti-theft System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems prevent vehicle theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Save over 55 – Mature drivers may receive a small decrease in premiums for Passat coverage.

It’s important to note that some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

Insurance companies that may offer these discounts are:

Before buying, ask all companies you are considering how you can save money. Savings might not be offered in your state.

Tailor your coverage to you

When choosing proper insurance coverage for your vehicles, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Everyone’s situation is a little different so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions might help in determining if you might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Do I have coverage when making deliveries for my home business?
  • Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
  • Do I need an umbrella policy?
  • Is my camper covered by my car insurance policy?
  • Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
  • Am I covered when driving on a suspended license?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Insurance specifics

Knowing the specifics of a insurance policy can be of help when determining which coverages you need for your vehicles. Insurance terms can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Listed below are typical coverages found on most insurance policies.

Liability coverage – This can cover injuries or damage you cause to other people or property by causing an accident. It protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

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. As an example, you may have liability limits of 50/100/50 that translate to $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $100,000, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as bail bonds, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, medical services, attorney fees and medical expenses. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – This protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered claims include medical payments for you and your occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. So UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.

Coverage for medical expenses – Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for immediate expenses for things like prosthetic devices, surgery and ambulance fees. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover you and your occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available and may carry a deductible

Collision coverage – This coverage covers damage to your Passat caused by collision with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against claims like colliding with a tree, hitting a parking meter, driving through your garage door, crashing into a building and damaging your car on a curb. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider removing coverage from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive insurance – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like hitting a bird, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and rock chips in glass. The maximum amount a insurance company will pay at claim time is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Don’t throw your cash in the trash

Low-cost 1998 Volkswagen Passat insurance can be sourced from both online companies and also from your neighborhood agents, and you need to price shop both so you have a total pricing picture. There are still a few companies who may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and most of the time these regional insurance providers sell through independent agents.

As you prepare to switch companies, it’s not a good idea to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. In too many instances, someone dropped collision coverage only to find out that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. Your strategy should be to buy the best coverage you can find at an affordable rate, not the least amount of coverage.

Throughout this article, we presented many tips how you can compare insurance prices online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even discover the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies. Regional companies can often provide lower rates in certain areas than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm and Allstate.

For more information, take a look at the following helpful articles: