Cheapest Insurance for a Volkswagen Passat in Philadelphia

Volkswagen Passat insurance cost image courtesy of QuoteInspector.com

Has it been over a year since you last compared quotes for cheaper Volkswagen Passat insurance in Philadelphia? Did budget coverage turn out to be an under-performing, overpriced auto insurance policy? Don't feel bad because you're not alone.

Shockingly, almost 70% of drivers renewed their policy with the same company for four years or more, and practically 40% of auto insurance customers have never compared rates to find cheap insurance. Most drivers in Philadelphia could save 55% a year by just comparing quotes, but they just assume it takes a lot of time to compare rates and save money.

Online insurance companies like GEICO, 21st Century and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads and it can be hard to ignore the flying pigs and cute green geckos and find the best price available.

When price shopping your coverage, having more price comparisons increases the chance that you will find a lower rate than you're paying now.

The following companies offer comparison quotes in Pennsylvania. If more than one company is shown, we suggest you visit as many as you can in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Save money with discounts

Insuring your vehicles can cost a lot, but you can get discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. A few discounts will automatically apply when you get a quote, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before they will apply.

• Senior Citizen Discount - If you qualify as a senior citizen, you may receive a slight reduction on a Philadelphia car insurance quote.
• Payment Method - If you can afford to pay the entire bill rather than spreading payments over time you may have a lower total premium amount.
• Low Mileage Discounts - Driving fewer miles could earn slightly better insurance rates than normal.
• Distant Student - Children who live away from home to go to college and do not have access to a covered vehicle could qualify for this discount.
• Auto/Life Discount - Some insurance companies give a small discount if you purchase a life insurance policy as well.
• Discount for New Cars - Insuring a vehicle that is new can get you a discount compared to insuring an older model.
• Drivers Ed for Students - Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them complete a driver education course as it can save substantially.
• Driver Safety - Passing a safe driver class could possibly earn you a 5% discount if you qualify.
• Passive Restraints and Air Bags - Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts up to 30%.

Discounts save money, but please remember that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the whole policy. Some only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So even though it sounds like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn't work that way.

The diagram below compares Volkswagen Passat car insurance costs with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The data assumes a male driver, no accidents, no driving violations, Pennsylvania state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with multi-policy, multi-car, marriage, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver discounts applied.

To view insurance companies who offer insurance discounts in Pennsylvania, click here.

Volkswagen Passat detailed coverage information

The premium information below covers a range of coverage costs for Volkswagen Passat models. Learning a little about how car insurance prices are figured can help you make smart choices when choosing a car insurance company.

Cost estimates assume single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in specific Philadelphia garaging location which can affect price quotes noticeably.

Deductible comparison

When shopping for auto insurance, a common question is where to set your physical damage deductibles. The following insurance rates can help you understand the costs and benefits when you buy lower versus higher physical damage deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $100 physical damage deductible and the second price grid uses a $1,000 deductible.

Prices based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Rate information does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can raise or lower prices noticeably.

Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $100 deductible would cost the average driver about $38 more each month or $456 a year than selecting the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would pay $900 more out of your own pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally average at least 24 months between claim filings, you would save more money if you opt for a higher deductible.

An important sidenote is that raising deductibles to save money means you will have to pay more when you have a comprehensive or collision claim. You must have some extra savings in the event you need to pay more to get your vehicle repaired.

Insurance agent or online?

Many people still like to go talk to an agent and that can be a smart move A nice benefit of getting online price quotes is that you can obtain the best rates but still work with a licensed agent.

To find an agent, once you fill out this quick form, the coverage information is emailed to participating agents in Philadelphia who can give free rate quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It's much easier because you don't need to search for an agent because quoted prices will be sent immediately to your email address. You can find better rates and work with a local agent. If for some reason you want to quote rates from a particular provider, you just need to navigate to their website to submit a rate quote request.

Finding a good provider should depend on more than just the premium amount. Before buying a policy in Philadelphia, get answers to these questions.

• Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
• Is auto insurance their primary focus in Philadelphia?
• Does the company use OEM repair parts?
• Does the agent help file claims?
• Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?
• Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?

If you would like to find a reliable insurance agent, you need to know there are two different types of agents and how they function. Car insurance agents in Philadelphia can be described as either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive).

Exclusive Car Insurance Agencies

Agents in the exclusive channel can only provide pricing for a single company like AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate. They usually cannot provide prices from multiple companies so it's a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive insurance agents receive extensive training on their company's products which helps offset the inability to provide other markets.

The following is a short list of exclusive insurance agents in Philadelphia willing to provide rate quotes.

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Independent Insurance Agents

Independent agents are not required to write business for one company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with an assortment of companies and find you cheaper rates. If your premiums go up, an independent agent can move your coverage which is easy for the insured. If you are comparing rate quotes, we highly recommend that you include rate quotes from multiple independent agents to have the best price comparison.

The following are independent agencies in Philadelphia who can help you get price quote information.

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Informed Decisions Result in Lower Insurance Rates

Lots of factors are used when premium rates are determined. Some factors are common sense such as your driving history, but other criteria are more transparent like where you live or your vehicle rating.

Shown below are some of the factors used by companies to determine your rate level.

• Cars with good safety ratings means cheaper rates - Vehicles with high crash test scores cost less to insure. The safest vehicles help reduce the chance of injuries in an accident and any reduction in injury severity translates directly to fewer claims which can mean better rates for you.
• Rental and towing coverage may not be needed - There are many extra add-on coverages that may not really be needed but may not be useful. Insurance for things like rental car coverage, towing, and extra equipment coverage may be costing you every month. They may sound like good ideas when discussing your needs, but now you might not need them so eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.

• Is insurance cheaper for men or women? - Over time, data shows that females tend to be a little less risky than males. It does not mean women are BETTER drivers than men. Females and males have fender benders at about the same rate, but the male of the species get into accidents with more damage. Not only that, but men also get cited for more serious violations like reckless driving and DUI. Young males cause the most accidents so they pay the highest premiums.

  The information below illustrates the difference between Volkswagen Passat premium costs for male and female drivers. The price estimates are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, comprehensive and collision coverage, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are factored in.
• Compare rates if you consolidate your policies - Some insurers will give discounts to insureds that buy multiple policies such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Even with this discount applied, it's always a smart idea to check prices from other companies to make sure you are getting the best deal. It's possible to still save even more by buying from different companies
• Lower stress equals lower rates - Did you know your auto insurance rates can be affected by your occupation? Occupational choices like real estate brokers, business owners, and medical professionals generally have the highest rates due to intense work-related stress and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, occupations such as farmers, athletes and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.

• Insurance losses for a Volkswagen Passat - Car insurance companies factor in insurance loss information to calculate a rate that will offset any claims. Models that have a higher amount or frequency of claims will have higher rates for specific coverages. The data below shows the collected loss data for Volkswagen Passat vehicles.

  For each policy coverage, the claim amount for all vehicles, as a total average, is represented as 100. Percentage numbers below 100 represent a good loss history, while numbers above 100 indicate more frequent claims or a tendency for losses to be larger than average.

  Volkswagen Passat Insurance Loss Statistics

  Vehicle Make and Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Volkswagen Passat	101	99	99	111	113	102

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years

Car insurance is not optional but you don't have to overpay

Despite the fact that car insurance is not cheap in Philadelphia, insuring your vehicle is a good idea for several reasons.

First, most states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means the state requires specific limits of liability if you want to drive legally. In Pennsylvania 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.

Second, if you have a lien on your Volkswagen Passat, it's most likely the lender will require that you carry insurance to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank may insure your Volkswagen at a significantly higher premium and force you to pay for the expensive policy.

Third, insurance protects not only your vehicle but also your financial assets. It also can pay for medical bills incurred in an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, your car insurance policy will cover the repair costs.

The benefits of having insurance definitely exceed the price paid, particularly if you ever have a claim. On average, a vehicle owner in Philadelphia is wasting up to $750 every year so we recommend shopping around at every policy renewal to make sure the price is not too high.

A conclusion for your auto insurance search

In this article, we covered a lot of tips how to save on Volkswagen Passat insurance in Philadelphia. It's most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the lowest premium rates come from a company that doesn't do a lot of advertising. These companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like Allstate and Progressive.

Lower-priced Volkswagen Passat insurance in Philadelphia is possible on the web and from local agencies, so you need to quote Philadelphia car insurance with both in order to have the best chance of saving money. A few companies do not provide rate quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies prefer to sell through independent agents.

More information

• How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for 4x4 Vehicles in Philadelphia? (FAQ)
• How Much are Philadelphia Auto Insurance Quotes for a Honda Civic? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Philadelphia Car Insurance for 17 Year Olds? (FAQ)
• How Much are Car Insurance Quotes for a 20 Year Old Male in Philadelphia? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for a Chevrolet Malibu in Philadelphia? (FAQ)
• Smart Auto Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)
• State Car Insurance Guides (GEICO)
• Collision Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
• Warning systems don't curb driver distraction (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)