It’s a known fact that insurance companies want to prevent you from shopping around. People who shop around at least once a year are very likely to buy a new policy because there are good odds of finding discount prices. Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that drivers who faithfully checked for cheaper rates saved as much as $3,500 over four years compared to policyholders who never shopped around for better prices.
If finding the lowest price for insurance in Portland is the reason you’re reading this, then having some knowledge of how to compare car insurance can help simplify the process.
It takes a few minutes, but the best way to get cheaper Chevy Sonic insurance in Portland is to start comparing prices regularly from different companies that insure vehicles in Oregon. You can shop around by completing these steps.
- Try to learn a little about what is in your policy and the modifications you can make to prevent rate increases. Many things that result in higher prices such as traffic citations, accidents, and a poor credit rating can be remedied by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. Keep reading for more details to lower rates and get additional discounts.
- Quote rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give prices from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while agents who are independent can give you price quotes from many different companies. Compare rates
- Compare the new quotes to your current policy premium to see if a cheaper price is available in Portland. If you find a lower rate quote and make a switch, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
- Tell your current company of your intent to cancel your current auto insurance policy. Submit a down payment along with a completed application to the new insurer. As soon as you can, place the new proof of insurance paperwork in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
The most important part of shopping around is to use similar deductibles and liability limits on each price quote and and to analyze every insurance company. Doing this enables a level playing field and the most accurate and complete price analysis.
Affordable Portland Chevy Sonic insurance
The companies shown below have been selected to offer comparison quotes in Oregon. To locate cheaper auto insurance in Portland, OR, we suggest you visit several of them to find the lowest car insurance rates.
Why insurance is not optional
Despite the high insurance cost for a Chevy Sonic in Portland, maintaining insurance is required for several reasons.
First, just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to carry a specific level of liability insurance coverage in order to get the vehicle licensed. In Oregon these limits are 25/50/20 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $20,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if your vehicle has a loan, it’s guaranteed your bank will make it a condition of the loan that you have full coverage to guarantee payment of the loan. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may buy a policy for your Chevy at a much higher premium rate and require you to fork over a much higher amount than you were paying before.
Third, insurance protects both your car and your assets. It will also provide coverage for most medical and hospital costs for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, will also pay to defend you if you are sued as the result of your driving. If you have damage to your Chevy as the result of the weather or an accident, your policy will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of buying enough insurance more than offset the price you pay, especially with large liability claims. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is wasting up to $865 each year so compare rate quotes each time the policy renews to make sure the price is not too high.
Get discounts on Portland auto insurance
Companies do not list all available discounts in an easy-to-find place, so we researched both well-publicized and the harder-to-find credits available to you. If you do not double check each discount possible, you are paying more than you should be.
- Renewal Discounts – A few insurance companies offer discounts for buying a new policy prior to your current Sonic insurance policy expiration. You can save around 10% with this discount.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Buying insurance for multiple cars or trucks with one company could earn a price break for each car.
- Defensive Driver Discount – Successfully completing a defensive driving course can save you 5% or more if you qualify.
- Own a Home – Owning a home in Portland may trigger a policy discount on auto insurance because maintaining a house is proof of financial responsibility.
- Early Payment Discounts – If you can afford to pay the entire bill rather than paying monthly you may reduce your total bill.
- Membership in Organizations – Having an affiliation with certain professional organizations can get you a small discount when shopping for auto insurance.
- Air Bag Discount – Options like air bags or motorized seat belts could see savings of 25 to 30%.
- Military Rewards – Having a family member in the military could qualify you for better auto insurance rates.
Don’t be surprised that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. Just because it seems like you could get a free auto insurance policy, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts will reduce the cost of coverage.
Some of the insurance companies that may offer policyholders some of the above discounts possibly include:
Before you buy a policy, ask all companies you are considering how many discounts you can get. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply everywhere.
Buying from car insurance agents
A small number of people still like to visit with an insurance agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Good agents will help you protect your assets and give you someone to call. The biggest benefit of comparing insurance online is that drivers can save money and get cheap insurance rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), your insurance coverage information is sent to local insurance agents that can provide free Portland car insurance quotes for your coverage. It’s much easier because you don’t need to do any legwork since rate quotes are delivered immediately to you. If you have a need to get a price quote from a specific insurance provider, you just need to go to their quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Picking an company needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price. The following questions are important to ask.
- Which companies can they place coverage with?
- Are they able to provide referrals?
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in Oregon?
- Do they have adequate Errors and Omissions coverage? This protects you if they make a mistake.
- If they are an independent agency in Portland, which companies do they recommend?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- Is the agency active in community causes in Portland?
- Who is covered by the car insurance policy?
If you are wanting to find a reputable agency, it helps to know the two types of agencies that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agents are either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive. Either one can sell and service insurance coverage, but it’s good to learn the difference in the companies they write for since it can impact buying decisions.
Exclusive Agencies
Exclusive agents generally can only insure with one company like State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. They generally cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so you might not find the best rates. Exclusive agents are very knowledgeable on what they offer which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates.
Shown below is a list of exclusive insurance agencies in Portland willing to provide price quote information.
Gunnar Olson – State Farm Insurance Agent
107 SE Washington St Ste 143 – Portland, OR 97214 – (503) 230-0216 – View Map
Bill Northfield – State Farm Insurance Agent
5915 SE 43rd Ave – Portland, OR 97206 – (503) 775-8202 – View Map
Chris Shobe – State Farm Insurance Agent
2900 SE Stark St b – Portland, OR 97214 – (971) 242-8981 – View Map
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent insurance agents are not limited to a single company and that allows them to write policies through many different insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. To transfer your coverage to a different company, they simply move your policy to a different company which makes it simple for you. When comparing rates, you should always contact at a minimum one independent agency so that you can do a thorough price comparison.
Shown below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Portland that can give you price quotes.
Oregon Insurance Advisor – Mark Strauss
5201 SW Westgate Dr #300 – Portland, OR 97221 – (503) 922-4847 – View Map
Wix Insurance Agency
8037 SE Stark St – Portland, OR 97215 – (503) 760-6826 – View Map
Vern Fonk
9955 SE Washington St #103 – Portland, OR 97216 – (971) 213-1015 – View Map
Coverages available on your auto insurance policy
Knowing the specifics of auto insurance can help you determine the best coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Below you’ll find typical coverages offered by auto insurance companies.
Collision protection
Collision coverage will pay to fix damage to your Sonic from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.
Collision coverage protects against things such as sustaining damage from a pot hole, hitting a mailbox, crashing into a ditch, rolling your car and sideswiping another vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to raise the deductible on your Sonic to save money on collision insurance.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.
Due to the fact that many Oregon drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (Oregon limits are 25/50/20), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea.
Auto liability
This coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property in an accident. Liability coverage has three limits: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show policy limits of 25/50/20 which stand for $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a limit of $50,000 in injury protection per accident, and a limit of $20,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage protects against things such as legal defense fees, funeral expenses, pain and suffering, repair costs for stationary objects and loss of income. How much liability coverage do you need? That is up to you, but you should buy as large an amount as possible. Oregon requires minimum liability limits of 25/50/20 but it’s recommended drivers buy better liability coverage.
The chart below shows why buying the state minimum limits may not be enough.
Comprehensive coverages
This pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for things like hitting a bird, theft, a tree branch falling on your vehicle, fire damage and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Coverage for medical payments
Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP pay for short-term medical expenses for prosthetic devices, nursing services, doctor visits, chiropractic care and X-ray expenses. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay
Don’t give up on cheaper premiums
You just learned many tips how you can reduce Chevy Sonic insurance car insurance rates online in Portland. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote Portland car insurance, the better your chances of lowering your premium rates. You may even discover the lowest car insurance rates come from the least-expected company. They may cover specific market segments cheaper as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
Low-cost Chevy Sonic insurance in Portland can be found online and from local insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies may not offer online quoting and usually these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
To read more, feel free to browse the resources below:
- Teen Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for High School Students in Portland? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Chevrolet Silverado in Portland? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for a Kia Optima in Portland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Portland Auto Insurance Quotes for College Graduates? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Rates for a Honda CR-V in Portland? (FAQ)
- Car Insurance FAQ (Trusted Choice)
- Teen Driving Statistics (GEICO)
- Should I Purchase an Umbrella Liability Policy? (Insurance Information Institute)
- Car Insurance: When not to Skimp (BankRate.com)