Everyone knows that auto insurance companies don’t want you to look for a cheaper policy. Drivers who shop around for the cheapest price will most likely buy a new policy because there is a good probability of finding discount prices. A survey found that consumers who routinely compared quotes saved about $3,400 over four years compared to those who never shopped around for lower prices.
If finding the cheapest price on car insurance is the reason you’re reading this, then understanding the best way to shop and compare coverages can help you succeed in finding affordable rates.
It takes a little time, but the best way to get cheaper auto insurance rates is to compare prices once a year from providers who provide auto insurance in Indianapolis. Drivers can shop around by completing these steps.
- Step 1: Try to learn about car insurance and the modifications you can make to keep rates low. Many rating criteria that result in higher prices like your driving record and poor credit can be controlled by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility. Later in this article we will cover more ideas to get cheaper coverage and find overlooked discounts.
- Step 2: Compare rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Exclusive agents and direct companies can give quotes from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can provide price quotes from multiple sources.
- Step 3: Compare the new rates to your existing rates to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you find a lower rate and change companies, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
- Step 4: Give notification to your current company of your intent to cancel your current policy. Submit a signed application and payment to your new carrier. Be sure to put the certificate verifying coverage in your glove compartment.
The most important part of shopping around is to use the same level of coverage on each quote request and and to get rate quotes from every company you can. Doing this guarantees a fair price comparison and maximum price selection.
If you have coverage now, you stand a good chance to be able to get lower rates using the ideas you’re about to read. Finding and comparing affordable coverage in Indianapolis is not as hard as you may think. Nevertheless, Indiana vehicle owners must comprehend how companies calculate their prices and take advantage of how the system works.
How Insurance Companies Determine Dodge Avenger Insurance Premiums
An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the factors that help determine the rates you pay for auto insurance. If you know what determines base rates, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can earn you lower auto insurance prices.
The list below includes some of the things used by insurance companies to determine your rate level.
Don’t let your auto insurance policy lapse – Letting your insurance expire will be a sure-fire way to increase your rates. Not only will you pay more, failure to provide proof of insurance could result in fines and jail time. You could then be forced to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Indiana motor vehicle department.
More people means more accidents – Living in smaller towns and rural areas of the country is a positive aspect when it comes to auto insurance. Fewer drivers means fewer accidents. People in densely populated areas have to deal with much more traffic and longer commute times. Higher commute times means a statistically higher chance of an accident.
With age comes responsibility – Older insureds have been proven to be more responsible, are lower risk to insure, and are generally more financially stable. Youthful drivers have been known to be inattentive and easily distracted when behind the wheel so they pay higher auto insurance rates.
The chart below uses these variables: single driver, full coverage with $100 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
Are you male or female? – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown females are less aggressive when driving. However, don’t assume that females are better at driving than males. Both sexes cause fender benders in similar numbers, but males have costlier accidents. Not only that, but men also get ticketed for serious violations like driving under the influence (DUI). Young men ages 16 to 20 are most likely to cause an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
The information below illustrates the difference between Dodge Avenger auto insurance costs for male and female drivers. The rates are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Compare quotes for Indianapolis Dodge Avenger insurance
Most larger insurance companies allow consumers to get prices online. Doing online price comparisons for Dodge Avenger insurance in Indianapolis is very simple as you just enter the coverages you want into the quote form. After the form is submitted, the company’s rating system sends out for your driving and credit reports and returns a price quote based on these factors.
This helps simplify price comparisons, and it’s necessary to get many rate quotes if you are searching for the most affordable premium.
In order to compare rates now, compare rate quotes from the providers shown below. If you have coverage now, it’s recommended you duplicate the insurance coverages exactly as shown on your declarations page. Using the same limits helps guarantee you will get a price comparison based on similar coverages.
The companies in the list below are ready to provide comparison quotes in Indiana. If multiple companies are listed, we recommend you compare several of them to find the cheapest auto insurance rates.
Car insurance data for a Dodge Avenger
The premium information shown next showcases estimates of coverage prices for Dodge Avenger models. Being aware of how car insurance prices are determined can help customers make decisions on which coverage to buy.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avenger Express | $212 | $496 | $384 | $22 | $114 | $1,228 | $102 |
Avenger R/T | $212 | $496 | $384 | $22 | $114 | $1,228 | $102 |
Avenger SXT | $212 | $496 | $384 | $22 | $114 | $1,228 | $102 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Cost estimates assume single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Indiana minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Premium costs do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can increase or decrease insurance rates noticeably.
Physical damage deductibles
One of the more difficult decisions when buying car insurance is how high should the deductibles for physical damage be. The comparison tables below highlight the costs and benefits when you choose different insurance deductibles. The first rate table uses a $250 deductible for comp and collision and the second price table uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avenger Express | $216 | $430 | $318 | $18 | $94 | $1,101 | $92 |
Avenger R/T | $216 | $430 | $318 | $18 | $94 | $1,101 | $92 |
Avenger SXT | $216 | $430 | $318 | $18 | $94 | $1,101 | $92 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avenger Express | $134 | $270 | $318 | $18 | $94 | $834 | $70 |
Avenger R/T | $134 | $270 | $318 | $18 | $94 | $834 | $70 |
Avenger SXT | $134 | $270 | $318 | $18 | $94 | $834 | $70 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Data variables include married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Indiana minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in specific Indianapolis garaging location which can decrease or increase coverage rates substantially.
Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $250 deductible will cost you roughly $22 more each month or $264 every year averaged for all Avenger models than quoting the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $750 more to file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you have more than 34 months between claim filings, you would most likely save money if you choose a higher deductible. The table below shows how this decision is made.
Average monthly premium for $250 deductibles: | $92 |
Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $70 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $22 |
Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $250): | $750 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $750 / $22 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 34 months |
One important caveat is that increasing deductibles to save money means you will have to cover more of the damage yourself when you have a comprehensive or collision claim. That will force you to have some funds available in order to pay the deductible.
Careless driving habits raise Indianapolis car insurance rates
The chart below highlights how traffic violations and accident claims raise Dodge Avenger insurance rates for different age groups. The data assumes a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Should you buy full coverage?
The diagram below compares Dodge Avenger insurance costs when comparing full coverage to liability only. The premiums assume no claims or driving violations, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.
Should you pay for full coverage?
There is no exact rule to stop paying for physical damage insurance, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of coverage is more than around 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Dodge Avenger replacement cost is $3,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company will settle for is $2,000 after the deductible is paid. If premiums are more than $200 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
There are a few situations where removing full coverage is not in your best interest. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Car insurance is not optional in Indiana
Despite the high cost of buying insurance for a Dodge Avenger in Indianapolis, buying car insurance is not optional due to several reasons.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a specific minimum amount of liability insurance in order to drive the car legally. In Indiana 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 Avenger, almost all lenders will force you to buy full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Dodge at a much higher premium rate and require you to reimburse them a much higher amount than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects both your vehicle and your personal assets. It also can pay for medical transport and hospital expenses that are the result of an accident. Liability coverage will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your car is damaged in a storm or accident, your policy will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of carrying adequate insurance definitely exceed the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer is overpaying more than $869 every year so you should quote rates every year to ensure rates are inline.
Lower-cost Dodge Avenger insurance rates in Indianapolis
Not too many consumers would say car insurance is affordable, but you might be missing out on some discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. Certain discounts will be applied at quote time, but once in a while a discount must be asked for in order for you to get them.
- Buy New and Save – Insuring a vehicle that is new is cheaper because new vehicles keep occupants safer.
- Membership in Organizations – Affiliation with a civic or occupational organization in Indianapolis could trigger savings on your next renewal.
- Seat Belts Save – Drivers who require all vehicle occupants to buckle their seat belts can save up to 15% on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being on active deployment in the military could be rewarded with lower rates.
- Auto/Life Discount – Larger insurance companies have a discount if you purchase life insurance.
Consumers should know that many deductions do not apply to the entire cost. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. Even though it may seem like all those discounts means the company will pay you, you won’t be that lucky.
The information below compares Dodge Avenger insurance prices with and without discounts applied to the premium. The data assumes a male driver, no claims or violations, Indiana state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, multi-car, claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, and marriage discounts applied.
Companies and some of their more popular discounts can be found below.
- Progressive may have discounts that include online quote discount, multi-vehicle, homeowner, continuous coverage, good student, and online signing.
- AAA has savings for education and occupation, pay-in-full, good student, anti-theft, multi-car, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance may include discounts for multi-car, homeowner, switch companies, bundle discounts, and early shopping.
- GEICO offers discounts including multi-policy, air bags, defensive driver, five-year accident-free, and driver training.
- Esurance policyholders can earn discounts including Switch & Save, good driver, emergency road assistance, anti-theft, multi-car, renters, and good student.
- SAFECO has discounts for bundle discounts, multi-car, homeowner, accident prevention training, drive less, anti-theft, and safe driver.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for good driver, defensive driving training, passive restraint, multiple autos, and multiple policy.
If you are trying to find low cost Indianapolis car insurance quotes, ask every insurance company which discounts they offer. Discounts may not apply everywhere.
Insurance agencies can help
Some people just want to visit with an insurance agent and there is nothing wrong with that. The best thing about comparing rates online is that you can find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to. And providing support for neighborhood agents is important especially in Indianapolis.
For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), your information is transmitted to agents in your area who can give free rate quotes for your coverage. There is no reason to even leave your home because prices are sent immediately to you. You can get cheaper car insurance rates and work with a local agent. If for some reason you want to get a rate quote from a particular provider, just search and find their rate quote page and submit a quote form there.
Do you need an independent or exclusive car insurance agent?
When looking for a reliable insurance agent, it can be helpful to understand the types of insurance agents and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Car insurance agents may be either exclusive or independent agents depending on their company appointments.
Independent Agents
Independent insurance agents are not employed by one company so they can quote policies with a variety of different insurance companies and find you the best rates. If they quote lower rates, an independent agent can move your coverage and you don’t have to do anything.
When comparing car insurance rates, you need to get several quotes from independent agents for the best price selection. A lot of them also have access to mutual insurance companies that may have much lower rates than larger companies.
Shown below is a list of independent agents in Indianapolis who may provide pricing information.
- The George Group
5627 S Franklin Rd – Indianapolis, IN 46239 – (317) 862-2200 – View Map - Jensen Ford Insurance
8000 S Meridian St – Indianapolis, IN 46217 – (317) 888-6007 – View Map - McGowan Insurance Group, Inc.
355 Indiana Ave – Indianapolis, IN 46204 – (317) 464-5000 – View Map
Exclusive Car Insurance Agents
Agents that elect to be exclusive can only provide one company’s prices and some examples include Allstate and State Farm. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive agents are very knowledgeable on sales techniques which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Consumers frequently choose to use an exclusive agent partially due to high brand loyalty rather than having low rates.
Shown below are exclusive agencies in Indianapolis willing to provide price quote information.
- Brandon Libunao – State Farm Insurance Agent
1014 Prospect St – Indianapolis, IN 46203 – (317) 783-3391 – View Map - Jim Grounds – State Farm Insurance Agent
4745 Statesmen Dr d – Indianapolis, IN 46250 – (317) 842-6807 – View Map - Keith Eberg – State Farm Insurance Agent
7550 S Meridian St d – Indianapolis, IN 46217 – (317) 887-1400 – View Map
Finding the right car insurance agent requires you to look at more than just a low price. Here are some questions to ask:
- Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
- If you have an accident, are you able to get your vehicle repaired at the shop of your choice?
- What companies can they write with?
- Does the agency provide any after hours assistance?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage in Indianapolis?
Upon receiving satisfactory answers to these questions in addition to an acceptable price estimate, you may have found an auto insurance agent that can be relied on to properly service your car insurance policy. Just be aware that you are entitled to terminate coverage for any reason so don’t think you are locked into a policy with no way to switch.
Which policy gives me the best coverage?
When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there isn’t really a best way to insure your cars. Your situation is unique so your insurance should reflect that
For example, these questions can aid in determining if you may require specific advice.
- I have a DUI can I still get coverage?
- Does my medical payments coverage pay my health insurance deductible?
- What is glass protection for?
- Can I insure my car for more than it’s worth?
- Should I file a claim if it’s only slightly more than my deductible?
- Am I covered if my car is in a flood?
- Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
- When can my company non-renew my policy?
If you’re not sure about those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
You can find cheap coverage
While you’re price shopping online, do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone dropped full coverage to discover at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your goal is to get the best coverage possible at an affordable rate, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
We’ve covered many tips how you can lower your Dodge Avenger insurance car insurance rates in Indianapolis. The key concept to understand is the more you quote Indianapolis car insurance, the better your chances of lowering your premium rates. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest car insurance rates come from the smaller companies. Some small companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than the large multi-state companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
Even more information can be read at these sites:
- Steps to Take After an Auto Accident (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for High Mileage Drivers in Indianapolis? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Nissan Altima in Indianapolis? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Chevrolet Silverado in Indianapolis? (FAQ)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for High Risk Drivers in Indianapolis? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Quotes for Low Income Drivers in Indianapolis? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Teachers in Indianapolis? (FAQ)
- Teen Driving and Texting (State Farm)
- Event Data Recorders FAQ (iihs.org)