View 2004 GMC Sonoma Insurance Cost

Scraping up a payment for overpriced GMC Sonoma insurance can drain your savings account and force you to prioritize other expenses. Shopping your coverage around is a smart way to slash your bill and have more diposable income. Drivers have multiple car insurance companies to purchase coverage from, and although it’s nice to have a choice, it can be more challenging to compare rates and cut insurance costs.

Smart consumers take time to compare rates once or twice a year due to the fact that insurance rates are usually higher with each renewal. Even if you got the best price for Sonoma insurance a year ago you can probably find a lower rate today. So forget all the misinformation about insurance coverage because we’re going to show you how to quote online to properly buy coverages and cut your premium.

How to Get Cheap Insurance Coverage

There are a lot of ways to compare insurance coverage prices and some are less labor-intensive and much quicker. You could spend the better part of a day talking about coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you could save time and use the web to get rate comparisons in just a few minutes.

Most of the larger companies participate in an industry program that enables customers to complete one form, and each participating company returns a rated price for coverage. This saves time by eliminating form submissions to each company.

To compare pricing click here to open in new window.

The one downside to getting quotes like this is you can’t choose the providers you want pricing from. So if you want to choose individual companies to compare prices, we have a listing of the cheapest insurance coverage companies in your area. Click here for list of insurance companies.

Whichever way you use, double check that you are using the exact same information with every price quote. If you have mixed coverages it will be next to impossible to decipher which rate is best.

Do you qualify for discounts?

Car insurance can cost a lot, but discounts can save money and there are some available that many people don’t even know exist. Most are applied when you complete an application, but a few need to be manually applied before they will apply. If you don’t get every credit available, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Good Student – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you well after school through age 25.
  • Save with a New Car – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can be considerably cheaper compared to insuring an older model.
  • Anti-lock Brake System – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
  • Save over 55 – Mature drivers may qualify for reduced rates for Sonoma insurance.
  • Own a Home – Being a homeowner can save you money because of the fact that having a home demonstrates responsibility.
  • Government Employees – Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off for Sonoma insurance with a few car insurance companies.
  • Bundle and Save – If you insure your home and vehicles with the same insurance company you will save at least 10% off all policies.

As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as collision or personal injury protection. So when it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. But all discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

For a list of providers offering car insurance discounts, follow this link.

Don’t assume everyone needs the same coverage

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Each situation is unique and your policy should reflect that. For instance, these questions may help you determine if your insurance needs could use an agent’s help.

  • Does my insurance cover damage caused when ticketed for reckless driving?
  • How can I get high-risk coverage after a DUI?
  • If my pet gets injured in an accident are they covered?
  • I have a DUI can I still get coverage?
  • Can I pay claims out-of-pocket if I buy high deductibles?
  • Is my teenager covered with friends in the car?
  • Am I covered when renting a car or should I buy coverage from the car rental agency?
  • What if I owe more than I can insure my car for?
  • Do I pay less for low miles?
  • Is borrowed equipment or tools covered if stolen or damaged?

If you’re not sure about those questions, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It only takes a few minutes and can provide invaluable advice.

Pieces of the GMC Sonoma insurance rate puzzle

It’s important that you understand the different types of things that help determine your insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates allows you to make educated decisions that may reward you with big savings.

The following are a partial list of the pieces companies use to determine rates.

  • Safer cars are cheaper to insure – Vehicles with good safety scores can get you lower premiums. These vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries means less money paid by your insurance company and thus lower rates. If your GMC Sonoma is rated at least an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you are probably receiving a discount.
  • Rate your vehicle for proper use – The higher the mileage driven in a year’s time the higher your rates will be. The majority of insurers apply a rate based on their usage. Vehicles left parked in the garage can get a lower rate compared to those used for work or business. An improperly rated Sonoma may be costing you. Make sure your insurance declarations sheet is rated on the correct usage for each vehicle, because it can save money.
  • Your credit rating is important – Your credit score is a large factor in determining what you pay for insurance. So if your credit history is lower than you’d like, you could pay less to insure your 2004 GMC Sonoma by repairing your credit. Drivers with excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with poor credit.
  • Low deductibles can be expensive – Deductibles for physical damage represent how much money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket before a claim is paid by your company. Insurance for physical damage to your car, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, protects your car from damage. A few examples of covered claims are colliding with a building, damage from fire, and rolling your vehicle. The more expense you have to pay, the less your insurance will be for Sonoma insurance.
  • Claim-free discounts can add up – Car insurance companies generally give lower rates to people who file claims infrequently. If you file claims often, you can pretty much guarantee either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Your insurance policy is designed for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.

Buyer beware of car insurance advertising tricks

Consumers constantly see and hear ads for cheaper car insurance by companies like State Farm and Allstate. All the companies have a common claim of big savings if you move to them.

How can each company claim to save you money?

Insurance companies have a preferred profile for the type of customer that earns them a profit. An example of a desirable insured could be between the ages of 30 and 50, insures multiple vehicles, and has a high credit rating. A driver that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good rates and as a result will probably pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Drivers who do not match the requirements will have to pay higher premiums and ends up with business going elsewhere. Company advertisements say “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save money. That’s the way insurance companies can make those claims.

Because of the profiling, you should quote coverage with many companies. It’s impossible to know which company will fit your personal profile best.

Coverages available on your auto insurance policy

Knowing the specifics of your auto insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Auto insurance terms can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. These are typical coverages offered by auto insurance companies.

Uninsured or underinsured coverage – This protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your 2004 GMC Sonoma.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked. Frequently your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Medical expense coverage – Med pay and PIP coverage reimburse you for bills such as nursing services, pain medications, prosthetic devices and dental work. They are often utilized in addition to your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. It covers both the driver and occupants in addition to if you are hit as a while walking down the street. Personal injury protection coverage is only offered in select states and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Comprehensive protection – This will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. A deductible will apply then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like a broken windshield, damage from getting keyed and a tree branch falling on your vehicle. The maximum payout you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Collision coverage – This coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision insurance covers things such as damaging your car on a curb, scraping a guard rail, colliding with a tree, crashing into a building and colliding with another moving vehicle. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. You can also choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Liability auto insurance – Liability coverage will cover damage or injury you incur to people or other property that is your fault. This insurance protects YOU from legal claims by others. Liability doesn’t cover damage to your own property or vehicle.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see policy limits of 50/100/50 that means you have a limit of $50,000 per injured person, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Another option is one number which is a combined single limit that pays claims from the same limit without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage pays for claims like medical expenses, repair costs for stationary objects and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying as large an amount as possible.

Summing up your insurance search

Affordable 2004 GMC Sonoma insurance is available online and also from your neighborhood agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best selection. Some insurance companies may not provide you the ability to get quotes online and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

When shopping online for insurance, it’s a bad idea to sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many situations where drivers have reduced comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to find out that they should have had better coverage. The ultimate goal is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

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