How to Get the Absolute Lowest Rates When Insuring a Kia Rio

Buyers have many options when searching for affordable Kia Rio insurance. You can either spend your time struggling with agents to compare prices or utilize the internet to compare rates.

There is a right way and a wrong way to buy car insurance so we’re going to tell you the best way to quote coverages on a Kia and obtain the lowest possible price.

Vehicle Insurance Comparison

There are several ways of comparing price quotes from local car insurance companies. The best method to compare insurance prices consists of shopping online. It is quite easy and can be accomplished in several different ways.

The most efficient way to find the lowest comparison rates is an all-inclusive rate comparison (click to open form in new window). This method prevents you from having to do multiple quote forms for every car insurance company. One form submission gets rate comparisons from multiple companies. It’s the fastest way to compare.

A more difficult way to find lower rates requires a trip to the website of each company and fill out their own quote form. For instance, we’ll assume you want to compare Nationwide, 21st Century and Farmers. You would have to go to every website to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.

The most time-consuming way to get comparison rates is to spend your day driving to and from local insurance agencies. Buying insurance online has reduced the need for local agents unless you prefer the professional guidance only provided by licensed agents. However, consumers can comparison shop your insurance online and still use a local agent and you’ll learn how to do that later.

It’s up to you which method you use, but ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples coverages on every quote you get. If you compare different liability limits you can’t possibly decipher which rate is best. Just a small difference in insurance coverages can result in a big premium difference. Just keep in mind that comparing more company’s prices will improve the odds of getting the best rates.

Don’t miss these discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you can get discounts to help bring down the price. Some discounts apply automatically at the time you complete a quote, but some must be manually applied in order for you to get them.

Auto/Life Discount – Companies who offer life insurance give better rates if you take out life insurance.
Auto/Home Discount – When you combine your home and auto insurance with one company you could get a discount of approximately 10% to 15%.
Drive Less and Save – Driving fewer miles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay less compared to bad drivers.
Discount for New Cars – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can cost up to 25% less due to better safety requirements for new cars.
Accident Waiver – A few companies will allow you to have one accident before raising your premiums if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
Payment Discounts – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you could save up to 5%.
Student Driver Training – Cut your cost by having your teen driver take driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of 20% or more.

It’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply the the whole policy. Most only cut individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you’re out of luck. But all discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

For a list of insurance companies with the best car insurance discounts, click here.

Kia Rio rates are complex

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that come into play when calculating the price you pay for car insurance. Knowing what controls the rates you pay enables informed choices that can help you get better car insurance rates.

The list below includes some of the items car insurance companies consider when setting your rates.

Your spouse saves you money – Being married helps lower the price when buying car insurance. Having a significant other usually means you are more mature and statistics show married drivers get in fewer accidents.
What are your deductibles? – Physical damage insurance, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, is used to repair damage to your Kia. Examples of covered claims could be collision with another vehicle, damage caused by hail, and windstorm damage. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are willing to pay before a claim is paid by your company. The more money you’re willing to pay, the bigger discount you will receive for Rio insurance.
Your occupation can affect rates – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for car insurance? Careers like real estate brokers, business owners and accountants tend to have higher rates than average because of stressful work requirements and lengthy work days. On the flip side, occupations like actors, athletes and homemakers receive lower rates for Rio insurance.
Drive a safer car and pay less – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. Safer cars protect occupants better and lower injury rates translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you. If your Kia earned at least four stars on Safercar.gov it may be receiving lower rates.
Traffic citations inflate rates – Just one ticket can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Drivers who have dangerous citations such as reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may need to file a SR-22 with the DMV in their state in order to prevent a license revocation.
Lower rates with optional equipment – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers can thwart your car from being stolen.

Price shop online but buy from a local agent

Certain consumers just want to buy from a local agent. The biggest benefit of comparing rates online is you may find better rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local agencies is important particularly in smaller communities.

After completing this form (opens in new window), your insurance data is emailed to insurance agents who will compete for your coverage. You won’t need to leave your house because quoted prices will be sent to the email address you provide. How cool is that?! You can find better rates AND an agent nearby.

If you prefer to select a specific agent in your state, click here.

Choosing an provider needs to be determined by more than just the price. Agents should be asked these questions:

Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?
Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in your state?
Do clients work directly with the agent or are most inquiries handled by a CSR?
Is their price quote a firm figure or are their hidden costs?
Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
Is vehicle mileage a factor when determining depreciation for repairs?
Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?

Upon receiving reasonable responses to any questions you have and an affordable coverage quote, chances are good that you have found an insurance company that can properly insure your vehicles.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is unique.

Here are some questions about coverages that can help discover whether you might need an agent’s assistance.

What if I total my Kia Rio and owe more than it’s worth?
Do I have coverage when pulling a U-Haul trailer?
Do I need PIP coverage since I have good health insurance?
Are my tools covered if they get stolen from my vehicle?
When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
Can I rate high risk drivers on liability-only vehicles?
Can I afford to buy a different vehicle if my Kia Rio is totaled?
Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you might consider talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, complete this form.

Car insurance ads bend the truth

Companies like Progressive, Allstate and GEICO constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. All the ads say the same thing that you’ll save big if you switch to them. But how can every company say the same thing?

Different companies can use profiling for the type of driver that is profitable for them. An example of a preferred risk could possibly be between the ages of 40 and 55, a clean driving record, and has excellent credit. Any new insured that hits that “sweet spot” will get very good rates and as a result will probably save when they switch companies.

Consumers who fall outside these standards will be charged a more expensive rate which leads to the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ad wording is “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much. That is how companies can claim big savings.

That is why you absolutely need to get as many quotes as possible. It’s impossible to know which insurance companies will have the lowest rates.

A little work can save a LOT of money

Budget-conscious Kia Rio insurance is definitely available on the web as well as from independent agents in your state, so you should compare both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. There are still a few companies who don’t offer online price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.

We’ve covered quite a bit of information on how to reduce Kia Rio insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may discover the biggest savings come from some of the lesser-known companies.

When trying to cut insurance costs, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, someone dropped liability coverage limits only to regret that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford while not skimping on critical coverages.