How Much Does 1996 Ford Escort Insurance Cost?

Locating low-cost insurance for a Ford Escort can turn out to be a lot of work, but you can learn these tips to save time.

There are both good and bad ways to buy auto insurance so you’re going to learn the quickest way to compare rates for a Ford and get the lowest possible price either online or from local insurance agents.

If you are insured now or are looking for a new policy, you can follow these tips to get lower rates while maximizing coverage. Shopping for affordable coverage can be fairly easy. Consumers just need to understand the tricks to compare prices on the web.

Factors that can influence Ford Escort insurance rates

It’s important that you understand the rating factors that go into determining auto insurance rates. Having a good understanding of what influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Are you male or female? – The statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women tend to get into accidents in similar numbers, but the men cause more damage. Men also statistically get more serious tickets such as DWI and reckless driving. Teenage male drivers are the most expensive to insure and therefore have the most expensive auto insurance rates.
  • Having a spouse can save you money – Having a wife or husband actually saves money on your policy. It means you’re more responsible and statistics show being married results in fewer claims.
  • Safer occupants lowers premiums – Vehicles with high crash test scores are cheaper to insure. Safe vehicles protect occupants better and fewer injuries means lower claim amounts and lower rates for you. If your Ford scored better than four stars on Safercar.gov it is probably cheaper to insure.
  • Your car’s features help determine rates – Driving a car with an alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft features like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all hinder your car from being stolen.
  • Do you have a high stress job? – Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Occupations such as doctors, social workers and financial analysts tend to pay higher average rates due to job stress and lots of time spent at work. Conversely, occupations such as pilots, engineers and homemakers have the lowest average rates on Escort coverage.
  • Big city or small town – Being located in small towns and rural areas can save you money when insuring your vehicles. Less people living in that area means fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Drivers who live in large cities regularly have traffic congestion and a longer drive to work. Higher commute times translates into higher accident risk.
  • No coverage gaps is important – Not having insurance is a misdemeanor and you will pay a penalty because you let your coverage lapse. And not only will insurance be more expensive, but being ticketed for driving with no insurance will get you a revoked license or a big fine.Then you may be required to prove you have insurance by filing a SR-22 with your state DMV.

Which Auto Insurance is Cheapest?

Getting a lower price on 1996 Ford Escort insurance can be relatively painless. You just have to invest a few minutes to compare rate quotes provided by online insurance companies. This can be accomplished using a couple different methods.

  1. The easiest and least time consuming way to compare a lot of rates at once is an all-inclusive rate comparison click to view form in new window. This form keeps you from doing boring form submissions for each company you want a rate for. One form will return quotes instantly. Recommended for those who want to invest the least amount of time.
  2. A less efficient way to compare rate quotes requires you to visit the website of each company and request a quote. For sake of this example, we’ll assume you want to compare rates from Allstate, GEICO and State Farm. To get each rate you have to spend time on each company’s site and enter your policy data, and that’s why the first method is more popular. For a list of links to insurance companies in your area, click here.
  3. The least efficient method of comparing rate quotes is to spend time driving to and from local insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you have a need for the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. Drivers can comparison shop your insurance online but buy from a local insurance agent.

Whichever way you use, double check that you are using exactly the same coverage information with every price quote. If each company quotes different liability limits it will be next to impossible to decipher which rate is best.

You probably qualify for some discounts

Car insurance is not cheap, but there could be available discounts to help bring down the price. Most are applied when you purchase, but a few need to be specially asked for before you get the savings. If you don’t get every credit possible, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles can earn better rates on cars that stay parked.
  • Defensive Driver – Taking a course teaching defensive driving skills can save you 5% or more if your company offers it.
  • Safe Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates on Escort coverage than drivers with accidents.
  • Air Bag Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can qualify for discounts of up to 25% or more.
  • Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for more than one vehicle on one policy can get a discount on all vehicles.
  • Senior Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you may be able to get a discount up to 10% on Escort coverage.
  • Discount for Good Grades – This discount can be rewarded with saving of up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you up to age 25.
  • Military Discounts – Having a deployed family member could be rewarded with lower premiums.
  • Paperless Signup – Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up on their website.

Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut the cost of specific coverages such as liability and collision coverage. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount will reduce your premiums.

For a list of insurance companies offering auto insurance discounts, click this link.

There’s no such thing as the perfect policy

When it comes to buying proper insurance coverage, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs.

For instance, these questions may help you determine if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Am I covered when pulling a rental trailer?
  • When would I need additional glass coverage?
  • Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?
  • I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
  • Is a blown tire covered by insurance?
  • When should I not file a claim?
  • What is the minimum liability in my state?
  • How high should deductibles be on a 1996 Ford Escort?
  • Does my insurance cover my expensive audio equipment?
  • Am I covered by my employer’s commercial auto policy when driving my personal car for business?

If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form. It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.

Coverage specifics

Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be difficult to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Liability auto insurance

Liability coverage will cover damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people that is your fault. This coverage protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. You might see policy limits of 50/100/50 that means you have $50,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $50,000 paid for damaged property. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability can pay for things such as funeral expenses, repair bills for other people’s vehicles and medical expenses. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but buy as much as you can afford.

Insurance for medical payments

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for expenses for things like dental work, nursing services, rehabilitation expenses and surgery. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants as well as any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims such as rock chips in glass, a tree branch falling on your vehicle and hitting a deer. The highest amount you’ll receive from a claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage protects you and your vehicle from other motorists when they either have no liability insurance or not enough. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants and also any damage incurred to your Ford Escort.

Since many drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Usually your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Collision protection

This coverage will pay to fix damage to your Escort from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision can pay for claims like sideswiping another vehicle, crashing into a building and hitting a mailbox. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.

Don’t break the bank

When trying to cut insurance costs, it’s a bad idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are a lot of situations where someone sacrificed physical damage coverage and learned later that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The proper strategy is to buy enough coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

Low-cost 1996 Ford Escort insurance is definitely available on the web and also from your neighborhood agents, so compare prices from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies may not provide online quoting and these regional insurance providers work with independent agents.

You just read a lot of tips how to reduce insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Drivers may discover the lowest premiums are with a lesser-known regional company.

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