1997 Nissan Altima Insurance Rates

Locating the cheapest insurance for a new or used Nissan Altima can be an all-consuming task, but you can learn our insurance coverage buying tips to find lower rates. There are more efficient ways to buy insurance coverage so you’re going to learn the quickest way to price shop coverage for your Nissan and locate the lowest price from both online companies and local agents.

Consumers need to compare prices occasionally because insurance rates change regularly. Even if you think you had the best rates on Altima coverage a couple years back you can probably find a lower rate today. So just block out anything you think you know about insurance coverage because it’s time to teach you how to quote online to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

If you are insured now or are looking for a new policy, you can follow these tips to cut your premiums while maintaining coverages. Buying the cheapest auto insurance coverage is easy if you know what you’re doing. Drivers just need to learn the best way to shop for auto insurance over the internet.

Car Insurance Quote Comparison

Finding lower car insurance rates can be surprisingly simple. You just have to spend a few minutes on the computer getting comparison quotes online with multiple companies. This is very easy and can be done in a couple of different ways.

  1. The most efficient way to get the best comparison quotes would be an industry-wide quote request form click to view form in new window. This easy form saves time by eliminating repetitive form entry for every car insurance company. Taking the time to complete one form will return quotes from multiple companies. It’s the fastest way to compare.
  2. A less efficient way to get comparison quotes requires a visit to each company’s website and complete a new quote form. For examples sake, we’ll pretend you want to compare USAA, Farmers and State Farm. To get each rate you have to visit each site and enter your information, which is why most consumers use the first method.

    For a list of links to companies insuring cars in your area, click here.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just compare apples-to-apples coverage limits and deductibles for every quote you compare. If you compare higher or lower deductibles it will be next to impossible to determine the lowest rate for your Nissan Altima.

Save on Nissan Altima insurance

Companies offering auto insurance do not advertise every available discount in an easy-to-find place, so we took the time to find both well-publicized and the more hidden discounts you could be receiving. If they aren’t giving you every credit available, you’re just leaving money on the table.

  • Student Driver Training – Require your teen driver to take driver’s ed class in high school.
  • Defensive Driver – Taking a defensive driving course could possibly earn you a 5% discount if your company offers it.
  • Good Students Pay Less – This discount can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
  • Safe Driver Discount – Insureds without accidents may save up to 50% more on Altima coverage than drivers with accidents.
  • Sign Early and Save – A few companies offer discounts for switching to them before your current policy expires. It can save you around 10%.
  • Military Discounts – Having a family member in the military can result in better rates.
  • Air Bag Discount – Factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.
  • Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can reduce accidents and will save you 10% or more.
  • Student in College – Any of your kids who live away from home and do not have a car can be insured at a reduced rate.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some of the credits will not apply to all coverage premiums. Most cut individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

To see a list of companies offering insurance coverage discounts, click this link.

Tailor your coverage to you

When choosing the right insurance coverage, there is no perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different.

Here are some questions about coverages that can aid in determining whether you might need an agent’s assistance.

  • Does insurance cover tools stolen from my truck?
  • How much underlying liability do I need for an umbrella policy?
  • Should I have combined single limit or split liability limits?
  • Am I covered if I drive in a foreign country?
  • How can I get my company to pay me more for my totalled car?
  • How do I insure my teen driver?
  • Am I covered if I crash into my own garage door?

If you’re not sure about those questions, you may need to chat with an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form. It is quick, free and may give you better protection.

Nissan Altima rates are in the details

An important part of buying insurance is that you know the factors that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for insurance. When you know what positively or negatively impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in better insurance rates.

  • You might want pay the small claims yourself – If you file claims often, you can expect higher rates. Companies award discounts to people who file claims infrequently. Insurance coverage is intended for the bigger claims that can’t be paid out-of-pocket.
  • Bump up deductibles to save – Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, is used to repair damage to your Nissan. A few examples of covered claims are collision with another vehicle, damage caused by hail, and burglary. Deductibles for physical damage are how much you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The more money you have to pay, the less your insurance will be on Altima coverage.
  • Poor driving leads to higher costs – Your driving record impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than their less careful counterparts. Even a single moving violation can boost insurance rates by twenty percent. Drivers who get dangerous violations like reckless driving, hit and run or driving under the influence may be required to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
  • Sex matters – Statistics have proven that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, this does not mean women are better drivers. They both are in accidents at a similar rate, but the male of the species have costlier accidents. Men also tend to have more aggressive citations like DUI and reckless driving. Young males are most likely to cause an accident and are penalized with high insurance rates.
  • Drive a safer car and pay less – Vehicles with good safety scores are cheaper to insure. Safer cars protect occupants better and better occupant protection means less money paid by your insurance company and thus lower rates. If your Nissan Altima 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 it is probably cheaper to insure.
  • Do you know you’re credit rating? – Credit rating is a important factor in your rate calculation. Drivers with high credit scores tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records as compared to drivers with lower credit scores. If your credit can use some improvement, you could pay less to insure your 1997 Nissan Altima by repairing your credit.
  • Where you live – Choosing to live in small towns and rural areas is a positive aspect when insuring your vehicles. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Drivers in populated areas regularly have more traffic problems and longer commutes to work. Higher commute times translates into higher accident risk.
  • Marriage brings a discount – Having a spouse can get you a discount when buying insurance. Marriage is viewed as being more mature and responsible and it’s proven that drivers who are married are more cautious.

Do you really save 40% when you switch?

Consumers can’t get away from ads for the lowest price auto insurance from the likes of State Farm and Allstate. They all seem to make the same claim that you can save if you switch your coverage to them.

But how can every company make almost identical claims?

Insurance companies have a certain “appetite” for the driver they prefer to insure. For example, a driver they prefer could be over the age of 50, has no driving citations, and drives newer vehicles. A propective insured who fits that profile will get very good rates and therefore will save quite a bit of money when switching.

Consumers who fall outside this ideal profile must pay more money and this can result in the customer not buying. The ad wording is “people who switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. That is how companies can truthfully advertise the way they do. This illustrates why you should get as many comparisons as possible. It is impossible to predict the company that will fit your personal profile best.

Learn about insurance coverages for a 1997 Nissan Altima

Knowing the specifics of insurance helps when choosing the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. Insurance terms can be ambiguous and nobody wants to actually read their policy.

Medical costs insurance

Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for expenses for things like doctor visits, rehabilitation expenses, hospital visits, funeral costs and ambulance fees. They can be used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as if you are hit as a while walking down the street. PIP is not an option in every state and may carry a deductible

Liability car insurance

This will cover injuries or damage you cause to people or other property in an accident. This coverage protects you against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 50/100/50 which stand for $50,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a total of $100,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $50,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage pays for claims such as court costs, medical services and bail bonds. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as high a limit as you can afford.

UM/UIM Coverage

This coverage protects you and your vehicle from other drivers when they do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include injuries to you and your family as well as damage to your Nissan Altima.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law, their limits can quickly be used up. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is very important.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

This coverage pays for damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first and then insurance will cover the rest of the damage.

Comprehensive coverage pays for things like hitting a bird, fire damage, falling objects, damage from flooding and a broken windshield. The maximum amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider dropping full coverage.

Collision coverage protection

Collision insurance 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 the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for things such as rolling your car, crashing into a ditch, driving through your garage door, damaging your car on a curb and backing into a parked car. This coverage can be expensive, so consider removing coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Keep this in mind

Drivers who switch companies do it for any number of reasons including high rates after DUI convictions, lack of trust in their agent, an unsatisfactory settlement offer or even questionable increases in premium. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, switching companies is pretty simple and you could end up saving a buck or two.

We’ve covered many tips how you can shop for 1997 Nissan Altima insurance online. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the better your chances of lowering your rates. Consumers may even find the best price on auto insurance is with the smaller companies.

While you’re price shopping online, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage only to regret at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to purchase plenty of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.

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