1998 Subaru Forester Car Insurance Rates – 9 Tips to Save

Finding lower premiums on car insurance can seem to be difficult for beginners to comparing rates online. Consumers have so many options available that it can turn into a ton of work to find the best price.

Comprehensive Insurance Comparison

Effectively comparing insurance prices can be exhausting if you aren’t aware of the best way to get rate quotes. You can spend countless hours driving to insurance agencies in your area, or you can stay home and use online quotes to achieve your goal.

Many of the larger companies belong to a marketplace that enables customers to enter their policy data once, and each participating company then gives them pricing based on the submitted data. This system prevents you from having to do quote requests for each company you want a rate for.

To compare 1998 Subaru Forester rates using this form now click here to open in new window.

The only downside to using this type of form is that you can’t choose which providers to get quotes from. So if you prefer to choose specific providers to compare rates, we have assembled a list of the cheapest insurance companies in your area. View list of insurance companies.

However you get your quotes, ensure you are comparing apples-to-apples coverage information for each comparison quote. If your comparisons have higher or lower deductibles it’s impossible to make an equal comparison. Slightly different coverages can result in a big premium difference. And when comparison shopping, obtaining a wide range of quotes will improve the odds of getting lower pricing.

Discounts can save BIG

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but there are discounts available that you may not even be aware of. Some discounts apply automatically at quote time, but some must be inquired about before they will apply.

  • Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving fewer miles could qualify for lower rates on the low mileage vehicles.
  • Save over 55 – Older drivers may receive a discount up to 10% for Forester coverage.
  • Defensive Driver – Successfully completing a defensive driving course could save 5% or more and easily recoup the cost of the course.
  • Life Insurance – Select insurance companies reward you with lower rates if you buy auto and life insurance together.
  • Student Driver Training – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to take driver’s ed class in high school.
  • Resident Student – Children who attend school more than 100 miles from home and do not have a car may be able to be covered for less.
  • Military Rewards – Being deployed with a military unit may qualify for rate reductions.
  • Anti-lock Brake Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles prevent accidents and will save you 10% or more.
  • Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags can receive discounts of up to 25% or more.

It’s important to understand that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as collision or personal injury protection. So even though they make it sound like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, it just doesn’t work that way. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce your premiums.

For a list of companies with discount insurance coverage rates, follow this link.

Will just any policy work for me?

When it comes to choosing coverage, there really is no “best” method to buy coverage. Every insured’s situation is different.

For instance, these questions may help highlight if you will benefit from professional help.

  • How high should my medical payments coverage be?
  • What is no-fault insurance?
  • When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
  • Do I pay less for low miles?
  • Should I drop comprehensive coverage on older vehicles?
  • Do I need higher collision deductibles?
  • Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
  • Is business equipment covered while in my vehicle?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • Do I need replacement cost coverage?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions but one or more may apply to you, you might consider talking to an agent. To find an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Educate yourself about auto insurance coverages

Knowing the specifics of your auto insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need at the best deductibles and correct limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

UM/UIM Coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage provides protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Usually these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Liability

This provides protection from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property that is your fault. Coverage consists of three different 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 100/300/100 which stand for a limit of $100,000 per injured person, a limit of $300,000 in injury protection per accident, and a total limit of $100,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Some companies may use a combined single limit or CSL which combines the three limits into one amount without having the split limit caps.

Liability coverage protects against claims such as emergency aid, repair costs for stationary objects, loss of income and structural damage. How much liability coverage do you need? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

Comprehensive insurance coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like vandalism, fire damage, damage from flooding, falling objects and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The most your auto insurance company will pay is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Medical costs insurance

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP provide coverage for immediate expenses for things like prosthetic devices, rehabilitation expenses and dental work. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover all vehicle occupants as well as getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Coverage for collisions

This covers damage to your Forester from colliding with an object or car. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision coverage protects against things such as driving through your garage door, colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a ditch and damaging your car on a curb. This coverage can be expensive, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. Drivers also have the option to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Coverage on a shoestring budget

In this article, we presented many ways to lower your 1998 Subaru Forester insurance rates. The most important thing to understand is the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the lowest priced insurance coverage comes from a company that doesn’t do a lot of advertising.

Insureds change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including denial of a claim, an unsatisfactory settlement offer, high prices or even policy cancellation. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch choosing a new company is less work than it seems.

Cost effective insurance is possible both online in addition to many insurance agents, so compare prices from both to get a complete price analysis. Some insurance providers do not provide you the ability to get quotes online and many times these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.

Additional resources