Cheap 1997 Ford Escort Insurance Rates

Want lower car insurance rates for your Ford Escort? Have you fallen victim to overpriced car insurance? Believe me, there are many consumers feeling the pinch from expensive car insurance.

With so many choices, it can be hard to choose the right insurance company.

You should take the time to check car insurance prices quite often since rates are constantly changing. Even if you got the best price for Escort coverage a year ago you may be paying too much now. Starting now, forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the best way to find lower rates on car insurance.

Ford Escort premiums are determined by many factors

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that play a part in calculating the price you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively controls the rates you pay empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

  • How your age affects price – Teenage drivers are known to be less responsible when driving so auto insurance rates are higher. If you’ve ever had to add a teen driver onto a policy can break the bank. More mature drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims and receive fewer citations.
  • A lapse in coverage is a bad thing – Allowing your auto insurance policy to lapse is a fast way to increase your auto insurance rates. Not only will rates go up, but not being able to provide proof of insurance may earn you a revoked license or a big fine.
  • Liability insurance protects assets – Your policy’s liability coverage will protect you if a jury decides you are liable for damages caused by your negligence. Liability provides for a legal defense which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap as compared to coverage for physical damage, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Frequent auto insurance claims increase rates – If you file claims often, you can look forward to either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance companies award better rates to policyholders who do not file claims often. Auto insurance is intended for larger claims.
  • Are you male or female? – The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. However, don’t assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Women and men are in accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also tend to receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving.
  • Low deductibles can be expensive – Coverage for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, protects your Ford from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply would be collision with another vehicle, damage from fire, and burglary. The deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay out-of-pocket if you file a covered claim. The higher the amount you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be for Escort coverage.
  • Theft deterrents lower rates – Choosing a vehicle that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can thwart auto theft.
  • Poor driving leads to higher costs – Whether or not you get tickets impacts your car insurance rates tremendously. Good drivers have lower premiums than their less careful counterparts. Only having one speeding ticket can increase rates forty percent or more. Drivers with dangerous tickets like DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions are required to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state motor vehicle department in order to prevent a license revocation.

Compare the Market for Insurance Coverage

Comparing insurance coverage rates can be exhausting if you don’t know the most efficient way to do it. You can waste a few hours (or days) talking about coverages with local insurance agents in your area, or you can stay home and use online quoting to quickly compare rates.

Many companies participate in an industry program that enables customers to only type in their quote data once, and at least one company returns a rated price for coverage. This eliminates the need for form submissions to each company.

To compare pricing click here to open in new window.

The one downside to getting quotes like this is that consumers can’t choose the providers to get pricing from. So if you want to choose specific insurance companies to compare, we have a page of the cheapest insurance coverage companies in your area. Click to view list.

It’s your choice how you get your quotes, but ensure you’re using the exact same quote information for every company. If you are comparing differing limits it will be very difficult to decipher which rate is best. Slightly different insurance coverages may result in large price differences. And when comparing insurance coverage rates, know that more quotes gives you a better chance of getting the best price.

Beware of misleading auto insurance ads

State Farm, Geico and Progressive consistently run ads on TV and radio. All the companies make the same claim that you’ll save big if you change your policy. How can each company claim to save you money? This is how they do it.

All companies can use profiling for the type of customer that makes them money. An example of a preferred risk could be over the age of 50, has no prior claims, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Any new insured who meets those qualifications will qualify for the lowest rates and is almost guaranteed to pay quite a bit less when switching companies.

Potential insureds who are not a match for this ideal profile will be quoted a more expensive rate which usually ends up with the driver buying from a lower-cost company. The ads state “people who switch” not “everybody who quotes” save that much money. That’s why companies can state the savings.

This emphasizes why you need to get as many comparisons as possible. It’s impossible to know which auto insurance company will fit your personal profile best.

Are you getting all your discounts?

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, buy you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be applied when you get a quote, but lesser-known reductions have to be specifically requested in order for you to get them.

  • Safe Driver Discount – Safe drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates for Escort coverage than drivers with accidents.
  • Memberships – Belonging to a professional or civic organization could qualify you for a break on auto insurance for Escort coverage.
  • New Car Discount – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less since new cars are generally safer.
  • No Claims – Good drivers with no accidents can save substantially as compared to frequent claim filers.
  • E-sign – Certain companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks for buying a policy and signing up over the internet.
  • Defensive Driver – Completing a driver safety course could cut 5% off your bill if your company offers it.
  • Good Student – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
  • Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm systems can help prevent theft and will save you 10% or more.

Drivers should understand that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it may seem like it’s possible to get free car insurance, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous. Any qualifying discounts will help reduce the amount you have to pay.

Car insurance companies that possibly offer these discounts include:

Check with each company how you can save money. All car insurance discounts may not be available in your area.

Tailor your coverage to you

When it comes to choosing the right insurance coverage, there is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s needs are different and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.

  • I have health insurance so do I need medical payments coverage?
  • What are the best liability limits?
  • Does my 1997 Ford Escort qualify for pleasure use?
  • Am I covered when driving in Canada or Mexico?
  • Do I need higher collision deductibles?
  • Is motorclub coverage worth it?
  • Am I covered if I break a side mirror?

If you’re not sure about those questions but you know they apply to you, you may need to chat with a licensed insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or you can go here for a list of companies in your area.

Information about specific coverages

Understanding the coverages of your car insurance policy aids in choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Car insurance terms can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are the normal coverages available from car insurance companies.

Liability car insurance

Liability insurance will cover damages or injuries you inflict on a person or their property that is your fault. This coverage protects you against claims from other people, and does not provide coverage for your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. Your policy might show limits of 25/50/25 which means a $25,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit which limits claims to one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability coverage pays for things such as repair costs for stationary objects, bail bonds and court costs. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but you should buy higher limits if possible.

Medical costs insurance

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses for X-ray expenses, rehabilitation expenses and funeral costs. The coverages can be used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to you and your occupants and also covers getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

UM/UIM Coverage

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries to you and your family as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time the UM/UIM limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Comprehensive or Other Than Collision

Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like damage from a tornado or hurricane, hitting a bird, damage from getting keyed and fire damage. The maximum payout your car insurance company will pay is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

Collision insurance

Collision coverage pays for damage to your Escort resulting from a collision with another car or object. You have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision can pay for claims such as hitting a parking meter, scraping a guard rail, sustaining damage from a pot hole and hitting a mailbox. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Smart consumers save more

You just read a lot of ways to reduce 1997 Ford Escort insurance prices online. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the lowest premiums are with a small local company. Some small companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

Low-cost insurance can be purchased on the web and with local insurance agents, so compare prices from both to have the best selection. A few companies do not offer online price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

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