If you don't put alot of miles on your car check with Metromile...they charge you a flat rate for your car and then a set amount per mile...I have had it for almost 6 months now and have never paid over $75 a month....saves me around $50 a month from State Farm...
Just a heads up... the first few years of a vehicles life, the vehicle symbol as assigned by ISO can change. I have been in the insurance industry for 10 years and have never seen seen an ISO symbol change more than a few steps up or down but anything is possible.
I'm an agent and everything he said is spot on. Don't forget about credit. It's a factor with most companies in most states too.Asking the insurance question has too many variables such as:
Geographical location
Age of driver (experience vs. inexperience)
If driver is married or not
Miles driven to/from "x"
Driver DMV record or points (good vs. bad)
Prior accidents or insurance payoffs (which is defined as insurance "points")
Credit Score (yes, some insurance companies base rates off of credit worthiness)
Type of vehicle
Deductibles (owners can choose a variety of deductibles which could decrease rates OR increase)
How vehicle is stored (garage vs street)
Male vs Female
Competiveness of Ins. Co. A vs. Ins. Co. B
Employee Discount Benefits vs. none
Vehicle Safety equipment & rating
Vehicle anti-theft equipment (alarm, LoJack, GPS tracker, etc)
Misc. Insurance "fluff"
And I'm sure there's some other criteria I missed...
For instance you could compare my rates against another individual with similar stats in same area of NJ and they may have higher rates (or lower) than me or vise versa...
Best thing to do - SHOP AROUND, don't settle with first quote, ever. Compare agencies and the SAME criteria against others, pros vs. cons, etc... I'd bet you'll even find a cheaper rate than what you have been quoted already.
Tips:
1) The higher the deductibles you chose, it decreases your annual premiums. Think about it this way, how many claims have you had to make in the past? If the answer is none, raise your deductibles up a notch. If you're accident prone or just have shitty luck - disregard this one...
2) In some states, LoJack or GPS tracking equipment lowers your theft premium by a minimum of 10% and a maximum of 25%. I know for a fact in NJ the max allowable discount for LoJack is 25% due being an owner of it. That's a decent annual savings and it pays for the equipment over the course of ownership.
3) if you already have a towing service you pay for annually (such as Triple A), don't opt for it in your insurance - you're paying twice.
4) if you already can get Gap Insurance through your Ins. Co., don't get it through financing at your Dealer (and vise versa) - again don't pay twice.
5) if you can bundle your insurance policies (renters, homeowners, life + auto) you may qualify for bigger discount on auto.
6) rental car options or any other insurance "fluff" - if you are already covered by such on another type of plan - don't pay for it again.
Good luck!