It takes a little time, but the best way to get budget auto insurance rates is to regularly compare prices from companies who sell auto insurance in New Orleans.
- Gain an understanding of how auto insurance works and the modifications you can make to drop your rates. Many policy risk factors that result in higher prices such as at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and a poor credit score can be eliminated by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes. Later in this article we will cover more details to keep prices down and earn a bigger discount.
- Compare price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only provide price estimates from one company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agents can quote rates from multiple sources.
- Compare the new rates to the premium of your current policy and determine if there is any savings. If you find a lower rate quote and make a switch, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Tell your current company to cancel the current policy. Submit the application along with any required down payment to the new insurer. Once the paperwork is finalized, keep the new proof of insurance paperwork in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
A valuable tip to remember is to try to use similar coverage information on each quote and and to look at as many companies as possible. Doing this provides an accurate price comparison and the best price quote selection.
It’s an obvious assumption that auto insurance companies don’t want their customers to go rate shopping. Insureds who compare rates at least once a year are likely to switch companies because there is a significant possibility of finding good coverage at a lower price. A recent car insurance study discovered that drivers who routinely shopped for cheaper coverage saved on average $850 each year compared to policyholders who never shopped around for lower prices.
If finding the best price on Volkswagen Jetta insurance in New Orleans is your ultimate objective, then learning a little about how to find and compare coverage rates can save time and money.
The purpose of this article is to let you in on how car insurance companies work and some tips to save money. If you are already insured, you should be able to reduce premiums using these tips. Drivers just need to learn the quickest method to compare insurance rates online.
Learn How to Lower Your Insurance Premiums
Lots of things are considered when premium rates are determined. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving history, but others are not as apparent like your continuous coverage or your financial responsibility.
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Premiums also based on gender – Statistics have proven that females take fewer risks when driving. However, don’t assume that women are BETTER drivers than men. Females and males are responsible for auto accidents in similar percentages, but the men have costlier accidents. In addition to higher claims, males also get cited for more serious violations like DUI and reckless driving.
The chart below illustrates the comparison of Volkswagen Jetta car insurance rates for male and female drivers. The premiums assume no claims or driving violations, full coverage, $100 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are factored in.
- Lower premiums with alarm systems – Driving a car that has a built-in theft deterrent system can earn a premium discount. Systems that thwart thieves like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar all help stop auto theft.
- Premiums and vocation – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for car insurance? Jobs like doctors, air traffic controllers, and stock brokers usually pay the highest rates in part from intense work situations and extremely grueling work hours. On the other hand, careers such as actors, historians and retirees have lower than average premiums.
- Never let your car insurance expire – Going without insurance is a fast way to increase your rates. And not only will your rates increase, getting caught without coverage may result in a steep fine or even jail time. You may then have to provide proof of insurance in the form of an SR-22 filing with the Louisiana DMV.
- Vehicles with better crash test results save money – Cars with high safety ratings are cheaper to insure. These vehicles help reduce the chance of injuries in an accident and any reduction in injury severity translates into fewer and smaller insurance claims and lower rates for you. If your Volkswagen is rated at a minimum four stars on Safercar.gov you may qualify for a discount.
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Teen vs. mature drivers – Teenage drivers in Louisiana tend to be less responsible with other occupants in the car so they pay higher car insurance rates. Older, more experienced drivers tend to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims, and get fewer tickets.
The chart below assumes a single driver, full coverage with $100 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
- Safeguard your assets with liability insurance – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance provides coverage when you are ruled to be at fault for personal injury or accident damage. Your policy’s liability insurance provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap when compared to the cost of physical damage coverage, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
- Increase deductibles and save – Deductibles for physical damage define how much you are required to pay if the claim is covered. Protection for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some examples of claims that would be covered would be a windshield broken by a bird, damage from fire, and damage caused by road hazards. The more of the claim you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the less your company will charge you for insurance.
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Volkswagen Jetta statistical loss data – Insurance companies study historical loss data to calculate a rate that offsets possible losses. Vehicles that statistically have high amounts or severity of claims will cost more for coverage. The table below demonstrates the compiled insurance loss statistics for Volkswagen Jetta vehicles.
For each type of coverage, the claim probability for all vehicles, regardless of manufacturer or model, is considered to be 100. Values that are 100 or less suggest a positive loss record, while values that are above 100 point to more losses or a tendency for losses to be larger than average.
Volkswagen Jetta Insurance Claim Statistics Specific Volkswagen Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Volkswagen Jetta 110 118 93 113 123 127 Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid 128 121 114 104 BETTERAVERAGEWORSEEmpty fields indicate not enough data collected
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Detailed insurance information
The coverage table displayed next covers a range of insurance costs for Volkswagen Jetta models. Having a good understanding how insurance quotes are established is important for drivers to make smart choices when selecting a coverage provider.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $250 | $478 | $524 | $32 | $158 | $1,442 | $120 |
| Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $250 | $478 | $446 | $26 | $134 | $1,334 | $111 |
| Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $250 | $478 | $524 | $32 | $158 | $1,442 | $120 |
| Jetta SE 4-Dr Sedan | $284 | $564 | $524 | $32 | $158 | $1,562 | $130 |
| Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $284 | $564 | $446 | $26 | $134 | $1,454 | $121 |
| Jetta 2.0T 4-Dr Sedan | $284 | $564 | $524 | $32 | $158 | $1,562 | $130 |
| Jetta SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $284 | $564 | $524 | $32 | $158 | $1,562 | $130 |
| Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $284 | $564 | $446 | $26 | $134 | $1,454 | $121 |
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Data based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Louisiana minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Rate quotes do not factor in your specific New Orleans location which can modify insurance rates considerably.
The example below highlights how deductible selection and can increase or decrease Volkswagen Jetta insurance rates for different insured age categories. The rate quotes are based on a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.
Rate difference between full and liability-only coverage
The chart below illustrates the comparison of Volkswagen Jetta premium costs with and without full coverage. The rate quotes are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, single status, and no policy discounts are applied.
When to switch to liability coverage only
There is no definitive guideline for dropping physical damage insurance, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is about 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
For example, let’s assume your Volkswagen Jetta book value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company would pay you is $6,000 after you pay the deductible. If it’s costing in excess of $600 a year to have full coverage, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
There are some cases where dropping physical damage coverage is not a good plan. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to carry full coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not drop full coverage.
Get cheaper Volkswagen Jetta insurance in New Orleans with discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always advertise every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the list below details both the well known in addition to some of the lesser obvious discounts you could be receiving when you buy New Orleans car insurance online. If you do not double check each discount you deserve, you could be getting lower rates.
- Employee of Federal Government – Having worked for a branch of the government could qualify for a slight premium decrease with certain companies.
- Service Members Pay Less – Being on active deployment in the military could trigger a small discount.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Forcing all vehicle occupants to wear their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Discount for Swiching Early – Select larger companies give a discount for switching companies prior to the expiration date on your current Jetta insurance policy. This can save 10% or more.
- Air Bag Discount – Cars that have air bags or automatic seat belts may qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
- Telematics Discount – Drivers that enable their insurance company to look at vehicle usage by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as In-Drive from State Farm or Allstate’s Drivewise system may get a rate reduction if they show good driving skills.
- Home Ownership Discount – Owning a house in New Orleans can earn you a little savings because it is proof of financial responsibility.
- Resident Student – College-age children who live away from home to go to college and do not take a car to college can receive lower rates.
You should keep in mind that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most cut specific coverage prices like physical damage coverage or medical payments. Despite the appearance that having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, you won’t be that lucky.
The example below illustrates the difference between Volkswagen Jetta yearly insurance costs with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The costs are based on a female driver, a clean driving record, no claims, Louisiana state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, multi-car, multi-policy, safe-driver, claim-free, and homeowner discounts applied.
A few of the larger companies and a selection of discounts can be found below.
- State Farm offers discounts for multiple policy, multiple autos, driver’s education, defensive driving training, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and accident-free.
- American Family may have discounts that include defensive driver, accident-free, good driver, bundled insurance, and good student.
- AAA policyholders can earn discounts including pay-in-full, good driver, anti-theft, education and occupation, AAA membership discount, and good student.
- GEICO has discounts for membership and employees, air bags, federal employee, anti-theft, and defensive driver.
- Mercury Insurance offers premium reductions for anti-theft, good driver, annual mileage, accident-free, and multi-car.
- Farmers Insurance may offer discounts for distant student, bundle discounts, mature driver, youthful driver, and electronic funds transfer.
- Progressive offers discounts including multi-policy, online quote discount, continuous coverage, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and good student.
Before buying, ask every prospective company which discounts you may be entitled to. Discounts may not apply to policies in New Orleans. For a list of companies that provide some of the discounts listed above in Louisiana, click here.
Louisiana auto insurance companies
Choosing the top auto insurance company can be challenging considering how many companies are available to choose from in New Orleans. The company rank data below can help you select which companies you want to consider when comparing rates.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers | 93 | 98 | 99 | 88% | A++ | 95.1 |
| USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
| Mercury Insurance | 97 | 96 | 88 | 89% | A+ | 93.4 |
| AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
| Nationwide | 85 | 95 | 97 | 89% | A+ | 92.4 |
| Allstate | 77 | 100 | 97 | 88% | A+ | 90.7 |
| State Farm | 80 | 94 | 96 | 88% | A++ | 90.6 |
| The Hartford | 88 | 93 | 91 | 87% | A+ | 90.4 |
| Safeco Insurance | 91 | 95 | 85 | 88% | A | 90.2 |
| Progressive | 88 | 94 | 83 | 88% | A+ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 91 | 86 | 95 | 83% | A | 89.7 |
| Esurance | 86 | 90 | 94 | 90% | A+ | 89.5 |
| The General | 86 | 93 | 89 | 84% | A- | 88.2 |
| GEICO | 79 | 89 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 87.8 |
| Titan Insurance | 86 | 82 | 92 | 86% | A+ | 86.5 |
| 21st Century | 86 | 82 | 90 | 84% | A | 86.4 |
| Liberty Mutual | 79 | 87 | 95 | 78% | A | 85.3 |
| Farmers Insurance | 77 | 80 | 80 | 84% | A | 80.3 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
The lowest rates come from being thorough
Budget-friendly insurance in New Orleans can be purchased on the web and from local agencies, so you should compare both to have the best selection. Some companies may not have online price quotes and usually these regional insurance providers prefer to sell through independent insurance agencies.
Consumers change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including an unsatisfactory settlement offer, policy cancellation, not issuing a premium refund and policy non-renewal. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right insurance provider is pretty easy and you might even save some money in the process.
In this article, we covered some good ideas how you can find affordable Volkswagen Jetta insurance in New Orleans. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even find the most savings is with an unexpected company.
Other articles
- Hybrid vehicles cost insurers more (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Lyft Drivers in New Orleans? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap New Orleans Car Insurance Rates for Electric Cars? (FAQ)
- Tools for Teen Driving Safety (State Farm)
- What Does No-Fault Insurance Cover? (Allstate)