Car Insurance Rates for a Mazda 5 in Pittsburgh

A study showed that the vast majority of insurance customers have bought insurance from the same company for at least four years, and just under half have never even compared rates from other companies. With the average premium in Pennsylvania being $1,400, drivers could save approximately 55% every year by just shopping around, but they don’t believe the benefits if they just switched companies.

If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to save on auto insurance rates is to start comparing rates regularly from insurers in Pittsburgh. Drivers can shop around by following these guidelines.

1. Take a little time to learn about how auto insurance works and the changes you can make to prevent high rates. Many rating factors that are responsible for high rates like traffic citations and your credit history can be eliminated by being financially responsible and driving safely.
2. Get rate quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only quote rates from a single company like GEICO and Allstate, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from multiple sources.
3. Compare the new quotes to your current policy premium to see if a cheaper rate is available in Pittsburgh. If you can save some money and buy the policy, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
4. Provide notification to your current agent or company of your intention to cancel your current car insurance policy. Submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to your new agent or company. As soon as you can, store the certificate verifying proof of insurance in your vehicle.

One important bit of advice is to use the same liability limits and deductibles on each quote and and to get price estimates from as many companies as you can. This enables the most accurate price comparison and the best price selection.

Auto insurance analysis for a Mazda 5

The coverage table displayed below outlines different insurance coverage prices for Mazda 5 models. Having insight into how auto insurance policy rates are calculated is important for drivers to make smart choices when comparing insurance quotes.

Price data assumes single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, claim-free, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in specific Pittsburgh garaging location which can raise or lower insurance rates substantially.

Auto insurance deductibles

One of the more difficult decisions when buying auto insurance is at what level do you set your deductibles. The premium rates below illustrate the premium difference between high and low comp and collision deductibles. The first rate table uses a $250 physical damage coverage deductible and the second price chart uses a $500 deductible.

Table data represents married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Prices do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can influence insurance rates noticeably.

Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $250 deductible costs approximately $13 more each month or $156 every year than opting for the higher $500 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $250 more if you file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you tend to have more than 19 months between claims, you would probably save some money if you choose the higher deductible. The numbers below show an example of how this determination is made.

One thing to note is that raising deductibles to save money results in more money out-of-pocket when you have a physical damage claim. You must have a higher level of savings in the event you have to pay the deductible to have repairs made.

Full coverage or liability only

The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Mazda 5 auto insurance costs with and without full coverage. The data assumes no claims or violations, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no other discounts are factored in.

When to stop buying physical damage coverage

There is no specific rule for excluding physical damage coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is about 10% or more of replacement cost minus your deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Mazda 5 replacement value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most your company would pay you is $6,000 after paying your policy deductible. If premiums are more than $600 annually for full coverage, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

There are a few cases where removing full coverage is not in your best interest. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should maintain full coverage.

How You Can Control Mazda 5 Insurance Rates

Part of the auto insurance buying process is learning some of the elements that come into play when calculating the level of your policy premiums. When you understand what influences your rates, this allows you to make good choices that could help you find lower rates. Lots of things are part of the equation when premium rates are determined. A few of the factors are predictable like an MVR report, although some other factors are more transparent like your vehicle usage and annual miles driven.

The itemized list below are some of the most rate-impacting factors used by insurance companies to determine prices.

• Poor driving habits means higher costs – Being a careful driver can have a huge impact on auto insurance premiums. Only having one ticket can boost insurance rates by as much as thirty percent. Careful drivers get better prices compared to drivers with tickets. Drivers who have received dangerous tickets such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions might be required by their state to submit a SR-22 form with their state in order to keep their license.

  The example below shows how traffic citations and at-fault fender-benders increase Mazda 5 insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The costs are based on a single male driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

• Pay more for higher performance vehicles – The make and model of the car or truck you drive makes a huge difference in your rates. The cheapest insurance rates tend to be for smaller low performance passenger vehicles, but your final cost has many other factors.

  The following chart is based on a single female driver age 40, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. The data compares Mazda 5 rates compared to other vehicles that have a range of performances.

• Men drivers tend to cost more – Over time, data shows that females take fewer risks when driving. It does not mean males are worse at driving than females. Females and males are responsible for auto accidents in similar percentages, but the male of the species cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. Men also get ticketed for serious violations like reckless driving and DUI.

  The example below shows the difference between Mazda 5 auto insurance costs for male and female drivers. The prices are based on no claims or violations, comprehensive and collision coverage, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are single, and no other discounts are factored in.

• Extra policy coverages are wasting money – Insurance companies have many additional coverages you can purchase if you aren’t careful. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, towing coverage, and extra life insurance coverage are probably not needed. The coverages may be enticing at first, but if you’ve never needed them in the past consider taking them off your policy.
• Don’t skimp on liability protection – The liability coverage on your policy will afford coverage if you are ruled to be at fault for an accident. It will provide legal defense coverage to defend your case. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should carry high limits.
• High credit score translates to low costs – Credit rating can be a huge factor in determining what you pay for auto insurance. Therefore, if your credit is low, you could pay less to insure your Mazda 5 by repairing your credit. Consumers who have very high credit ratings tend to be less risk to insure than drivers with lower ratings.
• Long commutes cost more – The higher the mileage driven in a year’s time the more you’ll pay to insure your vehicle. A lot of companies charge to insure your cars based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Vehicles that do not get driven very much receive better premium rates than vehicles that have high annual mileage. It’s a smart idea to ensure your policy properly reflects the right rating data, because improper ratings can cost you money. Having an incorrect usage rating on your 5 is just wasting money.

• Loss probability for a Mazda 5 – Companies use claims history to help calculate premium rates. Vehicles that have higher number or severity of losses will have increased rates. The data below shows the historical insurance loss data for Mazda 5 vehicles.

  For each coverage category, the statistical loss for all vehicles as a whole is represented as 100. Percentages below 100 indicate a favorable loss history, while values that are above 100 indicate higher probability of having a loss or larger claims.

  
  

  Insurance Loss Ratings for Mazda 5 Vehicles

  Vehicle Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Mazda 5	86	86	73	103	95	91

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years

Best car insurance company in Pennsylvania

Buying coverage from a highly-rated insurer can be rather challenging considering how many companies are available to choose from in Pittsburgh. The company ratings in the next section can help you select which providers to look at purchasing a policy from.

Top 10 Pittsburgh Car Insurance Companies Overall

1. The General
2. Titan Insurance
3. The Hartford
4. Progressive
5. Travelers
6. State Farm
7. Farmers Insurance
8. Erie Insurance
9. Safeco Insurance
10. USAA

Top 10 Pittsburgh Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Claims Service

1. Progressive
2. USAA
3. Liberty Mutual
4. State Farm
5. GEICO
6. Titan Insurance
7. Nationwide
8. Allstate
9. The General
10. 21st Century

One last note

As you prepare to switch companies, don’t be tempted to buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced full coverage to discover at claim time that it was a big mistake. Your goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.

Lower-priced Mazda 5 insurance in Pittsburgh can be bought on the web and from local agencies, so you should compare both to have the best rate selection. Some companies may not provide online rate quotes and these regional insurance providers provide coverage only through independent insurance agents.

For more information, take a look at these articles:

• Speed and Speed Limit FAQ (iihs.org)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest with Multiple Speeding Tickets in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? (FAQ)
• How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for a Nissan Altima in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for 4×4 Vehicles in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Honda Civic in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for Handicapped Drivers in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Retired Military in Pittsburgh? (FAQ)
• Vehicle Insurance (Wikipedia)
• Collision Coverage (Liberty Mutual)