Relying on the cheapest auto insurance quote you can find is not necessarily the wisest thing to do, if it deprives you of certain privileges. However, when there are so many ways of lowering your auto insurance rate, it would be foolish not to go for them.
When you get an auto insurance quote online (or traditionally, through an agent, for that matter), among the first things you will have to deal with is what car you are looking to insure. Generally, sports cars tend to generate higher rate. Next, you will have to deal with basic info about the vehicle: the year, the model, and the mileage of course. The driving history you have had also weighs a lot. Those with several offenses behind will most likely pay more, simply because they are extremely prone to behaving recklessly with their car, implicitly with the insurer's money. However, if your record is almost clean, you will have the advantage of paying much less than most of car owners with a high-risk record.
In addition, before looking for an auto insurance quote, make sure you have anti-theft devices installed (actually, it would be a good idea to have them anyway; most vehicles fabricated in recent years have them by default). These devices make your car more attractive for the insurer, due to its low likeliness of being vulnerable to thieves, needless to mention that you can be at peace with yourself, instead of always worrying about the damage that can happen to the vehicle.
Many auto insurance companies offer substantial discounts for insuring two vehicles at once. If you have two cars, it is essential that you check with your insurance company and see if it is possible to arrange for a double policy. In special cases, it may cost just as much as insuring a single one. This is not the case each time, but anyway, discounts are almost a certainty. This is less prominent, but some people actually had unpleasant surprises - they called their agent to announce they are giving up the insurance for one vehicle, only to find out that they will have to pay more. Well, as amazing as it may seem, it is nonetheless true.
Another efficient tip is to try to stick to yearly auto insurance policies. This can increase your savings a lot. Moreover, you have financial security and it is easier to manage your bills, considering that you will be paying a rate that can only change once a year, instead of every six months.
In addition, when getting an auto insurance quote, make sure you know your mileage with extreme accuracy. If you are not sure about it when they ask you to decide to round up the number, you may end up paying more than you need to. The number of miles you have on your car places you into a certain category, and insurance firms charge depending exactly on these categories. Therefore, even a small number can make a difference.
Finally, you can check if the company offers discounts for affiliation with specific organizations. This is mostly the case, and all you have to do is ask for a list. You can even get a discount for owning a certain type of car, and your auto insurance rate will be more reasonable.