Remarkably, a study showed that the vast majority of consumers have stayed with the same insurance company for at least the last four years, and 38% of customers have never even compared quotes to find cheaper rates. Most drivers in Oregon could pocket up to $970 a year just by shopping around, but they just assume it’s a time-consuming process to find cheaper rates by getting comparison quotes.
The preferred way to find cheaper car insurance rates is to do a yearly price comparison from insurers who provide car insurance in Portland. Rates can be compared by completing these steps.
- Read and learn about auto insurance and the measures you can control to keep rates in check. Many policy risk factors that result in higher prices like speeding tickets, accidents and a negative credit score can be eliminated by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. Continue reading for information to prevent high prices and find more discounts that you may not know about.
- Compare rates from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like Progressive or State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote prices for many different companies. Select a company
- Compare the new quotes to your current policy to see if cheaper VUE coverage is available. If you find a better price, make sure there is no lapse between the expiration of your current policy and the new one.
- Provide proper notification to your current company to cancel the current policy. Submit a down payment along with a completed application for your new policy. Don’t forget to keep the new certificate of insurance in your vehicle.
One key aspect when comparing rates is to compare identical deductibles and limits on every quote request and and to analyze as many different companies as possible. This enables a fair price comparison and maximum price selection.
If you have a current car insurance policy, you should be able to reduce the price you pay using these methods. The goal of this article is to introduce you to the best ways to compare prices. Nevertheless, Oregon vehicle owners can benefit by having an understanding of how big insurance companies determine prices because it can help you find the best coverage.
Best companies for Saturn VUE insurance
The companies shown below are ready to provide free rate quotes in Portland, OR. If you wish to find the best cheap car insurance in Oregon, we suggest you get rates from several of them to get the best price comparison.
Saturn VUE detailed coverage information
The coverage information below covers different rate quotes for Saturn VUE models. Learning a little about how rate quotes are formulated can be useful when making decisions when shopping your coverage around.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vue XE 2WD | $192 | $312 | $416 | $24 | $124 | $1,068 | $89 |
Vue XR 2WD | $192 | $380 | $416 | $24 | $124 | $1,136 | $95 |
Vue XR-L 2WD | $218 | $380 | $416 | $24 | $124 | $1,162 | $97 |
Vue XR AWD | $218 | $380 | $416 | $24 | $124 | $1,162 | $97 |
Vue XR-L AWD | $218 | $446 | $416 | $24 | $124 | $1,228 | $102 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Premium data assumes single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Oregon minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in Portland location which can affect premium rates significantly.
Car insurance deductibles
One of the hardest decisions when shopping for car insurance is how high or low should comp and collision deductibles be. The tables below determine the differences in premium rates between low and high comp and collision deductibles. The first rate comparisons uses a $250 physical damage deductible and the second rate table uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vue XE 2WD | $246 | $342 | $320 | $18 | $96 | $1,047 | $87 |
Vue XR 2WD | $246 | $416 | $320 | $18 | $96 | $1,121 | $93 |
Vue XR-L 2WD | $278 | $416 | $320 | $18 | $96 | $1,153 | $96 |
Vue XR AWD | $278 | $416 | $320 | $18 | $96 | $1,153 | $96 |
Vue XR-L AWD | $278 | $490 | $320 | $18 | $96 | $1,227 | $102 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Vue XE 2WD | $152 | $216 | $320 | $18 | $96 | $802 | $67 |
Vue XR 2WD | $152 | $262 | $320 | $18 | $96 | $848 | $71 |
Vue XR-L 2WD | $172 | $262 | $320 | $18 | $96 | $868 | $72 |
Vue XR AWD | $172 | $262 | $320 | $18 | $96 | $868 | $72 |
Vue XR-L AWD | $172 | $308 | $320 | $18 | $96 | $914 | $76 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Oregon minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Rates do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can revise price quotes noticeably.
Using the premium rates above, we can conclude that using a $250 deductible costs roughly $23 more each month or $276 every year than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $750 more out-of-pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you normally go at least 33 months between claim filings, you would save more money if you elect the higher deductible.
How to calculate deductible break even period
Average monthly premium for $250 deductibles: | $95 |
Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $72 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $23 |
Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $250): | $750 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $750 / $23 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 33 months |
One important caveat is that raising deductibles to save money results in having to pay to pay more out-of-pocket if you have a claim. You need some available funds in the event you need to pay the deductible for vehicle repair.
The illustration below demonstrates how deductibles and can influence Saturn VUE yearly insurance costs for each age group. The data assumes a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are applied.
Difference between full coverage and liability only rates
The diagram below shows the comparison of Saturn VUE annual premium costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The prices are based on no accidents, no driving violations, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.
When to stop buying physical damage coverage
There is no definitive guideline of when to eliminate physical damage insurance, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Saturn VUE replacement cost is $4,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most you would receive is $3,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If premiums are more than $300 a year for full coverage, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
There are some scenarios where buying only liability insurance is not a good plan. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you are required to maintain full coverage as part of the loan requirements. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage.
How do Car Insurance Companies Determine Saturn VUE Insurance Premiums?
Lots of factors are considered when you get a price on insurance. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving record, although others are more obscure such as your credit history or your financial responsibility. One of the most helpful ways to save on car insurance is to to have a grasp of some of the elements that come into play when calculating your policy premiums. When consumers understand what determines premiums, this enables you to make decisions that may reward you with big savings.
The factors shown below are a few of the “ingredients” utilized by car insurance companies to help set premiums.
- Pay more of a claim out-of-pocket – Comp and collision deductibles are the amount of money you are willing to pay in the event of a claim. Protection for physical damage, also known as collision and other-than-collision, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some instances where coverage would apply could be collision with another vehicle, fire damage, and damage from wind. The larger the amount the insured is willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.
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High performance equals high rates – The performance of the vehicle you need insurance for makes a big difference in the rate you pay. Lower cost passenger cars generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
The data below assumes a single female driver age 20, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations. It compares Saturn VUE policy rates compared to other models that have different risk factors.
- Combine policies and save – Most larger car insurance companies will award a discount to buyers who have multiple policies with them. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Discounts can amount to ten percent or more. Even though this discount sounds good, drivers will still want to comparison shop to help ensure you have the lowest rates. Consumers may find a better deal by buying from different companies
- Remove unneeded extra coverages – There are many optional add-on coverages that you can get tricked into buying if you aren’t careful. Insurance for vanishing deductibles, accident forgiveness, and term life insurance could be just wasting money. These may sound like a good investment initially, but your needs may have changed so think about removing them and cutting costs.
- Premiums are affected by your credit rating – Having a good credit history is a big factor in determining premium rates. So if your credit history is low, you could pay less to insure your Saturn VUE by improving your rating. Drivers who have very good credit scores tend to be more responsible than drivers who have lower ratings.
- Vehicle options that lower car insurance rates – Driving a car with advanced anti-theft systems can help lower your premiums. Systems that thwart thieves like OnStar, LoJack tracking, and tamper alarms help track and prevent auto theft.
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Tickets cost more than a fine – Having a clean driving record impacts premiums far more than you think. Careful drivers tend to pay less for car insurance compared to drivers with tickets. Even a single ticket can increase the cost of insurance by as much as thirty percent. Drivers unfortunate enough to have careless violations such as DUI or willful reckless driving may find they need to submit a SR-22 or proof of financial responsibility with their state’s department of motor vehicles in order to legally drive.
The illustration below illustrates how traffic citations and fender-benders influence Saturn VUE insurance prices for each different age category. The information is based on a single male driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
- Commute or pleasure use – The higher the mileage driven in a year the more it will cost to insure it. Almost all companies charge rates based upon how much you drive. Cars that are left in the garage receive lower rates compared to those used for work or business. A policy that improperly rates your VUE can cost quite a bit. Verify your declarations sheet correctly shows the right rating data.
Save with these discounts
Car insurance can cost a lot, but you might already qualify for some discounts that can help lower your rates. A few discounts will be applied at the time you complete a quote, but less common discounts must be manually applied before being credited.
- Telematics Data – Drivers who elect to allow their company to look at their driving habits by using a telematics device such as Progressive’s Snapshot might see lower rates if they show good driving skills.
- Multi-Vehicle Discounts – Having more than one vehicle on one policy may reduce the rate for each vehicle.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Insurance carriers who offer life insurance give a break if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
- No Accidents – Good drivers with no accidents are rewarded with significantly better rates on Portland auto insurance quote as opposed to policyholders that have many claims.
- Multi-policy Discount – If you insure your home and vehicles with one insurance company you could earn a discount of at least 10% off all policies.
- Anti-lock Brake Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with ABS braking systems or traction control prevent accidents so companies give up to a 10% discount.
- Discounts for Responsible Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can save as much as half off their rates than drivers with accident claims.
- Own a Home – Simply owning a home may trigger a policy discount on car insurance since owning and maintaining a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.
- Theft Prevention Discount – Cars equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems prevent vehicle theft and can earn a small discount on your policy.
- Driver Education Discount – Make teen driver coverage more affordable by requiring them to successfully take a driver’s education course if it’s offered in school.
While discounts sound great, it’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the entire cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, nobody gets a free ride. Any qualifying discounts will help lower the cost of your policy.
The information below illustrates the comparison of Saturn VUE insurance premiums with and without discounts applied. The rates are based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, Oregon state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, claim-free, marriage, multi-policy, homeowner, and multi-car discounts applied.
Larger car insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are shown below.
- GEICO includes discounts for anti-lock brakes, driver training, multi-policy, seat belt use, military active duty, defensive driver, and air bags.
- Travelers may include discounts for continuous insurance, multi-policy, save driver, student away at school, and IntelliDrive.
- Nationwide discounts include business or organization, accident-free, multi-policy, family plan, Farm Bureau membership, defensive driving, and good student.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts including switch companies, teen driver, bundle discounts, electronic funds transfer, and business and professional.
- Esurance has discounts for DriveSense, online shopper, homeowner, claim free, multi-car, and multi-policy.
- State Farm offers premium reductions for good driver, multiple policy, Steer Clear safe driver discount, accident-free, and multiple autos.
- Progressive policyholders can earn discounts including good student, multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, online quote discount, online signing, and continuous coverage.
- Mercury Insurance has savings for multi-car, ease of repair, good driver, location of vehicle, accident-free, good student, and anti-theft.
Check with each company or agent the best way to save money. All car insurance discounts may not be available in Portland. For a list of car insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in Oregon, click here.
Local Portland insurance agencies
Many people just want to get advice from a local agent and that is a smart decision A nice benefit of comparing insurance prices online is that you can find lower premium rates and still buy from a local agent.
For easy comparison, once you complete this short form, your insurance coverage information is sent to insurance agents in Portland who can give free rate quotes for your car insurance coverage. There is no need to contact an agency as quotes are delivered instantly to you. You can find the lowest rates without a big time investment. If for some reason you want to get a rate quote from a specific company, you just need to visit that company’s website and give them your coverage information.
Finding the right insurer shouldn’t rely on just a cheap quote. The questions below may impact your decision as well.
- Will one accident increase rates?
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- If your car is totaled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Can glass claims be handled at your home?
- How long have they been in business?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Which companies do they recommend if they are an independent agency?
When finding a reputable insurance agent or broker, it’s helpful to know the different types of agencies and how they can write your policy. Insurance agencies in Portland can either be independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Exclusive Car Insurance Agents
Exclusive agencies generally can only insure with one company such as State Farm, Allstate, and Farm Bureau. They usually cannot place coverage with different providers so they really need to provide good service. They are well schooled on their products and sales techniques and that can be a competitive advantage. Many people choose to use a exclusive agent partially due to the brand and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Shown below are exclusive agents in Portland who can help you get price quotes.
- John Freeman – State Farm Insurance Agent
8519 SE Woodstock Blvd – Portland, OR 97266 – (503) 228-1311 – View Map - Larry Rodman – State Farm Insurance Agent
7850 SW Barbur Blvd – Portland, OR 97219 – (503) 246-7753 – View Map - Vu Han – State Farm Insurance Agent
322 NE 82nd Ave – Portland, OR 97220 – (503) 252-1114 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Agents that elect to be independent are normally appointed by many insurers and that is an advantage because they can write policies with a variety of different insurance companies and find you the best rates. If you want to switch companies, an independent agent can move your coverage which makes it simple for you. When comparing car insurance rates, we recommend you check rates from at least one independent agent to have the best price comparison. Most can insure with less well-known companies that many times have cheaper rates.
Listed below are independent agents in Portland that are able to give price quotes.
- Fox Insurance Agency
1819 SW 5th Ave – Portland, OR 97201 – (503) 277-2300 – View Map - Fournier Group
510 SW 5th Ave #701 – Portland, OR 97204 – (503) 251-2255 – View Map - Metro One Insurance Agency
3423 S Telegraph Rd, Dearborn, MI 48124 – Dearborn, OR 48124 – (313) 456-9455 – View Map
After receiving reasonable responses to these questions as well as cheap VUE insurance quotes, you may have found a car insurance agent that will adequately provide car insurance.
How to find a good Oregon car insurance company
Finding a highly-rated insurance company can be challenging considering how many companies are available to choose from in Oregon. The rank data shown below could help you pick which insurers you want to consider when shopping your coverage around.
Top 10 Portland Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- Titan Insurance – 95%
- USAA – 94%
- AAA Insurance – 91%
- Nationwide – 90%
- State Farm – 90%
- The Hartford – 89%
- GEICO – 89%
- 21st Century – 88%
- Liberty Mutual – 88%
- Allstate – 88%
Do the work, save more money
People change insurance companies for many reasons like policy non-renewal, denial of a claim, delays in paying claims or even policy cancellation. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch finding a new company is not as difficult as it may seem.
When trying to cut insurance costs, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, an insured cut liability coverage limits only to regret that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your focus should be to purchase plenty of coverage at an affordable rate.
You just read quite a bit of information on how to lower your Saturn VUE insurance rates in Portland. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the higher the chance of saving money. Drivers may even discover the best price on auto insurance is with a small local company.
For more information, take a look at the articles below:
- Collision Insurance Coverage (Nationwide)
- Who Has the Cheapest Portland Auto Insurance for a Jeep Grand Cherokee? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Chevrolet Silverado in Portland? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Active Military in Portland? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Toyota RAV4 in Portland? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Portland Auto Insurance for a Toyota Corolla? (FAQ)
- Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
- When is the Right Time to Switch Car Insurance Companies? (Allstate)
- Insurance losses by make and model (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)