It’s an obvious conclusion that car insurance companies don’t want their policyholders to compare prices. Insureds who compare other rates will presumably switch to a new company because there is a high probability of finding a lower-priced policy. A study showed that people who faithfully checked for cheaper rates saved an average of $3,500 over four years compared to people who never compared rates.
If finding the cheapest price for insurance in Portland is why you’re reading this, then having an understanding of the best way to compare car insurance can make the process less intimidating.
It takes a few minutes, but the best way to get the cheapest Nissan Sentra insurance is to do an annual price comparison from insurance carriers who sell insurance in Portland.
- Read and learn about how companies price auto insurance and the things you can change to keep rates low. Many rating criteria that result in higher rates such as careless driving and a bad credit rating can be rectified by making minor changes in your lifestyle. Later in this article we will cover the details to prevent expensive rate increases and find possible discounts that are available.
- Compare price quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive agents and direct companies can only give prices from one company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agencies can quote rates for many different companies.
- Compare the new rates to your existing coverage to see if switching to a new carrier will save money. If you can save some money and switch companies, make sure the effective date of the new policy is the same as the expiration date of the old one.
A tip to remember is to make sure you’re comparing the same deductibles and limits on every price quote and and to analyze as many companies as feasibly possible. This ensures a fair price comparison and a complete selection of prices.
Best companies for Nissan Sentra insurance
The companies in the list below are ready to provide price quotes in Portland, OR. In order to find cheap auto insurance in Oregon, we suggest you visit several of them to get the cheapest price.
Coverage information
The premium table below showcases estimates of coverage costs for Nissan Sentra models. Having knowledge of how policy premiums are calculated is important for making informed decisions when shopping around for a new policy.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentra 2 | $172 | $386 | $386 | $22 | $116 | $1,082 | $90 |
| Sentra 2.0 S | $172 | $454 | $386 | $22 | $116 | $1,150 | $96 |
| Sentra 2.0 SR | $172 | $454 | $386 | $22 | $116 | $1,150 | $96 |
| Sentra 2.0 SL | $196 | $454 | $386 | $22 | $116 | $1,174 | $98 |
| Sentra SE-R | $196 | $454 | $386 | $22 | $116 | $1,174 | $98 |
| Sentra SE-R SPEC V | $196 | $524 | $386 | $22 | $116 | $1,244 | $104 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Prices based on single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Oregon minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in specific zip code location which can influence insurance rates greatly.
Insurance rate increases from tickets or accidents
The example below demonstrates how speeding tickets and accident claims impact Nissan Sentra insurance prices for different age groups. The prices are based on a married male driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.
Car insurance premiums based on gender
The example below compares Nissan Sentra insurance prices for male and female drivers. The data is based on no violations or accidents, comp and collision included, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied.
Should you buy full coverage?
The example below shows the comparison of Nissan Sentra insurance premiums when comparing full coverage to liability only. The premium estimates are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $1,000 deductibles, single status, and no additional discounts are factored in.
When to switch to liability coverage only
There is no set rule of when to drop physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Nissan Sentra settlement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would receive is $7,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying more than $700 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
There are a few situations where dropping physical damage coverage is not financially feasible. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your emergency fund is not enough to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage on your policy.
Don’t overlook these nine Nissan Sentra insurance discounts
Companies don’t list every possible discount very clearly, so we took the time to find some of the more common and the harder-to-find discounts that you can inquire about if you buy Portland auto insurance online. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount you qualify for, you could be paying more than you need to.
- Discount for Home Ownership – Owning a house in Portland may earn you a small savings because of the fact that having a home requires personal responsibility.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Vehicles equipped with air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of 25 to 30%.
- First Accident Forgiveness – This one isn’t a discount, but some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without the usual rate increase as long as you don’t have any claims for a certain period of time.
- Senior Citizens – Mature drivers may receive a small decrease in premiums.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving can save up to 15% off the personal injury premium cost.
- Government Employee Discount – Active or retired federal employment could cut as much as 10% off but check with your company.
- Distant Student – College-age children who are attending college and do not take a car to college can receive lower rates.
- Defensive Driver – Taking time to complete a driver safety course is a good idea and can lower rates depending on where you live.
- Accident-Free Discounts – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less when compared with policyholders that have many claims.
As is typical with insurance, some credits don’t apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Just because it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, you won’t be that lucky.
The example below illustrates the comparison of Nissan Sentra yearly insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The information is based on a female driver, no claims, a clean driving record, Oregon 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 claim-free, multi-car, multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, and marriage discounts applied.
To choose companies that offer discounts in Oregon, click this link.
Car insurance quotes from local Portland insurance agents
Certain consumers would rather buy from a local agent and there is nothing wrong with that. A nice benefit of comparing rates online is the fact that you can find better rates but still work with a licensed agent.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, the quote information is instantly submitted to companies in Portland that provide free Portland auto insurance quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to leave your computer as quotes are delivered to your email. You can find better rates AND a local agent. If you want to compare prices from one company in particular, don’t hesitate to visit that company’s website and submit a quote form there.
Deciding on a insurer requires you to look at more than just the bottom line cost. The following questions are important to ask.
- What company holds the largest book of business for them?
- Does the company have a solid financial rating?
- Will your rates increase after a single accident?
- Do they have cheaper tiers of coverage?
- Will they take your side in the event of a claim?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
Multiple types of auto insurance agents in Portland
When searching for a local agent, you must know there are a couple types of agencies that you can select. Agents in Portland can be classified as either exclusive agents or independent agents.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents in the exclusive channel can only provide pricing for a single company like Allstate and State Farm. These agents are not able to compare rates from other companies so they really need to provide good service. Exclusive agents are very knowledgeable in insurance sales which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Portland that can give you price quote information.
Reggie Guyton – State Farm Insurance Agent
8180 N Lombard St – Portland, OR 97203 – (503) 289-3601 – View Map
Michael G Ferguson – State Farm Insurance Agent
736 NW 12th Ave #100 – Portland, OR 97209 – (503) 227-1393 – View Map
Kilong Ung – State Farm Insurance Agent
4000 SE 82nd Ave #1400 – Portland, OR 97266 – (503) 777-6762 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
These type of agents do not work for one specific company and that enables them to quote your coverage amongst many companies enabling the ability to shop coverage around. If your premiums go up, the agent simply finds a different carrier and that require little work on your part.
When comparing car insurance rates, it’s a good idea to include at least one independent agent to maximize your price options.
Shown below is a short list of independent agencies in Portland willing to provide rate quotes.
Stamm Stuart Bybee Insurance
16455 SE Division St – Portland, OR 97236 – (971) 254-1148 – View Map
Focus 1 Insurance
1500 NW 18th Ave #107 – Portland, OR 97209 – (503) 206-6588 – View Map
Ross and Associates Insurance Services, Inc.
9201 SE 91st Ave – Portland, OR 97086 – (503) 698-3833 – View Map
Once you have satisfactory answers to any questions you have as well as low cost Nissan Sentra insurance quotes, it’s possible that you found an insurance agency that is a good match to provide car insurance coverage. Just understand that you have the power to terminate your policy when you choose so never feel that you are permanently stuck with any particular company with no way to switch.
What is the best car insurance company in Oregon?
Ending up with the right car insurance company can be difficult considering how many different companies sell coverage in Oregon. The ranking information shown below could help you select which providers to look at when comparing rate quotes.
Top 10 Portland Car Insurance Companies Overall
- USAA
- American Family
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- AAA Insurance
- GEICO
- The General
- Titan Insurance
- Progressive
- Mercury Insurance
Auto insurance coverage information
Understanding the coverages of your auto insurance policy can be of help when determining the best coverages at the best deductibles and correct limits. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and reading a policy is terribly boring. Shown next are typical coverage types available from auto insurance companies.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision – This will pay to fix damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive insurance covers claims such as hail damage, fire damage and rock chips in glass. The maximum amount your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if your deductible is as high as the vehicle’s value it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.
Collision – Collision insurance pays for damage to your Sentra resulting from a collision with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You will need to pay your deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.
Collision coverage protects against claims such as driving through your garage door, backing into a parked car and colliding with another moving vehicle. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to bump up the deductible on your Sentra to save money on collision insurance.
UM/UIM Coverage – This gives you protection when other motorists either have no liability insurance or not enough. It can pay for injuries to you and your family and damage to your Nissan Sentra.
Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (which is 25/50/20), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.
Medical costs insurance – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance provide coverage for bills such as X-ray expenses, nursing services, dental work, chiropractic care and surgery. They are used in conjunction with a health insurance plan or if there is no health insurance coverage. Medical payments and PIP cover not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not an option in every state but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Liability – This protects you from damage or injury you incur to other people or property in an accident. It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You might see liability limits of 25/50/20 that translate to $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, $50,000 for the entire accident, and property damage coverage for $20,000.
Liability coverage pays for things like pain and suffering, medical services, legal defense fees and attorney fees. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase higher limits if possible. Oregon state law requires minimum liability limits of 25/50/20 but it’s recommended drivers buy more liability than the minimum.
The chart below shows why the minimum limit may not be enough coverage.
Don’t give up on cheaper coverage
Affordable Nissan Sentra insurance in Portland is possible online as well as from insurance agents, and you should compare rates from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some car insurance companies may not have rate quotes online and most of the time these small, regional companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
You just read a lot of information how to lower your Nissan Sentra insurance premium rates in Portland. The most important thing to understand is the more quotes you get, the higher the chance of saving money. You may even be surprised to find that the most savings is with a small local company. These companies may often insure only within specific states and give better rates than the large multi-state companies such as State Farm and Allstate.
To learn more, link through to the articles below:
- How Does Hitting a Deer Impact Insurance Rates? (Allstate)
- Who Has Cheap Portland Car Insurance for 4×4 Vehicles? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Portland Auto Insurance Rates for Electric Cars? (FAQ)
- Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)
- Understanding your Policy (NAIC.org)
- Distracted Driving Extends Beyond Texting (State Farm)