How to make sure you get the best car insurance rate

You must have car insurance if you drive a car. Car insurance not only helps pay for damages, but for liability for injury to yourself and others. Since you must carry it, you should know how to make sure that you are getting the best rates possible. Rather than go with the cheapest policy, you should look on how to get discounts on the policies you want.
Do not make your job sound exciting or risky. This sounds very odd, but insurance professionals have a list of high-risk and low-risk careers. This is drawn from data of people involved in auto accidents and what their occupations are. Engineers are less likely to get in a wreck than a promotions specialist and insurance companies will charge more for the high-risk careers.
It is up to you to keep a clean driver’s record. You should check your record once a year, to make sure that it is accurate and up to date. If you find something that should have been removed, then make sure that you contact the proper authorities. This can save you a great deal of money.
If you really want to save money, you should also look at the type of car you drive. People that drive sports cars are far more prone to get in an accident than those that drive a standard sedan or station wagon. You will want to get a list of all the safety features that your car has as well. Make sure that they are all accounted for on the discount list when you are getting insurance quotes online or with an agent. If they are not, ask why they are not. Agents will usually yield to people that are pointing out decreased liability to lower their costs.
Assuming more risk is another way to keep costs low. When you take a higher deductable, the insurance company pays less if you total your car. Insurance companies promote the driver to take more of the responsibility on, by lowering the premium for people with higher deductibles. If you do take this option, you will want to make sure that you have the money, just in case you do need it. Many people will take the saving in premiums and put it into savings so that they can afford the deductable if anything happens.
If you have more than one car, you may also qualify for a multi car discount. Couples often make the mistake of having separate car insurance. They do not realize that if they combined the cars onto one policy, they could save money. The insurance company rewards people for the extra business and considers it unlikely that both cars would be wrecked. Not all providers offer multi-car discounts, some providers require that both cars be under a single name.
These few things can help you reduce your car insurance bill. There are many more, such as group affiliations (AAA), or senior citizen’s discounts. Do your homework and compare different policies and rates. Never be afraid to negotiate. If you find lower rates from one provider, share that information with another. They may lower their rates to keep your business.

2012 Hyundai Accent Abandons Cheapest Car Title: 2011 New York Auto Show Published Apr 20, 2011

 

Just the Facts:

• The 2012 Hyundai Accent debuted Wednesday at the 2011 New York Auto Show, with the Korean automaker ditching the entry-level three-door model priced at $10,000 and admitting it is no longer on a quest to offer the cheapest car in America.
• The base 2012 Hyundai Accent GLS now starts at $13,205, including shipping. The entire 2012 Accent lineup hits the magic 40 mpg on the highway mark.
• There is a pricier new five-door Accent SE that tops the range and starts at $17,555, when you add the optional $1,000 six-speed automatic transmission and a $760 destination charge.

NEW YORK — The 2012 Hyundai Accent debuted Wednesday at the 2011 New York Auto Show, with the Korean automaker ditching the entry-level three-door model priced at just over $10,000 and admitting it is no longer on a quest to offer the cheapest car in America. The redesigned 2012 Accent goes on sale this summer in the U.S.
"We're walking away from the lowest-priced-car-in-America game," one Hyundai executive who did not want to be identified, told Inside Line. "We got initial buzz out of that, then you guys would test it and advise consumers to buy a used Ford Focus."
For the time being, the cheapest-car title shifts to the 2011 Nissan Versa sedan, which starts at $10,750, including a $760 shipping charge.
The least expensive 2012 Accent is the GLS model with the new 1.6-liter GDI four-cylinder engine linked to a six-speed manual transmission. It starts at $13,205, including a $760 shipping charge. Like the 2011 Hyundai Accent three-door GL, which started at $10,735, including a $750 shipping charge, it comes without a radio or air-conditioning.
Despite the new packaging and pricing strategy, the 2012 Accent still undercuts several competitors, including the 2011 Ford Fiesta and the 2011 Toyota Yaris. The 2011 Ford Fiesta S starts at $13,995, including a $675 shipping charge. The 2011 Toyota Yaris three-door hatchback starts at $13,715, including a $760 shipping charge.
In comparison, the 2011 Chevrolet Aveo LS has a base price of $12,875, including a $760 shipping charge, while the 2011 Kia Rio sedan starts at $12,990, including a $695 shipping charge.
"In the 2011 model year, 16 percent of total Accent sales were the (cheapest) version," said Brandon Ramirez, Hyundai Motor America product planner for the Accent, in a phone conversation with Inside Line prior to the 2011 New York Auto Show. "There are people who want a vehicle with a low price."
When asked why Hyundai would walk away seemingly without a fight from the cheapest-car title — and the psychologically important $10,000 mark — Ramirez said he didn't believe the calculated move would hurt Accent sales or its image. "We announced the pricing to our dealers and they were very enthusiastic," he said.
Ramirez said the Accent three-door hatchback got dumped after getting "hammered" in the J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Survey for a rear seat that was difficult to get in and out of.
The overall pricing strategy for the 2012 Accent definitely moves the subcompact car upscale. Case in point is the pricey new five-door Accent SE that starts at $17,555, when you add the optional $1,000 six-speed automatic transmission and a $760 shipping charge. The sporty Accent SE is the top-of-the-range model and comes with sport-tuned steering, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, 16-inch alloy wheels, foglights, a rear spoiler and other goodies.
The 2012 Accent comes in three trim levels: GLS, GS and SE. The base GS five-door starts at $15,355, including shipping.
The redesigned 2012 Accent gets a new 1.6-liter four-cylinder GDI engine rated at 138 horsepower and linked to a standard six-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed automatic transmission.
Hyundai said the entire 2012 Accent lineup will return 30 mpg in city driving and 40 mpg on the highway. Official EPA numbers on the Accent have not been posted on the EPA Web site at this point. The 2011 Hyundai Accent with the old 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission returns 27 mpg in city driving and 36 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA.
The redesigned Accent was first revealed last year at the 2010 Beijing Auto Show as the Hyundai Verna. The two models have different front ends, with the U.S. version getting the automaker's hexagonal front grille and swept-back headlights.
The new Accent rides on a 101.2-inch wheelbase, nearly 3 inches longer than the outgoing model. Aerodynamic design tweaks include a kicked-up trunk edge, wheel arches that shield the tires and a smoother lower body. Five-door SE models get a roof-mounted spoiler and vertical taillights. Bigger 16-inch alloy wheels are optional on GLS and standard on SE.
Another major change on the 2012 Accent is electric power steering. The previous model had a hydraulic unit.
Six-speed automatic transmission models of the 2012 Accent get the ActiveEco feature which modifies the engine and transmission control to smooth out throttle response and improve fuel economy. Consumers have the option to turn off that feature.
Inside Line says: With the Hyundai Accent moving upmarket, the door is wide open for the Chinese to step into the U.S. with a $10,000 or under car.