It goes without saying that car insurance companies don’t want you to compare rates. People who get price comparisons are inclined to buy a new policy because they have a good chance of finding coverage at a more affordable price. A recent survey discovered that consumers who routinely shopped for cheaper coverage saved over $72 a month as compared to drivers who didn’t regularly shop around.
If finding the cheapest price for Kia Optima insurance is the reason you’re here, then understanding how to get rate quotes and compare insurance can help make the process easier and more efficient.
Really, the only way to find affordable quotes for Kia Optima insurance in Raleigh is to compare quotes annually from companies who can sell car insurance in North Carolina.
Step 1: Take a little time to learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the things you can change to prevent expensive coverage. Many rating criteria that are responsible for high rates such as inattentive driving and a not-so-good credit history can be controlled by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. This article provides information to help find cheaper rates and get additional discounts that may be available.
Step 2: Obtain price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can give quotes from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agencies can give you price quotes from multiple insurance companies. View companies
Step 3: Compare the price quotes to the price on your current policy and see if you can save money. If you can save money, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
An important note is to use the same liability limits and deductibles on every quote and and to get rate quotes from as many different companies as possible. This enables the most accurate price comparison and a better comparison of the market.
The quickest method we recommend to compare car insurance company rates for Kia Optima insurance in Raleigh is to realize all the major auto insurance companies participate in a system to compare their rates. To get started, all you need to do is give the companies some data including how much you drive, how much education you have, the make and model of your vehicles, and how your vehicles are used. Your rating data is submitted instantly to multiple insurance providers and they return rate quotes instantly.
To compare cheaper Kia Optima insurance rates now, click here and see if a lower rate is available in Raleigh.
The companies shown below can provide quotes in Raleigh, NC. If your goal is to find cheaper auto insurance in Raleigh, NC, we suggest you visit several of them to get the best price comparison.
Insurance is an important decision
Despite the fact that insurance is not cheap in Raleigh, paying for insurance is a good idea for several reasons.
First, almost all states have mandatory liability insurance requirements which means you are required to buy a minimum amount of liability in order to get the vehicle licensed. In North Carolina these limits are 30/60/25 which means you must have $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if your vehicle has a lienholder, almost every bank will require that you have full coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totaled. If you do not keep the policy in force, the lender may have to buy a policy to insure your Kia at a significantly higher premium and force you to pay for the much more expensive policy.
Third, insurance preserves not only your Kia Optima but also your assets. Insurance will pay for medical expenses incurred in an accident. As part of your policy, liability insurance also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are sued as the result of an accident. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to have it repaired.
The benefits of having insurance greatly outweigh the cost, specifically if you ever have a liability claim. On average, a vehicle owner in Raleigh is currently overpaying as much as $800 each year so smart consumers compare quotes at every renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.
Kia Optima insurance rate analysis
The coverage information displayed next outlines detailed analysis of insurance prices for Kia Optima models. Having a good grasp of how policy premiums are established can help guide drivers when making decisions when shopping around.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optima LX | $184 | $380 | $296 | $18 | $88 | $966 | $81 |
| Optima EX | $208 | $446 | $296 | $18 | $88 | $1,056 | $88 |
| Optima SX | $208 | $446 | $296 | $18 | $88 | $1,056 | $88 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Prices based on married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Table data does not factor in specific garaging location which can impact prices greatly.
Higher deductibles lower rates
One common question asked by Raleigh drivers is how low should you set your deductibles. The rates below may help to conceptualize the differences in premium rates between high and low insurance deductibles. The first rate table uses a $250 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second price grid uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optima LX | $192 | $324 | $282 | $16 | $84 | $923 | $77 |
| Optima EX | $218 | $382 | $282 | $16 | $84 | $1,007 | $84 |
| Optima SX | $218 | $382 | $282 | $16 | $84 | $1,007 | $84 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optima LX | $118 | $204 | $282 | $16 | $84 | $704 | $59 |
| Optima EX | $134 | $240 | $282 | $16 | $84 | $756 | $63 |
| Optima SX | $134 | $240 | $282 | $16 | $84 | $756 | $63 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Data based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Table data does not factor in specific location which can affect rates considerably.
Based on the data above, we can derive that using a $250 deductible would cost the average driver about $20 more each month or $240 annually than buying the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would have to pay $750 more if you turn in a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you normally average at least 38 months between claim filings, you would probably come out ahead if you decide on a higher deductible.
How to determine if higher deductibles are a good idea
| Average monthly premium for $250 deductibles: | $82 |
| Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $62 |
| Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $20 |
| Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $250): | $750 |
| Divide difference by monthly savings: | $750 / $20 |
| Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 38 months |
One big caveat is that a higher deductible means you will have to pay more of your own money when you do file a claim. That will necessitate some money saved in the event you have to pay more for the deductible.
Rate increases following a ticket or accident
The diagram below shows how violations and at-fault accidents can affect Kia Optima insurance costs for each age group. The data assumes a married female driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Age-based car insurance rates by gender
The diagram below shows the comparison of Kia Optima premium costs for male and female drivers. The costs are based on a clean driving record, no claims, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied.
Cost comparison with and without full coverage
The diagram below illustrates the difference between Kia Optima insurance prices with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. Data assumes no claims or driving violations, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no policy discounts are applied.
Should you be buying full coverage?
There is no set guideline for phasing out physical damage insurance, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
For example, let’s say your Kia Optima book value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, you would only receive $6,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying in excess of $600 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.
There are some situations where dropping full coverage is not a good idea. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to prevent your loan from defaulting. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Cheap Raleigh insurance rates with discounts
Companies that sell car insurance don’t always publicize every available discount very clearly, so we took the time to find some of the best known and the harder-to-find ways to save on insurance.
- Mature Driver Discount – Drivers over the age of 55 may be able to get a slight reduction on a Raleigh car insurance quote.
- Discount for Life Insurance – Select insurance carriers reward you with better premium rates if you take out some life insurance in addition to your auto policy.
- Seat Belt Usage – Forcing all vehicle occupants to fasten their seat belts can save a little off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Service Members Pay Less – Having a deployed family member could qualify you for better rates.
- Discount for Low Mileage – Keeping the miles down on your Kia could earn discounted rates on garaged vehicles.
Discounts lower rates, but most discounts do not apply to all coverage premiums. The majority will only reduce specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. So even though it sounds like all the discounts add up to a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way. Any amount of discount should definitely cut the cost of coverage.
The diagram below shows the comparison of Kia Optima car insurance rates with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, no claims or driving violations, North Carolina state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, multi-car, claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, and safe-driver discounts applied.
A list of insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer include:
- State Farm includes discounts for accident-free, multiple policy, driver’s education, student away at school, good driver, and good student.
- American Family may have discounts that include defensive driver, accident-free, good student, bundled insurance, early bird, TimeAway discount, and air bags.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including air bags, anti-lock brakes, federal employee, defensive driver, good student, military active duty, and multi-vehicle.
- 21st Century discounts include driver training, homeowners, good student, automatic seat belts, and teen driver.
- Progressive offers discounts for online quote discount, good student, online signing, continuous coverage, multi-policy, and homeowner.
When quoting, ask every company to apply every possible discount. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts may not apply in Raleigh.
Local Raleigh auto insurance agents
Some consumers still prefer to go talk to an agent and we recommend doing that Professional insurance agents can help determine the best coverages and help submit paperwork. One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is the fact that drivers can get cheap insurance rates and still buy from a local agent.
After filling out this form (opens in new window), your information is immediately sent to insurance agents in Raleigh who want to provide quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t even need to contact any insurance agencies due to the fact that quote results will go to you. If you have a need to get a rate quote for a specific company, feel free to find their quoting web page and give them your coverage information.
Choosing a insurance company requires more thought than just the quoted price. These are some valid questions you should ask.
- Do they specialize in personal lines auto insurance in Raleigh?
- Is the agency covered by Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Do the companies they represent have a solid financial rating?
- Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in North Carolina?
- Are they actively involved in the community?
- Will they take your side in the event of a claim?
- If your car is in the repair shop, do you have coverage for a rental car?
- Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
Compare insurance prices regularly to save
You just learned some good ideas how to shop for Kia Optima insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get car insurance rates for, the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. You may even be surprised to find that the most savings is with a lesser-known regional company.
When buying insurance coverage, never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are too many instances where someone dropped uninsured motorist or liability limits to discover at claim time that saving that couple of dollars actually costed them tens of thousands. Your focus should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
More affordable insurance in Raleigh is possible both online as well as from insurance agents, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance companies do not offer internet price quotes and these small insurance companies work with independent insurance agents.
For more information, feel free to visit the resources below:
- Tread Depth and Tire Safety (State Farm)
- How Much are Raleigh Car Insurance Rates for Young Drivers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance for 4×4 Vehicles in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Raleigh Auto Insurance Rates for Teachers? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers Over Age 70 in Raleigh? (FAQ)
- What is a Telematics Device? (Allstate)
- What is Covered by GAP Insurance? (Allstate)