2008 Acura TL Insurance Quotes

Tired of being strong-armed to pay your car insurance bill each month? You’re in the same situation as many other consumers. You have so many auto insurance companies to insure vehicles with, and even though it’s nice to have multiple companies, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates and cut insurance costs.

It’s smart to shop coverage around once or twice a year because insurance rates trend upward over time. Even if you think you had the lowest price for TL insurance on your last policy you can probably find a lower rate today. So ignore everything you know about car insurance because you’re going to get a crash course in the only way to reduce your cost while increasing coverage.

Insurance Coverage Comparisons

Lowering your 2008 Acura TL insurance coverage rates is a fairly straight forward process. All you need to do is spend a little time comparing price quotes provided by online insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done using a couple different methods.

  • The first (and easiest) way to find low rates is a comparison rater form (click to open form in new window). This form keeps you from doing separate forms for every insurance coverage company. In just a few minutes this one form gets you price quotes direct from many companies.
  • A harder way to get comparison quotes requires a visit to the website of each company to complete their respective quote request forms. For sake of this example, let’s assume you want rates from Farmers, State Farm and Allstate. You would have to take the time to go to each site to enter your coverage information, and that’s why the first method is more popular.

    For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.

  • The least recommended way to compare rates is to spend your day driving to insurance agents’ offices. The internet has reduced the need for local agents unless you require the professional advice that only a license agent can provide. You can, however, price shop online but still have the advice of a local agent and we’ll cover that in a bit.

Which method you use is up to you, but make darn sure you compare identical coverages and limits for each comparison quote. If each company quotes different deductibles it will be impossible to make a fair comparison for your Acura TL.

Misconceptions in car insurance advertisements

Consumers can’t ignore all the ads for car insurance savings from companies such as Progressive, Allstate and Geico. All the companies have a common claim of big savings if you change your policy.

How does each company make the same claim?

Different companies have a preferred profile for the right customer that is profitable for them. For example, a driver they prefer might be between 25 and 40, has no tickets, and has great credit. Any new insured who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and therefore will save quite a bit of money when switching.

Drivers who are not a match for this ideal profile will be quoted higher prices and ends up with the customer not buying. The ad wording is “customers who switch” but not “drivers who get quotes” save that much money. That’s the way insurance companies can claim big savings. This emphasizes why drivers should compare many company’s rates. It’s not possible to predict which car insurance company will have the lowest Acura TL insurance rates.

Your Acura TL insurance rate is a complex equation

Smart consumers have a good feel for the different types of things that come into play when calculating the rates you pay for auto insurance. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates empowers consumers to make smart changes that will entitle you to much lower annual insurance costs.

  • Liability coverage protects you – Liability coverage provides coverage when a jury decides you are liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense which can be incredibly expensive. Liability insurance is quite affordable when compared with rates for comp and collision, so buy as much as you can afford.
  • Safer cars cost less to insure – Vehicles with high crash test scores can get you lower premiums. These vehicles protect occupants better and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates. If your Acura scored better than an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you may qualify for a discount.
  • Lower rates with optional equipment – Owning a car that has an advanced theft prevention system can help lower your rates. Anti-theft features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent auto theft.
  • Better credit means lower rates – Your credit score is a large factor in determining your rates. Drivers who have high credit ratings tend to be better drivers and file fewer claims than those with poor credit. If your credit rating is low, you could save money insuring your 2008 Acura TL by improving your credit score.
  • Men are more aggressive – Statistics show that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. That doesn’t necessarily mean that men are worse drivers. Men and women are in accidents at a similar rate, but men cause more damage. Men also receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving. Youthful male drivers are several times more likely to be in an accident and therefore are the most expensive to insure.
  • Don’t buy coverages you don’t need – There are quite a few extra coverages you can purchase on your TL policy. Coverages like personal injury protection, better glass coverage and additional equipment coverage are some examples. These coverages may sound good when you first buy your policy, but now you might not need them so get rid of them and save.
  • Claim-free discounts can add up – If you frequently file small claims, you can pretty much guarantee either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Car insurance companies give cheaper rates to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. Your insurance policy is meant to be used in the event of the large, substantial claims.
  • Traffic citations inflate rates – Your driving record has a big impact on rates. Even a single speeding ticket can increase rates twenty percent or more. Good drivers get better rates than people who have multiple driving citations. Drivers who get severe violations such as DWI, reckless driving or hit and run convictions may be required to submit a SR-22 form with the DMV in their state in order to drive a vehicle legally.

Discounts are great for lower rates

Companies offering auto insurance don’t list every available discount very well, so we researched some of the best known and also the lesser-known savings tricks you should be using. If you don’t get every credit you deserve, you’re just leaving money on the table.

  • Federal Government Employee – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can save as much as 8% for TL insurance depending on your company.
  • Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags or motorized seat belts can qualify for discounts of more than 20%.
  • Save over 55 – Older drivers may receive a discount up to 10% for TL insurance.
  • Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a course in driver safety could save 5% or more depending on where you live.
  • Anti-theft Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems are stolen less frequently and earn discounts up to 10%.
  • Seat Belt Usage – Using a seat belt and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.

As a disclaimer on discounts, some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Some only reduce specific coverage prices like medical payments or collision. So when it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.

Insurance companies that may have these money-saving discounts include:

Double check with each insurance company which discounts you may be entitled to. Some discounts may not be available in every state.

You may need specialized coverage

When buying the right insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there is no cookie cutter policy. Everyone’s situation is unique so this has to be addressed. For example, these questions may help you determine whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.

  • Will my rates increase for filing one claim?
  • Is a fancy paint job covered?
  • What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
  • Can my teen driver be rated on a liability-only vehicle?
  • How high should deductibles be on a 2008 Acura TL?
  • When should my teen driver be added to my policy?
  • Should I buy only the required minimum liability coverage?
  • Am I covered by my spouse’s policy after a separation?

If you’re not sure about those questions but one or more may apply to you then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies. It’s fast, free and can help protect your family.

Car insurance policy specifics

Understanding the coverages of your policy helps when choosing appropriate coverage and proper limits and deductibles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and coverage can change by endorsement. Listed below are the normal coverages found on most car insurance policies.

Liability insurance

This coverage protects you from damage that occurs to a person or their property in an accident. It protects you against other people’s claims, and does not provide coverage for damage to your own property or vehicle.

It consists of three limits, bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident and property damage. You commonly see values of 100/300/100 which stand for a $100,000 limit per person for injuries, $300,000 for the entire accident, and $100,000 of coverage for damaged propery.

Liability coverage protects against things like repair costs for stationary objects, repair bills for other people’s vehicles, funeral expenses and emergency aid. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but consider buying higher limits if possible.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This covers damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like falling objects, rock chips in glass and damage from getting keyed. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Collision coverage protection

Collision coverage pays for damage to your TL caused by collision with another car or object. You first must pay a deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision can pay for things like crashing into a ditch, crashing into a building and rolling your car. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so consider dropping it from older vehicles. It’s also possible to choose a higher deductible to bring the cost down.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. It can pay for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is very important.

Insurance for medical payments

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for immediate expenses such as hospital visits, EMT expenses, doctor visits and surgery. They are used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if there is no health insurance coverage. It covers you and your occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP coverage is not universally available but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Buy online or local, you save

Lower-priced 2008 Acura TL insurance can be sourced online in addition to many insurance agents, and you need to price shop both to get a complete price analysis. There are still a few companies who do not provide online quoting and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.

As you shop your coverage around, never skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. There are many occasions where an insured dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits and discovered at claim time that it was a big error on their part. Your goal should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford while still protecting your assets.

For more information, take a look at the resources below: