There are many options when comparing insurance rates on your vehicle. You can buy from a local agent or get quotes online to compare rates from a lot of auto insurance companies. Finding cheaper auto insurance through online companies saves time, is easy to do and there is a good chance you might just save a little.

Finding the best direct price on auto insurance can be a challenge if you are a beginner to online quotes. But relax because comparing prices is actually very simple. Finding a better price on auto insurance is not a difficult process. Consumers just need to spend a few minutes to get quotes online from several insurance companies. It is quite easy and can be accomplished by comparing rates here.

Auto insurance rates paid to insure a 2012 can vary widely and are calculated by many factors. Some of these factors include:

• High performance increases premiums
• Any accidents you may have
• Home/auto policy bundles save money
• How you use your vehicle
• Mature drivers pay less
• Whether you are married
• Extra coverages like towing and rental
• Claims drive up premiums
• Maintaining coverage lowers rates
• Whether you own your home

A final factor which can affect is the model year. Newer models have a higher actual cash value in comparison to later models so the costs to repair can inflate annual premiums. But new models may have a trim level with safety features including anti-lock brakes, adaptive headlights, blind-spot warning system, and a backup camera which can lower rates.

Coverage for liability - This provides protection from damage that occurs to a person or their property that is your fault. Liability coverage pays for things like legal defense fees, bail bonds, and repair bills for other people's vehicles. It is cheap coverage so consider buying higher limits if possible.

Collision coverages - This pays to fix your vehicle from damage from colliding with another car or object. You will need to pay your deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company. This coverage can be expensive, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are older. You can also bump up the deductible to save money on collision insurance.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) - This pays for damage OTHER than collision with another vehicle or object. You first must pay your deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by your comprehensive insurance. The maximum payout you'll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if it's not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage - Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle's occupants when the "other guys" either have no liability insurance or not enough. Since a lot of drivers 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 should not be overlooked.

Insurance for medical payments - Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for short-term medical expenses (i.e. nursing services, prosthetic devices, and dental work). They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. PIP coverage is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay.