Car insurance rates can vary widely from company to company.  This is because of the hundreds of variables that play into coming up with premium costs.  Even though it is not particularly appealing, it is best to go through the rigmarole of obtaining multiple car insurance quotes before you purchase a policy.

The SF Chronicle conducted an investigation wherein a couple received 17 auto insurance quotes from providers around the city.  The rates ranged from $1,422 to $3,651 per year for the same coverage.  As you can plainly see, there is great value in shopping around.  You could easily save $500 per year or more.  In some cases you may save over a grand.

Some twenty years ago, the variances in car insurance quotes were much smaller because there were only four to five categories used as criteria.  Things like age, location, and driving record played key roles in the quoting of car insurance prices.  Now-a-days there are hundreds of variables that include credit scores, homeowners insurance, and a variety of other things that play into the overall price of car insurance.

Shopping around for car insurance quotes enables you to find the best deal for your needs.  These days it is much easier to do so because most companies provide all the necessary information online.  Spending a little bit of time looking around could easily save you $500 or more.