If you need to purchase a vehicle for yourself, then you have thousands of options available to you. There are many things to consider when you make the purchase—gas mileage, safety, and upfront costs are three things you are likely to think about. You probably are not immediately concerned about the price of your auto insurance, but the type of car you choose can greatly increase or decrease your insurance rates. Insurance premiums must be paid monthly, and high rates can cost you thousands of extra dollars while you own your car. If you want to keep insurance rates as low as possible, then consider the following things when you buy your car.

Pick The Right Color

It is a myth that a red car will cost you more in insurance premiums. Some people believe that a red vehicle indicates a sporty attitude and an intention to drive fast. Insurance companies do not care about vehicle color though, and often times insurance rates are calculated based on the vehicle identification number (VIN). This number does not indicate the color of the car. Insurance companies are far more interested in the safety of the vehicle and your driving record when calculating rates.

However, while the shade of your car may not be used to determine auto insurance rates, the color may make your car more susceptible to accidents. A major accident will increase your premiums, and the rates will remain elevated for about three years. You can prevent this from happening by avoiding dark colored vehicles. Try not to purchase a black, gray, red, or blue car, because these colors do not stand out against the road and other scenery. Black vehicles are considered the most accident prone due to visibility issues at night.

If you want the safest car, think about buying a white or yellow one. Both of these colors reflect light at night and they are highly visible during the day as well.

Buy An Automatic Vehicle

When you pick out a new car, you have the option of choosing the transmission you like best. Both automatic and manual transmissions are available to you, and you may choose a manual car if you know how to drive a stick shift. Manual cars are often cheaper than automatic varieties, and this is especially true for older or used cars. The transmissions help to save on fuel and they are also simple constructions compared to the ones in automatic vehicles. This means that parts are cheaper if an accident requires a transmission fix. These facts may indicate to you that a manual vehicle is cheaper to insure.

Unfortunately, manual cars are actually more expensive to insure than automatic vehicles due to accident risks. Manual drivers often do not stop or start as quickly as automatic operators. The delay can cause accidents at stop signs and traffic lights. Also, the act of shifting can be distracting to the driver and distracted driving is one of the main causes of auto accidents.

As a result, it is best to buy an automatic vehicle to reduce your insurance rates. Once you find an automatic car, consider choosing advanced drive features as well. Some add ons will reduce accident risks and this will further lower premium rates. A neutral safety switch that keeps your car from starting unless it is placed in park is a good idea. So are safety features that automatically downshift your car to slow down the engine if an accident is imminent. Cruise control may be a wise choice too.

If you are in the market to buy a new car, then you should think about how the car you choose can affect your insurance rates. You can keep rates low by finding a light colored vehicle and by picking out one with an automatic transmission.

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