2-doors cost more to insure than 4-doors

Not true. Insurance companies look at the price of the car, repair costs, theft frequency and its previous claims history when determining the rate-not the number of doors.

Parking tickets will affect your insurance rate

Parking tickets do not count against your insurance, but unpaid fines might affect your ability to renew your driver's licence or worse, result in a licence suspension - which will affect your rate.

Getting a speeding ticket means your insurance rate will go up

It depends. Your first minor speeding ticket will probably not affect your insurance rate. But get two or three and you'll likely pay more to be insured. A major speeding ticket (typically 45-50 km/h over the limit) and your rates go up for sure.

Cheaper cars cost less to insure than luxury cars

Not necessarily. The rate you pay for auto insurance is based on factors like the price of the car, its repair costs, theft frequency and its previous claims history. When these factors are combined, a cheaper car could cost more to insure than a luxury model.

It doesn't matter which insurer you have coverage with, you'll pay the same rate

Definitely not true. Auto insurance rates vary considerably. Recently, www.kanetix.ca, an online auto insurance quote comparison service, looked at over 8,000 online quotes provided to Ontario shoppers with no tickets, accidents or claims.

Each received quotes from, on average, 10 of Canada's most competitive insurers, including financial institutions, brokers and direct writers. The lowest and highest premium from each visitor's set of quotes was then recorded and the average difference in premium calculated. The results showed that premiums differed on average over $900.

It just goes to show that comparing quotes is time well spent. Shop around for auto insurance quotes to make sure you are getting the coverage you need at the best available price.