Pricey Toyota Corolla insurance can dry up your monthly budget and possibly require you to analyze your spending habits. Doing a rate comparison is a fast and free way to make sure you’re not throwing money away.
Since people have many choices, it can be diffult for drivers to choose a lower cost insurer.
Finding the best rates in Houston is quite easy. In a nutshell, every vehicle owner who has to buy car insurance most likely will be able to reduce their rates. But Texas consumers can benefit by having an understanding of how big insurance companies compete online and take advantage of how the system works.
Comparing car insurance rates can take time and effort if you don’t understand the best way to get rate quotes. You could spend your day talking about coverages with local insurance agents in Houston, or you can utilize online quoting to quickly compare rates.
Most major companies take part in a program where prospective buyers only type in their quote data once, and each company then returns a price quote based on that data. This system prevents you from having to do quote requests for each company you want a rate for.
To find out how much you can save on car insurance click here (opens in new window).
The only drawback to using this type of system is you can’t choose which insurance companies you will receive quotes from. So if you want to choose specific insurance companies to request quotes from, we have a page of the cheapest car insurance companies in Texas. Click to view list.
How you compare quotes is your choice, just make sure you are using exactly the same quote data for each comparison quote. If you enter different coverage information then you won’t be able to make an equal comparison in Houston. Just a small difference in coverages can result in a big premium difference. Keep in mind that getting more free quotes helps increase your odds of locating a better price.
Lower the Price of Car Insurance with These Tips
Many different elements are part of the equation when pricing auto insurance. A few of the factors are predictable like your driving record, but some are not as apparent like where you live and annual miles driven. Consumers need to have an understanding of some of the elements that play a part in calculating car insurance rates. If you have some idea of what impacts premium levels, this helps enable you to make changes that can help you get lower car insurance prices.
Shown below are some of the most rate-impacting factors companies use to determine rates.
- Low stress occupation equals lower rates – Do you work in a high-stress field? Careers like doctors, business owners and accountants tend to have the highest rates attributed to intense work situations and long work days. On the flip side, jobs such as farmers, engineers and retirees pay lower than average rates on Corolla insurance.
- Safety ratings are a factor – Cars with high safety ratings tend to have better insurance rates. Vehicles built for safety reduce the chance of injuries and better occupant protection means less money paid by your insurance company and more competitive rates for policyholders. If your Toyota is rated at a minimum an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website it may cost less to insure.
- Get a ticket, pay higher prices – Careful drivers pay less for auto insurance than bad drivers. Just one speeding ticket or other violation can boost insurance rates forty percent or more. Drivers who get dangerous citations such as DUI or willful reckless driving may find that they have to to file a SR-22 with their state’s licensing department in order to continue driving.
- Never let your car insurance expire – Allowing your coverage to lapse will be a guaranteed way to drive up your policy premiums. In addition to paying higher premiums, the inability to provide proof of insurance will get you a fine, jail time, or a revoked license.
- Performance makes a difference – The make and model of the vehicle you drive makes a huge difference in your car insurance bill. Due to the fact that the Toyota Corolla is classified as a sedan, insuring your vehicle will cost about the same when compared to the average rates in Houston. Economy passenger cars generally have the cheapest insurance rates, but that’s not the only thing that factors into the final price.
More affordable rates with discounts
Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but you might already qualify for some discounts that you may not even be aware of. Many of these discounts will be applied automatically when you purchase, but some discounts are required to be specifically requested before you will receive the discount.
- Own a Home – Being a homeowner can save a few bucks because of the fact that having a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- Drivers Ed for Students – It’s a good idea to have your young drivers participate in a local driver’s education class in school or through a local driver safety program.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of 20 to 30 percent.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Cars that have steering control and anti-lock brakes can reduce accidents so you can save 10 percent or more.
- Multiple Vehicles – Purchasing coverage when you have primary and secondary vehicles with the same company qualifies for this discount.
- Auto/Home Discount – When you have multiple policies and place coverage with the same company they may give you a discount of up to 20% and get you .
Policy discounts save money, but some credits don’t apply the the whole policy. Some only reduce individual premiums such as liability and collision coverage. Just because it seems like all the discounts add up to a free policy, nobody gets a free ride. Any qualifying discounts should help reduce the amount you have to pay.
The best car insurance companies and some of their more popular discounts can be read below.
- 21st Century offers discounts including anti-lock brakes, student driver, theft prevention, homeowners, and automatic seat belts.
- State Farm discounts include multiple policy, anti-theft, Steer Clear safe driver discount, good student, accident-free, passive restraint, and defensive driving training.
- AAA may have discounts that include multi-policy, education and occupation, AAA membership discount, anti-theft, pay-in-full, and good driver.
- Liberty Mutual has savings for safety features, multi-policy, new move discount, newly married, preferred payment discount, and hybrid vehicle.
- Progressive has discounts for homeowner, continuous coverage, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and good student.
When quoting, ask every company how many discounts you can get. Discounts may not apply in Houston.
What is the best car insurance coverage?
When choosing the best car insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really is not a best way to insure your cars. Every situation is different so your insurance should reflect that For example, these questions might help in determining whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in Houston?
- Is my Toyota Corolla covered for smoke damage?
- Do I need special endorsements for business use of my vehicle?
- Can I still get insurance after a DUI?
- Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
- Are rental cars covered under my policy?
- What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
- Why am I required to buy high-risk coverage?
- Does my car insurance cover rental cars?
- What can I do if my company won’t pay a claim?
If you’re not sure about those questions, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, simply complete this short form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
In conclusion
As you shop your coverage around, never buy lower coverage limits just to save a few bucks. Too many times, drivers have reduced liability coverage limits only to regret that it was a big mistake. The proper strategy is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the lowest possible cost but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Throughout this article, we presented quite a bit of information on how to reduce Toyota Corolla insurance premium rates online. The key thing to remember is the more rate quotes you have, the better chance you’ll have of finding . You may even find the best premium rates are with the smaller companies. Smaller companies may have significantly lower prices on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as Allstate or State Farm.
Cheaper car insurance is definitely available both online and with local Houston insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. A few companies may not have internet price quotes and these small insurance companies only sell through independent insurance agents.
To learn more about car insurance in Texas
More detailed Texas car insurance information is available at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Consumers can discover disciplinary actions, read enforcement actions against agents and companies, and file complaints about an insurance agent or broker.
The following information may also be useful.