The make and model of vehicle that is being insured is one of the largest factors when quoting affordable insurance for active military. Vehicles with average performance, good crash test ratings, or a low likelihood of liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than fast, unsafe models.
The next list showcases insurance rates for the more affordable vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $1,181 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 4WD | $1,300 |
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $1,352 |
| Ford Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $1,445 |
| Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,452 |
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,448 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Rear Entertainment | $1,472 |
| Ford Fusion Sport 4-Dr Sedan | $1,497 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,500 |
| Dodge Ram Quad Cab SLT 2WD | $1,524 |
| Ford Edge SEL AWD | $1,571 |
| Kia Optima EX | $1,598 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,601 |
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Table data represents single female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and safe-driver. Rate quotes do not factor in vehicle location which can lower or raise premiums greatly.
By looking at the data, we can infer that vehicles like the Ford Escape, Chevrolet Silverado, and Honda CR-V are most likely to be some of the less-costly vehicles to insure for military personnel.
For military personnel, one of the largest criteria that are used to help calculate the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you live in Houston. Areas with a lot of weather claims or more people likely pay more, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims benefit from having to pay less for coverage.
The information below lists the highest-priced areas in Texas for active military to purchase a policy in. Houston comes in at #6 with an annual cost of $1,835 for the average insurance policy, which is approximately $153 each month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $1,996 |
| 2 | Laredo | $1,889 |
| 3 | Amarillo | $1,858 |
| 4 | Dallas | $1,855 |
| 5 | Brownsville | $1,851 |
| 6 | Houston | $1,835 |
| 7 | Mesquite | $1,807 |
| 8 | Grand Prairie | $1,793 |
| 9 | Irving | $1,789 |
| 10 | Garland | $1,778 |
| 11 | Beaumont | $1,772 |
| 12 | Pasadena | $1,740 |
| 13 | San Antonio | $1,739 |
| 14 | Lubbock | $1,716 |
| 15 | Arlington | $1,709 |
| 16 | Fort Worth | $1,670 |
| 17 | Carrollton | $1,664 |
| 18 | Corpus Christi | $1,636 |
| 19 | Austin | $1,627 |
| 20 | Plano | $1,608 |
| 21 | McKinney | $1,577 |
| 22 | El Paso | $1,568 |
| 23 | Abilene | $1,561 |
| 24 | Waco | $1,522 |
| 25 | Killeen | $1,473 |
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Premium amounts are approximated as the specific zip code location can modify premiums noticeably.
Reckless driving habits raise Houston car insurance rates
The best way to get the best car insurance premiums for military personnel is to drive cautiously and avoid at-fault accidents and violations. The diagram below illustrates how traffic citations and at-fault collisions raise insurance prices for different categories of driver ages. The premiums are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
The data in the chart shows the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,542. Receive two speeding tickets and the average cost jumps to $2,191, an increase of $649 each year. Then throw in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of car insurance for active military increases to an average of $4,584. That’s an increase of $3,042, or $253 per month, just for not being more responsible behind the wheel!
Full coverage or liability only
Paying a lower price for car insurance is probably important to most people, and one of the best ways to buy cheap insurance for active military is to not buy full coverage. The illustration below compares annual premium costs with and without full coverage. The premiums are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied.
If all age groups are averaged, physical damage insurance costs an additional $1,793 per year more than carrying just liability coverage. That brings up the question if it’s a good idea to buy full coverage. There is no definitive rule that is best for determining when to drop full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
Get discounts on Houston insurance rates
Car insurance companies that provide policies for active military could also offer special discounts that can reduce rates by 40% or more if you meet specific criteria. A list of car insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be found below.
- GEICO may offer discounts for driver training, multi-vehicle, air bags, membership and employees, and federal employee.
- Mercury Insurance offers discounts including age of vehicle, ease of repair, low natural disaster claims, good driver, annual mileage, accident-free, and good student.
- Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include bundle discounts, business and professional, pay in full, alternative fuel, homeowner, teen driver, and good student.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has discounts for student away at school, anti-lock brakes, teen driver, paid in full, and group or association.
- Liberty Mutual discounts include good student, new vehicle discount, teen driver discount, exclusive group savings, new move discount, and multi-policy.
- SAFECO policyholders can earn discounts including homeowner, drive less, accident prevention training, anti-lock brakes, bundle discounts, and multi-car.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-policy, online signing, multi-vehicle, good student, and online quote discount.
- USAA includes discounts for multi-vehicle, defensive driver, safe driver, family discount, military installation, new vehicle, and annual mileage.
The chart below illustrates the difference between car insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, Texas state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $1,000 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with marriage, anti-theft, accident-free, multiple vehicle, vehicle safety, and safe-driver discounts applied. When taking advantage of discounts, theamount saved on car insurance for active military is 28% or $480.