Are you trying to find low-cost car insurance rates in Houston, TX? Houston buyers have many options when searching for the lowest priced Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance. They can either waste time contacting agents to compare prices or utilize the internet to make rate comparisons. There are more efficient ways to buy car insurance so we’re going to tell you the quickest way to get price quotes for a new or used Ford and obtain the best price possible from both online companies and Houston agents.
It’s important to compare rates as often as possible because rates go up and down regularly. Just because you had the lowest premium rates on Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Houston two years ago there is a good chance you can find better prices now. Ignore everything you know about car insurance because we’re going to demonstrate how to use the internet to buy cheaper Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Houston.
All the larger insurance companies such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive give coverage prices directly from their websites. Obtaining pricing for Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Houston is quite easy as all you need to do is type in your personal and coverage information into a form. When complete, the system orders credit information and your driving record and gives you a price quote based on these factors.
Using the web to get price quotes for Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Houston makes it easy to compare insurance prices and it’s also necessary to perform this step in order to get the best rate.
To get comparison pricing now, check out the insurance providers below. If you have your current policy handy, we recommend you replicate your coverages just like they are on your policy. Doing this assures you will get rate quotes for similar insurance coverage.
The companies shown below are ready to provide price comparisons in Texas. If multiple companies are listed, it’s a good idea that you visit as many as you can to get a more complete price comparison.
Insurance is not optional
Even though Houston C-Max Hybrid insurance rates can get expensive, buying insurance is a good idea for several reasons.
- Most states have minimum liability requirements which means you are required to carry a specific minimum amount of liability coverage in order to drive the car. In Texas these limits are 30/60/25 which means you must have $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you took out a loan on your vehicle, most lenders will require you to have physical damage coverage to ensure loan repayment if the vehicle is totalled. If you cancel or allow the policy to lapse, the bank will be required to insure your Ford at a much higher rate and force you to reimburse them the higher premium.
- Insurance protects both your car and your personal assets. It also can pay for medical expenses that are the result of an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you cause an accident and are sued. If mother nature or an accident damages your car, your insurance policy will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance more than offset the price you pay, especially when you need to use it. Despite what companies tell you, the average driver is overpaying more than $830 a year so compare rate quotes at every policy renewal to ensure rates are inline.
Four Tips to Get Lower-cost Houston Insurance Premiums
Many factors are considered when you get a price on insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious such as traffic violations, although some other factors are less apparent such as whether you are married or your vehicle rating. When buying insurance it’s important to understand a few of the rating criteria that play a part in calculating insurance rates. If you understand what controls the rates you pay, this enables you to make decisions that can earn you lower rates.
- Do you need those incidental coverages? – Insurance policies have a lot of optional add-on coverages that may not really be needed when buying insurance. Insurance for things like vanishing deductibles, death and dismemberment, and additional equipment coverage could be just wasting money. The coverages may be enticing when buying your policy, but if they’re wasting money get rid of them and save.
- Gender as a rate factor – Over the last 50 years, statistics have shown that men are more aggressive behind the wheel. However, don’t assume that women are better drivers. Males and females get in accidents in similar percentages, but males have costlier accidents. In addition to higher claims, males also get cited for more serious violations like DWI (DUI) or reckless driving. Teenage male drivers cause the most accidents so it costs more to insure them.
- Cheaper rates by combining – Most insurance companies allow lower prices to people that buy multiple policies such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to 10 percent or more. Even if you qualify for this discount already, you may still want to comparison shop to verify if the discount is saving money. It’s possible to still find lower rates by buying insurance from more than one company.
- Deter theft and pay less – Selecting a car model with an alarm system can earn a premium discount. Theft prevention features like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can thwart your car from being stolen.
- Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance claim data – Companies use historical loss data as a tool for profitable underwriting. Vehicles that the data determines to have a trend towards higher claims will have a higher cost to insure. The table shown below demonstrates the actual insurance loss data for Ford C-Max Hybrid vehicles.
For each type of coverage, the statistical loss for all vehicles, regardless of manufacturer or model, is represented as 100. Numbers shown that are under 100 indicate better than average losses, while percentage numbers above 100 indicate frequent claims or an increased chance of larger losses than average.
Ford C-Max Hybrid Insurance Loss Statistics
Vehicle Make and Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Ford C-Max Hybrid 99 92 95 94 89 100 Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
Get cheaper Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Houston with discounts
Companies offering auto insurance don’t always advertise every policy discount in an easy-to-find place, so the list below gives a summary of a few of the more well known as well as the least known ways to save on car insurance. If you’re not getting every credit you deserve, you could be paying more than you need to.
- E-sign Discounts – Some insurance companies will discount your bill up to fifty bucks shop Houston auto insurance digitally online.
- Discount for Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts may earn rate discounts of 20 to 30 percent.
- Senior Discount – If you qualify as a senior citizen, you can possibly qualify for a small decrease in premiums.
- Multiple Cars – Having several vehicles on one policy can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
- Drivers Education – Teen drivers should enroll and complete driver’s education if it’s offered in school.
- Accident Waiver – Not a discount per se, but some insurance companies allow you one accident without the usual rate increase as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
- Anti-lock Brake System – Cars with ABS braking systems or traction control can stop better under adverse conditions so you can save 10 percent or more.
- Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to fasten their seat belts can save up to 15% on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- Include Life Insurance and Save – Larger car insurance companies have lower car insurance rates if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
Remember that many deductions do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only cut the cost of specific coverages such as medical payments or collision. So even though you would think all the discounts add up to a free policy, you aren’t that lucky. Any qualifying discounts will bring down the cost of your policy.
Large car insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are included below.
- State Farm may have discounts that include accident-free, student away at school, anti-theft, good student, Drive Safe & Save, multiple policy, and multiple autos.
- Esurance offers discounts for emergency road assistance, safety device, multi-car, homeowner, defensive driver, and online quote.
- Progressive discounts include continuous coverage, homeowner, good student, online quote discount, online signing, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy.
- Liberty Mutual has savings for newly married, safety features, hybrid vehicle, exclusive group savings, new graduate, multi-policy, and teen driver discount.
- Auto-Owners Insurance may include discounts for air bags, multi-policy, teen driver, anti-theft, safe driver, and anti-lock brakes.
- GEICO includes discounts for seat belt use, military active duty, membership and employees, defensive driver, emergency military deployment, anti-lock brakes, and five-year accident-free.
When comparing rates, check with all the companies how you can save money. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply to policies everywhere. If you would like to choose from a list of insurers that provide some of the discounts listed above in Houston, click here to view.
Different people need different auto insurance coverages
When quoting and comparing a policy for your personal vehicles, there is no best way to insure your cars. Your financial needs are unique and your auto insurance should unique, too.
These are some specific questions might point out whether you might need an agent’s assistance.
- Should I carry comprehensive and collision coverage?
- Why am I be forced to buy a membership to get insurance from some companies?
- What if I owe more than I can insure my car for?
- Are rental cars covered under my policy?
- Is pleasure use cheaper than using my Ford C-Max Hybrid to commute?
- When should I drop full coverage on my Ford C-Max Hybrid?
- Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Texas?
- Is my cargo covered for damage or theft?
If you don’t know the answers to these questions but you know they apply to you then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier It is quick, free and may give you better protection.
Compare rate quotes but work with a local Houston insurance agent
Some people prefer to have an agent’s advice and that is not a bad decision Licensed agents are highly skilled in risk management and help file insurance claims. A good thing about comparing rates online is you may find lower prices but also keep your business local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this simple form, the quote information is emailed to companies in Houston who will return price quotes for your auto insurance coverage. You don’t have to leave your house since price quotes are sent to you directly. If you want to compare rates from one company in particular, you would need to navigate to their website and give them your coverage information.
Selecting an insurance company shouldn’t rely on just the bottom line cost. Any agent in Houston should be forthright in answering these questions:
- How long has the business existed?
- Is every driver in your family covered?
- Is there a 24/7 contact number?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
- Do they assist clients in filing claims?
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
Not all auto insurance agents are the same
When searching for a reliable insurance agency, you should know the different types of agents and how they can quote your rates. Insurance agencies in Houston can be described as either exclusive agents or independent agents. Either one can write policy coverage, but it’s good to learn how they are different since it may influence buying decisions.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents that elect to be exclusive are contracted to one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Exclusive agencies are unable to provide prices from multiple companies so if the price isn’t competitive there isn’t much they can do. These agents are well trained on what they offer which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Consumers frequently buy insurance from these agents mainly due to the prominent brand name rather than low rates.
Shown below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Houston who can help you get rate quotes.
- Bob Goodwin – State Farm Insurance Agent
1616 Clear Lake City Blvd #107 – Houston, TX 77062 – (281) 486-9100 – View Map - Ben Speer – State Farm Insurance Agent
1110 E NASA Pkwy Ste 300 – Houston, TX 77058 – (281) 204-8282 – View Map - Jim Webb – State Farm Insurance Agent
8475 Hwy 6 N Ste B – Houston, TX 77095 – (281) 550-2886 – View Map
Independent Agencies or Brokers
These type of agents are appointed with more than one company so they can quote policies with lots of companies and find the cheapest auto insurance rates. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply switch companies in-house and that require little work on your part. If you are comparing rate quotes, you will definitely want to contact a couple of independent agencies in order to compare the most rates. Most independent agents also contract with small regional insurance companies that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.
Listed below are Houston independent agencies that can give you price quotes.
- Allrisc Insurance Agency
6918 Corporate Dr – Houston, TX 77036 – (713) 771-6000 – View Map - Hotchkiss Insurance Agency
13430 Northwest Fwy #600 – Houston, TX 77040 – (713) 956-9800 – View Map - Deborah A. Olson Insurance Agency, Inc.
10592 Fuqua St – Houston, TX 77089 – (281) 481-1903 – View Map
The best insurance company isn’t always the cheapest
We just presented a lot of tips how to save on Ford C-Max Hybrid insurance in Houston. The key concept to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding cheaper Houston auto insurance quotes. Consumers may even find the biggest savings come from the smaller companies. They may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as Progressive or GEICO.
As you prepare to switch companies, never buy poor coverage just to save money. There are too many instances where someone sacrificed full coverage and found out when filing a claim that the savings was not a smart move. Your aim should be to buy a smart amount of coverage for the lowest price, not the least amount of coverage.
To learn more, feel free to browse the following helpful articles:
- Help Your Teen Be a Better Driver (State Farm)
- Auto Insurance for Teen Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
- Front crash protection reduces rear-end crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)