Want to learn how to find the cheapest auto insurance rates in Houston, TX? Houston consumers have a choice when looking for affordable Chevy Impala insurance. You can either spend your time struggling with agents getting price quotes or use the internet to get rate quotes.
There is a right way and a wrong way to shop for auto insurance so you’re going to learn the best way to price shop coverage for a Chevy and find the lowest possible price.
A recent survey discovered that nearly 70% of consumers have bought auto insurance from the same company for more than four years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never taken the time to shop around. Many consumers in Texas could save themselves almost $1,800 a year by just comparing rate quotes, but most tend to underestimate the actual amount they would save if they moved their coverage to a different company.
Getting a cheaper price on Chevy Impala insurance can be surprisingly simple. The only requirement is to spend a few minutes comparing price quotes online with multiple companies.
The companies shown below are ready to provide free quotes in Texas. If more than one company is shown, we recommend you get rate quotes from several of them in order to find the most affordable rates.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impala LS | $180 | $312 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,172 | $98 |
| Impala LS | $246 | $610 | $430 | $26 | $128 | $1,440 | $120 |
| Impala LT | $268 | $456 | $392 | $24 | $118 | $1,258 | $105 |
| Impala LT | $234 | $460 | $462 | $28 | $138 | $1,322 | $110 |
| Impala LTZ | $176 | $360 | $388 | $24 | $116 | $1,064 | $89 |
| Impala LTZ | $272 | $472 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,424 | $119 |
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Data based on single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, and claim-free. Rates do not factor in specific Houston garaging location which can increase or decrease premiums noticeably.
An analysis of deductible level
The example below shows how different deductible levels and can change Chevrolet Impala yearly insurance costs for each age group. The data assumes a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are applied.
Full coverage versus liability only rates
The example below shows the difference between Chevrolet Impala insurance costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The premiums assume a clean driving record, no claims, $1,000 deductibles, single female driver, and no discounts are applied.
Should you be buying full coverage?
There is no specific rule of when to phase out full coverage on your policy, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
For example, let’s pretend your Chevrolet Impala claim settlement value is $3,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company will settle for is $2,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying in excess of $200 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
There are a few situations where buying only liability insurance is not a good plan. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Auto insurance rates are higher with tickets and accidents
The diagram below shows how speeding tickets and accident claims can increase Chevrolet Impala premium costs for different categories of driver ages. The price estimates are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Car insurance policy discounts you can’t miss
Some insurance providers do not list all possible discounts very well, so the list below contains some of the more common and also the lesser-known discounts that you can inquire about if you buy Houston auto insurance online.
- Federal Government Employee – Simply working for the federal government may reduce rates when you quote Houston auto insurance with some car insurance companies.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Factory options such as air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts up to 30%.
- No Charge for an Accident – Not a discount per se, but some insurance companies allow you one accident before your rates go up if you are claim-free prior to being involved in the accident.
- Discount for New Cars – Putting car insurance coverage on a new Impala can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for newer vehicles.
- Theft Deterrent System – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles help deter theft and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- ABS Braking Discount – Cars, trucks, and SUVs with ABS braking systems or traction control can avoid accidents and the ABS can save up to 10%.
- Club Memberships – Joining qualifying clubs or civic groups is a simple method to lower premiums when getting a Houston auto insurance quote.
- College Student – Youth drivers who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from Houston and do not have access to a covered vehicle could get you a discount.
Remember that some credits don’t apply to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. So even though it sounds like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you’re out of luck.
If you would like to choose from a list of car insurance companies with discount rates in Houston, click here to view.
Car insurance is available from local insurance agents
A lot of people would rather buy from a local agent and that is just fine! Professional insurance agents can make sure you are properly covered and help you file claims. An additional benefit of comparing rates online is that drivers can save money and get lower rates but also keep your business local. Supporting neighborhood agents is still important in Houston.
After completing this quick form, the coverage information is immediately sent to insurance agents in Houston who will give you bids for your coverage. There is no need to search for an agent since price quotes are sent to your email. In the event you want to quote rates from a specific insurance company, you would need to jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
When looking for a reliable agent, it’s helpful to know the different types of agents that differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Insurance agencies in Houston are categorized either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive). Both write car insurance policies, but it is a good idea to know the subtle differences since it can impact your agent selection.
Independent Car Insurance Agencies or Brokers
These type of agents are normally appointed by many insurers and that gives them the ability to insure with a variety of different insurance companies and find the cheapest rate. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply switch companies in-house and that require little work on your part. If you need cheaper car insurance rates, it’s a good idea to include price quotes from multiple independent agents so that you can do a thorough price comparison. Many independent agencies also insure through companies that do not advertise much which could offer lower prices.
Featured below are Houston independent agencies that may be able to give free car insurance quotes.
- AAIGOT Insurance Agency Inc.
6633 Hillcroft St #101 – Houston, TX 77081 – (713) 270-9373 – View Map - ProTECH Insurance Agency, Inc.
#100, 3120 SW Freeway Service Rd – Houston, TX 77098 – (713) 520-1090 – View Map - Texas Insurance Agency
719 Shotwell St – Houston, TX 77026 – (713) 675-2626 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be exclusive can only provide one company’s prices such as Farmers Insurance and State Farm. Exclusive agents cannot shop your coverage around so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive agents receive extensive training in insurance sales which helps them sell on service rather than price. Some consumers prefer to use the same exclusive agent mostly because of the prominence of the brand and solid financial strength.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive agents in Houston that are able to give comparison quotes.
- James Banks – State Farm Insurance Agent
4809 Main St – Houston, TX 77002 – (713) 523-7100 – View Map - Bob Goodwin – State Farm Insurance Agent
1616 Clear Lake City Blvd #107 – Houston, TX 77062 – (281) 486-9100 – View Map - Ricky Maique – State Farm Insurance Agent
8811 Westheimer Rd #205 – Houston, TX 77063 – (713) 781-6132 – View Map
Picking the best insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just the premium amount. Any agent in Houston should be forthright in answering these questions:
- Are they in the agency full-time?
- Does the agency support the community they serve?
- What discounts might you be missing?
- What company holds the largest book of business for them?
- How often do they review coverages?
- Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
- Does the company allow you to choose your own collision repair facility?
- Do they get paid more for recommending certain coverages?
Upon getting positive responses for all questions you ask as well as a price you’re happy with, chances are good that you have found a car insurance agent that can service your policy.
Insurance can be complex
When it comes to buying your policy for your vehicles, there really is not a single plan that fits everyone. Everyone’s situation is a little different.
For instance, these questions can help discover whether or not you may require specific advice.
- Am I covered when delivering products for my home-based business?
- Is my Chevy Impala covered if I use it for business?
- Why do I have to buy liability insurance?
- Why is insurance for a teen driver so high in Houston?
- What are the best liability limits?
- Does my Chevy Impala qualify for pleasure use?
- Is pleasure use cheaper than using my Chevy Impala to commute?
- Is pet coverage available?
- Am I covered if I break a side mirror?
If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply then you might want to talk to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form. It is quick, free and can provide invaluable advice.
Educated Choices Result in Lower Insurance Rates
When buying insurance it’s important to understand the factors that are used to determine the rates you pay for insurance. If you have some idea of what determines base rates, this enables informed choices that may result in lower premium levels. Multiple criteria are taken into consideration when you get your auto insurance bill. A few of the factors are predictable such as your driving history, but some are less apparent such as your marital status or your vehicle rating.
The list below includes some of the most common factors used by your company to calculate your rate level.
- Good drivers pay the best rates – Even a single driving citation can bump up the cost by as much as twenty percent. Attentive drivers get better prices compared to drivers with tickets. People who have serious tickets such as hit and run, DWI or reckless driving convictions might be required by their state to prove financial responsibility to the state department of motor vehicles in order to prevent a license revocation.
- Costs increase with policy add-ons – There are many optional add-on coverages that can add up but may not be useful. Things like replacement cost coverage, accident forgiveness, and motor club memberships may not be needed and are just wasting money. They may seem good at first, but now you might not need them so think about removing them and cutting costs.
- Your credit rating is important – Having a good credit history can be a huge factor in calculating your insurance rates. People that have excellent credit tend to file fewer claims and have better driving records than those with bad credit. If your credit rating is lower than you’d like, you could potentially save money when insuring your Chevrolet Impala if you clean up your credit.
- Deter theft and save money – Buying a car with a theft deterrent system can earn a premium discount. Advanced theft deterrents such as vehicle immobilizer systems, OnStar, and tracking devices like LoJack can help prevent your vehicle from being stolen.
- Decrease prices by maintaining coverage – Having a lapse in insurance coverage will be a quick way to trigger a rate increase. And not only will your rates increase, failure to provide proof of insurance could earn you a fine, jail time, or a revoked license. You may need to file a SR-22 with the Texas motor vehicle department to get your license reinstated.
- Liability is critical – Your insurance policy’s liability coverage will provide protection in the event that you are found liable for damages from an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense coverage which can cost thousands of dollars. Liability insurance is quite affordable compared to other policy coverages, so do not skimp.
- Chevy Impala claim probability – Insurers factor in historical loss data when they file their rates in each state. Vehicles that the data shows to have a trend towards higher claims will have higher rates. The next table shows the loss history for Chevy Impala vehicles.
For each insurance policy coverage type, the statistical loss for all vehicles, as a total average, is considered to be 100. Numbers that are below 100 indicate better than average losses, while values over 100 indicate more frequent claims or tendency to have larger claims.
Insurance Loss Ratings for Chevrolet Impala Vehicles
Specific Chevrolet Model Collision Property Damage Comp Personal Injury Medical Payment Bodily Injury Chevrolet Impala 104 89 135 122 122 104 Chevrolet Impala Limited 100 115 79 142 148 153 Data Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Why you need insurance for your Chevy Impala
Despite the fact that insurance is not cheap in Houston, maintaining insurance is not optional due to several reasons.
- Just about all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require specific limits of liability protection if you don’t want to risk a ticket. 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 Chevy, almost every bank will have a requirement that you have physical damage coverage to guarantee their interest in the vehicle. If coverage lapses or is canceled, the lender will be forced to insure your Chevy for a lot more money and require you to pay for the much more expensive policy.
- Insurance safeguards not only your Chevy Impala but also your assets. Insurance will pay for most medical and hospital costs for you, your passengers, and anyone else injured in an accident. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, will also pay attorney fees if you cause an accident and are sued. If your vehicle suffers damage from an accident or hail, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of having insurance definitely exceed the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. But the average American driver is overpaying more than $810 a year so shop around once a year at a minimum to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Cheap car insurance rates are available
When buying insurance coverage, never reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many situations where an insured dropped liability coverage limits only to discover later that it was a big mistake. The ultimate goal is to find the BEST coverage at the best cost, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.
Budget-conscious Chevy Impala insurance is available on the web and from local agencies, so you should be comparing quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies may not offer the ability to get a quote online and usually these small, regional companies only sell coverage through local independent agents.
You just learned many tips how you can find lower-cost Chevy Impala insurance in Houston. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote Houston auto insurance, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even discover the most savings is with the least-expected company.
Additional car insurance information can be found on the following sites:
- Self-driving cars won’t replace humans (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance After a Speeding Ticket in Houston? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Good Students in Houston? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for 16 Year Olds in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for a Nissan Sentra in Houston? (FAQ)
- Winter Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Does No-Fault Insurance Cover? (Allstate)
- Alcohol Impaired Driving FAQ (iihs.org)
- Tools for Teen Driving Safety (State Farm)