Have you fallen victim to high-priced Toyota Matrix insurance in Houston? You’re preaching to the choir because there are many Houston consumers feeling the pinch from expensive auto insurance.
Statistics show that most auto insurance customers kept buying from the same company for over three years, and virtually 40% of consumers have never compared auto insurance rates at all. Most drivers in Texas can save hundreds of dollars each year just by getting comparison quotes, but they don’t understand how simple it is to compare rates online. Insurance companies such as Allstate, Progressive and GEICO all claim big savings with ad campaigns and consumers find it hard to see through the cute green geckos and mayhem and do the work needed to find the best deal.
If you have a policy now or need new coverage, follow these tips to get lower rates without sacrificing coverage. Finding the cheapest auto insurance coverage in Houston is much easier if you have a good place to start. Smart buyers just need to learn the proper way to buy auto insurance using one simple form.
Informed Consumers Save More
Multiple criteria are considered when you quote your car insurance policy. Some of the criteria are obvious like your driving record, but others are not as apparent such as your marital status or your vehicle rating. An important part of buying insurance is that you know the rating factors that help calculate the level of your policy premiums. If you have some idea of what influences your rates, this helps enable you to make changes that could result in lower rates.
The items below are some of the things utilized by car insurance companies to help set your rate level.
Liability protection limits should be high – Your auto insurance policy’s liability coverage is the protection when you are found liable for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability provides legal defense coverage which can be incredibly expensive. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to insuring for physical damage coverage, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
Lower rates with a multi-policy discount – Most insurers afford lower prices to policyholders that buy multiple policies. It’s known as a multi-policy discount. Even if you’re getting this discount it’s always a smart idea to shop around to make sure you are getting the best deal.There is a good possibility that you can find a better deal even if you have your coverage with different companies
Don’t cancel your auto insurance policy without a new one in place – Having a gap between insurance policy dates will be a quick way to pay more for auto insurance. In addition to paying higher premiums, being ticketed for driving with no insurance could earn you a hefty fine and possibly a revoked license.
Infrequent drivers can save – The higher the miles on your Toyota in a year the higher your rates will be. Many insurance companies price each vehicle’s coverage based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Vehicles that sit idle most of the time can be on a lower rate level as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Improper usage on your Matrix can cost quite a bit. It’s a smart idea to ensure your auto insurance policy shows the correct driver usage.
Your address can influence price – Living in smaller towns and rural areas of the country has definite advantages when talking about auto insurance. Fewer drivers on the road translates into fewer accidents and also fewer theft and vandalism claims. Urban drivers have more road rage incidents and more severe claims. Spending more time driving means more chance of being in an accident.
Adjust physical damage deductibles and save – The deductibles you choose state the amount of money you are required to pay if you file a covered claim. Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, covers damage that occurs to your car. A few examples of covered claims are collision with another vehicle, fire damage, and having a roll-over accident. The more of the claim you are required to pay out-of-pocket, the better rate you will receive.
Getting more affordable auto insurance pricing is pretty simple and can save money. Just spend a few minutes on the computer comparing rate quotes to discover which company has affordable Houston car insurance quotes.
Online shopping is fast and free, and it makes it a waste of time to actually drive to all the different insurance agencies. The ability to buy insurance online makes this process obsolete unless you want the trained advice only provided by licensed agents. However, consumers can price shop online and have a local agent actually service the policy.
The following companies offer price quotes in Texas. If more than one company is shown, we suggest you visit as many as you can in order to get a fair rate comparison.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matrix 2WD | $122 | $260 | $358 | $22 | $108 | $870 | $73 |
| Matrix S 2WD | $374 | $698 | $500 | $30 | $150 | $1,752 | $146 |
| Matrix S AWD | $282 | $718 | $430 | $26 | $128 | $1,584 | $132 |
| Matrix XRS 2WD | $182 | $368 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,068 | $89 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Table data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, claim-free, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in garaging location in Houston which can revise coverage prices substantially.
Physical damage deductibles
One of the most common auto insurance questions is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The following insurance rates can help you visualize the differences in price when you select higher and lower comp and collision deductibles. The first rate estimation uses a $100 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second set of rates uses a $1,000 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matrix 2WD | $286 | $592 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,421 | $118 |
| Matrix S 2WD | $328 | $698 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,569 | $131 |
| Matrix S AWD | $328 | $698 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,569 | $131 |
| Matrix XRS 2WD | $328 | $698 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,569 | $131 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matrix 2WD | $158 | $312 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $988 | $82 |
| Matrix S 2WD | $182 | $368 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,068 | $89 |
| Matrix S AWD | $182 | $368 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,068 | $89 |
| Matrix XRS 2WD | $182 | $368 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,068 | $89 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Table data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, and claim-free. Price information does not factor in garaging location in Houston which can change rates substantially.
Based on the figures above, using a $100 deductible costs an average of $41 more each month or $492 annually than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would have to pay $900 more to file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you usually have at least 22 months between claims, you would save more money if you opt for a higher deductible.
Auto insurance premiums by gender
The illustration below illustrates the difference between Toyota Matrix insurance costs for male and female drivers. The premiums are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, full coverage, $250 deductibles, single marital status, and no other discounts are factored in.
Higher deductibles lower rates
The diagram below demonstrates how deductible levels and can influence Toyota Matrix insurance rates for different insured age categories. The data is based on a single male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Why you need insurance for your vehicle
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Toyota in Houston, paying for car insurance is required by state law in Texas and it also provides benefits you may not be aware of.
First, most states have mandatory insurance requirements which means state laws require specific limits of liability 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.
Second, if you have a lien on your vehicle, most banks will have a requirement that you buy full coverage to guarantee loan repayment. If you let the policy lapse, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Toyota at a significantly higher premium and require you to reimburse them the higher premium.
Third, insurance safeguards not only your vehicle but also your assets. Insurance will also pay for hospital and medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. As part of your policy, liability insurance also covers all legal expenses up to the policy limit if you are sued as the result of your driving. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, your car insurance policy will cover the damage repairs after a deductible is paid.
The benefits of having car insurance more than offset the price you pay, particularly if you ever have a claim. An average driver in America is wasting up to $850 per year so it’s important to compare rates once a year at a minimum to save money.
Do you qualify for discounts on Toyota Matrix insurance in Houston?
Insurance is expensive, but there could be significant discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Many discounts should be triggered at the time of quoting, but once in a while a discount must be asked for before being credited.
- Pay Early and Save – If you pay your entire premium ahead of time rather than paying monthly you can actually save on your bill.
- Good Student Discount – Performing well in school can get you a discount of up to 25%. The discount lasts well after school through age 25.
- Resident Student – Kids who are enrolled in higher education away from home and won’t have access to an insured vehicle could qualify for this discount.
- Mature Driver Discount – Drivers over the age of 55 may receive a discount up to 10%.
- Drivers Education – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully take a driver’s education course if offered at their school.
- E-sign – Many insurance companies will give you a small discount shop Houston car insurance online.
- Discount for New Cars – Buying a new car instead of a used Matrix can save you some money due to better safety requirements for newer models.
A little disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comp or med pay. Even though the math looks like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it’s just not the way it works.
Some companies who may offer these discounts may include but are not limited to:
When getting a coverage quote, ask all the companies to give you their best rates. Some credits might not be offered in Houston. If you would like to choose from a list of insurers who offer insurance discounts in Texas, click here to view.
Insurance agencies can help
Certain consumers would rather visit with an insurance agent and we recommend doing that Professional agents will help you protect your assets and help submit paperwork. One of the best bonuses of comparing insurance prices online is the fact that you can find lower premium rates but also keep your business local.
To find an agent, once you fill out this short form, the quote information gets sent to participating agents in Houston that can provide free Houston car insurance quotes for your business. It’s much easier because you don’t need to drive around since rate quotes are delivered to you. If you wish to quote rates from a specific company, you can always navigate to their website to submit a rate quote request.
Choosing an company is decision based upon more than just a cheap quote. These are some valid questions you should ask.
- What are the financial ratings for the companies they represent?
- Is working in the agency their full-time job?
- Do they prorate repair cost based on vehicle mileage?
- Do they receive special compensation for putting your coverage with one company over another?
- Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
If you would like to find a reliable insurance agent, you should know the different types of agents that you can choose from. Agents can be described as either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Either type can sell and service car insurance coverage, but it’s worth mentioning how they are different because it can impact your agent selection.
Exclusive Insurance Agencies
Agents of this type write business for a single company and some examples include State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agents cannot shop your coverage around so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive agents are well trained on their products and sales techniques which helps offset the inability to provide other markets.
Listed below are Houston exclusive insurance agents that can give you price quote information.
Joy Knox State Farm Insurance Agency
1510 Eldridge Pkwy #108 – Houston, TX 77077 – (281) 759-4300 – View Map
State Farm: Jack Wallace
3405 Mercer St – Houston, TX 77027 – (713) 626-7500 – View Map
Scott McNab – State Farm Insurance Agent
1005 Waugh Dr b – Houston, TX 77019 – (713) 520-5556 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agencies
Agents that choose to be independent often have affiliation with several companies so they can insure your vehicles through many companies and find the cheapest car insurance rates. To move your coverage to a new company, they simply move the coverage in-house without you having to go to a different agency.
If you need cheaper car insurance rates, you will definitely want to get several quotes from a few independent agents to get the best comparison.
Below is a list of independent insurance agencies in Houston who can help you get comparison quotes.
Hallmark Insurance Agency Inc
12337 Jones Rd – Houston, TX 77070 – (281) 894-8200 – View Map
Pasadena Insurance Agency, Inc.
99 Detering St #280 – Houston, TX 77007 – (713) 869-6991 – View Map
Texas Prime Insurance Agency, LLC
6750 West Loop S #430 – Bellaire, TX 77401 – (713) 750-9000 – View Map
Cheaper coverage is out there
As you shop your coverage around, you should never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are too many instances where consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and found out when filing a claim that the few dollars in savings costed them thousands. The ultimate goal is to purchase plenty of coverage at the best possible price.
In this article, we presented many ideas to save on Toyota Matrix insurance in Houston. The most important thing to understand is the more you quote Houston car insurance, the higher your chance of finding the cheapest Toyota Matrix rate quotes. You may even discover the best prices are with a smaller regional carrier. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost than their larger competitors like State Farm, GEICO and Nationwide.
More detailed car insurance information can be found in the articles below:
- Credit and Insurance Scores (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Houston Car Insurance Rates for a Ford F-150? (FAQ)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers with Bad Credit in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for High School Students in Houston? (FAQ)
- Side Impact Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- Senior Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
- Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)