Are you looking for a better way to compare cheaper car insurance rates in Houston, TX? Houston consumers have a choice when looking for low-cost Kia Spectra insurance. They can either waste time struggling with agents to compare prices or use the internet to find the lowest rates. There are both good and bad ways to find car insurance online so you’re going to learn the best way to quote coverages for your Kia and find the best price possible either online or from Houston insurance agents.
Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that the vast majority of drivers kept their coverage with the same car insurance company for a minimum of four years, and nearly half have never shopped around. With the average car insurance premium being $2,680, Houston drivers could save nearly 70% every year just by shopping around, but they think it’s difficult to do a rate comparison.
It’s a good habit to do price comparisons quite often because rates change regularly. If you had the best premium rates on Kia Spectra insurance in Houston two years ago there may be better deals available now. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about Spectra insurance out there, but in this article, you’re going to get some of the best ways to put money back in your pocket.
Slash rates with these discounts
Companies don’t always publicize the complete list of policy discounts in an easy-to-find place, so the list below gives a summary of both well-publicized and also the more inconspicuous savings tricks you should be using when you buy Houston car insurance online.
- Accident Forgiveness Coverage – Not necessarily a discount, but some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you are claim-free for a certain period of time.
- Own a Home and Save – Just owning your own home can earn you a little savings because of the fact that having a home is proof of financial responsibility.
- Senior Citizen Discount – Mature drivers could receive reduced rates.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Factory air bags or automatic seat belts may qualify for discounts as much as 30%.
- Driver’s Education for Students – Reduce the cost of insurance for teen drivers by having them successfully take a driver’s education course as it will make them better drivers and lower rates.
- No Claim Discounts – Claim-free drivers get the best auto insurance rates as opposed to frequent claim filers.
- Sign Early and Save – Some larger companies reward drivers for switching to them before your current coverage expires. You may see this discount when you get Houston car insurance quotes online.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Driving less can qualify you for discounted premium rates on garaged vehicles.
As is typical with insurance, some of the credits will not apply to your bottom line cost. Some only apply to specific coverage prices like liability and collision coverage. Despite the fact that it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, you aren’t that lucky. Any amount of discount should help lower the amount you pay for coverage.
To find insurers with the best discounts in Texas, click here to view.
Getting a cheaper price on Kia Spectra insurance is an easy way to save money. All that’s required is to take time getting comparison quotes to find out which insurance company has low cost Houston car insurance quotes.
The providers in the list below are ready to provide price quotes in Houston, TX. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you visit two to three different companies to find the most competitive auto insurance rates.
You Can Change Your Insurance Rates
Many factors are part of the equation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some are pretty understandable like a motor vehicle report, although others are not as apparent like your vehicle usage or your commute time. One of the most helpful ways to save on insurance is to to have a grasp of the factors that help determine the price you pay for insurance. If you have a feel for what influences your rates, this allows you to make good choices that may result in lower insurance prices.
The list below includes some of the factors insurance companies consider when setting prices.
- More performance means higher costs – The performance of the car you need to insure makes a huge difference in how high your rates are. Because the Kia Spectra is considered a passenger car, insurance will be similar in price or lower than the average rate where you live in Houston. Smaller low performance passenger vehicles usually are quite affordable to insure, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
- With age comes responsibility – Teen drivers in Texas are statistically proven to be easily distracted when behind the wheel so they pay higher insurance rates. Older, more experienced drivers are viewed as being more responsible, statistically cause fewer accidents, and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.
- Where you live is a factor – Being located in smaller towns and rural areas of the country has definite advantages if you are looking for the lowest rates. Drivers in populated areas regularly have more auto accidents and higher rates of accident claims. Less people living in that area translates into fewer accidents and lower theft and vandalism rates.
- Do you really need to file that policy claims? – If you’re an insured who likes to file claims you shouldn’t be surprised to get either a policy non-renewal or much higher rates. Insurance companies in Texas award the best rates to insureds who do not file claims often. Insurance coverage is intended for larger claims.
- Liability coverage is cheap – Liability coverage will afford coverage when you are found liable for damages from an accident. Liability provides you with a defense in court which can cost a lot. Carrying liability coverage is mandatory and cheap compared to physical damage coverage, so drivers should make sure they buy enough to cover all assets.
- Your vocation is a factor – Did you know your occupation can influence how much you pay for insurance? Occupations like judges, airline pilots, and emergency personnel have higher premiums than the average policyholder because of intense work situations and lengthy work days. Conversely, occupations such as actors, students and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
- Raising deductibles saves money – Coverage for physical damage, commonly called comprehensive (or other-than-collision) and collision coverage, protects your Kia from damage. Some instances where coverage would apply are running into the backend of another car, damage caused by hail, and rolling your vehicle. The deductibles you choose define how much you are willing to pay if you file a covered claim. The larger the amount you have to pay, the lower your rates will be.
Auto insurance agents can help
A lot of people prefer to sit down and talk to an agent and that is just fine! Good insurance agents are very good at helping people manage risk and help submit paperwork. A good thing about comparing car insurance online is the fact that you can find the best rates but also keep your business local.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is sent to companies in Houston that provide free Houston car insurance quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You don’t have to contact an agency since price quotes are sent to the email address you provide. If you wish to get a price quote from a specific company, don’t hesitate to jump over to their website and complete a quote there.
Picking a insurance company needs to be determined by more than just the bottom line cost. These are some valid questions you should ask.
- Do they make recommendations based only on price?
- How many years of experience in personal auto insurance do they have?
- How would your car be valued if totalled?
- Can you choose the body shop in case repairs are needed?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Do they get paid more for recommending certain coverages?
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
Why you need insurance
Even though it can be expensive, maintaining insurance is mandatory in Texas but it also protects more than you think.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means you are required to buy specific minimum amounts of liability insurance 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 bought your Kia with a loan, more than likely the lender will make it mandatory that you carry insurance to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you do not keep the policy in force, the lender may insure your Kia for a lot more money and force you to pay a much higher amount than you were paying before.
- Insurance protects both your Kia Spectra and your personal assets. It will also pay for medical bills for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability coverage will also pay attorney fees if you are sued as the result of your driving. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of having insurance outweigh the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. In a recent study of 1,000 drivers, the average customer overpays as much as $855 a year so it’s important to compare rates at every renewal to make sure the price is not too high.
One last note
Throughout this article, we presented a lot of tips how to compare Kia Spectra insurance rates in Houston. The key thing to remember is the more times you quote, the better your chances of lowering your car insurance rates. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest rates are with some of the smallest insurance companies.
When searching for inexpensive Houston car insurance quotes, don’t be tempted to buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are many occasions where someone dropped physical damage coverage and learned later that it was a big error on their part. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.
Lower-priced insurance in Houston can be bought online as well as from insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some insurance companies may not have rate quotes online and many times these smaller companies only sell through independent agents.
Even more information can be found in these articles:
- Older Driver Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Who Has Affordable Houston Car Insurance Rates for Drivers with Accidents? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for a Nissan Sentra in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Auto Insurance for College Graduates in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Over Age 70 in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for a Chevrolet Equinox in Houston? (FAQ)
- Top Signs Your Brakes are Giving Out (State Farm)
- Cellphones, Texting and Driving (iihs.org)
- Distracted Driving Extends Beyond Texting (State Farm)