Toyota FJ Cruiser Insurance Rates in Houston

Paying cheaper prices for Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance in Houston is difficult for drivers who have little experience comparing rates online. With more and more online companies, it can quickly become a big hassle to lower your rates on Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance.

Amazingly, almost 70% of drivers renewed their policy with the same company for four years or more, and nearly the majority have never compared rates with other companies. Houston drivers could cut their rates by up to $1,770 a year just by comparing rates, but most just don’t grasp how much they could save if they bought a different policy.

Smart consumers take time to get comparison quotes on a regular basis because rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you had the best premium rates on Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance in Houston a few years ago you will most likely find a better price today. Forget all the misinformation about car insurance because you’re about to learn the tricks you need to know to lower your annual insurance bill.

Best companies for Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance

The companies shown below offer price quotes in Texas. If multiple companies are shown, we suggest you compare several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.

Price data assumes single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and claim-free. Rate information does not factor in specific zip code location which can influence coverage rates significantly.

Physical damage deductibles

One of the most common auto insurance questions is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The rates shown below approximate the difference in cost between low and high insurance deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $250 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second price chart uses a $500 deductible.

Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Rate quotes do not factor in specific location which can increase or decrease price quotes considerably.

Based on the above data, using a $250 deductible costs roughly $14 more each month or $168 each year than buying the higher $500 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $250 more to file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you normally average at a minimum 18 months between claims, you would most likely save money going with the higher deductible.

Impact of speeding/accidents on auto insurance rates

The chart below illustrates how violations and at-fault claims increase Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance costs for different age groups. The information is based on a single female driver, full coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

These five discounts can reduce Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance rates

Companies offering auto insurance don’t necessarily list all their discounts in an easy-to-find place, so here is a list both the well known and the harder-to-find credits that may apply to you.

• Discount for Good Grades – Performing well in school can save 20 to 25%. This discount can apply well after school through age 25.
• Low Miles Discount – Driving less can earn lower insurance rates due to less chance of an accident.
• Anti-lock Brake System – Cars, trucks, and SUVs that have steering control and anti-lock brakes are safer to drive and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• College Student Discount – College-age children who are enrolled in higher education away from home and do not have access to a covered vehicle can receive lower rates.
• Homeowners Savings – Just being a homeowner can save you money because of the fact that having a home means you have a higher level of financial diligence.

We need to note that many deductions do not apply to your bottom line cost. Most only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, it doesn’t quite work that way.

A few of the larger companies and some of the discounts are included below.

• State Farm offers premium reductions for driver’s education, safe vehicle, accident-free, multiple policy, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
• Progressive discounts include online quote discount, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, good student, homeowner, and multi-policy.
• Progressive may include discounts for homeowner, good student, multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, and online signing.
• MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including accident-free, defensive driver, good driver, multi-policy, claim-free, good student
• Farm Bureau has savings for safe driver, multi-policy, renewal discount, youthful driver, driver training, multi-vehicle, and 55 and retired.
• GEICO offers discounts for military active duty, good student, anti-lock brakes, seat belt use, air bags, and anti-theft.
• SAFECO offers discounts including accident prevention training, teen safety rewards, bundle discounts, anti-theft, safe driver, and anti-lock brakes.

Check with each company or agent to apply every possible discount. Some discounts listed above may not apply to policies in Houston.

Do I need a local insurance agent?

Many drivers would rather have an agent’s advice and that is just fine! A good thing about comparing rate quotes online is that you can obtain cheaper premium rates but also keep your business local. And providing support for local insurance agents is important especially in Houston.

After completing this short form, your insurance data is emailed to agents in your area who can give free rate quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. It makes it easy because there is no need to contact an agency due to the fact that quote results will go immediately to you. You can find better rates without a big time investment. If you want to quote rates from a specific company, you just need to jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.

Types of car insurance agents in Houston

When finding an insurance agent, it helps to know the two different agency structures and how they can quote your rates. Car insurance policy providers are categorized either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.

Independent Agencies or Brokers

Agents in the independent channel are not employed by any specific company and that is an advantage because they can write policies with lots of companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If they quote lower rates, an independent agent can move your coverage and you can keep the same agent. When shopping rates, you should always compare quotes from multiple independent agents in order to compare the most rates. Most have the option of insuring with smaller companies that can offer cheaper rates than bigger companies.

Featured below is a short list of independent agents in Houston who may be able to give you comparison quotes.

• Hispanos Insurance Agency
  8624 Long Point Rd – Houston, TX 77055 – (713) 827-1277 – View Map
• TDECU INSURANCE AGENCY, LLC
  1235 N Loop W Fwy #1100 – Houston, TX 77008 – (979) 238-8283 – View Map
• Hotchkiss Insurance Agency
  13430 Northwest Fwy #600 – Houston, TX 77040 – (713) 956-9800 – View Map

More insurance agents

Exclusive Agents

Agents in the exclusive channel can only place business with one company like State Farm, Allstate, or Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. These agents are highly trained on their company’s products which helps offset the inability to provide other markets. Drivers often purchase coverage from exclusives mostly because of the prominent brand name and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.

Listed below are Houston exclusive insurance agents that can give you comparison quotes.

• State Farm: Jack Wallace
  3405 Mercer St – Houston, TX 77027 – (713) 626-7500 – View Map
• Armando Valdez – State Farm Insurance Agent
  12941 North Fwy #608 – Houston, TX 77060 – (281) 537-7890 – View Map
• State Farm: Al Johnson
  8121 Broadway St #230 – Houston, TX 77061 – (281) 481-5778 – View Map

More insurance agents

Choosing an insurance agent shouldn’t rely on just the price. Agents should be asked these questions:

• Are there any discounts that you might be missing?
• Do they feel the quoted coverages are adequate?
• When do they do policy reviews?
• Do they get paid more for recommending certain coverages?
• Did they already check your driving record and credit reports?
• Does the agency have a current Errors and Omissions policy?
• Do they have advanced training designations such as CPCU, AAI, AIC, or CIC?

Upon receiving positive feedback to your questions as well as an affordable premium quote, you may have just found an insurance agent that can be trusted to properly insure your vehicles.

Tricks in auto insurance advertising

Well-known auto insurance companies like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive endlessly run ads in print and on television. They all make an identical promise that drivers will save a bundle if you move to their company. That’s great but how can every company make the same claim? Here is the trick they use.

Different companies quote their cheapest rates for a prospective insured that will most likely be profitable. A good example of a preferred risk may need to be over age 30, has other policies, and has a high credit rating. Someone who fits those characteristics will get low car insurance rates and have a good chance to save a lot of money.

Consumers who cannot meet those criteria will get a higher premium which translates to the customer buying from someone else. The ads state “drivers that switch” not “everyone who quotes” can save as much as they claim. That’s why insurance companies can advertise the savings.

Each company has different criteria, so drivers must get a wide range of price quotes. It is impossible to guess which auto insurance company will have the lowest Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance in Houston.

How to know if you need help

When it comes to choosing coverage, there really is no best way to insure your cars. Everyone’s needs are different.

Here are some questions about coverages that might help in determining if your situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• Are all vehicle passengers covered by medical payments coverage?
• Am I covered if I hit a deer?
• How much can I save by bundling my policies?
• Is my custom stereo system covered?
• Is my teenager covered with friends in the car?
• What are good deductibles for a Toyota FJ Cruiser?
• What is the difference between personal and commercial auto insurance policies?
• Is a new car covered when I drive it off the dealer lot?
• Should I carry comprehensive and collision coverage?

If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form.

Auto insurance 101

Having a good grasp of your policy can be of help when determining the best coverages and proper limits and deductibles. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement.

Comprehensive coverages

This coverage will pay to fix damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible and the remainder of the damage will be paid by comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive coverage protects against things like rock chips in glass, vandalism, a broken windshield, falling objects and hitting a bird. The maximum payout you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the ACV or actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Liability insurance

This coverage will cover damage that occurs to other’s property or people in an accident. It protects YOU from claims by other people. Liability doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You commonly see liability limits of 30/60/25 that means you have $30,000 bodily injury coverage, a total of $60,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged property. Occasionally you may see one number which is a combined single limit which combines the three limits into one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability can pay for claims like bail bonds, attorney fees, medical expenses, emergency aid and structural damage. How much coverage you buy is a personal decision, but you should buy as much as you can afford. Texas state minimum liability requirements are 30/60/25 but it’s recommended drivers buy higher limits.

Coverage for medical payments

Coverage for medical payments and/or PIP reimburse you for short-term medical expenses for funeral costs, X-ray expenses, rehabilitation expenses, hospital visits and ambulance fees. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants in addition to getting struck while a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not universally available and gives slightly broader coverage than med pay

Collision protection

This pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from a collision with an object or car. You will need to pay your deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision coverage protects against claims such as hitting a mailbox, sustaining damage from a pot hole, colliding with another moving vehicle, scraping a guard rail and hitting a parking meter. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also bump up the deductible on your FJ Cruiser to save money on collision insurance.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage

This coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” either have no liability insurance or not enough. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your Toyota FJ Cruiser.

Due to the fact that many Texas drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required (Texas limits are 30/60/25), their limits can quickly be used up. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages is a good idea. Frequently these coverages are similar to your liability insurance amounts.

Keep this in mind when shopping around

You just learned a lot of ways to find affordable Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance in Houston. It’s most important to understand that the more quotes you get, the better chance you’ll have of finding affordable Toyota FJ Cruiser insurance quotes. Drivers may even discover the biggest savings come from some of the smallest insurance companies.

Insureds leave their current company for a number of reasons such as high prices, policy cancellation, policy non-renewal and denial of a claim. Whatever your reason, choosing a new company is not as difficult as it may seem.

When you buy Houston car insurance online, make sure you don’t reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, someone sacrificed comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to discover later that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your goal should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best possible price, but do not sacrifice coverage to save money.

Helpful information

• Higher speed limits cause more fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• How Much are Houston Auto Insurance Rates for a Hyundai Sonata? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Quotes for a 20 Year Old Male in Houston? (FAQ)
• How Much are Houston Car Insurance Quotes for Immigrants? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Houston Auto Insurance Rates for Drivers Requiring a SR22? (FAQ)
• Red Light Cameras (State Farm)
• Uninsured Motorists: Threats on the Road (Insurance Information Institute)