The make and model of vehicle you are insuring is one of the primary factors when consumers are trying to find cheap car insurance for 19 year olds. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, an excellent safety record, or low incidents of liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than higher performance models.
The table below ranks coverage rates for a selection of the most budget-friendly vehicles to insure in Texas.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $3,554 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $3,563 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $3,801 |
| Toyota Prius | $3,843 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $3,877 |
| Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr | $3,919 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $4,089 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $4,124 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $4,132 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $4,166 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT AWD | $4,173 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $4,166 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $4,176 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $4,166 |
| Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $4,174 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $4,208 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SXT | $4,217 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $4,208 |
| Ford F-150 FX4 Super Cab 4WD | $4,216 |
| Honda Civic LX-S 4-Dr Sedan | $4,370 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | |
Data based on single female driver age 19, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Premium amounts do not factor in your specific Houston, TX location which can change rates substantially.
Looking at the data, you can presume that models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Hyundai Elantra, and Toyota Prius are most likely going to be a few of the most affordable vehicles to insure for teenage drivers. The cost of a car insurance policy will tend to be more expensive anyway because of the fact that there is more liability exposure for 19 year olds, but overall those models will probably have the lowest insurance prices that you are likely to find.
One of the many components that are looked at to determine the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is where your car is garaged. Areas with more people or even just a higher incidence of claims tend to pay more, whereas areas with fewer weather claims and lower vehicle theft rates have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The following table sorts the most expensive areas in Texas for 19 year olds to buy car insurance in. Houston ranks #3 with an annual rate of $1,909 for the average policyholder, which is around $159 monthly.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $1,956 |
| 2 | Brownsville | $1,927 |
| 3 | Houston | $1,909 |
| 4 | Laredo | $1,889 |
| 5 | Amarillo | $1,858 |
| 6 | Garland | $1,850 |
| 7 | Dallas | $1,837 |
| 8 | Mesquite | $1,807 |
| 9 | Grand Prairie | $1,793 |
| 10 | Beaumont | $1,754 |
| 11 | Pasadena | $1,740 |
| 12 | Irving | $1,736 |
| 13 | Lubbock | $1,716 |
| 14 | Austin | $1,676 |
| 15 | San Antonio | $1,671 |
| 16 | Carrollton | $1,664 |
| 17 | Arlington | $1,642 |
| 18 | Plano | $1,624 |
| 19 | McKinney | $1,609 |
| 20 | Fort Worth | $1,604 |
| 21 | Corpus Christi | $1,588 |
| 22 | El Paso | $1,584 |
| 23 | Waco | $1,569 |
| 24 | Abilene | $1,561 |
| 25 | Killeen | $1,518 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
Premium amounts are estimated as the garaging address in Houston can lower or raise premium rates substantially.
Deciphering which companies have the most affordable car insurance rates for 19 year olds will involve a bit more effort than just getting one or two price quotes. Each insurance company has a unique formula for setting rates, so let’s rank the most budget-friendly car insurance companies in Texas.
It’s a good idea to know that Texas car insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can substantially change your annual premium. Simply turning a year older, having a teenage driver, or getting a DUI can trigger price changes that can now make some companies more affordable than the competition.
Best Auto Insurance Prices for Teens
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelers | $1,041 |
| 2 | USAA | $1,095 |
| 3 | Texas Farm Bureau | $1,247 |
| 4 | Germania Mutual | $1,256 |
| 5 | Esurance | $1,379 |
| 6 | California Casualty | $1,396 |
| 7 | Mercury | $1,461 |
| 8 | State Farm | $1,465 |
| 9 | Nationwide | $1,538 |
| 10 | Safe Auto | $1,597 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,715 |
| 12 | Allstate | $1,718 |
| 13 | Amica | $1,775 |
| 14 | Home State | $2,092 |
| 15 | GEICO | $2,093 |
| 16 | MetLife | $2,161 |
| 17 | Encompass | $2,232 |
| 18 | Unitrin | $2,241 |
| 19 | 21st Century | $2,469 |
| 20 | Titan | $2,594 |
| Get Personalized Rates Go | ||
Travelers offers some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Houston at around $1,041 per year. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance also rank well as some of the best Houston, TX auto insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you are a policyholder with Germania Mutual and switched to Travelers, you could earn annual savings of upwards of $215. Texas drivers with Esurance could save as much as $338 a year, and California Casualty customers might cut rates by $355 a year.
These policy prices are averages for all drivers and vehicles and do not factor in an exact location for 19 year olds. So the car insurance company that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the list above. That emphasizes why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
Full coverage or liability only
Paying a lower price for car insurance is important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one great way to pay lower rates for insurance for 19 year olds is to buy liability only. The diagram below shows the comparison of insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. Data assumes no accidents or driving violations, $100 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
As an average, comp and collision coverage costs $2,922 per year more than carrying just liability coverage. That is a large expense which might make you wonder if buying full coverage is a waste of money. There is no exact rule to delete comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is more than about 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
There are a few situations where only buying liability is not in your best interest. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest in the vehicle. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should not opt for liability only.
Choosing the right insurer can be challenging considering how many companies there are in Texas. The company rank data below may help you decide which car insurance companies you want to consider comparing rate quotes with. These ratings are for large nationwide companies, so companies that focus mainly on Texas business will not be included in the list.
Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies Overall in Houston
- Travelers
- USAA
- Mercury Insurance
- AAA Insurance
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
Top 10 Major Auto Insurance Companies in Houston Ranked by Claims Service
- Travelers
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- State Farm
- Liberty Mutual
- GEICO
- American Family
- Esurance
- Titan Insurance
- AAA Insurance
Why are you paying too much for car insurance?
Houston car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price you pay for coverage. Simply having a birthday, buying a different vehicle, or getting a few speeding tickets can cause premium changes that can make some companies cheaper than competitors. Not only may your situation change, but car insurance companies change premium rates without warning in order to be able to pay unexpected claims. Higher than normal claim frequency or severity may result in rate hikes, while a profitable period may result in lower-priced Houston car insurance rates.
To help illustrate this point, the chart below shows which companies have the cheapest car insurance in Houston, TX for a 30-year-old male driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and a good credit rating. When comparing rates based on his current risk profile, Travelers has the lowest car insurance rates in Houston at $1,284 a year. This is $620 less than the average rate paid by Texas drivers of $1,904. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance round out the rest of the cheapest Houston, TX auto insurance companies.
Now we will pretend the driver from the first set of rates a chargeable accident, less-than-perfect credit, and a traffic ticket or two. Since every car insurance company has their own process to establish rates, analyzing rates could result in a substantially altered list of cheap Houston auto insurance companies as shown below.
State Farm now has the lowest price in Houston, TX with Mercury, USAA, Nationwide, and Safe Auto also having competitive pricing. This example proves why it is so important to do a thorough rate comparison when trying to get the most affordable car insurance quotes for 19 year olds. Rates are made up of many factors and change dramatically, so the most economical option three years ago may now be quite expensive.