Compare Chevy Equinox Insurance Rates in Houston

Are you tired of overpaying and want low-cost Chevy Equinox insurance in Houston? Did you come to the realization that you have an underperforming, overpriced auto insurance policy? Don’t feel bad because many Houston drivers feel the same as you.

Unthinkable but true, nearly 70% of drivers kept their coverage with the same auto insurance company for four years or more, and 38% of drivers have never shopped around. Houston consumers could save $1,766 a year, but most undervalue how much they could save if they moved their coverage to a different company.

Vehicle owners have so many insurers to insure vehicles with, and although it’s nice to be able to choose, too many choices makes it more difficult to get the best deal for Chevy Equinox insurance in Houston.

How to find the cheapest Chevy Equinox insurance in Houston, TX

When price shopping your coverage, comparing a wide range of rates helps improve the odds of finding the best price.

The companies shown below have been selected to offer quotes in Houston, TX. If multiple companies are listed, we suggest you get prices from several of them to get the most competitive price.

Cost estimates assume single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, claim-free, and multi-policy. Premium amounts do not factor in garaging location in Houston which can impact premium rates substantially.

Should you raise deductibles?

One of the more difficult decisions when buying auto insurance is how high or low should comp and collision deductibles be. The comparisons below can help illustrate the rate fluctuation between low and high comp and collision deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $100 physical damage coverage deductible and the second rate chart uses a $1,000 deductible.

Price data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in specific garaging location which can raise or lower premiums considerably.

Based on the figures above, using a $100 deductible costs about $40 more each month or $480 each year than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would pay $900 more out of your own pocket with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you go more than 23 months between claims, you would save more money if you decide on a higher deductible. Below is a better example of how you can do this calculation yourself.

Physical damage deductibles

The diagram below shows how choosing a deductible and can raise or lower Chevrolet Equinox insurance premiums for each age group. The premiums are based on a married female driver, full coverage, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Age-based auto insurance rates by gender

The chart below visualizes the comparison of Chevrolet Equinox auto insurance costs for male and female drivers. The price estimates are based on no tickets, no at-fault accidents, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are single, and no policy discounts are applied.

Determine discounts on Houston insurance

Car insurance is not cheap, but you might find some hidden discounts to help offset the cost. Some of these discounts will be visible at the time you complete a quote, but some discounts are required to be asked about prior to getting the savings.

• Theft Prevention System – Vehicles equipped with anti-theft or alarm systems help deter theft and earn discounts up to 10% off your Houston car insurance quote.
• Federal Government Employee – Active or former government employment can save as much as 8% with some insurance companies.
• No Charge for an Accident – Not necessarily a discount, but companies like Progressive, Allstate, and Liberty Mutual will allow you to have one accident before raising your premiums with the catch being you have to be claim-free before the accident.
• 55 and Retired – Mature drivers may receive a discount up to 10%.
• Telematics Data Discounts – People who choose to allow their company to look at driving habits by installing a telematics device such as Progressive’s Snapshot might see lower rates if they have good driving habits.
• Multi-line Discount – If the company offers life insurance, you could get a discount if you purchase a life policy as well.
• Discount for Swiching Early – Some insurance companies provide a discount for buying a policy prior to your current Equinox insurance policy expiration. You could save around 10% when you buy Houston car insurance online.
• No Claim Discounts – Claim-free drivers can save substantially compared to frequent claim filers.
• Passenger Safety Discount – Factory options such as air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems may get savings of up to 25% or more.

Don’t be shocked that most discount credits are not given to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce individual premiums such as physical damage coverage or medical payments. Just because you may think you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you aren’t that lucky.

The best insurance companies and their possible discounts are:

• State Farm may include discounts for Drive Safe & Save, student away at school, safe vehicle, defensive driving training, and multiple policy.
• Progressive includes discounts for online signing, good student, homeowner, multi-policy, and online quote discount.
• Travelers discounts include driver training, multi-policy, continuous insurance, home ownership, hybrid/electric vehicle, and student away at school.
• American Family offers discounts including air bags, Steer into Savings, defensive driver, bundled insurance, and mySafetyValet.
• Liberty Mutual has discounts for newly married, hybrid vehicle, multi-car, exclusive group savings, newly retired, and good student.

If you are trying to find inexpensive Houston car insurance quotes, ask each company which credits you are entitled to. All car insurance discounts might not be offered in Houston. If you would like to choose from a list of insurance companies that offer many of these discounts in Texas, click here to view.

You Can Change Your Insurance Premiums

It’s important that you understand some of the elements that aid in calculating the level of your policy premiums. When you understand what determines premiums, this allows you to make educated decisions that will entitle you to big savings.

Listed below are some of the major factors that factor into your rate level.

Deter vehicle theft – Driving a car with a theft deterrent system can earn a premium discount. Systems that thwart thieves like tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent car theft.

Don’t skimp on liability – The liability section of your policy kicks in if you are found liable for causing personal injury or damage in an accident. Liability insurance provides legal defense to attempt to prove you were not liable. This coverage is very inexpensive compared to physical damage coverage, so do not cut corners here.

Men are more aggressive – The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. It does not mean females are better drivers. They both get in at-fault accidents at about the same rate, but the males cause more damage and cost insurance companies more money. They also receive more major tickets such as driving while intoxicated (DWI) or driving recklessly. Teenage male drivers generally have the highest accident percentage and therefore pay the highest rates.

No auto insurance claims equals cheaper rates – Insurance companies in Texas provide better rates to insureds that do not abuse their auto insurance. If you file claims often, you can pretty much guarantee increased rates or even have your policy non-renewed. Your insurance policy is intended for claims that you cannot pay yourself.

Performance makes a difference – The performance of the car or truck you drive makes a huge difference in the rate you pay. The cheapest rates will normally be found when insuring economy passenger cars, but the cost you end up paying is determined by many additional factors. Because the Chevrolet Equinox falls in the crossover class, rates will be slightly more when compared to the average rates in Houston.

Never let your coverage expire – Not maintaining insurance can get you a ticket and companies may charge more for letting your coverage have a gap. Not only will rates go up, failure to provide proof of insurance could result in fines and jail time.

Poor driving habits means higher prices – Attentive drivers tend to pay less for car insurance than bad drivers. Just one ticket may increase your cost by as much as thirty percent. Drivers who have flagrant citations such as DUI or reckless driving may face state-mandated requirements to file a proof of financial responsibility form (SR-22) with their state motor vehicle department in order to keep their license.

Insurance losses for a Chevy Equinox – Insurance companies use past loss statistics for each vehicle when setting rates for each model. Models that historically have higher claim amounts or frequency will have higher rates for specific coverages. The table below outlines the insurance loss data used by companies for Chevy Equinox vehicles.

For each coverage type, the claim probability for all vehicles compiled together is set at 100. Percentage numbers below 100 imply a favorable loss record, while values that are above 100 indicate frequent claims or tendency to have higher losses.

Compare rate quotes but buy from a local neighborhood Houston car insurance agent

Certain consumers still prefer to have an agent’s advice and doing that can be a smart decision The best thing about comparing car insurance online is you may find better rates but also keep your business local.

Upon completion of this quick form, the coverage information is transmitted to insurance agents in Houston that can give you free Houston car insurance quotes and help you find cheaper coverage. You won’t need to contact any insurance agencies since price quotes are sent to you instantly. You can most likely find cheaper rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you want to get a price quote from a specific insurance company, you can always search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.

Choosing an company requires more thought than just the quoted price. Here are some questions to ask:

• What company holds the largest book of business for them?
• Do they prorate repair cost based on vehicle mileage?
• Do they carry Errors and Omissions coverage?
• Can they help ensure a fair claim settlement?
• Do you work with a CSR or direct with the agent?

When narrowing the list to find an insurance agent, it can be helpful to understand the different types of agencies and how they can quote your rates. Car insurance agencies are categorized either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.

Exclusive Car Insurance Agents

Agents that elect to be exclusive have only one company to place business with and examples are AAA, Allstate, State Farm, or Farmers Insurance. These agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so it’s a take it or leave it situation. Exclusive agents receive a lot of sales training on their company’s products and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.

Below is a short list of exclusive agencies in Houston who may provide you with comparison quotes.

More Houston agents

Independent Car Insurance Agents

These agents often have affiliation with several companies and that allows them to write policies with a variety of different insurance companies and potentially find a lower price. To move your coverage to a new company, they can switch companies in-house without you having to go to a different agency. When comparing rate quotes, we recommend you compare prices from several independent insurance agents for the best price selection.

The following are independent insurance agencies in Houston that are able to give comparison quotes.

More Houston agents

Insurance savings promises

GEICO, State Farm and Progressive constantly bombard you with ads in print and on television. All the companies make the same claim about how much you will save if you get a free Houston car insurance quote and switch to them. How does each company claim to save you money? Here is the trick they use.

Insurance companies have strict underwriting profiles for the type of insured that earns them the most money. One example of a desirable risk may be over the age of 40, owns a home, and drives less than 7,500 miles a year. Anyone who meets those qualifications is entitled to the best price and will also save a lot of money.

People who don’t meet those standards may be required to pay higher prices which usually ends up with the customer buying from a different company. The ad wording is “drivers who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” save that kind of money. That’s the way insurance companies can claim big savings. Each company has different criteria, so you need to compare as many free Houston car insurance quotes as you can. It is just not possible to predict which insurance company will provide the lowest Chevy Equinox insurance in Houston.

In Summary

There are still a few companies who do not provide online rate quotes and usually these regional carriers sell through independent insurance agencies. Budget-friendly insurance in Houston is available on the web and with local Houston insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to get a complete price analysis.

We just covered many tips how you can lower your Chevy Equinox insurance premium rates in Houston. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the better your chances of lowering your prices. Consumers could even find that the lowest premium rates come from a smaller regional carrier. Some small companies often have lower prices on specific markets than the large multi-state companies such as GEICO and State Farm.

More tips and info about insurance can be found in these articles:

• New head restraint design cuts injuries (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Who Has Cheap Houston Auto Insurance Quotes for Teenage Females? (FAQ)
• Senior Drivers (Insurance Information Institute)
• Things to Know Before you Cancel Insurance (Allstate)
• Driving in Bad Weather (Insurance Information Institute)