Are you researching lower-priced Buick Lucerne insurance in Houston? Are you at wits end from sacrificing to insure your Buick every month? You are no different than many other Texas drivers.
Sad but true, almost 70% of drivers in Texas have remained with the same insurance company for at least the last four years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never quoted insurance rates at all. American drivers could pocket up to $859 a year just by getting comparison quotes, but they just don’t understand how easy it is to find affordable rates by getting comparison quotes.
Many car insurance companies vie for your business, and it can be difficult to compare rates to find the absolute best price available on Buick Lucerne insurance in Houston.
If you have insurance now, you will most likely be able to find better prices using the ideas you’re about to read. Choosing the best rates in Houston is quite easy if you know the best way to do it. But Texas consumers do need to learn how insurance companies price online insurance and use it to your advantage.
When shopping for Buick Lucerne insurance in Houston there are multiple ways of comparing rates from auto insurance companies in your area. The quickest method to find cheaper Buick Lucerne rates is to use the internet to compare rates.
Doing price comparisons online is so simple that it makes it obsolete to call or drive to each insurance agency near you. Comparing online rate quotes makes this process obsolete unless you require the extra assistance of a local agency. Although, it is possible comparison shop your insurance online but have your policy serviced through an agent. It’s important to know that comparing a wide range of rates provides better odds of finding a better price. Not every company allows you to get price estimates online, so you also need to get quotes from the smaller companies as well.
The companies shown below are ready to provide free rate quotes in Houston, TX. If more than one company is shown, it’s highly recommended you get rates from several of them in order to find the cheapest rates.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucerne CX | $368 | $720 | $514 | $30 | $154 | $1,786 | $149 |
| Lucerne CXL | $270 | $472 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,260 | $105 |
| Lucerne CXL Special Edition | $318 | $828 | $430 | $26 | $128 | $1,730 | $144 |
| Lucerne Super | $178 | $360 | $366 | $22 | $110 | $1,036 | $86 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Price data assumes married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Table data does not factor in vehicle location which can lower or raise price quotes greatly.
Careless driving habits raise Houston auto insurance rates
The illustration below illustrates how traffic citations and at-fault fender-benders drive up Buick Lucerne insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The premiums are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
Physical damage deductibles
The hardest decision when buying coverage is which deductibles should you choose. The rates below can help you visualize the price difference of buying low and high comp and collision deductibles. The first price estimate table uses a $250 deductible and the second set of prices uses a $500 deductible.
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucerne CX | $332 | $584 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,459 | $122 |
| Lucerne CXL | $332 | $584 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,459 | $122 |
| Lucerne CXL Special Edition | $332 | $672 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,547 | $129 |
| Lucerne Super | $370 | $672 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,585 | $132 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
| Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lucerne CX | $270 | $472 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,260 | $105 |
| Lucerne CXL | $270 | $472 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,260 | $105 |
| Lucerne CXL Special Edition | $270 | $542 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,330 | $111 |
| Lucerne Super | $300 | $542 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,360 | $113 |
| Get Your Own Custom Quote Go | |||||||
Above prices assume married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Estimates do not factor in specific location information which can decrease or increase premium rates significantly.
Based on this data, we can arrive at the conclusion that using a $250 deductible will cost you approximately $17 more each month or $204 annually than quoting the higher $500 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $250 more to settle a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you usually have at least 15 months between claims, you would probably save some money by selecting a higher deductible. The table below shows the way you can do this calculation yourself.
| Average monthly premium for $250 deductibles: | $126 |
| Average monthly premium for $500 deductibles (subtract): | – $109 |
| Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $17 |
| Difference between deductibles ($500 – $250): | $250 |
| Divide difference by monthly savings: | $250 / $17 |
| Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 15 months |
One important note is that a higher deductible means you will have to pay more of your own money when you file a claim. You must have enough disposable savings in the event you have to pay the higher deductible.
Do you need full coverage?
The information below shows the comparison of Buick Lucerne insurance prices with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying liability only. The premiums assume no accidents or driving violations, $500 deductibles, married female driver, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
When to stop buying full coverage
There is no specific rule of when to eliminate full coverage, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
For example, let’s say your Buick Lucerne settlement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most you would receive is $7,000 after you pay the deductible. If you are currently paying more than $700 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.
There are a few situations where dropping full coverage is not advised. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to keep full coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should not consider dropping full coverage.
Why insurance is not optional
Even though Houston Lucerne insurance rates can get expensive, maintaining insurance is a good idea for several reasons.
- Almost all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means state laws require specific limits of liability insurance in order to be legal. 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 have a loan on your vehicle, it’s guaranteed your bank will make it a condition of the loan that you buy full coverage to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the bank will be required to insure your Buick at an extremely high rate and force you to pay the higher price.
- Insurance protects your Buick and your assets. Insurance will pay for medical expenses for both you and anyone you injure as the result of an accident. One policy coverage, liability insurance, will also pay to defend you if you are sued as the result of your driving. If you have damage to your Buick as the result of the weather or an accident, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of buying enough insurance more than offset the price you pay, particularly for liability claims. Today the average American driver is wasting up to $810 a year so it’s very important to do a rate comparison at every policy renewal to make sure the price is not too high.
Are car insurance companies telling the truth?
Popular car insurance providers such as Allstate, GEICO and Progressive continually stream television and radio advertisements. All the companies state the claim about saving some big amount if you move to their company. Is it even possible that every company can charge less that you’re paying now? It’s all in the wording.
Different companies are able to cherry pick for the driver that earns them a profit. One example of a desirable insured could possibly be between the ages of 30 and 45, has no prior claims, and insures a new vehicle. Any driver that fits those parameters will most likely get cheap premium rates as well as save money with a new company.
Insureds who are not a match for these standards will probably be forced to pay higher rates and the customer buying from someone else. The wording the ads use say “customers who switch” but not “all drivers who get quotes” can save as much as they claim. That’s the way insurance companies can confidently state the savings.
Because of this risk profiling, it is so important to get Houston auto insurance quotes from several different companies. It’s just too difficult to predict which car insurance company will have the lowest Buick Lucerne insurance in Houston.
Car insurance policy discounts you can’t miss
Car insurance is expensive, but there’s a good chance there are discounts that could drop your premiums quite a bit. A few discounts will be applied at the time of quoting, but a few must be inquired about before you get the savings.
- Safe Drivers – Drivers without accidents can save up to 40% or more on their Houston auto insurance quote compared to accident prone drivers.
- Early Renewal Discounts – Some car insurance companies provide a discount for buying a policy prior to your current Lucerne insurance policy expiring. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Low Mileage – Low mileage vehicles could earn cheaper prices.
- Online Discount – Some of the larger companies will give a small break for buying your policy online.
- Air Bag Discount – Vehicles with factory air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems can receive discounts of 20 to 30 percent.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle up could save 15% on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of paying each month you may reduce your total bill.
- Clubs and Organizations – Participating in certain professional organizations is a simple method to lower premiums on your policy.
- Active Service Discounts – Being deployed in the military could qualify you for better rates.
It’s important to understand that some of the credits will not apply to the overall cost of the policy. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. Even though it appears adding up those discounts means a free policy, company stockholders wouldn’t be very happy.
Auto insurance companies that may offer quotes with these discounts are:
If you are trying to find affordable Buick Lucerne insurance quotes, ask every prospective company how many discounts you can get. Savings may not be offered in your area. For a list of providers with discount rates in Texas, click here.
Insurance agent or online?
A lot of people still like to sit down and talk to an agent and that is not a bad decision One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is that you can obtain cheap insurance rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from and supporting local insurance agents is especially important in Houston.
For easy comparison, once you complete this form (opens in new window), the quote information is instantly submitted to participating agents in Houston that provide free Houston auto insurance quotes to get your business. You don’t have to leave your computer because prices are sent to you directly. You can find lower rates without the usual hassles of price shopping. If you wish to get a price quote from a particular provider, just visit that company’s website and fill out their quote form.
Two types of car insurance agents
If you are searching for local Houston agents, it’s important to understand the types of insurance agents from which to choose. Agencies in Houston may be either independent agents or exclusive agents.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Independent agents often have many company appointments so they can write business with a variety of different insurance companies and possibly get better coverage at lower prices. If they find a cheaper price, your agent can just switch to a different company which requires no work on your part.
If you are comparing rate quotes, it’s recommended you get quotes from several independent agencies to ensure the widest selection of prices.
Listed below is a short list of independent insurance agents in Houston that may be able to give price quote information.
Gem Insurance Agencies
3355 W Alabama St #850 – Houston, TX 77098 – (713) 622-2330 – View Map
Town and Country Insurance Agency – Houston, TX
10575 Katy Fwy # 150 – Houston, TX 77024 – (713) 461-8979 – View Map
El Dorado Insurance Agency, Inc
3673 Westcenter Dr – Houston, TX 77042 – (800) 221-3386 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents of this type can only quote rates from one company such as AAA, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, and Allstate. They are unable to give you multiple price quotes so you might not find the best rates. These agents are highly trained on their company’s products and that can be a competitive advantage.
Below are exclusive agencies in Houston willing to provide rate quotes.
Sean Wong – State Farm Insurance Agent
7035 Hwy 6 N – Houston, TX 77095 – (281) 550-0555 – View Map
State Farm: Jack Wallace
3405 Mercer St – Houston, TX 77027 – (713) 626-7500 – View Map
Ricky Maique – State Farm Insurance Agent
8811 Westheimer Rd #205 – Houston, TX 77063 – (713) 781-6132 – View Map
Finding the right auto insurance agent needs to be determined by more than just a cheap price quote. Get answers to these questions too.
- In the event of vehicle damage, can you pick the collision repair facility?
- Do they offer rental car reimbursement?
- Does the agency have a positive business rating?
- Are they full-time agents?
- How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
A little work can save a LOT of money
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s not a good idea to buy poor coverage just to save money. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced collision coverage only to find out they didn’t have enough coverage. The aim is to purchase a proper amount of coverage for the lowest price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Lower-priced Buick Lucerne insurance in Houston is available on the web and from local agencies, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best selection. Some companies may not have online price quotes and usually these small, regional companies only sell coverage through independent agencies.
More tips and info about insurance can be read in these articles:
- Teen Driving and Texting (State Farm)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for Used Cars in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes for Low Mileage Drivers in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for Drivers with Good Credit in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for a Nissan Sentra in Houston? (FAQ)
- How Much is Car Insurance for Retired Military in Houston? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for College Students in Houston? (FAQ)
- A Tree Fell on Your Car: Now What? (Allstate)
- Parking Tips to Reduce Door Dings (State Farm)