Toyota Prius Insurance Quotes in Houston

Has it been a year or more since you last compared quotes for lower-priced Toyota Prius insurance in Houston? Are you frustrated by the wide range of car insurance sources in your area? Many other drivers are as well. You have so many sources to choose from that it can be a difficult challenge to find better rates for Toyota Prius insurance in Houston. Houston has lots to offer, but trying to pay high car insurance rates makes it impossible to pay for enough car insurance coverage.

Sad but true, a large majority of consumers have purchased from the same company for over three years, and almost half have never compared rates from other carriers. Most drivers in Texas could save up to $1,800 every year by just comparing quotes, but most just don’t grasp how much they could save if they moved their coverage to a different company.

Buying the most affordable coverage in Houston is not as hard as you may think. Virtually everyone who shops for car insurance should buy a cheaper policy. Although Texas vehicle owners need to learn the way companies calculate their prices because it can help you find the best coverage.

Cheapest companies for Toyota Prius insurance

The auto insurance companies shown below are ready to provide free quotes in Houston, TX. If multiple providers are shown, it’s highly recommended you get rate quotes from several of them in order to find the cheapest rates.

Data based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, and safe-driver. Prices do not factor in garaging location in Houston which can affect auto insurance rates noticeably.

How high should deductibles be?

One frequently asked question is how high should the physical damage deductibles be. The tables below determine the costs and benefits when you choose different deductibles. The first pricing table uses a $100 physical damage coverage deductible and the second price chart uses a $500 deductible.

Prices based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Price information does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can alter rates considerably.

We can estimate from the data above that using a $100 deductible will cost you about $26 more each month or $312 for a full year than selecting the higher $500 deductible. Because you would be required to pay $400 more out of your own pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you normally go more than 15 months between claims, you would probably save some money by going with a higher deductible. Here is how you can make this decision for your own policy.

One important note is that a higher deductible results in having to pay to pay more out-of-pocket when you have a claim. It will be required that you have enough money in the bank in the event you have to pay more for the deductible.

Where to set your deductibles

The example below demonstrates how deductible levels and can change Toyota Prius premium costs for different age groups. The premiums are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are factored in.

Annual premiums for males versus females

The information below illustrates the difference between Toyota Prius premium costs for male and female drivers. The price estimates are based on no claims or violations, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

Earn discounts to get lower-cost Houston car insurance quotes

Properly insuring your vehicles can get expensive, but companies offer discounts that can dramatically reduce your bill. Some trigger automatically when you purchase, but some need to be asked about prior to receiving the credit.

• Payment Discounts – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of making monthly payments you could save 5% or more.
• Discounts for Cautious Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents can save as much as half off their rates than drivers with accidents.
• Braking Control Discount – Cars with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
• Seat Belts Save more than Lives – Drivers who require all occupants to buckle their seat belts could cut 10% or more on the medical payments or PIP coverage costs.
• Discount for Home Ownership – Owning your own home or condo can save you money because owning a home demonstrates responsibility.

You can save money using discounts, but most credits do not apply to the entire cost. Most cut the price of certain insurance coverages like liability and collision coverage. So even though you would think adding up those discounts means a free policy, insurance companies wouldn’t stay in business.

A list of companies and a partial list of their discounts are detailed below.

• The Hartford includes discounts for vehicle fuel type, air bag, driver training, defensive driver, bundle, good student, and anti-theft.
• American Family offers discounts for good student, early bird, mySafetyValet, bundled insurance, accident-free, Steer into Savings, and defensive driver.
• Progressive offers discounts including multi-policy, multi-vehicle, good student, online signing, and online quote discount.
• Travelers has discounts for student away at school, driver training, home ownership, multi-car, save driver, and new car.
• Farmers Insurance may have discounts that include multi-car, electronic funds transfer, pay in full, distant student, and alternative fuel.
• USAA may include discounts for vehicle storage, annual mileage, driver training, safe driver, defensive driver, family discount, and new vehicle.
• Liberty Mutual has savings for newly married, exclusive group savings, safety features, new graduate, multi-car, multi-policy, and preferred payment discount.

If you need lower rates, check with all companies you are considering which credits you are entitled to. Some discounts listed above might not be offered in Houston. To choose insurers that offer many of these discounts in Houston, click here to view.

Shop online but buy locally

A small number of people just prefer to buy from a local agent and that is OK! A nice benefit of comparing rate quotes online is the fact that you can find lower rates and also buy local. Putting coverage with neighborhood agents is still important in Houston.

Once you complete this quick form, your coverage information is sent to local insurance agents who will give competitive quotes for your insurance coverage. You won’t need to drive around because quoted prices will be sent directly to your email. You can find better rates without a big time investment. In the event you want to get a price quote for a specific company, just search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.

Shown below are Houston insurers that may be able to provide price quote information for Toyota Prius insurance in Houston.

• Brandon Herndon – State Farm Insurance Agent
  10103 Fondren Rd #150 – Houston, TX 77096 – (832) 431-4222 – View Map
• Sean Wong – State Farm Insurance Agent
  7035 Hwy 6 N – Houston, TX 77095 – (281) 550-0555 – View Map
• Hotchkiss Insurance Agency
  13430 Northwest Fwy #600 – Houston, TX 77040 – (713) 956-9800 – View Map
• Oscar’s Insurance Agency
  5921 S Gessner Rd – Houston, TX 77036 – (713) 271-8889 – View Map

More insurance agents

Finding a good insurer needs to be determined by more than just the price. Any agent in Houston should be willing to answer these questions.

• If you raise deductibles, how much can you save?
• Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
• Is the agent and/or agency licensed to do business in Texas?
• Are aftermarket or OEM parts used to repair vehicles?
• Which members of your family are coverage by the policy?

There’s no such thing as the perfect car insurance policy

When selecting insurance from an agent or online for your personal vehicles, there is no “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and your car insurance should be unique as well.
These are some specific questions may help highlight whether your personal situation would benefit from an agent’s advice.

• What is GAP insurance?
• Does my liability insurance cover pulling a trailer or camper?
• What does medical payments coverage do?
• What should my uninsured motorist coverage limits be in Texas?
• Is my Toyota Prius covered for flood damage?
• Does coverage follow the driver or the vehicle?
• Am I covered if I break a side mirror?
• Do I need PIP (personal injury protection) coverage in Texas?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, then you may want to think about talking to a licensed agent. If you don’t have a local agent, take a second and complete this form or you can also visit this page to select a carrier

Car insurance coverage information

Having a good grasp of car insurance helps when choosing the right coverages for your vehicles. The terms used in a policy can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. These are the normal coverages found on most car insurance policies.

Comprehensive coverage

This covers damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive insurance covers things like rock chips in glass, hail damage and vandalism. The highest amount a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Collision protection

This pays for damage to your Prius from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision insurance covers things like driving through your garage door, crashing into a ditch, colliding with another moving vehicle and hitting a parking meter. This coverage can be expensive, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. Another option is to raise the deductible on your Prius in order to get cheaper collision rates.

Coverage for liability

Liability coverage provides protection from damages or injuries you inflict on other’s property or people. Coverage consists of three different limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 30/60/25 which means a $30,000 limit per person for injuries, $60,000 for the entire accident, and $25,000 of coverage for damaged property. Occasionally you may see a combined single limit or CSL which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability coverage protects against claims such as medical services, pain and suffering, repair costs for stationary objects and repair bills for other people’s vehicles. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but buy as large an amount as possible. Texas requires minimum liability limits of 30/60/25 but you should think about purchasing higher limits.

Medical payments coverage and PIP

Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage kick in for short-term medical expenses such as rehabilitation expenses, pain medications and hospital visits. They can be used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you are not covered by health insurance. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants in addition to being hit by a car walking across the street. PIP is only offered in select states but it provides additional coverages not offered by medical payments coverage

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage

Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants and also any damage incurred to your Toyota Prius.

Because many people carry very low liability coverage limits (Texas limits are 30/60/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. That’s why carrying high Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is a good idea. Normally these coverages do not exceed the liability coverage limits.

Quote more to save more

When buying insurance coverage, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many situations where someone dropped physical damage coverage and learned later that it was a big mistake. Your aim should be to buy the best coverage you can find at the best price and still be able to protect your assets.

We’ve covered a lot of techniques to lower your Toyota Prius insurance prices in Houston. It’s most important to understand that the more you quote Houston car insurance, the better your chances of lowering your rates. You may even discover the lowest prices come from a smaller regional carrier. Smaller companies may have significantly lower rates on certain market segments as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm or Progressive.

Cost effective Toyota Prius insurance can be purchased online as well as from insurance agents, so you need to shop Houston car insurance with both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not offer internet price quotes and many times these regional carriers only sell through independent insurance agencies.

For more information, feel free to visit the articles below:

• Rental Car Insurance Tips (Insurance Information Institute)
• What is the Cheapest Auto Insurance in Houston, TX? (FAQ)
• How Much are Auto Insurance Quotes for Veterans in Houston? (FAQ)
• How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for High Mileage Drivers in Houston? (FAQ)
• Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes for Welfare Recipients in Houston? (FAQ)
• What is Covered by GAP Insurance? (Allstate)
• Auto Crash Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)