Do you get exhausted from robbing Peter to pay Paul to keep your car insured? You’re in the same situation as many other vehicle owners in Texas.
Astonishing but true, almost 70% of drivers have stayed with the same insurance company for well over three years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never even compared rates from other companies. Austin insurance shoppers can cut their rates by up to 70% a year by just comparing rate quotes, but they just assume it takes a lot of time to compare rates.
Many insurance companies vie for your hard-earned dollar, and because of this it can be hard to compare car insurance companies and get the best coverage at the best price available on Kia Niro insurance in Austin.
It’s a good idea to compare prices on a regular basis since prices change regularly. Just because you found the best rates on Kia Niro insurance in Austin on your last policy you can probably find a better premium rate now. Block out anything you think you know about insurance because we’re going to demonstrate the best methods to find the best coverage while lowering your premiums.
Kia Niro Insurance Price Factors
Many factors are used when you get a price on insurance. Some of the criteria are obvious like your driving record, but other factors are less apparent like your continuous coverage or your financial responsibility.
- Never let your policy expire – Not having insurance is not a good idea and as a result your rates will increase for letting your insurance coverage expire. Not only will you pay more, failure to provide proof of insurance may result in fines and jail time.
- High performance equals high rates – The performance of the car or truck you are trying to find cheaper insurance for makes a huge difference in your auto insurance rates. Since the Kia Niro falls in the crossover class, insuring your vehicle will cost slightly more than the average rate where you live in Austin. Smaller low performance passenger models usually have the lowest rates, but many other things help determine your insurance rates.
- Use one insurance company and save – Many companies afford lower prices to clients who carry more than one policy in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even with this discount applied, you still need to comparison shop to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible. It’s possible to still find better rates even if you have your coverage with different companies
- Premiums increase with policy add-ons – Policies have additional coverages you can purchase on your Niro policy. Coverage for things like personal injury protection, high-cost glass coverage, and motor club memberships are some examples. You may think they are a good idea at first, but if they’re wasting money remove them from your policy.
Many insurance companies allow consumers to get prices for coverage on their websites. Getting online quotes for Kia Niro insurance in Austin is pretty easy because you just enter your coverage preferences as requested by the quote form. After the form is submitted, their system will obtain information on your driving record and credit history and provides a quote based on the information you submitted. This streamlines rate comparisons, and it’s absolutely necessary to perform this step if you want to find the best rate on auto insurance.
If you want to compare rates using this form now, compare rates now from the companies shown below. If you have a policy now, it’s recommended you copy coverages and limits exactly as they are listed on your policy. This guarantees you will have an apples-to-apples comparison for the exact same coverage.
The car insurance companies shown below are our best choices to provide comparison quotes in Texas. If the list has multiple companies, we recommend you get rates from several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Why car insurance is not optional
Despite the high cost, insuring your vehicle serves an important purpose.
- The majority of states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means the state requires a minimum amount of liability insurance coverage 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 lien on your Niro, most lenders will force you to have comprehensive coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If the policy lapses, the bank will be required to insure your Kia for a much higher rate and force you to pay for it.
- Insurance protects both your assets and your Kia Niro. It will also reimburse you for all forms of medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. As part of your policy, liability insurance also covers legal expenses if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you receive damage to your vehicle caused by a storm or accident, your policy will pay to restore your vehicle to like-new condition.
The benefits of buying car insurance more than cancel out the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. Today the average American driver overpays as much as $830 a year so compare rates once a year at a minimum to help ensure money is not being wasted.
Cheaper rates with these money saving discounts
Auto insurance is not an enjoyable expense, but there could be significant discounts that can drop the cost substantially. Some discounts will apply when you purchase, but once in a while a discount must be specifically requested in order for you to get them. If you do not double check each discount you qualify for, you may be paying too high a price.
- Distant Student – Kids who are enrolled in higher education away from home and won’t have access to an insured vehicle may be able to be covered for less.
- E-sign – A few larger online companies will give a small break just for signing your application online.
- Multi-car Discount – Buying insurance for primary and secondary vehicles with one company could earn a price break for each car.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Fewer annual miles on your Kia could qualify for lower premium rates on the low mileage vehicles.
- Discounts for New Vehicles – Insuring a vehicle that is new can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for new model year vehicles.
- Active Service Discounts – Having an actively deployed family member can result in better auto insurance rates.
As a sidenote, many deductions do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like it’s possible to get free car insurance, it just doesn’t work that way.
Popular auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are:
- 21st Century offers discounts including teen driver, anti-lock brakes, air bags, 55 and older, homeowners, driver training, and early bird.
- Progressive may have discounts that include online signing, multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, good student, and continuous coverage.
- State Farm discounts include defensive driving training, passive restraint, driver’s education, accident-free, and safe vehicle.
- Nationwide includes discounts for defensive driving, family plan, multi-policy, accident-free, and Farm Bureau membership.
- Esurance may include discounts for emergency road assistance, multi-policy, safety device, multi-car, good student, claim free, and anti-theft.
- The Hartford offers premium reductions for bundle, anti-theft, driver training, defensive driver, air bag, good student, and vehicle fuel type.
When comparing rates, check with every company to apply every possible discount. Some discounts listed above may not be offered in your area. To choose insurers who offer discounts in Texas, click this link.
Local neighborhood Austin car insurance agents
Certain consumers still prefer to get advice from a local agent and that is a personal choice. One of the benefits of comparing rates online is that you can find cheap rate quotes and still buy from a local agent.
After filling out this quick form, the quote information is transmitted to local insurance agents in Austin who will return price quotes to get your business. There is no reason to leave your house as quotes are delivered to you instantly. You can most likely find cheaper rates without requiring a lot of work. If you need to compare prices from a particular provider, don’t hesitate to jump over to their website and fill out their quote form.
Picking an provider should include more criteria than just a low price. These are some questions your agent should answer.
- Are there any hidden costs in their price quote and does it include driving and credit history?
- Are glass claims handled on-site or do you have to take your vehicle to a repair shop?
- Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?
- If your car is totalled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Can you get a list of referrals?
- Is there a 24/7 contact number?
If you prefer to buy insurance from a local Austin insurance agency, it can be helpful to understand the types of insurance agents and how they can service your needs differently. Agents in Austin are classified as either independent (non-exclusive) or exclusive.
Exclusive Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive normally can only provide a single company’s rates and examples are Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. Exclusive agents cannot provide prices from multiple companies so they have no alternatives for high prices. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on the products they sell and that can be a competitive advantage.
Below are exclusive agencies in Austin that can give you price quotes.
Bob Jennings – State Farm Insurance Agent
4405 Pack Saddle Pass – Austin, TX 78745 – (512) 444-9671 – View Map
Stuart Nalewaik – State Farm Insurance Agent
1717 W 6th St #214 – Austin, TX 78703 – (512) 382-6019 – View Map
Herman Askew – State Farm Insurance Agent
13201 Pond Springs Rd #105 – Austin, TX 78729 – (512) 250-5533 – View Map
Independent Insurance Agents
Independent insurance agents do not write with just one company so they can write business with any number of different companies depending on which coverage is best. If your agent finds better pricing, the business is moved internally and you stay with the same agent. If you are trying to find cheaper rates, you definitely need to contact several independent insurance agents for maximum quote selection.
Shown below is a short list of independent insurance agents in Austin that are able to give price quotes.
Central Insurance Agency, Inc.
6000 N Lamar Blvd – Austin, TX 78752 – (512) 451-6551 – View Map
AUSTIN AREA INSURANCE AGENCY
8711 Burnet Rd – Austin, TX 78757 – (512) 253-8726 – View Map
EZ Insurance Agency – North
7600 N Lamar Blvd # E – Austin, TX 78752 – (512) 445-2700 – View Map
Upon getting acceptable answers to these questions as well as a price you’re happy with, chances are good that you have found an auto insurance agent that meets the requirements to adequately provide insurance.
A conclusion for your insurance search
In this article, we covered many tips how you can save on Kia Niro insurance in Austin. The most important thing to understand is the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the lowest priced insurance comes from a lesser-known regional company. Some small companies can often provide lower car insurance rates in certain areas than their larger competitors like Allstate or State Farm.
Some insurance companies may not have internet price quotes and usually these small insurance companies provide coverage only through independent insurance agencies. Cost effective Kia Niro insurance can be sourced from both online companies in addition to local insurance agencies, and you need to comparison shop both in order to have the best price selection to choose from.
When getting Austin auto insurance quotes online, it’s very important that you do not buy poor coverage just to save money. There have been many cases where an accident victim reduced physical damage coverage and discovered at claim time that the savings was not a smart move. Your goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at the best price but still have enough coverage for asset protection.
Even more information can be found at these sites:
- Understanding Rental Car Insurance (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for College Students in Austin? (FAQ)
- Who Has Affordable Car Insurance Quotes for a Ford Escape in Austin? (FAQ)
- Coverage Information (Progressive Insurance)
- Crash Avoidance Technologies FAQ (iihs.org)
- Choosing an Insurance Company (Insurance Information Institute)