You’ve seen the ads from insurers like The General, Liberty Mutual, and Nationwide that make promises of the cheapest price, so you just need to choose one randomly, right?
It’s not that easy, however, as there are a whole slew of unknown aspects like your gender, if you have a tendency to get into accidents, and the safety ratings of your vehicle. This article will discuss these topics and should give you a jump start in finding the best auto insurance in Texas.
Determining which companies quote the cheapest insurance rates for infrequent drivers will involve a little more effort in order to find a policy that fits your budget.
Every insurance provider has their own formula for determining rates in each state, so we will examine the most budget-friendly insurance companies in Texas. It’s a good idea to be aware that Austin, TX insurance rates are impacted by many things that can increase the price you have to pay. Simply improving your credit, moving to a new city, or getting a DUI may generate price changes that may make certain companies more affordable than competitors.
Find Cheaper Car Insurance in Texas
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelers | $1,052 |
| 2 | USAA | $1,128 |
| 3 | Texas Farm Bureau | $1,247 |
| 4 | Germania Mutual | $1,256 |
| 5 | Esurance | $1,365 |
| 6 | California Casualty | $1,424 |
| 7 | State Farm | $1,465 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,506 |
| 9 | Nationwide | $1,585 |
| 10 | Safe Auto | $1,597 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,647 |
| 12 | Allstate | $1,701 |
| 13 | Amica | $1,775 |
| 14 | Home State | $2,134 |
| 15 | GEICO | $2,156 |
| 16 | Encompass | $2,232 |
| 17 | MetLife | $2,249 |
| 18 | Unitrin | $2,333 |
| 19 | 21st Century | $2,396 |
| 20 | Titan | $2,646 |
| Get Personalized Rates Go | ||
Travelers has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Austin at around $1,052 a year. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance would also make the list of some of the more affordable Austin, TX insurance companies.
In this example, if you are currently insured with Germania Mutual and switched to Travelers, you might achieve a yearly price reduction of roughly $204. Insureds with Esurance might save as much as $313 a year, and California Casualty insureds might lower prices by $372 a year.
If you want to see how much you could save, click here to start your custom quote or feel free to get quotes from the companies below.
It’s important to note that these estimates are averaged for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and and are not figured with a specific zip code for infrequent drivers. So the car insurance company that fits you best may not even be in the top 23 companies shown above. That underscores the importance of why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
For low mileage drivers, one of the more important factors that are looked at to determine the amount you pay for auto insurance is the neighborhood you call home. Areas with increased crime or more people tend to have more expensive auto insurance rates, whereas areas with less congestion benefit from lower coverage costs.
The illustration below ranks the most expensive areas in Texas for infrequent drivers to purchase a policy in. Austin makes the list at #19 having an annual price of $1,610 for car insurance, which is around $134 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $1,996 |
| 2 | Dallas | $1,893 |
| 3 | Laredo | $1,889 |
| 4 | Amarillo | $1,858 |
| 5 | Houston | $1,853 |
| 6 | Brownsville | $1,851 |
| 7 | Garland | $1,796 |
| 8 | Grand Prairie | $1,793 |
| 9 | Pasadena | $1,758 |
| 10 | Mesquite | $1,753 |
| 11 | Beaumont | $1,720 |
| 12 | Irving | $1,719 |
| 13 | Lubbock | $1,716 |
| 14 | San Antonio | $1,671 |
| 15 | Fort Worth | $1,653 |
| 16 | Arlington | $1,642 |
| 17 | Corpus Christi | $1,636 |
| 18 | El Paso | $1,616 |
| 19 | Austin | $1,610 |
| 20 | Plano | $1,608 |
| Start a Quote Go | ||
Price information shown is comparative as zip code location can change premium rates noticeably.
The make and model of vehicle to be insured is a large consideration in finding the cheapest auto insurance for infrequent drivers. Vehicles with lower acceleration and performance, a plethora of safety features, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost substantially less to insure than high performance models. The next list features car insurance rates for a selection of the most economical vehicles to insure in Texas.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $988 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 4WD | $1,061 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,070 |
| Ford Edge SEL AWD | $1,122 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $1,128 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,131 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,142 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $1,164 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,169 |
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $1,184 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $1,200 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Navigation | $1,209 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $1,222 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Regular Cab 4WD | $1,229 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD 2-Dr | $1,224 |
| Nissan Rogue SL 2WD | $1,230 |
| GMC Sierra 3500HD SLE Extended Cab 2WD | $1,244 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | |
Cost estimates assume single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Prices do not factor in your specific Austin, TX location which can impact prices greatly.
By looking at the data, you can infer that vehicles like the Ford Escape, Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota Prius, Ford Edge, and Toyota Tacoma are going to be a few of the cheapest vehicles to insure for low mileage drivers.
How to get discounts on Austin car insurance rates
Insurers that sell policies for infrequent drivers may additionally offer price discounts that can lower rates by as much as 35% if you qualify. Companies and their possible discounts are outlined below.
- Progressive offers discounts including online signing, continuous coverage, homeowner, good student, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for early shopping, good student, business and professional, multi-car, bundle discounts, pay in full, and youthful driver.
- Farm Bureau may include discounts for multi-vehicle, good student, safe driver, youthful driver, renewal discount, and multi-policy.
- State Farm has savings for defensive driving training, student away at school, good student, multiple autos, safe vehicle, and multiple policy.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for federal employee, seat belt use, good student, military active duty, multi-vehicle, and air bags.
- SAFECO may have discounts that include anti-theft, accident prevention training, multi-car, anti-lock brakes, and safe driver.
- Liberty Mutual discounts include safety features, newly retired, new vehicle discount, multi-car, and new move discount.
The information below illustrates the comparison of annual premium costs with and without policy discounts. The premiums assume a female driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, Texas state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $250 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with homeowner, marriage, safe-driver, defensive driving course, accident-free, and anti-theft discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, theaverage yearly reduction on insurance for infrequent drivers is 28% or $524.
The information below highlights how deductible choice can raise or lower insurance costs when researching cheap insurance for infrequent drivers. The premiums are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.
The data above shows that a 40-year-old driver could lower rates by $352 a year by switching their comprehensive and collision coverages from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $528 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, like the 20-year-old, could drop their prices up to $870 or more by selecting a higher deductible. If you do decide to increase your deductibles, it will be necessary to have plenty of money set aside to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one disadvantage of using larger deductibles.
Violations and accidents raise rates
A great way to score cheap insurance rates for low mileage drivers is to be a cautious driver and not get tickets or have accidents. The chart below shows how violations and at-fault collisions increase insurance rates for different age groups. The prices are based on a married male driver, full coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
In the example above, the average cost of an auto insurance policy in Austin per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,358. Get two speeding tickets and the average cost rises to $1,864, an increase of $506 each year. Now add in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the 12-month cost of insurance for infrequent drivers increases to an average of $3,976. That’s an increase of $2,618, or $218 per month, just for not being more responsible behind the wheel!
The agents below are a good start to help you make a decision which coverage fits your budget, since many consumers aren’t sure which coverage to buy and prefer to have some professional guidance when trying to find lower insurance rates for infrequent drivers. It can be challenging to do it yourself, and a licensed agent can bring peace of mind knowing your coverage gives you adequate protection in the event of a claim.
To find an Austin insurance agency in your neighborhood, click the button link following the list.
- Gary Shanahan – State Farm Insurance Agent
5145 N FM 620 b170 – Austin, TX 78732 – (512) 458-2593 - Southwest Insurance Center
3105 W Slaughter Ln – Austin, TX 78748 – (512) 280-6100 - Richard Munoz – State Farm Insurance Agent
5446 W US Hwy 290 Service Rd #104 – Austin, TX 78735 – (512) 892-3527 - Jane McQuiggin-Hutson – State Farm Insurance Agent
2307 W Parmer Ln – Austin, TX 78727 – (512) 973-8501 - Nationwide Insurance: James Gary Howe
3720 Far West Blvd #114 – Austin, TX 78731 – (512) 346-7645