Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an underperforming, overpriced car insurance policy? Trust us, many Texas consumers feel financially strained by their car insurance policy.
Consumers have many auto insurance companies to choose from, and though it is a good thing to be able to choose, so many choices can make it hard to compare rates.
You need to compare prices occasionally since rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you had the best deal for Sportage insurance six months ago you can probably find a lower rate today. You’ll find quite a bit of inaccurate information about car insurance online but I’m going to show you some good information on how to find cheap car insurance.
Compare Quotes for Texas Car Insurance
To find the best car insurance prices, there are several ways of comparing rates and find the best price. The simplest method to find the cheapest Kia Sportage insurance rates is to get quotes online. This can be accomplished in a couple of different ways.
- The first (and easiest) way to compare a lot of rates at once would be an industry-wide quote request form click here to open form in new window. This method keeps you from doing repetitive form entry for every car insurance company. Just one form will get you rate comparisons from all major companies.
- A harder way to get comparison quotes consists of going to the website for every company you want to comare to complete their respective quote request forms. For example, let’s assume you want comparison quotes from State Farm, Liberty Mutual and Travelers. To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site to enter your coverage information, which is why the first method is quicker.
To view a list of companies in your area, click here.
Which method you use is up to you, but make darn sure you compare apples-to-apples information for each comparison quote. If you use higher or lower deductibles you can’t possibly decipher which rate is best. Quoting even small variations in limits can mean a large discrepancy in price. And when comparing car insurance rates, know that obtaining a wide range of quotes provides better odds of finding lower pricing.
Do you qualify for discounts?
Companies that sell car insurance do not list every discount in an easy-to-find place, so we break down both well-publicized and the more hidden ways to save on car insurance.
- Employee of Federal Government – Active or retired federal employment may qualify you for a discount for Sportage insurance with certain companies.
- Multiple Vehicles – Insuring multiple vehicles with the same company could earn a price break for each car.
- Save with a New Car – Buying coverage on a new vehicle can cost up to 25% less compared to insuring an older model.
- Homeowners Discount – Owning a home can save you money because owning a home requires personal responsibility.
- Paperwork-free – Some insurance companies will give a small break for buying a policy and signing up on their website.
- Clubs and Organizations – Participating in a professional or civic organization could trigger savings on your policy for Sportage insurance.
- College Student – Kids in college who are attending college and don’t have a car may be able to be covered for less.
- Accident Forgiveness – Some insurance companies permit an accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a set time period.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most credits do not apply to the entire cost. The majority will only reduce the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
To see a list of insurance companies with discount car insurance rates in Texas, click this link.
Kia Sportage insurance rates are influenced by…
An important part of buying insurance is that you know the different types of things that come into play when calculating your car insurance rates. When you know what positively or negatively influences your rates helps enable you to make changes that may reward you with much lower annual insurance costs.
- Add-on coverages can add up – There are a ton of extra bells and whistles that can waste your money on your Sportage policy. Insurance for rental car reimbursement, accident forgiveness and term life insurance are examples of these. They may seem like a good idea when talking to your agent, but if they’re wasting money eliminate the coverages to reduce your premium.
- Proper usage rating affects rates – The more you drive in a year the higher your rate. Almost all companies rate vehicles based on their usage. Cars that are left in the garage get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. Verify your car insurance policy is showing the correct driver usage. If your policy improperly rates your Sportage can cost quite a bit.
- High performance equals high price – The type of vehicle you are insuring makes a huge difference in your rates. Since the Kia Sportage is classified as a crossover, insuring your vehicle will cost slightly more compared to average rates. Economy passenger cars usually have the lowest rates, but the final cost of insurance is determined by many other factors.
- Optional equipment can affect rates – Owning a car with anti-theft technology or alarm system can save you a little every year. Theft prevention features such as tamper alarm systems, vehicle immobilizer technology and General Motors OnStar can help prevent auto theft.
- Don’t skimp on liability – Your policy’s liability coverage is the coverage that protects you if ever a court rules you are at fault for causing damage or personal injury in an accident. Liability insurance provides for a legal defense up to the limits shown on your policy. This coverage is very inexpensive as compared to coverage for physical damage, so do not skimp.
- Higher safety ratings means cheaper insurance – Cars with high safety ratings can get you lower premiums. Safer cars protect occupants better and lower injury rates means lower claim amounts and thus lower rates. If your Kia Sportage scored better than an “acceptable” rating on the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website or four stars on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website you may qualify for a discount.
- Sex matters – The statistics show women tend to be less risk to insure than men. Now that doesn’t mean men are WORSE drivers than women. Women and men are in accidents at about the same rate, but men tend to have more serious accidents. Men also receive more costly citations such as reckless driving.
- Claim-free discounts can add up – Companies in Texas provide cheaper rates to insureds who do not rely on their insurance for small claims. If you tend to file frequent claims, you can look forward to either policy cancellation or increased premiums. Your insurance policy is designed for larger claims.
Don’t assume everyone needs the same coverage
When choosing adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a “best” method to buy coverage. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For example, these questions may help you determine if your insurance needs might need an agent’s assistance.
- Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
- Can I afford to pay high deductible claims out of pocket?
- Why does it cost so much to insure a teen driver in Texas?
- How do I file an SR-22 for a DUI in Texas?
- Do I need rental car coverage?
- Does coverage extend to a rental car in a foreign country?
- Am I covered when driving someone else’s vehicle?
- Who is covered when they drive my Kia Sportage?
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, you might consider talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
More tips and info about car insurance is located at the Texas Department of Insurance website. Texas drivers can view a list of available companies, find out industry alerts, discover disciplinary actions, and find disaster information.
These articles may also be worth reading.
- Things You Must Know Before Buying Dallas Texas Auto Insurance Online
- Consumer Information for Researching an Amarillo Texas Car Insurance Agent
- Finding a Great Auto Insurance Agent in Wichita Falls Texas
More comparisons equals lower rates
Budget-conscious Kia Sportage insurance can be found online and with local Texas insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both to have the best rate selection. Some car insurance companies do not offer online price quotes and many times these regional insurance providers only sell through independent insurance agents.
In this article, we covered some good ideas how to compare Kia Sportage insurance prices online. The key concept to understand is the more times you quote, the higher your chance of finding lower rates. Consumers could even find that the most savings is with some of the smallest insurance companies. These smaller insurers can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like Allstate and Progressive.
As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, don’t be tempted to buy poor coverage just to save money. In many cases, someone sacrificed collision coverage only to regret at claim time that they should have had better coverage. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price while not skimping on critical coverages.