If you’ve never shopped for Dallas auto insurance quotes online, you may be baffled by the vast assortment of insurers that all promise to save you money.
Statistics show that the vast majority of auto insurance customers kept buying from the same company for at least the last four years, and 38% of customers have never compared auto insurance rates at all. Texas consumers could save 70% a year, but they feel it’s too difficult to do a rate comparison.
If you are paying for car insurance now, you will be able to reduce premiums using these tips. Quoting the best-priced protection in Dallas is easy to do. But Texas vehicle owners must understand how insurance companies market insurance on the web because rates fluctuate considerably.
When price shopping your coverage, comparing all the rates in your area will enable you to find the best price.
The providers in the list below offer price comparisons in Texas. If more than one company is shown, we recommend you visit several of them to get the best price comparison.
Why you need to buy car insurance
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Toyota in Dallas, buying car insurance is required for several reasons.
First, the majority of states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means it is punishable by state law to not carry a minimum amount of liability if you drive a vehicle. 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.
Second, if your vehicle has a lienholder, more than likely the lender will make it mandatory that you buy full coverage to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you do not keep the policy in force, the lender may insure your Toyota for a lot more money and require you to reimburse them much more than you were paying before.
Third, car insurance protects not only your Toyota Avalon Hybrid but also your financial assets. It will also reimburse you for many types of medical costs for not only you but also any passengers injured in an accident. Liability coverage also pays for attorney fees and expenses if you are sued as the result of an accident. If your Toyota gets damaged, your car insurance policy will cover the repair costs.
The benefits of having car insurance definitely exceed the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. The average driver in America is wasting up to $825 a year so it’s recommended you shop around once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are competitive.
Verify you’re earning every discount
Some insurers do not advertise every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so we researched both well-publicized as well as some of the hidden credits that you can use to lower your rates. If you are not receiving all the discounts you deserve, you’re paying more than you need to.
- Home Ownership Discount – Just being a homeowner can get you a discount since owning and maintaining a home is proof that your finances are in order.
- No Charge for an Accident – This one is not really a discount per se, but a handful of insurance companies permit an accident without getting socked with a rate hike if you have no claims prior to being involved in the accident.
- Active Service Discounts – Having a family member in the military may lower your prices slightly.
- Discounts for Safe Drivers – Drivers without accidents could pay up to 40% less compared to accident prone drivers.
- More Vehicles More Savings – Insuring several vehicles with the same company can reduce the rates for all insured vehicles.
- Theft Prevention System – Cars equipped with tracking devices and advanced anti-theft systems have a lower chance of being stolen and therefore earn up to a 10% discount.
- Defensive Driver Discounts – Participating in a defensive driving class could save 5% or more and also improve your driving technique.
- Telematics Data – People who choose to allow their insurance company to monitor driving patterns by using a small device installed in their vehicle such as Progressive’s Snapshot and State Farm’s In-Drive could possibly reduce rates if their driving habits are good.
- Mature Driver Discount – Mature drivers may qualify for a slight reduction on a Dallas auto insurance quote.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to buckle their seat belts can save 10% or more off PIP or medical payments premium.
Consumers should know that some credits don’t apply to the entire policy premium. Most only reduce individual premiums such as comp or med pay. Despite the appearance that all the discounts add up to a free policy, that’s just not realistic.
A few of the larger companies and their possible discounts include:
- Progressive has savings for online quote discount, multi-policy, good student, multi-vehicle, and continuous coverage.
- SAFECO has discounts for drive less, anti-lock brakes, homeowner, accident prevention training, teen safe driver, and bundle discounts.
- American Family may offer discounts for bundled insurance, TimeAway discount, good driver, multi-vehicle, and accident-free.
- MetLife discounts include claim-free, good student, accident-free, good driver, multi-policy, defensive driver
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including driver training, air bags, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, daytime running lights, and military active duty.
- The Hartford may have discounts that include driver training, defensive driver, anti-theft, good student, and air bag.
If you want affordable Toyota Avalon Hybrid insurance quotes, ask every prospective company how many discounts you can get. Savings may not apply to policies in your state. To view insurance companies that can offer you the previously mentioned discounts in Texas, click here to view.
Compare rate quotes but still have a neighborhood Dallas auto insurance agent
Many people still like to talk to an insurance agent and doing so can bring peace of mind One of the great benefits of price shopping on the web is that drivers can save money and get the lowest rates and still buy from a local agent. Buying insurance from small agencies is still important in Dallas.
Upon completion of this simple form, your insurance data is emailed to local insurance agents in Dallas who will give you quotes for your business. You don’t have to leave your house since rate quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. It’s the lowest rates AND an agent nearby. If you need to get a price quote from a specific insurance company, feel free to navigate to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.
Two different types of car insurance agents
When narrowing the list to find an insurance agent, you should know the different agency structures and how they can quote your rates. Auto insurance agents in Dallas are categorized either independent or exclusive depending on the company they work for.
Independent Agents (or Brokers)
Independent insurance agents can sell policies from many different companies so they can quote policies with many different companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. If premiums increase, they simply switch companies in-house and you don’t have to switch agencies.
When comparing auto insurance rates, you will definitely want to include rate quotes from several independent agencies in order to have the best price comparison. Most also write with smaller regional carriers which could offer lower prices.
Below are independent insurance agents in Dallas that may be able to provide price quotes.
- Nationwide Insurance: Paula L Ratliff Agency Inc
11661 Preston Rd #146 – Dallas, TX 75230 – (214) 890-0760 – View Map - Insurance One
14180 Dallas Pkwy #900 – Dallas, TX 75254 – (972) 267-8000 – View Map - Rodriguez Insurance Agency LLC
13111 N Central Expy Suite 8001 – Dallas, TX 75243 – (888) 797-1924 – View Map
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Agents that choose to be exclusive can only place business with one company and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance, State Farm, and AAA. Exclusive agencies are unable to compare rates from other companies so they really need to provide good service. They are very knowledgeable on their company’s products which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Consumers sometimes buy from the same agent for years mainly due to the brand name and the convenience of having a single billing for all their coverages.
Listed below is a short list of exclusive insurance agencies in Dallas that are able to give rate quotes.
- Richard Ramirez – State Farm Insurance Agent
9400 N Central Expy #120 – Dallas, TX 75231 – (214) 320-3000 – View Map - Steve Barnes – State Farm Insurance Agent
4403 N Central Expy, Ste 100 – Dallas, TX 75205 – (214) 515-9900 – View Map - Allstate Insurance: Jonathan Crisler
1350 N Buckner Blvd #218 – Dallas, TX 75218 – (214) 324-7676 – View Map
Picking the best insurance agency should depend on more than just a low price. Any good agent in Dallas should know the answers to these questions.
- Which company do they place the most coverage with?
- Does the quote include credit and driving reports?
- Who are their largest clients?
- How experienced are they in personal risk management?
- If your car is totaled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Does the company have a solid financial rating?
- Does the agency have a positive business rating?
- Will high miles depreciate repair valuations?
You may need specialized car insurance coverage
Keep in mind that when it comes to choosing the best car insurance coverage, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s and your policy should reflect that.
These are some specific questions may help highlight whether or not you may require specific advice.
- Can I get by with minimal medical coverage if I have good health insurance?
- What is roadside assistance coverage?
- Does medical payments coverage apply to all occupants?
- Does coverage follow the driver or the vehicle?
- What is the difference between personal and commercial auto insurance policies?
- Is my vehicle covered by my employer’s policy when using it for work?
- What is an adequate liability insurance limit?
If you’re not sure about those questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Coverages available on your policy
Learning about specific coverages of a car insurance policy helps when choosing which coverages you need for your vehicles. The coverage terms in a policy can be impossible to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. These are typical coverage types offered by car insurance companies.
UM/UIM Coverage
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as damage to your Toyota Avalon Hybrid.
Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (which is 30/60/25), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is important protection for you and your family. Most of the time the UM/UIM limits are similar to your liability insurance amounts.
Comprehensive or Other Than Collision
This will pay to fix damage caused by mother nature, theft, vandalism and other events. You first must pay your deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive coverage protects against things such as hitting a bird, theft and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The highest amount you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the actual cash value, so if it’s not worth much more than your deductible consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Medical costs insurance
Med pay and PIP coverage provide coverage for expenses such as prosthetic devices, hospital visits, X-ray expenses, ambulance fees and pain medications. They are often used in conjunction with a health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal Injury Protection is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage
Liability coverages
Liability insurance can cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property that is your fault. Liability coverage has three limits: per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have policy limits of 30/60/25 which stand for a $30,000 limit per person for injuries, $60,000 for the entire accident, and a total limit of $25,000 for damage to vehicles and property. Occasionally you may see a combined single limit or CSL which limits claims to one amount and claims can be made without the split limit restrictions.
Liability coverage protects against claims such as court costs, attorney fees, repair costs for stationary objects, bail bonds and pain and suffering. How much liability should you purchase? That is your choice, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as large an amount as possible. Texas requires drivers to carry at least 30/60/25 but you should think about purchasing higher limits.
The next chart shows why minimum state limits may not be adequate.
Collision coverage protection
This pays for damage to your Avalon Hybrid resulting from colliding with another vehicle or an object, but not an animal. You first must pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision coverage protects against claims like colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a ditch, driving through your garage door and scraping a guard rail. Collision coverage makes up a good portion of your premium, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from vehicles that are 8 years or older. Another option is to raise the deductible on your Avalon Hybrid to save money on collision insurance.
In the end, you can save money
While you’re price shopping online, do not buy less coverage just to save a little money. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits and found out when filing a claim they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your focus should be to find the BEST coverage at the best possible price, not the least amount of coverage.
Cheap Toyota Avalon Hybrid insurance in Dallas can be sourced online in addition to many Dallas insurance agents, and you should be comparing both to have the best rate selection. Some insurance providers do not offer price quotes online and most of the time these smaller companies work with local independent agencies.
How to find cheaper rates for Toyota Avalon Hybrid insurance in Dallas
The easiest way to find cheaper quotes for Toyota Avalon Hybrid insurance in Dallas is to start doing an annual price comparison from insurance carriers in Texas. You can shop around by completing these steps.
- It will benefit you to learn about the coverage provided by your policy and the measures you can control to prevent rate increases. Many things that increase rates such as multiple speeding tickets and poor credit history can be controlled by being financially responsible and driving safely.
- Compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can only give prices from a single company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agents can give you price quotes from multiple companies.
- Compare the new quotes to your current policy to see if a cheaper rate is available. If you find a lower rate quote and make a switch, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Provide notification to your current company of your intent to cancel the current policy. Submit a completed policy application and payment to your new agent or company. As soon as you have the new policy, keep the new certificate verifying coverage in a readily accessible location in your vehicle.
A good tip to remember is that you’ll want to compare the same amount of coverage on each price quote and to quote with as many companies as you can. Doing this ensures a fair rate comparison and the best rate selection.
Other resources
- Credit Impacts Car Insurance Rates (State Farm)
- How Much are Auto Insurance Rates for a Nissan Rogue in Dallas? (FAQ)
- How Much is Dallas Auto Insurance for State Employees? (FAQ)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Felons in Dallas? (FAQ)
- How Much are Car Insurance Rates for Active Military in Dallas? (FAQ)
- Auto Insurance 101 (About.com)
- What if I Can’t Find Coverage? (Insurance Information Institute)
- How to Avoid Staged Accidents (State Farm)