Unbelievable but true, most auto insurance customers kept their coverage with the same auto insurance company for four years or more, and 38% of drivers have never compared quotes from other companies. Many drivers in Texas can save up to $1,770 each year by just comparing quotes, but they underestimate the benefits if they switched to a more affordable policy.
The preferred way to get cheaper car insurance rates in El Paso is to compare prices regularly from insurers in Texas.
- It will benefit you to learn about how insurance companies determine prices and the steps you can take to prevent high rates. Many policy risk factors that cause high rates like tickets, at-fault accidents, and an unacceptable credit rating can be rectified by being financially responsible and driving safely. Later in this article we will cover more information to help keep rates affordable and find hidden discounts.
- Compare rates from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can only quote rates from a single company like GEICO and State Farm, while independent agents can give you price quotes from multiple sources.
- Compare the new rate quotes to your existing policy and determine if there is any savings. If you find a lower rate quote, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Provide notification to your current company of your intention to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit the application along with any required down payment to your new carrier. Immediately upon receiving it, place your new proof of insurance paperwork in your vehicle’s glove compartment or console.
A valuable tip to remember is to use the same deductibles and limits on every quote and and to get prices from as many different insurance providers as possible. This helps ensure a fair price comparison and a thorough price selection.
When quoting auto insurance, remember that comparing all the rates in your area helps improve the odds of finding more affordable insurance.
The companies shown below have been selected to offer free quotes in Texas. If multiple providers are shown, we recommend you visit two to three different companies in order to get a fair rate comparison.
El Paso insurance discounts for a Kia Sorento
Insurance can cost an arm and a leg, but there could be significant discounts that could help you make your next renewal payment. Certain reductions will be credited when you quote, but some discounts are required to be asked for before you will receive the discount.
- Own a Home and Save – Owning a home in El Paso can earn you a little savings because it shows financial diligence.
- Student Discounts – Excelling in school can save 20 to 25%. You can use this discount normally up to age 25.
- Early Signing – A few insurance companies give discounts for switching companies before your current Sorento insurance policy expires. It’s a savings of about 10%.
- Passive Restraint Discount – Factory options such as air bags and/or automatic seat belt systems could see savings as much as 30%.
- Seat Belt Usage – Requiring all passengers to buckle their seat belts may be able to save a few bucks off the personal injury premium cost.
- No Charge for an Accident – This one is not really a discount per se, but some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without the usual rate increase so long as you are claim-free for a specific time period.
- 55 and Retired – If you’re over the age of 55, you can possibly qualify for better car insurance rates.
Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the whole policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like collision or personal injury protection. If you do the math and it seems like you could get a free car insurance policy, car insurance companies aren’t that generous.
Popular car insurance companies and the discounts they provide include:
- GEICO has savings for anti-lock brakes, multi-policy, good student, federal employee, and daytime running lights.
- SAFECO may have discounts that include multi-car, homeowner, bundle discounts, teen safe driver, safe driver, and drive less.
- State Farm may offer discounts for passive restraint, driver’s education, anti-theft, multiple autos, and student away at school.
- MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including defensive driver, multi-policy, good driver, claim-free, and accident-free.
- 21st Century offers discounts including anti-lock brakes, defensive driver, homeowners, air bags, teen driver, and 55 and older.
- Progressive may include discounts for multi-policy, multi-vehicle, online signing, online quote discount, homeowner, and continuous coverage.
When quoting, ask every prospective company to apply every possible discount. Some of the earlier mentioned discounts might not apply in El Paso. If you would like to choose from a list of providers that offer discounts in El Paso, follow this link.
Buying from insurance agencies
A small number of people would rather talk to a local agent and doing so can bring peace of mind The biggest benefit of price shopping on the web is you may find the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Upon completion of this form (opens in new window), your coverage information is immediately sent to insurance agents in El Paso who will return price quotes for your business. There is no reason to drive around as quotes are delivered to you. You can most likely find cheaper rates AND an agent nearby. In the event you want to compare prices for a specific company, don’t hesitate to search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.
Finding the right insurer is decision based upon more than just a cheap price quote. The following questions are important to ask.
- Can they help ensure a fair claim settlement?
- Is there a Errors and Omissions policy in force?
- Are you getting all the discounts the company offers?
- Does the company have a solid financial rating?
- Do they offer rental car reimbursement?
- Where would your vehicle be repaired?
Your insurance coverage should be tailored to you
When selecting the best insurance coverage for your personal vehicles, there really isn’t a “perfect” insurance plan. Your needs are not the same as everyone else’s.
For example, these questions can aid in determining whether or not you will benefit from professional help.
- I don’t drive much so do I pay less?
- What is motorclub and do I need it?
- Is a blown tire covered by insurance?
- Do I need more liability coverage?
- What does medical payments coverage do?
- When should I buy a commercial auto policy?
If you can’t answer these questions then you might want to talk to an agent. To find an agent in your area, complete this form.
Smart Buyers Can Reduce Insurance Rates
A large part of saving on auto insurance is knowing the rating factors that come into play when calculating the level of your policy premiums. If you understand what influences your rates, this allows you to make good choices that may result in cheaper rates. Lots of factors are used when you quote your car insurance policy. Some of the criteria are obvious such as your driving history, but other factors are more obscure such as your credit history or your financial responsibility.
Shown below are a few of the “ingredients” companies use to determine prices.
Drive a fast car, truck or SUV and pay more – The performance level of the vehicle you drive makes a substantial difference in your premium level. The lowest base rates will generally be found on low performance passenger models, but other factors influence the final cost greatly.
Your address can affect price – Choosing to live in areas with lower population is a positive aspect when insuring your vehicles. Lower population translates into fewer accident claims in addition to lower liability claims. People in densely populated areas tend to have more auto accidents and more time behind the wheel. Higher commute times means more chances of being involved in an auto accident.
Your vocation can affect premiums – Did you know that where you work can have an impact on rates? Careers like military personnel, police officers, and emergency personnel tend to have the highest average rates due to job stress and lots of time spent away from family. Conversely, careers such as farmers, engineers and homemakers pay lower than average rates.
Premiums drop with age – Older drivers are proven to be safer behind the wheel, tend to cause fewer accidents, and are generally more financially stable. Teen drivers tend to be easily distracted when driving with friends and because of this, their auto insurance rates are much higher.
Liability protection preserves assets – A critical coverage on your policy, liability insurance will provide protection if ever you are found liable for damages caused by your negligence. It will provide legal defense to attempt to prove you were not liable. It is affordable coverage compared to physical damage coverage, so insureds should have plenty of protection for their assets.
Women pay lower rates – Statistics demonstrate females are less aggressive when driving. This data doesn’t prove that males are worse at driving than females. Both sexes have at-fault accidents in similar percentages, but men tend to have higher claims. Not only that, but men also receive more costly citations like reckless driving and DUI. Males from age 16 to 21 are several times more likely to be in an accident so it costs more to insure them.
Consider raising physical damage deductibles – Comp and collision deductibles state the amount of money you are required to pay before a claim is paid by your company. Physical damage insurance, also called ‘full coverage’, covers damage that occurs to your car. Some examples of covered claims could be colliding with a stationary object, vandalism, and damage caused by road hazards. The more money the insured is willing to pay, the lower your rates will be.
Kia Sorento historical loss data – Insurance companies analyze claim trends for every vehicle when they set coverage costs for each model. Models that the data determines to have higher frequency or amount of claims will have higher premium rates. The next table shows the loss history for Kia Sorento vehicles.
For each type of coverage, the claim probability for all vehicles, without regard to make or model, equals 100. Values under 100 represent a good loss history, while values that are above 100 show a trend for more claims or an increased probability of a larger loss.
| Make and Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Sorento 4dr 2WD | 80 | 86 | 82 | 110 | 111 | 94 |
| Kia Sorento 4dr 4WD | 85 | 87 | 101 | 97 | 98 | 85 |
Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years
Auto insurance just makes sense
Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Kia in El Paso, insuring your vehicle is a good idea for several reasons.
- Just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means the state requires a minimum amount of liability 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 Kia, most banks will require you to buy insurance to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the lender will be forced to insure your Kia at a much higher premium rate and force you to reimburse them for it.
- Auto insurance protects not only your Kia but also your financial assets. It will also pay for hospital and medical expenses for you, any passengers, and anyone injured in an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, also pays for attorney fees and expenses if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If you have damage to your Kia as the result of the weather or an accident, collision and comprehensive (also known as other-than-collision) coverage will pay all costs to repair after the deductible has been paid.
The benefits of insuring your Sorento greatly outweigh the cost, especially for larger claims. An average driver in America is currently overpaying as much as $750 every year so compare rates once a year at a minimum to save money.
Cheaper coverage is out there
We just covered many tips how you can reduce Kia Sorento insurance prices online in El Paso. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the better likelihood of getting low cost El Paso car insurance quotes. You may even find the lowest prices come from the least-expected company.
Drivers switch companies for many reasons like questionable increases in premium, extreme rates for teen drivers, being labeled a high risk driver or even not issuing a premium refund. It doesn’t matter why you want to switch switching companies is not as hard as you think.
As you quote El Paso car insurance, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many cases where an insured dropped collision coverage and learned later they didn’t purchase enough coverage. Your goal is to get the best coverage possible for the lowest cost, but don’t skip important coverages to save money.
Additional detailed information is available by following these links:
- Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Institute)
- New vehicle ratings focus on headlights (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Vehicle Insurance (Wikipedia)