It’s an obvious statement that auto insurance companies don’t want you to look at other companies. Drivers who shop for lower prices are highly likely to buy a different policy because of the high probability of finding a policy with better rates. Remarkably, a study showed that consumers who faithfully checked for cheaper rates saved about $3,400 over four years as compared to drivers who never compared prices.
If finding the best rates on car insurance is your ultimate goal, then learning a little about the best ways to shop for insurance rates can make the process more efficient.
If you want to find the absolute lowest rates, then the best way to get budget Audi A3 insurance in Laredo is to start comparing rates regularly from insurance carriers who provide auto insurance in Texas. Prices can be compared by completing these steps.
- First, learn about how your policy works and the factors you can control to prevent expensive coverage. Many factors that result in higher prices such as traffic citations and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be controlled by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. This article gives tips to prevent high rates and get bigger discounts that may have been overlooked.
- Second, get rate quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from one company like GEICO or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can give you price quotes for many different companies.
- Third, compare the new rates to your current policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a lower rate quote and buy the policy, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Fourth, provide proper notification to your current company of your intent to cancel the current policy. Submit the signed application along with the required initial payment to the newly selected company. Be sure to safely store the certificate verifying proof of insurance in an easily accessible location.
One key aspect when comparing rates is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same deductibles and limits on every quote request and and to get rate quotes from all possible companies. This enables a level playing field and maximum price selection.
If you have coverage now or need new coverage, you can use these techniques to buy cheaper car insurance without having to cut coverage. Buying the cheapest car insurance in Laredo is much easier if you know where to start. Drivers just have to learn the quickest method to compare rates online from multiple companies.
Rates and information analytics
The premium table below showcases a range of policy rates for Audi A3 models. Knowing how car insurance premiums are figured can be valuable when making informed decisions.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A3 2.0T Premium Package | $156 | $378 | $430 | $26 | $128 | $1,118 | $93 |
A3 2.0T Premium Plus Package | $156 | $378 | $430 | $26 | $128 | $1,118 | $93 |
A3 2.0T Quattro | $176 | $378 | $430 | $26 | $128 | $1,138 | $95 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Premium data assumes single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Rate quotes do not factor in specific zip code location which can raise or lower insurance rates significantly.
Raise deductibles and save
One frequently asked question is which deductibles should you choose. The tables below sum up the rate differences of buying low and high deductibles. The first data set uses a $100 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage and the second data table uses a $1,000 deductible.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A3 2.0T Premium Package | $328 | $698 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,569 | $131 |
A3 2.0T Premium Plus Package | $328 | $698 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,569 | $131 |
A3 2.0T Quattro | $370 | $698 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,611 | $134 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A3 2.0T Premium Package | $182 | $368 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,068 | $89 |
A3 2.0T Premium Plus Package | $182 | $368 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,068 | $89 |
A3 2.0T Quattro | $206 | $368 | $382 | $22 | $114 | $1,092 | $91 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Prices above based on married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, claim-free, multi-vehicle, homeowner, and safe-driver. Information does not factor in garaging location in Laredo which can alter auto insurance rates significantly.
We can estimate from the data above that using a $100 deductible will cost in the ballpark of $42 more each month or $504 annually than choosing the higher $1,000 deductible. Since you would pay $900 more to file a claim with a $1,000 deductible as compared to a $100 deductible, if you tend to go at least 21 months between claims, you would save more money if you choose a higher deductible. The illustration below shows the way this determination is made.
Average monthly premium for $100 deductibles: | $132 |
Average monthly premium for $1,000 deductibles (subtract): | – $90 |
Monthly savings from raising deductible: | $42 |
Difference between deductibles ($1,000 – $100): | $900 |
Divide difference by monthly savings: | $900 / $42 |
Number of months required between physical damage coverage claims in order to save money by choosing the higher deductible | 21 months |
Annual premiums for males versus females
The chart below illustrates the comparison of Audi A3 insurance costs for male and female drivers. The information is based on no accidents or driving violations, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Rate difference between full and liability-only coverage
The example below shows the comparison of Audi A3 car insurance costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The price estimates are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Should you buy full coverage or liability only?
There isn’t a steadfast formula to stop paying for comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is 10% or more of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
For example, let’s say your Audi A3 book value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most your company will settle for is $5,000 after you pay the deductible. If you are paying over $500 annually for physical damage coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
There are some cases where eliminating full coverage is not a good idea. If you have an outstanding loan on your vehicle, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to prevent the bank from purchasing higher-priced coverage. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not eliminate full coverage.
Lower Insurance Rates with These Tips
Consumers need to have an understanding of a few of the rating criteria that help determine the level of your policy premiums. If you understand what determines premiums, this helps enable you to make changes that can earn you better car insurance rates.
Listed below are just a few of the factors used by your company to calculate your rate level.
Consider raising comp and collision deductibles – Protection for physical damage, aka comp and collision, insures against damage to your Audi. Some coverage claims are a dented fender, hail damage, and burglary. The deductibles tell how much you are willing to pay before your car insurance pays a claim. The more damage repair cost you have to pay, the lower your rates will be.
Add-on coverages that aren’t used – Policies have additional coverages that you can buy on your A3 policy. Add-on coverages like personal injury protection, towing coverage, and extra equipment coverage could be just wasting money. They may seem good when discussing your needs, but now you might not need them so eliminate them to save money.
Lower mileage equals lower premium – The more miles you rack up on your Audi every year the more you will pay for car insurance. A lot of companies price each vehicle’s coverage partially by how you use the vehicle. Vehicles not used for work or commuting get more affordable rates as compared to vehicles used primarily for driving to work. A policy that improperly rates your A3 is just wasting money. It’s always a good idea to double check that your vehicle rating reflects the correct driver usage.
Urban areas may pay more – Residing in a rural area has definite advantages when it comes to car insurance. Less people means fewer accidents as well as less vandalism and auto theft. Drivers in populated Texas areas have to deal with congested traffic and higher rates of accident claims. More time behind the wheel can result in more accidents.
Car insurance lapses lead to higher premiums – Driving any period of time without insurance can get your license suspended and companies may charge more for letting your coverage have a gap. And not only will your rates increase, the inability to provide proof of insurance may result in fines and jail time. Then you may be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with the Texas DMV.
Experienced drivers save more – Teen drivers in Texas are proven to be less responsible when behind the wheel so car insurance rates are higher. Older people have been proven to be more responsible, are lower risk to insure, and tend to be get fewer driving tickets.
The next chart uses these assumptions: single driver, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
Discounts for multiple policies – Some companies provide discounts to clients that purchase more than one policy such as combining an auto and homeowners policy. Discounts can add up to ten or even fifteen percent. If you currently are using one company, it’s still a good idea to compare Audi A3 rates in Laredo to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
Low stress occupation equals lower prices – Occupations like judges, police officers, and medical professionals generally pay the highest average rates attributed to intense work-related stress and incredibly demanding work hours. On the other hand, jobs such as scientists, students and the unemployed have the lowest average rates.
Loss probability for an Audi A3 – Insurance companies use data from past claims when setting premium rates. Vehicles that have a trend towards higher claims will have a higher premium rate. The next table illustrates the historical loss data for Audi A3 vehicles.
For each policy coverage, the loss probability for all vehicles, regardless of make or model, is a value of 100. Values under 100 suggest losses that are better than average, while values that are 100 or greater indicate higher probability of having a loss or an increased likelihood of larger losses.
Specific Audi Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Audi A3 4dr 2WD | 152 | 90 | 109 | 85 | ||
Audi A3 4dr 4WD | 147 | 73 | 111 | 80 |
Empty fields indicate not enough data collected
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
Get the best coverage at the best price
Cheap Audi A3 insurance in Laredo is definitely available both online and from local insurance agents, so you need to quote Laredo car insurance with both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies don’t offer the ability to get quotes online and these smaller companies provide coverage only through local independent agents.
When searching for affordable Laredo car insurance quotes, you should never reduce coverage to reduce premium. Too many times, someone dropped comprehensive coverage or liability limits only to regret at claim time that it was a big error on their part. The ultimate goal is to buy a smart amount of coverage at a price you can afford, but do not skimp to save money.
Even more information can be read in these articles:
- Teen Driving Statistics (iihs.org)
- How Much are Laredo Auto Insurance Quotes for Used Cars? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for 19 Year Olds in Laredo? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Teenage Males in Laredo? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for a Honda Civic in Laredo? (FAQ)
- Understanding Car Crashes Video (iihs.org)
- Vehicle Insurance in the U.S. (Wikipedia)