Auto Insurance Rates for a Chevy HHR in Lubbock

Do you want to save money by finding more competitive Chevy HHR insurance in Lubbock? Are you at wits end from wondering where the money will come from to keep your car insured? You’re in the same situation as many other consumers in Texas.

It’s a known fact that auto insurance companies want to prevent you from shopping around. Consumers who shop around will presumably switch insurance companies because of the high probability of finding a lower-priced policy. A recent insurance study revealed that consumers who made a habit of comparing rate quotes saved an average of $3,500 over four years as compared to drivers who don’t make a habit of comparing rates.

If finding the best price on auto insurance in Lubbock is your objective, then having some knowledge of how to shop and compare insurance rates can make the process less intimidating.

How to buy lower priced Chevy HHR insurance in Lubbock

If saving the most money is your goal, then the best way to get low-cost Chevy HHR insurance in Lubbock is to make a habit of comparing prices annually from insurance carriers who sell insurance in Texas. Rate comparisons can be done by following these steps.

• First, take a few minutes and learn about car insurance and the things you can change to prevent rate increases. Many rating criteria that drive up the price such as traffic citations and a poor credit rating can be amended by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. Later in this article we will cover more ideas to help prevent costly coverage and find discounts that may have been missed.
• Second, compare prices from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can give quotes from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while agents who are independent can quote prices from multiple companies. Click to view companies
• Third, compare the price quotes to your existing policy and determine if there is any savings. If you can save money and decide to switch, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
• Fourth, give proper notification to your current agent or company of your intent to cancel the current policy. Submit a completed policy application and payment for the new policy. Once coverage is bound, keep your new certificate verifying coverage in your vehicle’s glove compartment or console.

An important part of this process is to compare identical limits and deductibles on every quote and and to get prices from every insurance company. This provides an apples-to-apples comparison and the best price quote selection.

Consumers have so many insurance companies to choose from, and even though it’s nice to have a selection, having more insurance companies makes it harder to locate the cheapest rates for Chevy HHR insurance in Lubbock.

Choosing the best rates in Lubbock can be easy if you know a few tricks. Virtually each driver who wants cheaper car insurance stands a good chance to be able to save money. Nevertheless, Texas drivers should learn how big insurance companies market insurance on the web and take advantage of how the system works.

Rate information and statistics

The data table displayed below outlines estimates of prices for Chevy HHR models. Being more informed about how insurance policy premiums are established can be useful when making smart buying decisions.

Data assumes married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Information does not factor in zip code location which can impact price quotes greatly.

Higher deductibles save money

One of the hardest decisions when shopping for car insurance is which deductibles should you choose. The figures shown below lay out the rate fluctuation when you choose different insurance deductibles. The first set of rates uses a $250 deductible and the second rate table uses a $500 deductible.

Prices 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. Premium amounts do not factor in your specific Lubbock location which can affect prices greatly.

Using the data above, we can ascertain that using a $250 deductible could cost the average driver approximately $16 more each month or $192 annually averaged for all HHR models than buying the higher $500 deductible. Due to the fact that you would have to pay $250 more out-of-pocket with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you normally average more than 16 months between claims, you would save money if you choose the higher deductible. Here is a better example of how you can make your own decision.

One important caveat is that a higher deductible results in more money out-of-pocket at claim time. That will require a higher level of savings in the event you have to pay the deductible for vehicle repair.

Tickets and at-fault accidents raise rates

The diagram below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault accidents influence Chevy HHR car insurance rates for different age groups of insureds. The premiums assume a single male driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.

Chevrolet HHR insurance rates by gender

The diagram below visualizes the comparison of Chevy HHR car insurance costs for male and female drivers. The prices are based on no claims or driving violations, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no other discounts are factored in.

Chevrolet HHR full coverage rates compared to liability only

The diagram below compares Chevy HHR insurance costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The data is based on no accidents, no driving violations, $500 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.

When to stop buying comprehensive and collision coverage

There is no written rule for phasing out physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of having full coverage is more than about 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s say your Chevy HHR book value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, the most your company would pay you is $4,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If premiums are more than $400 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then you might consider buying liability only.

There are some scenarios where buying only liability insurance is not recommended. If you still have a loan on your vehicle, you have to maintain full coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should keep full coverage in place.

Lower rates by qualifying for these nine discounts

The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but discounts can save money and there are some available that could drop your premiums quite a bit. A few discounts will be applied when you get a quote, but some must be specially asked for before you get the savings.

• Discount for Passive Restraints – Factory air bags could see savings of 20 to 30 percent.
• Government Employees – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% depending on your car insurance provider.
• Claim Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay less as compared to drivers with a long claim history.
• Military Rewards – Having an actively deployed family member could mean lower prices.
• Early Renewal Discounts – A few insurance companies allow discounts for switching to them before your current HHR insurance policy expires. The savings is around 10%.
• Mature Driver Discount – If you’re over the age of 55, you can get better car insurance rates.
• Seat Belt Discounts – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving can save up to 15% off the PIP or medical payment premium.
• ABS Braking Discount – Cars and trucks with anti-lock braking systems are much safer to drive so companies give up to a 10% discount.
• Save with More Vehicles Insured – Purchasing coverage when you have multiple vehicles on a single policy qualifies for this discount.

Just know that most credits do not apply to the entire policy premium. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like comprehensive or collision. So when the math indicates having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, nobody gets a free ride.

The example below compares Chevy HHR insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the rates. The rate quotes are based on a female driver, no violations or accidents, Texas state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with safe-driver, multi-car, marriage, multi-policy, homeowner, and claim-free discounts applied.

The best car insurance companies and a selection of discounts include:

• Progressive discounts include online signing, homeowner, continuous coverage, good student, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and online quote discount.
• AAA offers discounts including multi-policy, anti-theft, multi-car, pay-in-full, good driver, and education and occupation.
• Farmers Insurance has discounts for mature driver, homeowner, youthful driver, multi-car, good student, teen driver, and switch companies.
• GEICO includes discounts for five-year accident-free, driver training, multi-vehicle, military active duty, membership and employees, and anti-theft.
• Esurance offers discounts for defensive driver, anti-lock brakes, homeowner, good driver, multi-car, online shopper, and renters.
• SAFECO has savings for homeowner, teen safety rewards, safe driver, multi-car, bundle discounts, and accident prevention training.
• State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including student away at school, safe vehicle, good driver, multiple policy, defensive driving training, and Drive Safe & Save.

If you are trying to find cheaper Lubbock car insurance quotes, ask each company how you can save money. All car insurance discounts may not be available in every state. If you would like to choose from a list of car insurance companies that have a full spectrum of discounts in Texas, follow this link.

Auto insurance coverages explained

Knowing the specifics of a auto insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. Auto insurance terms can be confusing and reading a policy is terribly boring.

Uninsured and underinsured coverage – This gives you protection when other motorists either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. Covered losses include medical payments for you and your occupants and damage to your Chevy HHR.

Because many people only carry the minimum required liability limits (30/60/25 in Texas), it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.

Coverage for liability – This coverage protects you from injuries or damage you cause to a person or their property that is your fault. It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have liability limits of 30/60/25 that means you have a limit of $30,000 per injured person, a limit of $60,000 in injury protection per accident, and property damage coverage for $25,000.

Liability coverage pays for things such as court costs, loss of income, emergency aid, medical expenses and medical services. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a decision to put some thought into, but buy as much as you can afford. Texas requires minimum liability limits of 30/60/25 but drivers should carry more liability than the minimum.

The chart below shows why buying minimum limits may not be high enough to adequately cover claims.

Coverage for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance reimburse you for short-term medical expenses like funeral costs, dental work, EMT expenses, X-ray expenses and nursing services. They are often used to cover expenses not covered by your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and will also cover any family member struck as a pedestrian. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible

Collision – This coverage will pay to fix damage to your HHR from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You first must pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be paid by your insurance company.

Collision insurance covers things like backing into a parked car, colliding with another moving vehicle, crashing into a building, colliding with a tree and hitting a mailbox. 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 HHR to bring the cost down.

Comprehensive coverages – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage that is not covered by collision coverage. A deductible will apply then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive can pay for things such as hitting a bird, hitting a deer, vandalism, damage from a tornado or hurricane and theft. The most you’ll receive from a claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s not worth carrying full coverage.

In the end, you can save money

Throughout this article, we presented a lot of information how to lower your Chevy HHR insurance premium rates in Lubbock. The most important thing to understand is the more rate quotes you have, the higher your chance of finding affordable Lubbock car insurance quotes. Consumers could even find that the best premium rates are with an unexpected company.

Drivers change insurance companies for a variety of reasons including denial of a claim, high rates after DUI convictions, questionable increases in premium or even lack of trust in their agent. No matter why you want to switch, choosing a new insurance company is actually quite simple.

Low-cost Chevy HHR insurance in Lubbock is available on the web in addition to many Lubbock insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best chance of saving money. Some insurance providers don’t offer rates over the internet and these regional insurance providers only sell coverage through independent agents.

How to buy low-cost Chevy HHR insurance in Lubbock

The best way to save on auto insurance rates in Lubbock is to make a habit of regularly comparing prices from insurers in Texas. Drivers can shop around by completing these steps.

1. Try to comprehend what coverages are included in your policy and the things you can change to prevent expensive coverage. Many things that result in higher rates like traffic citations, accidents, and a negative credit history can be rectified by improving your driving habits or financial responsibility.
2. Request rate estimates from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Exclusive and direct companies can provide rates from one company like Progressive or Allstate, while independent agencies can provide prices from many different companies.
3. Compare the new quotes to the price on your current policy to determine if switching companies saves money. If you find a lower rate and make a switch, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
4. Notify your current company to cancel your current car insurance policy and submit payment and a signed application for the new coverage. Once the paperwork is finalized, place your new certificate of insurance above your visor, in the console, or in the glove compartment.

A good tip to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare similar limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to compare as many carriers as you can. Doing this ensures a fair rate comparison and the most accurate and complete price analysis.

Additional resources

• Distracted Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
• Who Has Cheap Lubbock Car Insurance Rates for a Jeep Grand Cherokee? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Lubbock Car Insurance Quotes for Veterans? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance for 16 Year Olds in Lubbock? (FAQ)
• Rearview cameras reduce backing crashes (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Neck Injury FAQ (iihs.org)
• Credit and Insurance Scores (Insurance Information Institute)