If you want to save money, the best way to quote cheaper Chevy Equinox insurance in Tucson is to begin comparing prices regularly from different companies who provide car insurance in Arizona.
First, it will benefit you to learn about what coverages are included in your policy and the modifications you can make to lower rates. Many rating criteria that drive up the price such as traffic violations, accidents, and poor credit history can be remedied by making lifestyle changes or driving safer. This article gives information to get better rates and find missing discounts.
Second, request rate estimates from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct and exclusive agents can only give prices from a single company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agents can quote prices from multiple sources.
Third, compare the quotes to your existing rates and determine if cheaper Equinox coverage is available. If you find better rates and make a switch, make sure there is no lapse in coverage.
The most important part of shopping around is that you’ll want to make sure you compare identical coverages on every price quote and and to get prices from as many car insurance companies as possible. Doing this helps ensure a level playing field and maximum price selection.
It’s hard to believe, but over 70% of Arizona drivers have stayed with the same insurance company for over three years, and nearly half have never compared quotes from other companies. Most drivers in the U.S. could save approximately 47% each year by just shopping around, but most just don’t grasp the benefits if they moved their coverage to a different company.
Shopping for affordable protection in Tucson is easy to do. If you’re already insured or just want cheaper coverage, use these techniques to get lower rates and possibly find even better coverage. Comparison shoppers just have to use the most efficient way to get comparison rates online.
Why Your Insurance Prices might be higher
The best way to find cheaper insurance is to take a look at some of the factors that help determine your insurance rates. If you know what controls the rates you pay, this empowers consumers to make smart changes that can help you get lower insurance prices. Many different elements are part of the calculation when you get a price on insurance. Some factors are common sense like a motor vehicle report, but other factors are less apparent such as whether you are married or how safe your car is.
Use but don’t abuse your insurance – If you file a lot of claims don’t be surprised to see either higher rates or even cancellation. Auto insurance companies in Arizona award most affordable rates to insureds who are claim-free. Auto insurance is meant to be used in the event of more catastrophic claims.
Cheaper rates after marriage – Having a wife or husband can actually save you money when buying insurance. Having a significant other means you’re more mature than a single person and it’s statistically proven that being married results in fewer claims.
Is you vocation costing you more? – Jobs such as judges, airline pilots, and stock brokers generally pay higher premium rates attributed to high stress levels and incredibly demanding work hours. Other professions such as scientists, historians and performers pay lower than average rates.
Youthful drivers are expensive to insure – Teenage drivers in Arizona tend to get distracted easily in a vehicle and because of this, their insurance rates are much higher. Older insureds tend to be more responsible, tend to file fewer claims, and are safer drivers.
The following data uses these variables: single driver, full coverage with $1000 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.
Safer the car lower the rate – Vehicles with good safety scores get lower rates. Safe vehicles reduce injuries and fewer serious injuries means less claims paid passed on to you as lower rates. If your Chevy earned at least 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.
Lower comp and collision deductibles cost more – Coverage for physical damage, otherwise known as comp (or other than collision) and collision, helps pay for damage to your vehicle. Some examples of covered claims are a dented fender, flood damage, and windstorm damage. Comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles are the amount of money you are required to spend if you file a covered claim. The more damage repair cost you choose to pay out-of-pocket, the lower your rates will be.
Prices also based on gender – Statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. Now that doesn’t mean men are WORSE drivers than women. They both are responsible for fender benders at a similar rate, but males get into accidents with more damage. Not only that, but men also receive more costly citations such as DWI and reckless driving.
The chart below compares Chevy Equinox auto insurance costs for male and female drivers. The premium estimates are based on no claims, a clean driving record, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, single status, and no additional discounts are factored in.
Drive less and save – Driving a lot of miles each year the more you’ll pay to insure it. Most companies rate vehicles partially by how you use the vehicle. Cars and trucks that are left in the garage can get a lower rate than cars that get driven a lot. It’s a good idea to make sure your declarations sheet is rated on the correct driver usage, because it can save money. An incorrectly rated Equinox may be wasting your money.
Chevy Equinox claim data – Car insurance companies include the past claim trends for vehicles when they calculate premium prices for each model. Vehicles that the data determines to have higher prevalence or dollar amount of losses will cost more for coverage. The data below shows the insurance loss data used by companies for Chevy Equinox vehicles.
For each coverage type, the statistical loss for all vehicles averaged together equals 100. Values under 100 suggest a better than average loss history, while numbers above 100 indicate more frequent claims or an increased probability of a larger loss.
Vehicle Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Equinox 4dr 2WD | 82 | 86 | 74 | 101 | 104 | 93 |
Chevrolet Equinox 4dr 4WD | 84 | 88 | 85 | 89 | 93 | 81 |
Data Source: iihs.org (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) for 2013-2015 Model Years
The companies shown below are ready to provide free quotes in Arizona. If you wish to find cheap car insurance in Tucson, it’s highly recommended you visit several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.
Chevy Equinox coverage analysis
The premium table displayed below covers estimates of rate quotes for Chevy Equinox models. Having insight into how insurance policy premiums are determined can help customers make informed decisions when comparing rate quotes.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Equinox LS 2WD | $138 | $240 | $306 | $18 | $92 | $794 | $66 |
Equinox LT 2WD | $138 | $240 | $306 | $18 | $92 | $794 | $66 |
Equinox LS AWD | $138 | $240 | $306 | $18 | $92 | $794 | $66 |
Equinox LT AWD | $138 | $240 | $306 | $18 | $92 | $794 | $66 |
Equinox LTZ 2WD | $156 | $284 | $306 | $18 | $92 | $856 | $71 |
Equinox LTZ AWD | $156 | $284 | $306 | $18 | $92 | $856 | $71 |
Equinox LTZ AWD | $156 | $284 | $306 | $18 | $92 | $856 | $71 |
Get Your Own Custom Quote Go |
Price data assumes married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and Arizona minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Price information does not factor in Tucson location which can decrease or increase rates considerably.
The chart below highlights how deductible selection and can raise or lower Chevy Equinox yearly insurance costs for each different age group. The rate quotes are based on a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
Illustration showing the impact of accidents and violations
The illustration below shows how violations and at-fault fender-benders impact Chevy Equinox premium costs for different age groups. The data is based on a married female driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
Difference between liability only and full coverage rates
The illustration below visualizes the comparison of Chevy Equinox insurance premiums with full coverage compared to only the Arizona minimum liability coverage. The premiums are based on no claims or violations, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.
Guidelines for eliminating full coverage
There is no definitive rule for eliminating full coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than about 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.
For example, let’s say your Chevy Equinox replacement cost is $9,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company will settle for is $8,000 after paying the physical damage deductible. If you are paying more than $800 annually for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it might be time to buy liability only.
There are some situations where only buying liability is not advised. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should maintain full coverage.
Here’s why auto insurance is not optional
Despite the high insurance cost for a Chevy Equinox in Tucson, paying for auto insurance is required in Arizona but also provides important benefits.
- Almost all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific limits of liability coverage in order to get the vehicle licensed. In Arizona these limits are 15/30/10 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
- If you have a loan on your vehicle, it’s guaranteed your bank will have a requirement that you have insurance to ensure they get paid if you total the vehicle. If you do not keep the policy in force, the bank may insure your Chevy at a much higher premium rate and require you to reimburse them the higher premium.
- Auto insurance preserves both your assets and your Chevy Equinox. Insurance will also pay for all forms of medical expenses incurred in an accident. Liability coverage, the one required by state law, will also pay to defend you if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, your auto insurance policy will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of insuring your Equinox are definitely more than the cost, particularly when you have a large claim. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver overpays more than $820 a year so compare quotes from several companies once a year at a minimum to ensure rates are inline.
Auto insurance quotes and discounts
The cost of insuring your cars can be expensive, but you may be missing some discounts to help bring down the price. Some trigger automatically when you get a quote, but less common discounts must be specifically requested before they will apply.
- Accident Free – Drivers who don’t have accidents pay much less as opposed to drivers with a long claim history.
- Drive Safe and Save – Insureds who avoid accidents can pay as much as 50% less compared to rates paid by drivers with frequent claims.
- One Accident Forgiven – Not really a discount, but some insurance companies will allow you to have one accident without raising rates as long as you don’t have any claims for a set time period.
- Student Discounts – Performing well in school could provide a savings of up to 20% or more. Many companies even apply the discount to college students well after school through age 25.
- Lower Rates for Military – Being deployed in the military could trigger a small discount.
- Early Switch Discount – A few companies give discounts for renewing your policy prior to the expiration date on your current Equinox insurance policy. You can save around 10% with this discount.
- Mature Driver Discount – Drivers that qualify as senior citizens can possibly qualify for a slight reduction on a Tucson car insurance quote.
Keep in mind that some of the credits will not apply to the whole policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. Just because it seems like adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies don’t profit that way.
The diagram below shows the comparison of Chevy Equinox auto insurance costs with and without discounts applied. The premiums assume a female driver, no claims, a clean driving record, Arizona 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 multi-car, claim-free, homeowner, marriage, safe-driver, and multi-policy discounts applied.
Large auto insurance companies and their offered discounts include:
- State Farm offers discounts including safe vehicle, accident-free, good student, multiple autos, student away at school, passive restraint, and driver’s education.
- Nationwide may offer discounts for anti-theft, multi-policy, Farm Bureau membership, accident-free, family plan, business or organization, and good student.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for membership and employees, multi-policy, air bags, good student, five-year accident-free, defensive driver, and anti-lock brakes.
- AAA has savings for anti-theft, AAA membership discount, education and occupation, good driver, and multi-car.
- 21st Century discounts include early bird, automatic seat belts, student driver, teen driver, anti-lock brakes, 55 and older, and theft prevention.
- The Hartford offers discounts for vehicle fuel type, air bag, driver training, anti-theft, bundle, and defensive driver.
It’s a good idea to ask all the companies how you can save money. Discounts might not be available to policyholders in your area.
Do I need a local insurance agent?
Many drivers still prefer to talk to a local agent and doing that can be a smart decision Agents are trained to spot inefficiencies and give you someone to call. An additional benefit of price shopping on the web is the fact that you can find the best rates and still choose a local agent. Buying from local insurance agents is definitely important in Tucson.
After filling out this short form, your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to companies in Tucson that can provide free Tucson car insurance quotes to get your business. There is no reason to find an agent as quotes are delivered immediately to your email address. If for some reason you want to quote rates from a particular provider, you would need to go to their quote page and fill out the quote form the provide.
Is an exclusive or independent auto insurance agent right for you?
If you need to find a reliable insurance agent, there are a couple of types of agencies and how they can quote your rates. Auto insurance agencies are considered either independent agents or exclusive agents depending on their employer. Either can provide auto insurance policies, but it’s important to know the difference in how they write coverage since it may influence which agent you choose.
Independent Auto Insurance Agents (or Brokers)
Independent agencies often have many company appointments and that allows them to write policies with many different companies and get you the best rates possible. If you want to switch companies, the business is moved internally and the insured can keep the same agent.
When shopping rates, you will want to check rates from at a minimum one independent agency in order to compare the most rates.
Listed below is a partial list of independent agents in Tucson that can possibly get you comparison quotes.
AZ Insurance Center
8880 E Speedway Blvd #101 – Tucson, AZ 85710 – (520) 722-0665 – View Map
RightSure Insurance Group
5151 E Broadway Blvd #120 – Tucson, AZ 85711 – (520) 901-7010 – View Map
Arizona Southern Insurance Agency
6544 E 22nd St – Tucson, AZ 85710 – (520) 747-3900 – View Map
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents
Agents of this type have only one company to place business with and some examples include Farmers Insurance and State Farm. They generally cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so you need to shop around if the rates are high. Exclusive insurance agents are trained well in insurance sales which helps them sell on service rather than price.
Shown below are exclusive insurance agents in Tucson that can give you price quote information.
Rick McGee – State Farm Insurance Agent
7630 N la Cholla Blvd – Tucson, AZ 85741 – (520) 529-4676 – View Map
Al Vasey – State Farm Insurance Agent
7401 E 22nd St – Tucson, AZ 85710 – (520) 514-0222 – View Map
Tim Brown: Farmers Insurance Agent
70 W Franklin St – Tucson, AZ 85701 – (520) 322-3924 – View Map
Finding the right insurance agency is decision based upon more than just the premium amount. Any agent in Tucson should be willing to answer these questions.
- Does the agent have a valid license to sell insurance in Arizona?
- How long has their agency been open in Tucson?
- Where would your vehicle be repaired?
- Do they write coverage based solely on cost?
- By raising physical damage deductibles, how much would you save?
- Is there any savings for paying the full premium?
How to know if you need help
When it comes to buying insurance from an agent or online for your personal vehicles, there really is no perfect coverage plan. Everyone’s situation is unique and your policy should reflect that.
For example, these questions may help you determine whether you would benefit from an agent’s advice.
- Will filing a claim cost me more?
- What is an umbrella policy?
- What vehicles should carry emergency assistance coverage?
- Do I have coverage when using my vehicle for my home business?
- If I use my vehicle for business use is it covered?
- When would I need rental car insurance?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, fill out this quick form or click here for a list of auto insurance companies in your area. It is quick, free and you can get the answers you need.
Auto insurance savings summarized
When shopping online for auto insurance, never skimp on coverage in order to save money. There are many occasions where an accident victim reduced liability coverage limits only to discover later that their decision to reduce coverage ended up costing them more. Your aim should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest cost and still be able to protect your assets.
In this article, we covered many tips how you can compare Chevy Equinox insurance car insurance rates in Tucson. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. Consumers may even find the best price on auto insurance is with the smaller companies. Regional companies can often insure niche markets at a lower cost compared to the large companies like Allstate and Progressive.
Much more information about auto insurance in Arizona is located below:
- Avoiding Deer Collisions (Insurance Information Institute)
- What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Good Drivers in Tucson? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Low Income Drivers in Tucson? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a Ford Edge in Tucson? (FAQ)
- How Much is Auto Insurance for Handicapped Drivers in Tucson? (FAQ)
- What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Teenage Males in Tucson? (FAQ)
- What is a Telematics Device? (Allstate)
- Frontal Crash Tests (iihs.org)
- Medical Payments Coverage (Liberty Mutual)
- Understanding Car Crashes Video (iihs.org)