Having to pay for expensive car insurance in Durham can consume your savings and maybe even restrict other spending. Comparing cost estimates is a fast and free way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket.
Inconceivable but true, a large majority of car insurance policyholders in North Carolina have bought car insurance from the same company for a minimum of four years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never taken the time to shop around. Many drivers in America can save roughly $860 each year just by comparing rates, but they just don’t understand the amount of money they would save if they changed companies. Because you have many options when it comes to car insurance, it can be hard to find the most affordable company.
Locating the best rates in Durham is not rocket science. If you are already insured or just want cheaper rates, you can learn to lower your rates while maximizing coverage. Smart buyers just need to learn how to compare price quotes from many companies at once.
Best companies for Hyundai Sonata Hybrid insurance
The car insurance companies shown below offer quotes in North Carolina. If you want the best cheap auto insurance in Durham, NC, we suggest you visit several of them to get the most competitive price.
Affordable Durham auto insurance quotes with discounts
The price of auto insurance can be rather high, but there may be some discounts that could help you make your next renewal payment. A few discounts will automatically apply at the time of quoting, but lesser-known reductions have to be requested specifically before you get the savings. If you check and find you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you may be paying too high a price.
- Low Mileage Discounts – Low annual miles could qualify for substantially lower auto insurance rates.
- Theft Deterrent Discount – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
- Pay Early and Save – If you can afford to pay the entire bill instead of making monthly payments you may have a lower total premium amount.
- Air Bags and Passive Restraints – Options like air bags can qualify for discounts up to 30%.
- Paper-free Discount – Many larger companies will provide an incentive for buying your policy on your computer.
- Seat Belt Discounts – Drivers who require all occupants to use a seat belt could save 15% on medical payment and PIP coverage.
- Discounts for Good Drivers – Drivers who avoid accidents may receive a discount up to 45% as compared to drivers with claims.
- Own a Home – Just being a homeowner may trigger a policy discount on auto insurance since home ownership is proof that your finances are in order.
- Driver Safety – Taking part in a driver safety class may get you a small discount and make you a better driver.
- Lower Rates for Military – Having a deployed family member may qualify for rate reductions.
Keep in mind that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like comprehensive or collision. Despite the fact that it seems like having all the discounts means you get insurance for free, companies don’t profit that way. Any amount of discount will help lower the premium cost.
The best auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide can be read below.
- Farmers Insurance policyholders can earn discounts including good student, multi-car, early shopping, pay in full, electronic funds transfer, teen driver, and youthful driver.
- Esurance may offer discounts for safety device, emergency road assistance, homeowner, anti-lock brakes, claim free, Switch & Save, and online quote.
- State Farm may have discounts that include defensive driving training, Drive Safe & Save, good student, good driver, safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, and accident-free.
- GEICO offers premium reductions for emergency military deployment, military active duty, seat belt use, driver training, defensive driver, air bags, and anti-theft.
- Allstate offers discounts including passive restraint, EZ pay plan discount, multi-policy, safe driver, and farm vehicle.
Before you buy a policy, ask all the companies which discounts they offer. Some of the discounts discussed earlier may not be available in every state. To locate auto insurance companies that provide some of the discounts listed above in Durham, click this link.
Insurance Rate Influencing Factors
Many things are used when you get your auto insurance bill. Some are obvious such as your driving record, although others are less obvious such as whether you are married or your commute time.
Discounts for alarms and GPS tracking – Choosing a vehicle with advanced anti-theft systems can help lower your rates. Advanced theft deterrents like GM’s OnStar, tamper alarm systems and vehicle immobilizers all help stop vehicle theft.
Rural vs Urban Areas – Residing in less populated areas can save you money when trying to find low car insurance rates. City drivers have more road rage incidents and more severe claims. Fewer drivers on the road translates into fewer accident claims as well as less vandalism and auto theft.
Battle of the sexes – The statistics show women are more cautious behind the wheel. This data doesn’t prove that men are WORSE drivers than women. Men and women tend to get into fender benders in similar percentages, but the male of the species tend to have higher claims. In addition to higher claims, males also have more aggressive citations such as reckless driving. Young males are several times more likely to be in an accident and thus pay the highest rates.
Lower annual miles equals lower premium – The more miles you rack up on your Hyundai in a year’s time the higher your rate. A lot of companies rate vehicles based upon how the vehicle is primarily used. Cars and trucks left parked in the garage cost less to insure than those used for commuting. A policy that improperly rates your Sonata Hybrid can cost quite a bit. It’s always a good idea to double check that your car insurance policy correctly shows annual mileage.
Your credit rating is important – Having a bad credit history is likely to be a major factor in determining your rates. If your credit rating is not that good, you could potentially save money when insuring your Hyundai Sonata Hybrid by spending a little time repairing your credit. Consumers who have very good credit scores tend to be more responsible than drivers who have poor credit scores.
Loss statistics for a Hyundai Sonata Hybrid – Insurers analyze the history of losses to determine a rate that will be profitable for them. Vehicles that the data determines to have a trend towards higher claim severity or frequency will cost more for coverage.
The table shown below demonstrates the historical insurance loss data for Hyundai Sonata Hybrid vehicles. For each coverage category, the claim amount for all vehicles, regardless of make or model, is a value of 100. Values below 100 imply a favorable loss record, while numbers above 100 indicate frequent claims or a tendency for losses to be larger than average.
Vehicle Model | Collision | Property Damage | Comp | Personal Injury | Medical Payment | Bodily Injury |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid | 142 | 116 | 119 | 124 | 138 | 121 |
Statistics Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for 2013-2015 Model Years
Your auto insurance coverage should be tailored to you
Always keep in mind that when comparing coverage online or from an agent for your vehicles, there isn’t really a single plan that fits everyone. Every insured’s situation is different.
For example, these questions may help highlight whether you will benefit from professional help.
- When do I need to add a new car to my policy?
- Why do I need rental car insurance?
- Do I need motorclub coverage?
- Is water damage covered by my policy?
- What is glass protection for?
- Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
- How much cheaper are high deductibles?
- Does having multiple vehicles earn me a discount?
If you’re not sure about those questions, you might consider talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, complete this form. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and may give you better protection.
Buying from insurance agents
Some people still like to sit down with an agent and doing so can bring peace of mind Insurance agents can make sure you are properly covered and give you someone to call. The best thing about getting free rate quotes online is that you can obtain the best rates and still have an agent to talk to.
Once you complete this quick form, your insurance coverage information is immediately sent to agents in your area that provide free Durham car insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. You never need to search for any insurance agencies since rate quotes are delivered to you instantly. If you wish to compare rates from a particular provider, don’t hesitate to search and find their rate quote page and fill out their quote form.
Finding a good insurer requires you to look at more than just a cheap price. Any agent in Durham should be willing to answer these questions.
- How long has the business existed?
- Will you be dealing directly with the agent or with a Custom Service Representative (CSR)?
- Do they have designations such as AIC, CPCU, or CIC?
- Which insurance company do they prefer to write with?
- Does their agency support local causes in Durham?
- Do they offer rental car reimbursement?
- Is there a 24/7 contact number?
- Are claim adjusters local or do you have to take your car somewhere else?
If you want to use a reputable insurance agent or broker, it helps to know the two types of insurance agents and how they can quote your rates. Agents in Durham can be described as either independent or exclusive. Either can write auto insurance policies, but it is a good idea to know how they are different since it could factor into buying decisions.
Exclusive Auto Insurance Agents
Exclusive agencies can only provide one company’s prices and some examples include Allstate, Farmers Insurance or State Farm. Exclusive agents cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so always compare other rates. Exclusive agencies receive a lot of sales training in insurance sales which helps offset the inability to provide other markets.
The following are Durham exclusive insurance agencies willing to provide comparison quotes.
Nationwide Insurance Marsh Dawson Agency
821 Hanson Rd – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 806-5109 – View Map
Nationwide Insurance: Sizsiz L Wong
105 W North Carolina 54 Ste 279 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 544-7000 – View Map
Rollie Olin – State Farm Insurance Agent
4810 Hope Valley Rd #116 – Durham, NC 27707 – (919) 489-6008 – View Map
Independent Auto Insurance Agents
Agents of this type do not write with just one company and that allows them to write policies amongst many companies depending on which coverage is best. If they quote lower rates, an independent agent can move your coverage which is easy for the insured. If you need cheaper auto insurance rates, it’s a good idea to contact several independent agencies to get the most accurate price comparison.
Below are independent insurance agents in Durham who can help you get price quote information.
Superior Insurance of Durham
3825 S Roxboro St #118 – Durham, NC 27713 – (919) 224-8034 – View Map
The Insurance Pros, Inc.
1210 Cole Mill Rd Suite 101 – Durham, NC 27705 – (919) 294-6613 – View Map
Reliable Insurance Agency of North Carolina Inc.
3325 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd #200 – Durham, NC 27707 – (919) 864-9048 – View Map
North Carolina car insurance company ratings
Picking a good quality auto insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many companies sell coverage in North Carolina. The rank data shown next can help you pick which companies you want to consider purchasing a policy from.
Top 10 Durham Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Value
- Travelers
- American Family
- AAA Insurance
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- The Hartford
- The General
- 21st Century
- Esurance
- Titan Insurance
Top 10 Durham Car Insurance Companies Overall
- Travelers
- USAA
- AAA Insurance
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- State Farm
- The Hartford
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- American Family
Insurance savings summarized
Consumers who switch companies do it for a number of reasons such as extreme rates for teen drivers, policy cancellation, not issuing a premium refund and even being labeled a high risk driver. It doesn’t matter what your reason, switching companies is not as difficult as it may seem.
We’ve covered a lot of techniques to lower your Hyundai Sonata Hybrid insurance car insurance rates in Durham. It’s most important to understand that the more providers you compare, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest car insurance rates come from some of the lesser-known companies.
While you’re price shopping online, it’s very important that you do not sacrifice coverage to reduce premiums. There have been many situations where an accident victim reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret that the savings was not a smart move. Your strategy should be to purchase plenty of coverage at the best price while still protecting your assets.
Steps to finding cheaper Hyundai Sonata Hybrid insurance in Durham
The recommended way to find more affordable auto insurance rates is to start comparing rates regularly from providers who sell auto insurance in Durham. Rate comparisons can be done by completing these steps.
Step 1: Get an understanding of how your policy works and the measures you can control to keep rates low. Many rating criteria that increase rates such as speeding tickets, careless driving and a low credit rating can be rectified by making minor changes to your lifestyle.
Step 2: Request price quotes from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can give quotes from one company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can quote prices for a wide range of insurance providers. Click to view companies
Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to the price on your current policy to see if you can save by switching companies. If you find a better price and decide to switch, make sure coverage does not lapse between policies.
Step 4: Notify your agent or company of your decision to cancel your current policy. Submit a signed application and payment to your new carrier. As soon as you have the new policy, place the new certificate verifying proof of insurance along with the vehicle’s registration papers.
A good piece of advice is to compare the same level of coverage on every price quote and to quote with as many different companies as possible. This guarantees an apples-to-apples comparison and the best rate selection.
Additional information can be found below:
- Warning systems don’t curb driver distraction (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for a Toyota Tacoma in Durham? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes for a 20 Year Old Male in Durham? (FAQ)
- Uninsured Motorists: Threats on the Road (Insurance Information Institute)
- Speed and Speed Limit FAQ (iihs.org)
- How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)