The car, truck, or SUV you are seeking coverage for is one of the primary factors that determines if you can find low-priced car insurance for drivers with a DUI. Vehicles with higher performance, poor passenger safety features, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than more modest models. The list below showcases insurance premiums for some of the most cost-effective automobiles to buy insurance for.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $1,203 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $1,314 |
| Honda Odyssey LX | $1,320 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,338 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,426 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $1,435 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Hero | $1,426 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $1,473 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,506 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,526 |
| Nissan Rogue S AWD | $1,533 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,528 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $1,536 |
| Start Your Quote Go | |
Table data assumes married female driver age 30, two speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Premium costs do not factor in vehicle location which can lower or raise coverage rates considerably.
Based upon the table data, cars like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Honda Odyssey, and Toyota Prius should be some of the cheaper vehicles to insure after getting a DUI. The cost of a car insurance policy will be higher anyway because of the fact that there is more claim exposure for drivers with a DUI, but overall those particular models will tend to have the cheapest rates compared to all other vehicles.
After getting a DUI, one of the largest considerations that are looked at to determine the cost of insurance is the neighborhood you call home in Austin. Areas with a lot of weather claims or more people tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims receive better rates.
The table below lists the highest-priced areas in Texas for drivers with a DUI to purchase car insurance in. Austin shows up at #15 with the annual price of $1,676 for coverage, which is about $140 monthly.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $1,956 |
| 2 | Laredo | $1,907 |
| 3 | Houston | $1,891 |
| 4 | Brownsville | $1,870 |
| 5 | Dallas | $1,855 |
| 6 | Amarillo | $1,804 |
| 7 | Garland | $1,778 |
| 8 | Beaumont | $1,772 |
| 9 | Mesquite | $1,753 |
| 10 | Pasadena | $1,740 |
| 11 | Grand Prairie | $1,740 |
| 12 | Irving | $1,736 |
| 13 | San Antonio | $1,722 |
| 14 | Arlington | $1,709 |
| 15 | Austin | $1,676 |
| 16 | Lubbock | $1,665 |
| 17 | Fort Worth | $1,653 |
| 18 | Corpus Christi | $1,636 |
| 19 | McKinney | $1,625 |
| 20 | Carrollton | $1,615 |
| 21 | Waco | $1,584 |
| 22 | El Paso | $1,584 |
| 23 | Plano | $1,576 |
| 24 | Abilene | $1,515 |
| 25 | Killeen | $1,488 |
| Start a Quote Go | ||
Rate information is estimated as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can impact auto insurance rates noticeably.
Locating low-priced car insurance is not most people’s favorite thing to do, and finding out which insurers offer the cheapest auto insurance rates for drivers with a DUI requires even more perseverance. Each company has a unique approach for determining rates, so let’s rank the overall cheapest auto insurance companies in Austin.
It’s important that you understand Austin auto insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can significantly increase or decrease the price of coverage. This is why Austin drivers need to take the time to shop around when trying to find the most affordable auto insurance quotes for drivers with a DUI. Prices are influenced by many things and change dramatically, so the most economical company six months ago may now be one of the more expensive options.
Best Insurance Companies after a DUI
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelers | $1,052 |
| 2 | USAA | $1,084 |
| 3 | Texas Farm Bureau | $1,199 |
| 4 | Germania Mutual | $1,256 |
| 5 | Esurance | $1,365 |
| 6 | California Casualty | $1,424 |
| 7 | State Farm | $1,495 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,521 |
| 9 | Safe Auto | $1,549 |
| 10 | Nationwide | $1,600 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,650 |
| 12 | Progressive | $1,715 |
| 13 | Amica | $1,757 |
| 14 | Home State | $2,134 |
| 15 | GEICO | $2,135 |
| 16 | Encompass | $2,232 |
| 17 | MetLife | $2,249 |
| 18 | Unitrin | $2,310 |
| 19 | 21st Century | $2,469 |
| 20 | Titan | $2,672 |
| Quote Your Rates Go | ||
Travelers generally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Austin at around $1,052 each year. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance also rank well as some of the cheaper Austin, TX auto insurance companies.
In the above example, if you are insured with Texas Farm Bureau and switched to Travelers, you may see savings of roughly $147. Texas drivers with Germania Mutual might save as much as $204 a year, and Esurance customers might lower prices by up to $313 a year.
Be aware that those rates are averages across all types of drivers and the different vehicles they drive and do not take into consideration an exact zip code location for drivers with a DUI. So the insurer that is best suited for you may not even be in the list above. That’s why you need to quote rates from as many companies as possible using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
Difference between liability only and full coverage rates
Reducing the cost of auto insurance is probably important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one common way to buy cheap insurance for drivers with a DUI is to not buy full coverage. The information below shows the comparison of auto insurance costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The data assumes no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
On average, physical damage coverage on your policy costs an extra $1,730 per year more than carrying just liability coverage. At some point, every insured wonders if it’s a good idea to buy full coverage. There is no clear-cut rule to stop buying 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 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might consider buying liability only.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s book value is $5,000 and you have $1,000 physical damage deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most you would get paid by your company is $4,000 after the deductible is paid. If premiums are more than $400 annually for full coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
Selecting the highest-rated company can be challenging considering how many companies are available to choose from in Austin. The information shown next could help you select which car insurance companies you want to consider when comparing insurance rates for drivers with a DUI. The rankings below include large insurance companies, so smaller companies that only insure vehicles in Texas are not taken into consideration for the list.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers | 93 | 98 | 99 | 88% | A++ | 95.1 |
| USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
| Mercury Insurance | 97 | 96 | 88 | 89% | A+ | 93.4 |
| AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
| Nationwide | 85 | 95 | 97 | 89% | A+ | 92.4 |
| Allstate | 77 | 100 | 97 | 88% | A+ | 90.7 |
| State Farm | 80 | 94 | 96 | 88% | A++ | 90.6 |
| The Hartford | 88 | 93 | 91 | 87% | A+ | 90.4 |
| Safeco Insurance | 91 | 95 | 85 | 88% | A | 90.2 |
| Progressive | 88 | 94 | 83 | 88% | A+ | 90.1 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
The chart below demonstrates how deductibles can increase or decrease yearly insurance costs when trying to find cheap insurance for drivers with a DUI. The information is based on a single male driver, full coverage, and no other discounts are factored in.
A 30-year-old driver could pocket $352 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $530 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, such as the 20-year-old example, could roll back prices up to $1,026 each year just by using higher deductibles.
When insureds make the decision to increase the deductibles on their policy, it is a good idea to have enough spare savings to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense. That is the one disadvantage of using higher deductibles.
How to find economical car insurance for drivers with a DUI
The list below summarizes some penny-pinching suggestions that can help you locate cheap auto insurance.
- Safe vehicles generally have lower rates
- Try to remain claim-free
- Prevent rate increases by staying accident-free
- Higher credit ratings may save you money
- Violations like speeding or DUI increase rates
- Shop your coverage around for the best deal
The last idea is certainly crucial, as was affirmed in this write-up. Car insurance prices change a lot, so you should be ready to switch companies if a lower price can be found. Staying with the same company for years is fine, but we do not recommend it if it’s costing you hundreds every year. If you have a few minutes, now is a great time to shop around to find cheaper auto insurance for drivers with a DUI in Austin.