The words “cheap” and “auto insurance” really shouldn’t be used together, especially when you are searching for the cheapest auto insurance for first-time drivers. Let’s learn about a few of the factors that have an impact on car insurance premiums, and find out if you can lower the cost of your next policy.
For new drivers, one of the largest criteria that determine the cost of insurance is where you live in Fort Worth. Cities with larger populations will most likely have higher rates, whereas areas that tend to be more rural receive better rates.
The table below sorts the most expensive places in Texas for first-time drivers to buy an auto insurance policy in. Fort Worth is listed at #15 with a yearly cost of $1,670 for the average insurance policy, which is around $139 per month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $1,956 |
| 2 | Dallas | $1,893 |
| 3 | Laredo | $1,889 |
| 4 | Amarillo | $1,858 |
| 5 | Brownsville | $1,851 |
| 6 | Houston | $1,835 |
| 7 | Garland | $1,832 |
| 8 | Mesquite | $1,825 |
| 9 | Pasadena | $1,758 |
| 10 | Beaumont | $1,754 |
| 11 | Grand Prairie | $1,740 |
| 12 | San Antonio | $1,739 |
| 13 | Irving | $1,736 |
| 14 | Austin | $1,676 |
| 15 | Fort Worth | $1,670 |
| 16 | Lubbock | $1,665 |
| 17 | Arlington | $1,658 |
| 18 | Plano | $1,624 |
| 19 | McKinney | $1,609 |
| 20 | Carrollton | $1,598 |
| 21 | Corpus Christi | $1,572 |
| 22 | El Paso | $1,568 |
| 23 | Abilene | $1,545 |
| 24 | Waco | $1,522 |
| 25 | Killeen | $1,518 |
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Premium costs are estimated as the specific zip code location can modify rates greatly.
The vehicle you are trying to insure is probably the most important factor when comparing low-cost coverage for first-time drivers. Vehicles with lots of speed or power, a lack of modern safety features, or a track record of large liability claims will cost more to insure than more modest models.
The next table estimates insurance premiums for some of the most cost-effective vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $3,768 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $3,807 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $3,814 |
| Toyota Prius | $4,092 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $4,184 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $4,194 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $4,430 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $4,438 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $4,469 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $4,474 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $4,469 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $4,474 |
| Ford Fusion S 4-Dr Sedan | $4,469 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $4,508 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $4,518 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SXT | $4,508 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $4,676 |
| Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $4,686 |
| Toyota Corolla S | $4,715 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $4,725 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $4,715 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD | $4,754 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $4,760 |
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Prices based on single male driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can influence premiums greatly.
Based on these rates, cars like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Toyota Prius are likely to be a few of the most affordable vehicles to insure for new drivers. The cost of a car insurance policy will be higher anyway just because there is a higher risk for first-time drivers, but in general those vehicles will have the lowest prices available.
Choosing the best insurance company can be rather challenging considering how many different companies sell coverage in Fort Worth. The company information shown below can help you analyze which auto insurance companies you want to consider to insure your vehicles.
These rankings are only comprised of large insurance companies, so companies that have a smaller presence are not included in this list. To get price quotes from these top insurers and more, click this link.
| 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 |
| American Family | 91 | 86 | 95 | 83% | A | 89.7 |
| Esurance | 86 | 90 | 94 | 90% | A+ | 89.5 |
| The General | 86 | 93 | 89 | 84% | A- | 88.2 |
| GEICO | 79 | 89 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 87.8 |
| Titan Insurance | 86 | 82 | 92 | 86% | A+ | 86.5 |
| 21st Century | 86 | 82 | 90 | 84% | A | 86.4 |
| Liberty Mutual | 79 | 87 | 95 | 78% | A | 85.3 |
| Farmers Insurance | 77 | 80 | 80 | 84% | A | 80.3 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Does it make sense to buy full coverage?
Reducing premiums for auto insurance should be important to the majority of drivers, and one good way to reduce the cost of insurance for first-time drivers is to buy liability only. The example below shows the comparison of premium costs with and without physical damage coverage, medical payments, and uninsured/under-insured motorist coverage. The prices are based on no claims or violations, $500 deductibles, single marital status, and no discounts are factored in.
If we average the cost for ages 20 through 70, physical damage insurance costs an extra $1,793 per year over having just liability coverage. Many of you may wonder if full coverage is worth the money. There is no exact formula for excluding physical damage insurance, but there is a general guideline. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than around 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
Safe drivers pay less for auto insurance
The recommended way to enjoy cheap auto insurance prices in Fort Worth for new drivers is to be a cautious driver and have a clean driving record. The chart below highlights how speeding tickets and at-fault collisions drive up insurance rates for different age groups of insureds. The premiums assume a single male driver, full coverage, $100 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
In the example above, the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with no violations or accidents is $2,181. Get one speeding ticket and the average cost hikes up to $2,456, an increase of $275 each year. Then throw in two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of auto insurance for first-time drivers jumps again to an average of $4,766. That’s an increase of $2,586, or $215 per month, just for not driving responsibly!
Why you are probably overpaying for car insurance
Fort Worth auto insurance rates are calculated based on many things that control the cost of a policy. Turning one year older, getting married, or having an accident can trigger rate changes that may make certain companies more affordable than before. Not only may your risk profile change, but car insurance companies change premium rates as needed in order to protect their financial rating. Significantly higher claims may cause higher prices, while lower claim expenses may cause more affordable Fort Worth car insurance rates.
To illustrate this point, the data below compares the cheapest car insurance in Fort Worth, TX for a 45-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and a good credit history. If we look at prices based on his personal risk profile, Travelers offers the best car insurance rates in Fort Worth at $1,100 per year. This is $804 less than the average policy premium paid by Texas drivers of $1,904. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance are also included in the top five cheapest Fort Worth, TX auto insurance companies.
The next chart shows rates after we give the driver from the first rate comparison a claim, a lower credit rating, and a blemish on his driving record. Because each company has a proprietary method to determining premium rates, comparing prices could now result in a significantly different list of cheap Fort Worth auto insurance companies as shown below.
State Farm now has the lowest car insurance rate in Fort Worth, TX with Mercury, Nationwide, Safe Auto, and USAA now rounding out the top five. This example shows why consumers need to compare lots of rates when trying to find the most affordable insurance quotes for first-time drivers.
Insurance rates are impacted by many risk factors and change dramatically, so the best price the last time you shopped around may now be priced much higher than other options.