When writing about shopping for car insurance, the words cheap or affordable shouldn’t be used anywhere in the article as a descriptor for auto insurance rates. Sad but true, cheap car insurance for a Ford Explorer is not easy to find. But don’t let that discourage you, because we will show you how you can still get auto insurance that is considered budget-friendly.
Your chances of finding the cheapest coverage for a Ford Explorer in Texas relies on a lot of rating factors such as miles driven annually, if you have a tendancy to file claims, and citations or violations on your driving record. Drivers in Texas pay an average rate of $1,450 per year for Explorer insurance, but that rate is an estimate that uses rate data for a 30-year-old single female with both comprehensive and collision coverage and $250 policy deductibles.
When estimating a car insurance rate like we just did, the issue is that you are not exactly 30 years old and possibly not even female, maybe you are married instead of single, and there is a good chance that you need different coverage limits than the exampe. Have just a small change in rating criteria may result in significant differences in rate quotes.
Every driver has different characteristics, so the best method for finding the cheapest rates for your Ford is to quote often and with as many companies as possible.
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The trim level of your vehicle will have an impact the cost of insurance, so the cost to insure a Explorer XLT 2WD will be $150 cheaper than the insurance cost for the high end Explorer Limited AWD version, as shown in the chart below.
Model | Comp | Collision | Liability | Medical | UM/UIM | Annual Premium | Monthly Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Explorer XLT 2WD | $326 | $502 | $514 | $30 | $154 | $1,526 | $127 |
Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $326 | $502 | $514 | $30 | $154 | $1,526 | $127 |
Explorer XLT 4WD | $326 | $502 | $514 | $30 | $154 | $1,526 | $127 |
Explorer XLT AWD | $326 | $502 | $514 | $30 | $154 | $1,526 | $127 |
Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD | $368 | $610 | $514 | $30 | $154 | $1,676 | $140 |
Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $368 | $610 | $514 | $30 | $154 | $1,676 | $140 |
Explorer Limited 2WD | $368 | $610 | $514 | $30 | $154 | $1,676 | $140 |
Explorer Limited 4WD | $368 | $610 | $514 | $30 | $154 | $1,676 | $140 |
Explorer Limited AWD | $368 | $610 | $514 | $30 | $154 | $1,676 | $140 |
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Data rating is based on single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $250 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, claim-free, safe-driver, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Price information does not factor in Texas location which can alter prices greatly.
Finding dependable, cheap auto insurance is not easy, and finding out which companies have the lowest-priced auto insurance rates for a Ford Explorer may require a little more work. Each insurer has a unique formula for filing rates in each state, so let’s rank the auto insurance companies with the overall cheapest rates in Texas.
It’s important to know that Texas auto insurance rates are impacted by many things which can substantially change the price of your policy. This price fluctuation is why it is crucial to compare lots of rates when trying to find cheap auto insurance quotes for a Ford Explorer. Insurance rates can be determined by many different factors and can change without notice, so the cheapest option when you bought your policy may now be one of the more expensive options.
Cheap Insurance Rates for Your Explorer
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawTXT5qcibChart);function drawTXT5qcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Company’, ‘Rate’, { role: ‘style’ }], [‘Travelers’, 1021, ‘#F08550’], [‘USAA’, 1084, ‘#C86E42’], [‘Texas Farm Bureau’, 1211, ‘#A65B37’], [‘Germania Mutual’, 1244, ‘#8A4B2D’], [‘Esurance’, 1365, ‘#733E25’]]);var options = {title: ‘Top Five Most Affordable Auto Insurance Companies in Texas’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’, fontSize: 17, bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 300,’chartArea’: {left:0,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},bar: {groupWidth: “90%”},legend: {position: ‘none’},vAxis: {viewWindowMode:’explicit’,viewWindow:{max:1465,min:0}}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});var view = new google.visualization.DataView(data);view.setColumns([0, 1,{ calc: “stringify”,sourceColumn: 1,type: “string”,role: “annotation” },2]);formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.ColumnChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibt5cic’));chart.draw(view, options);}
Travelers has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Texas at around $1,021 annually. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance also make the cut as some of the more affordable Texas car insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you currently have a policy with Texas Farm Bureau and switched to Travelers, you might realize a yearly price reduction of approxmiately $190. Insureds with Germania Mutual could save as much as $223 a year, and Esurance policyholders might lower prices by up to $344 a year.
It’s important to note that these prices are averaged for all insureds and vehicles and do not factor in a specific rate factor for a Ford Explorer. So the company that has the cheapest rates for you may not even be in the company chart above. That affirms the importance of why you need to compare prices as often as possible using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
Insurance companies that offer quotes for a Ford Explorer may provide rate discounts that can lower rates by 35% or more if you meet specific criteria. A list of auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are included below.
The illustration below compares insurance premiums with and without discounts applied to the rates. The information is based on a male driver, no claims, a clean driving record, 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 accident-free, passive restraint, defensive driving course, anti-theft, marriage, and multiple vehicle discounts applied. When these discounts are applied, the the average yearly reduction on auto insurance for a Ford Explorer is 28% or $599.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDiscqcibChart);function drawDiscqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘Male Driver No Discounts’, ‘Male Driver with Discounts’],[‘Age 20’, 3673,2637],[‘Age 30’, 1941,1413],[‘Age 40’, 1897,1377],[‘Age 50’, 1731,1253],[‘Age 60’, 1673,1213],[‘Age 70’, 2051,1479]]);var options = {title: ‘Insurance Rate Comparison for a Ford Explorer’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 500,’chartArea’:{left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’},colors: [‘#6791b9’, ‘#98bee2’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Insurance Cost for a Ford Explorer in Texas’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibdisc’));chart.draw(data, options);}
The diagram below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can affect insurance rates when quoting cheap insurance for a Ford Explorer. The rates are based on a single male driver, full coverage, and no additional discounts are factored in.
google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDfdqcibChart);function drawDfdqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘$100 Deductible’,’$250 Deductible’,’$500 Deductible’,’$1,000 Deductible’],[‘Age 20’, 4073,3739,3369,3017],[‘Age 30’, 2147,1989,1795,1611],[‘Age 40’, 2111,1941,1745,1557],[‘Age 50’, 1919,1769,1593,1427],[‘Age 60’, 1855,1711,1543,1383],[‘Age 70’, 2253,2087,1903,1727]]);var options = {title: ‘Impact of Higher Deductibles on Ford Explorer Insurance Rates in Texas’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 700,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’,’height’: ‘80%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’,textStyle: {fontSize: 12}},bar: {groupWidth: ‘80%’},colors: [‘#6791b9′,’#75a8d8′,’#98bee2′,’#bad4ec’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Insurance Cost for a Ford Explorer’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);formatter.format(data,3);formatter.format(data,4);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibdfd’));chart.draw(data, options);}
As shown above, a 50-year-old driver could lower rates by $326 a year by changing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $492 by using a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the Age 20 category, could reduce their rates $1,056 each year just by choosing larger deductibles. When using a larger deductible, it will be important to have enough funds in savings to be able to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the one shortcoming of high deductibles.
Due to technology, there are many ways to quote cheap auto insurance rates in Texas, but the most common methods are through an independent insurance agent, an exclusive insurance agent like Allstate or Auto-Owners, or direct online or over the phone from a company like Progressive or Geico. Each way is similar, but they differ in how they provide rate quotes.
Independent insurance agencies work for many companies and can get rate quotes from every one. These types of agencies can give you more rates, which can give you the best idea of how your rates compare. If the agent locates a cheaper price, your policy can be easily switched to a different company and you don’t have to switch agencies.
Exclusive agencies are contracted to a single insurance company such as an Auto-Owners or Allstate agent. These agents normally cannot provide prices from multiple companies, so they have to upsell other benefits.
The third popular method of shopping for auto insurance is direct, which means you skip local agents and instead buy direct from companies such as Geico or Progressive. Buying auto insurance direct may be the best choice families who have limited assets and know what limits they need.
So which method is best for finding the cheapest insurance for a Ford Explorer in Texas? It would be premature to say shopping direct results in the cheapest rates since there is no need to pay agent commissions, but that turns out to not be true. We could also assume that an independent agent guarantees the lowest rates since they can provide multiple quotes, but again, it’s not necessarily true. In a lot of cases, the exclusive agents have very competitive rates that independents and direct companies can’t touch.
Because of the variability of auto insurance rates, the best method to ensure you are not overpaying for auto insurance is to get quotes and compare the rates. Put in the effort to get price quotes all three ways to give yourself enough choices. For a list of companies with some of the cheapest Texas auto insurance rates, click here to view.
Here are a few money-saving solutions that can help Texas drivers get cheap coverage.
The last idea is very critical, as was pointed out in the prior article. Rates change a lot, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to buy from a new company if you can find a cheaper rate. Sticking with a specific company is fine, but it’s not recommended if that loyalty ends up costing hundreds of dollars a year. Now is a great time to shop around to find cheaper insurance for a Ford Explorer.