How to Save on Honolulu Subaru Outback Insurance

It’s safe to assume that insurance companies don’t want their policyholders to compare prices. People who compare rates once a year are likely to switch to a new company because there are good odds of finding a lower-priced company. Surprisingly, a recent survey revealed that consumers who make a habit of shopping around saved over $70 a month compared to drivers who never shopped around.

If finding budget-friendly Subaru Outback insurance in Honolulu is your objective, knowing how to find companies and compare insurance rates can save time and money.

To save the most money, the best way to get low-cost auto insurance rates is to compare prices once a year from companies in Honolulu.

• Step 1: Learn about how auto insurance works and the changes you can make to prevent expensive coverage. Many risk factors that are responsible for high rates such as traffic tickets, fender benders, and a less-than-favorable credit history can be eliminated by making small lifestyle or driving habit changes.
• Step 2: Get rate quotes from direct carriers, independent agents, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can provide rates from a single company like Progressive and State Farm, while independent agents can provide rate quotes from multiple sources.
• Step 3: Compare the new quotes to your existing policy to see if a cheaper price is available in Honolulu. If you find a better price and switch companies, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
• Step 4: Provide adequate notice to your current company of your decision to cancel the current policy. Submit a down payment and signed policy application to your new carrier. Once coverage is bound, place your new certificate verifying proof of insurance with your vehicle’s registration.

A good tip to remember is that you’ll want to make sure you compare the same coverage limits and deductibles on every quote and and to look at every company you can. This provides a fair rate comparison and the best rate selection.

This information will let you in on how to get online quotes and how you can save the most money. If you are insured now, you will be able to find better prices using the concepts covered in this article. Consumers only need to know the most effective way to buy insurance from many different companies.

How Insurance Providers Calculate Subaru Outback Insurance Premiums

Lots of things are used in the calculation when you quote your car insurance policy. Some of the criteria are obvious like your driving record, although others are not as apparent like where you live and annual miles driven.

• Having a spouse can save on insurance – Getting married can actually save you money on your insurance policy. It is viewed as being more mature and responsible and it’s proven that married drivers tend to have fewer serious accidents.

• Premiums drop with age – Older people tend to be more responsible, file fewer claims, and usually have better credit. Drivers with little experience are proven to be more careless in a vehicle so insurance rates are higher.

  The following data assumes a single driver, full coverage with $250 deductibles, and no discounts or violations.

• Do you know you’re credit rating? – Having a bad credit score can be an important factor in determining premium rates. If your credit score is lower than you’d like, you could save money insuring your Subaru Outback by repairing your credit. Insureds with very good credit scores tend to file fewer claims than drivers with lower credit scores.
• Theft deterrents save – Purchasing a vehicle with anti-theft technology or alarm system can help lower your premiums. Advanced theft deterrents like LoJack tracking devices, vehicle tamper alarm systems or GM’s OnStar system all aid in stopping your car from being stolen.

• Subaru Outback insurance loss probability – Insurers study historical loss data to calculate a price that offsets possible losses. Models that are shown to have higher frequency or amount of claims will cost more to insure. The table shown below demonstrates the insurance loss data for Subaru Outback vehicles.

  For each coverage category, the statistical loss for all vehicles compiled together is considered to be 100. Values that are below 100 suggest a better than average loss history, while numbers that are greater than 100 show a trend for more claims or an increased chance of larger losses than average.

  
  

  Subaru Outback Insurance Loss Statistics

  Vehicle Make and Model	Collision	Property Damage	Comp	Personal Injury	Medical Payment	Bodily Injury
  Subaru Outback 4WD	58	68	106	63	64	68
  Subaru Outback with Eyesight 4WD	57	46	106	61	58	40

  BETTER

  AVERAGE

  WORSE

  Statistics from IIHS.org for 2013-2015 Model Years

The companies shown below can provide free quotes in Hawaii. If the list has multiple companies, we recommend you visit two to three different companies to get the best price comparison.

Rate information and statistics

The information below highlights detailed analysis of insurance prices for Subaru Outback models. Having a good grasp of how insurance quotes are figured can assist in making decisions on the best policy coverages.

Data based on married female driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and Hawaii minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, and claim-free. Price estimates do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can impact insurance rates greatly.

Car insurance deductibles

One of the most common car insurance questions is the level to set your comp and collision deductibles. The rates below may help to illustrate the costs and benefits when you select higher and lower deductibles. The first data table uses a $250 comprehensive and collision deductible and the second pricing table uses a $500 deductible.

Data variables include married male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, and Hawaii minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, homeowner, safe-driver, and multi-vehicle. Rate information does not factor in vehicle location which can modify auto insurance rates significantly.

Based on this data, using a $250 deductible costs an average of $11 more each month or $132 every year across all Subaru Outback models than opting for the higher $500 deductible. Since the policyholder would be required to pay $250 more to file a claim with a $500 deductible as compared to a $250 deductible, if you normally average more than 23 months between claim filings, you would probably save some money if you choose a higher deductible.

The information below demonstrates how deductible levels and can influence Subaru Outback annual premium costs for each different age category. The data is based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, and no additional discounts are factored in.

Subaru Outback insurance premiums by gender

The chart below shows the difference between Subaru Outback insurance costs for male and female drivers. The rate quotes are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, full physical damage coverage, $500 deductibles, single status, and no policy discounts are applied.

Difference between liability only and full coverage rates

The information below illustrates the difference between Subaru Outback auto insurance costs with and without full coverage. The prices are based on a clean driving record, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no other discounts are factored in.

When to stop buying full coverage

There is no specific rule for eliminating comp and collision coverage, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is about 10% or more of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

For example, let’s pretend your Subaru Outback settlement value is $8,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company would pay you is $7,000 after you pay the deductible. If you are currently paying more than $700 annually for full coverage, then it might be time to consider dropping full coverage.

There are some conditions where only buying liability is not financially feasible. If you haven’t paid off your loan, you have to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should not remove full coverage.

Three reasons car insurance is important

Even though it’s not necessarily cheap to insure a Subaru in Honolulu, buying car insurance may be mandatory for several reasons.

• Most states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means the state requires specific minimum amounts of liability insurance in order to be legal. In Hawaii these limits are 20/40/10 which means you must have $20,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $40,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $10,000 of property damage coverage.
• If you have a lien on your Subaru Outback, most banks will force you to have physical damage coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you do not pay your insurance premiums, the bank or lender will purchase a policy for your Subaru for a much higher rate and make you pay for the much more expensive policy.
• Car insurance protects both your Subaru Outback and your personal assets. It also can pay for many types of medical costs that are the result of an accident. One of the most valuable coverages, liability insurance, will also pay to defend you if you are named as a defendant in an auto accident. If you have damage to your Subaru as the result of the weather or an accident, your policy will pay to have it repaired.

The benefits of insuring your car greatly outweigh the cost, especially when you need to use it. According to a 2015 survey, the average American driver is overpaying over $865 each year so we recommend shopping around at every policy renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.

Get cheap Subaru Outback insurance in Honolulu with discounts

Auto insurance companies do not advertise the entire discount list in a way that’s easy to find, so the following list contains a few of the more common as well as the least known auto insurance savings.

• ABS Braking Discount – Cars with anti-lock braking systems are safer to drive so companies give up to a 10% discount.
• Discounts for Seat Belt Usage – Drivers who always wear seat belts and also require passengers to use a seat belt can save a little on the premium charged for medical payments and/or PIP.
• Anti-theft Discount – Anti-theft and alarm system equipped vehicles are stolen less frequently and qualify for as much as a 10% discount.
• Discounts for New Vehicles – Insuring a new Outback can save up to 30% due to better safety requirements for newer vehicles.
• Life Insurance Discount – Select auto insurance companies reward you with a discounted auto insurance rate on car insurance if you buy a life insurance policy as well.
• College Student Discount – College-age children who are enrolled in a college that is more than 100 miles from Honolulu and do not have access to a covered vehicle may qualify for this discount.
• Pay Upfront and Save – By paying your entire bill at once rather than paying in monthly installments you can avoid monthly service charges.

Don’t be shocked that some of the credits will not apply to the whole policy. Some only apply to the price of certain insurance coverages like physical damage coverage or medical payments. So even though it sounds like all those discounts means the company will pay you, auto insurance companies aren’t that generous.

The information below illustrates the comparison of Subaru Outback insurance prices with and without discounts applied to the premium. The rate quotes are based on a male driver, no accidents or driving violations, Hawaii state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with marriage, multi-car, multi-policy, claim-free, safe-driver, and homeowner discounts applied.

A few popular companies and their possible discounts can be read below.

• State Farm may offer discounts for safe vehicle, multiple autos, defensive driving training, anti-theft, multiple policy, and driver’s education.
• Esurance includes discounts for good student, Switch & Save, emergency road assistance, homeowner, and anti-theft.
• Progressive may include discounts for good student, multi-vehicle, online signing, multi-policy, homeowner, and continuous coverage.
• Liberty Mutual offers premium reductions for preferred payment discount, new move discount, multi-car, new vehicle discount, and good student.
• Auto-Owners Insurance discounts include paperless, teen driver, multiple vehicles, anti-lock brakes, and group or association.
• GEICO may have discounts that include membership and employees, anti-theft, emergency military deployment, federal employee, defensive driver, and daytime running lights.

Double check with each company or agent which discounts you may be entitled to. Discounts might not be offered on policies in your state.

When should I talk to an insurance agent?

Many drivers just prefer to visit with an insurance agent and that is just fine! Good agents can point out coverage gaps and help file insurance claims. The biggest benefit of comparing rate quotes online is that you can obtain the lowest rates and still have a local agent. And supporting small agencies is still important in Honolulu.

To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this quick form, the quote information is sent to participating agents in Honolulu that provide free Honolulu auto insurance quotes to get your business. It’s much easier because you don’t need to leave your house as quotes are delivered to the email address you provide. If you wish to compare prices from a particular provider, don’t hesitate to navigate to their website and fill out the quote form the provide.

If you want to buy insurance from a reputable agency, you must know there are a couple different agency structures that you can select. Agencies in Honolulu are classified as either exclusive or independent (non-exclusive). Either one can sell insurance policies, but it’s a good idea to understand why they differ because it can factor into your agent selection.

Independent Insurance Agencies

Agents that choose to be independent are not limited to a single company and that is an advantage because they can write policies through many different insurance companies and help determine which has the cheapest rates. To move your coverage to a new company, your policy is moved internally and you stay with the same agent. If you are trying to find cheaper rates, you will want to get rate quotes from at a minimum one independent agency to get the most accurate price comparison. A lot of them also have access to smaller companies who may have lower rates.

Below is a list of independent insurance agents in Honolulu that may be able to give competitive price quotes.

• Atlas Insurance
  1132 Bishop St #1600 – Honolulu, HI 96813 – (808) 533-8728 – View Map
• First Insurance Co of Hawaii Limited
  1100 Ward Ave # Main, Honolulu, HI 96814, Honolulu, 96818 – Honolulu, HI 96818 – (808) 527-7777 – View Map
• Dongbu Insurance
  1440 Kapiolani Blvd # 950 – Honolulu, HI 96814 – (808) 942-5353 – View Map

More Honolulu agents

Exclusive Insurance Agencies

These agents normally can only provide a single company’s rates like AAA, Allstate, State Farm, or Farmers Insurance. They usually cannot provide rate quotes from other companies so they really need to provide good service. Exclusive agents are usually well trained on the products they sell which helps them sell insurance even at higher premiums. Consumers frequently use the same agent primarily because of loyalty to the company and strong financial ratings.

Listed below is a short list of exclusive agencies in Honolulu who can help you get price quote information.

• U’ilani Hawelu – State Farm Insurance Agent
  1960 Kapiolani Blvd Ste 208 – Honolulu, HI 96826 – (808) 955-9090 – View Map
• Sean Huh – State Farm Insurance Agent
  23 S Vineyard Blvd #205 – Honolulu, HI 96813 – (808) 528-0001 – View Map
• Kaina Kauahi – State Farm Insurance Agent
  560 N Nimitz Hwy #217f – Honolulu, HI 96817 – (808) 524-9997 – View Map

More Honolulu agents

Picking an auto insurance agent requires you to look at more than just a cheap quote. These are valid questions to ask:

• Do they get extra compensation for selling add-on coverages?
• Do the agents have professional certifications like CPCU or CIC?
• Does the company use OEM repair parts?
• Is the agency covered by Errors and Omissions coverage?
• Can you contact them at any time?
• How much will you save each year by using a higher deductible?
• Where are claims handled?
• Will their companies depreciate repairs to your car based on the mileage?

If you receive good answers to all your questions as well as a price you’re happy with, it’s a good possibility that you have found an auto insurance agent that will properly service your insurance policy.

Hawaii auto insurance company ratings

Finding the highest-rated insurance company is hard considering how many companies there are in Hawaii. The ranking information in the next section can help you pick which car insurance companies to look at shopping prices with.

Top 10 Honolulu Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Customer Satisfaction

1. USAA – 94%
2. AAA Insurance – 91%
3. State Farm – 90%
4. Nationwide – 90%
5. The Hartford – 89%
6. GEICO – 89%
7. Liberty Mutual – 88%
8. Allstate – 88%
9. Esurance – 87%
10. Progressive – 87%

Top 10 Honolulu Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Claims Service

1. State Farm
2. Esurance
3. AAA Insurance
4. Progressive
5. GEICO
6. Liberty Mutual
7. Allstate
8. The Hartford
9. Farmers Insurance
10. Safeco

Final considerations

As you shop your coverage around, it’s not a good idea to reduce needed coverages to save money. There have been many situations where someone dropped physical damage coverage and found out when filing a claim that the small savings ended up costing them much more. Your objective should be to buy a smart amount of coverage at an affordable rate, but do not skimp to save money.

We just covered quite a bit of information on how to shop for Subaru Outback insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more quotes you get, the better your comparison will be. You may even find the most savings is with an unexpected company.

Consumers switch companies for a variety of reasons including not issuing a premium refund, high prices, extreme rates for teen drivers and even policy cancellation. Regardless of your reason for switching companies, finding the right auto insurance provider can be less work than you think.

Additional auto insurance information can be read at the links below

• Higher speed limits cause more fatalities (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)
• Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for Drivers Requiring a SR22 in Honolulu? (FAQ)
• How Much are Car Insurance Rates for a Learners Permit in Honolulu? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for Unemployed Drivers in Honolulu? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for Safe Drivers in Honolulu? (FAQ)
• What Car Insurance is Cheapest for a Ford Edge in Honolulu? (FAQ)
• How do I File a Claim? (Insurance Information Institute)
• How to Avoid Common Accidents (State Farm)