It’s well known that car insurance companies don’t want you shop around. Drivers who get price comparisons are inclined to buy a different policy because there is a significant possibility of getting low-cost coverage. A recent survey revealed that drivers who regularly shopped around saved approximately $70 a month compared to policyholders who never compared prices.
If finding budget-friendly insurance in Portland is the reason you’re here, learning how to quote prices and compare insurance can save time, money, and frustration.
The most effective way to get more affordable car insurance rates in Portland is to compare prices regularly from insurers in Oregon.
- Get a basic knowledge of how your policy works and the things you can control to keep rates low. Many risk factors that are responsible for high rates like traffic citations, accidents, and a low credit rating can be improved by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes. Continue reading for ideas to get cheaper rates and get additional discounts.
- Get rate quotes from exclusive agents, independent agents, and direct providers. Direct companies and exclusive agencies can only give rate quotes from one company like Progressive or Farmers Insurance, while independent agencies can provide prices from multiple insurance companies.
- Compare the new rates to your current policy premium and determine if there is any savings. If you can save some money and change companies, verify that coverage does not lapse between policies.
- Give notification to your current company to cancel your current policy and submit a down payment along with a completed application to your new carrier. As soon as coverage is bound, place the new proof of insurance paperwork in your vehicle’s glove compartment or console.
One key aspect when comparing rates is that you’ll want to compare the same deductibles and limits on each price quote and and to look at every insurance company. Doing this provides an accurate price comparison and a complete price analysis.
How to buy Lexus NX 200t insurance online
When comparing insurance rates, know that comparing more rates from different companies provides better odds of finding better pricing. Some regional insurers cannot provide online Portland NX 200t insurance quotes, so it’s necessary to compare prices on coverage from those companies, too.
The companies shown below provide price quotes in Portland, OR. If your goal is to find cheaper auto insurance in Portland, we recommend you visit several of them to get the best price comparison.
Here’s why auto insurance is not optional
Despite the high insurance cost for a Lexus NX 200t in Portland, insuring your vehicle may be required for several reasons.
First, just about all states have mandatory insurance requirements which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific minimum amounts of liability if you want to drive legally. In Oregon these limits are 25/50/20 which means you must have $25,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $20,000 of property damage coverage.
Second, if your Lexus NX 200t has a loan, almost every bank will stipulate that you have insurance to protect their interest in the vehicle. If you let the policy lapse, the bank may buy a policy for your Lexus for a much higher rate and force you to pay the higher premium.
Third, insurance protects both your Lexus and your assets. It will also pay for medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, will also pay to defend you if someone files suit against you as the result of an accident. If damage is caused by hail or an accident, comprehensive (other-than-collision) and collision coverage will pay to repair the damage minus the deductible amount.
The benefits of carrying enough insurance definitely exceed the price paid, particularly when you have a large claim. On average, a vehicle owner in Portland is overpaying more than $869 every year so you should quote and compare rates each time the policy renews to make sure the price is not too high.
Get cheaper rates on Lexus NX 200t insurance in Portland with these auto insurance discounts
Some insurers don’t always publicize all discounts very clearly, so the below list has both the well known as well as the least known discounts that you may qualify for.
- Seat Belts Save – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to use their safety belts can save a little off the PIP or medical payment premium.
- Buy New and Save – Insuring a vehicle that is new can save up to 30% since new model year vehicles are generally safer.
- Distant Student Discount – College-age children who are attending college and don’t have a car may be able to be covered for less.
- Senior Citizen Rates – Seniors could receive reduced rates.
- Drive Safe and Save – Accident-free drivers can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates compared to accident prone drivers.
- Pay Now and Pay Less – If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you can avoid the installment charge.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most of the big mark downs will not be given to the whole policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as liability, collision or medical payments. So when the math indicates all those discounts means the company will pay you, it’s just not the way it works.
Larger auto insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are shown below.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for electronic funds transfer, youthful driver, distant student, pay in full, and alternative fuel.
- Esurance may include discounts for safety device, multi-car, Switch & Save, emergency road assistance, DriveSense, paid-in-full, and anti-theft.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including multiple autos, accident-free, safe vehicle, student away at school, and multiple policy.
- GEICO has savings for military active duty, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, emergency military deployment, seat belt use, and air bags.
- Allstate has discounts for good student, premier plus, defensive driver, multi-policy, resident student, and anti-theft.
If you want low cost Portland car insurance quotes, ask all companies you are considering how many discounts you can get. Some discounts might not be offered on policies in your area.
Compare rates but buy from a local neighborhood Portland car insurance agent
Some consumers would prefer to go talk to an agent and that can be a smart move The best thing about price shopping on the web is that you can find cheap insurance quotes but still work with a licensed agent. Putting coverage with local agencies is important especially in Portland.
To make it easy to find an agent, after completing this short form, your coverage information is transmitted to companies in Portland that can give you free Portland car insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. You never need to search for an agent because quoted prices will be sent instantly to you. You can find lower rates AND an agent nearby. If for some reason you want to get a comparison quote from a particular provider, you would need to jump over to their website and give them your coverage information.
When looking for a good insurance agency, there are a couple of different agency structures and how they differ in how they can insure your vehicles. Portland agents may be either exclusive or independent.
Independent Agencies or Brokers
Agents of this type often have affiliation with several companies so as a result can place your coverage with lots of companies and find you the best rates. If they quote lower rates, the agent simply finds a different carrier without you having to go to a different agency.
When comparing insurance prices, we highly recommend that you include price quotes from multiple independent agents to get the most accurate price comparison. Most also have access to smaller regional carriers which may have better rates.
Listed below are independent agencies in Portland who can help you get competitive price quotes.
- Matthew K Barnett Agency
3332 N Lombard St – Portland, OR 97217 – (503) 285-2546 – View Map - Darrell Grenz Insurance Agency
5651 N Lombard St – Portland, OR 97203 – (503) 206-6736 – View Map - Hecht and Hecht Insurance Agency Inc.
425 NE Hancock St – Portland, OR 97212 – (503) 542-1130 – View Map
Exclusive Agencies
These type of agents can only quote rates from one company and examples are AAA, Allstate, and State Farm. Exclusive agents are unable to compare other company’s rates so they are skilled at selling on more than just price. Exclusive insurance agents are well schooled on sales techniques which aids in selling service over price. A lot of people purchase coverage from exclusives primarily because of the brand and solid financial strength.
Listed below are exclusive insurance agencies in Portland willing to provide price quotes.
- Michael G Ferguson – State Farm Insurance Agent
736 NW 12th Ave #100 – Portland, OR 97209 – (503) 227-1393 – View Map - Larry Rodman – State Farm Insurance Agent
7850 SW Barbur Blvd – Portland, OR 97219 – (503) 246-7753 – View Map - John Freeman – State Farm Insurance Agent
8519 SE Woodstock Blvd – Portland, OR 97266 – (503) 228-1311 – View Map
Deciding on a insurance agent is decision based upon more than just a cheap price quote. Get answers to these questions too.
- Do you have coverage for a rental car if your vehicle is in the repair shop?
- Are they actively involved in the community?
- How would your car be valued if totaled?
- Will a damage claim use OEM or aftermarket replacement parts?
- Is assistance available after office hours?
- What kind of financial rating does the company have?
- Do they specialize in personal lines coverage in Portland?
If you get good feedback to all your questions as well as an affordable premium quote, most likely you have located an insurance agency that can adequately provide insurance. It’s important to know that policyholders can terminate coverage whenever you want so don’t feel you are locked into any particular company indefinitely.
Car insurance is unique, just like you
When selecting coverage for your vehicles, there is no “perfect” insurance plan. Each situation is unique.
These are some specific questions could help you determine whether or not you would benefit from professional advice.
- Am I covered if I break a side mirror?
- What is an adequate liability insurance limit?
- What is high-risk coverage and where do I buy it?
- What does UM/UIM cover?
- Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
- How do I file an SR-22 for a DUI in Oregon?
If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation, you may need to chat with a licensed agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, take a second and complete this form.
Shop around and save
As you shop your coverage around, you should never buy less coverage just to save a little money. There are too many instances where an insured dropped collision coverage only to regret that they should have had better coverage. Your aim should be to find the BEST coverage at the lowest possible cost, not the least amount of coverage.
Consumers switch companies for a number of reasons such as lack of trust in their agent, delays in responding to claim requests, questionable increases in premium and even high prices. No matter why you want to switch, finding a new company can be pretty painless.
You just learned a lot of ways to lower your Lexus NX 200t insurance premium rates in Portland. It’s most important to understand that the more rate quotes you have, the better your chances of lowering your prices. You may even be surprised to find that the lowest premium rates come from a small local company.
More information is available below:
- State Laws for Cellphones and Texting (iihs.org)
- Who Has Cheap Car Insurance Rates for a Ford Fusion in Portland? (FAQ)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for a Toyota Highlander in Portland? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Portland Auto Insurance Rates for Electric Cars? (FAQ)
- Alcohol Impaired Driving FAQ (iihs.org)
- Drunk Driving Statistics (Insurance Information Institute)
- Safe Vehicles for Teens (iihs.org)
- Property Damage Coverage (Liberty Mutual)