It’s amazing but over 70% of consumers have remained with the same car insurance company for well over three years, and nearly half have never compared rate quotes at all. Drivers in New York could pocket as much as $840 a year by just shopping around, but they mistakenly think it’s difficult to shop around.
It takes a few minutes, but the best way to find more affordable car insurance rates in Buffalo is to compare prices at least once a year from insurers that sell auto insurance in New York. You can compare prices by following these guidelines.
- Step 1: Spend a few minutes and learn about what is in your policy and the things you can control to prevent rate increases. Many risk factors that increase rates such as at-fault accidents, careless driving, and a less-than-favorable credit rating can be remedied by making minor driving habit or lifestyle changes.
- Step 2: Compare prices from independent agents, exclusive agents, and direct companies. Direct and exclusive agents can provide rates from one company like GEICO or Allstate, while agents who are independent can provide rate quotes from many different companies. Begin your rate comparison
- Step 3: Compare the new rate quotes to your current policy to see if a cheaper price is available. If you find a lower rate quote and buy the policy, ensure there is no coverage lapse between policies.
An important note is to use identical limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to analyze as many companies as feasibly possible. This provides an accurate price comparison and a thorough price selection.
Best companies for Lexus RC 200t insurance
The following companies offer free quotes in New York. If your goal is to find cheaper car insurance in Buffalo, NY, we suggest you visit as many as you can to get the best price comparison.
Car insurance discounts are available to cut your rates
Car insurance is neither fun to buy or cheap, but you may qualify for discounts that many people don’t even know exist. Certain discounts will be triggered automatically at the time you complete a quote, but some must be inquired about prior to getting the savings.
- Discount for Multiple Policies – When you combine your homeowners and auto insurance with the same insurance company you could save as much as 10 to 15 percent.
- Save over 55 – If you’re over the age of 55, you can get a discount up to 10%.
- Life Insurance – Not all companies offer life insurance, but some may give you a lower premium rate if you buy some life insurance too.
- Safety Restraint Discount – Buckling up and requiring all passengers to buckle up before driving can save up to 10 percent (depending on the company) off PIP or medical payments premium.
- Waiver for an Accident – Not a discount per se, but some insurance companies will forgive one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if you have no claims prior to being involved in the accident.
- Low Mileage – Low annual miles could qualify for substantially lower rates.
- Driver’s Education for Students – Have your child take driver’s ed class as it can save substantially.
- Claim-Free Discount – Drivers with accident-free driving histories pay much less as opposed to insureds who have frequent claims or accidents.
It’s important to note that many deductions do not apply to the whole policy. A few only apply to the cost of specific coverages such as comprehensive or collision. Just because you may think adding up those discounts means a free policy, companies wouldn’t make money that way.
Car insurance companies that may have many of the previously listed discounts include:
- State Farm
- Liberty Mutual
- American Family
- Progressive
- Farmers Insurance
- Auto-Owners Insurance
- SAFECO
Double check with each company which discounts you may be entitled to. Depending on the company, some discounts may not apply in Buffalo.
What insurance coverages do I need?
When it comes to buying the right insurance coverage for your vehicles, there really is no one-size-fits-all type of policy. Your situation is unique and a cookie cutter policy won’t apply. For instance, these questions might point out if your insurance needs will benefit from professional help.
- How much cheaper are high deductibles?
- Are rock-chip repairs free?
- Does my policy pay for OEM or aftermarket parts?
- When should I have rental car coverage?
- What states are considered no-fault?
- Does my Lexus RC 200t qualify for pleasure use?
- Are split liability limits better than a combined single limit?
- Do I need more liability coverage?
If it’s difficult to answer those questions but a few of them apply, you may need to chat with an agent. If you don’t have a local agent, complete this form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area.
Local Buffalo car insurance agents and car insurance
Some people still like to buy from a local agent and that is OK! An additional benefit of comparing insurance prices online is you can get the best rates and still choose a local agent.
To help locate an agent, after submitting this short form, your insurance coverage information is submitted to insurance agents in Buffalo who will give you quotes to get your business. You won’t need to do any legwork due to the fact that quote results will go to you. You’ll get the best rates AND a local agent. If you have a need to compare rates from a particular provider, don’t hesitate to jump over to their website and submit a quote form there.
Picking an company requires you to look at more than just a cheap price. Some important questions to ask are:
- In the event of vehicle damage, can you pick the collision repair facility?
- If your car is totaled, how to they determine the replacement cost?
- Does their agency support local causes in Buffalo?
- Is the agency covered by Errors and Omissions coverage?
- Are they full-time agents?
- Can they give you a list of client referrals?
Exclusive agents vs. Independent agents
When searching for a reliable insurance agency, it’s helpful to know the types of agencies that you can choose from. Car insurance policy providers can be categorized as either exclusive or independent.
Exclusive Insurance Agents
Exclusive agents can only place business with one company like Allstate, State Farm and Farmers Insurance. These agents are unable to compare rates from other companies so you might not find the best rates. Exclusive insurance agents are well schooled on what they offer which helps overcome the inability to quote other rates. Consumers frequently purchase coverage from exclusives mostly because of the brand legacy instead of buying on price only.
Below is a list of exclusive insurance agents in Buffalo that are able to give rate quotes.
- Marc Scherrer – State Farm Insurance Agent
2165 Sheridan Dr – Buffalo, NY 14223 – (716) 875-0524 – View Map - Lou Santiago – State Farm Insurance Agent
557 Niagara St – Buffalo, NY 14201 – (716) 883-5500 – View Map - Joe Czaja – State Farm Insurance Agent
1021 Union Rd – Buffalo, NY 14224 – (716) 674-3654 – View Map
Independent Car Insurance Agents
Agents in the independent channel do not write with just one company so they can insure your vehicles through many different car insurance companies and find the cheapest rate. If they find a lower price, your agent can switch companies and you don’t have to do anything. When comparing car insurance prices, we recommend you get some free quotes from a couple of independent agencies so that you can do a thorough price comparison. A lot of them also have access to mutual insurance companies who may have lower rates.
Below is a short list of independent insurance agencies in Buffalo who can help you get comparison quotes.
- Gallego Agency
572 Amherst St – Buffalo, NY 14207 – (716) 854-2800 – View Map - New Buffalo Insurance Agency, Inc.
14 E Tupper St – Buffalo, NY 14203 – (716) 332-1570 – View Map - Nationwide Insurance: Cynthia Woltz Insurance Agency Inc
1926 clinton – Buffalo, NY 14206 – (716) 822-6874 – View Map
Ratings for Buffalo auto insurance companies
Buying coverage from the best insurance company can be rather challenging considering how many different companies sell coverage in Buffalo. The company information in the next section could help you select which providers to look at purchasing a policy from.
Top 10 Buffalo Car Insurance Companies Overall
- The General
- Mercury Insurance
- The Hartford
- Progressive
- Travelers
- State Farm
- Farmers Insurance
- Erie Insurance
- Safeco Insurance
- USAA
Top 10 Buffalo Car Insurance Companies Ranked by Claims Service
- Progressive
- USAA
- Liberty Mutual
- State Farm
- GEICO
- Nationwide
- Allstate
- The General
- The Hartford
- 21st Century
Don’t give up on affordable rates
As you restructure your insurance plan, make sure you don’t skimp on critical coverages to save a buck or two. In too many instances, drivers have reduced uninsured motorist or liability limits only to regret they didn’t have enough coverage. Your focus should be to buy enough coverage at the lowest possible cost while still protecting your assets.
Lower-priced car insurance in Buffalo is available from both online companies as well as from insurance agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to have the best chance of lowering rates. Some companies do not offer online price quotes and usually these smaller providers provide coverage only through local independent agents.
We’ve covered quite a bit of information on how to shop for Lexus RC 200t insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more rate comparisons you have, the higher your chance of finding cheaper Buffalo auto insurance quotes. You may even discover the lowest auto insurance rates come from some of the smallest insurance companies. Regional companies often have lower premium rates on specific markets as compared to the big name companies such as State Farm and Allstate.
To read more, take a look at these articles:
- Prom Night Tips for Teen Drivers (State Farm)
- Who Has Cheap Auto Insurance for Hybrid Vehicles in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- What Insurance is Cheapest for Lyft Drivers in Buffalo? (FAQ)
- Who Has the Cheapest Buffalo Car Insurance for High Risk Drivers? (FAQ)
- How Much is Buffalo Auto Insurance for a Hyundai Elantra? (FAQ)
- Teen Driver Licensing Information (iihs.org)
- Warning systems don’t curb driver distraction (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety)