Compare 2015 Toyota Prius v Insurance Quotes

Want cheaper car insurance rates for your Toyota Prius v? Insurance shopping is not something car owners like to do, but all states require it before you can legally be on the road.

If you currently have car insurance, you will most likely be able to save some money using these methods. This article will familiarize you with how car insurance quotes work and some tricks to saving. But car owners must learn how insurance companies sell online.

Toyota Prius v insurance rates have many determining factors

An important part of buying insurance is that you know some of the elements that play a part in calculating insurance rates. Understanding what impacts premium levels helps enable you to make changes that could result in much lower annual insurance costs.

Shown below are a few of the “ingredients” that factor into premiums.

  • Extra add-on coverages are wasting money – There are a ton of extra coverages that you can get tricked into buying on your insurance policy. Coverages for personal injury protection, accidental death and membership fees may be wasting your money. These coverages may sound good when talking to your agent, but your needs may have changed so eliminate them to save money.
  • Discounts for multiple policies – Most companies will award you with lower prices to insureds who buy several policies from them in the form of a multi-policy discount. Even though this discount sounds good, it’s still a good idea to compare rates to confirm you are receiving the best rates possible.
  • Car features impact rates – Owning a car with an alarm system can save you a little every year. Anti-theft devices such as vehicle immobilizer systems, General Motors OnStar and LoJack tracking systems can help prevent your car from being stolen.
  • Don’t let your coverage lapse – Allowing your insurance policy to lapse will be a sure-fire way to trigger a rate increase. And not only will insurance be more expensive, getting caught without coverage can result in a revoked license or a big fine.You may then be required to submit proof of financial responsibility or a SR-22 with your state department of motor vehicles.

Policy discounts you shouldn’t miss

Car insurance can cost a lot, buy you may qualify for discounts to cut the cost considerably. Certain discounts will be applied when you complete an application, but some may not be applied and must be specifically requested before being credited.

  • Pay Upfront and Save – If you pay your bill all at once instead of monthly or quarterly installments you could save up to 5%.
  • Anti-theft System – Cars that have factory anti-theft systems can help prevent theft and earn discounts up to 10%.
  • Defensive Driving Course – Successfully completing a course teaching defensive driving skills could cut 5% off your bill depending on where you live.
  • Accident Forgiveness – A few companies allow you one accident before hitting you with a surcharge if your claims history is clear for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies give back up to $50 simply for signing online.
  • Own a Home – Owning a house may earn you a small savings because owning a home demonstrates responsibility.
  • Discount for New Cars – Putting insurance coverage on a new car can save up to 30% because new vehicles have to meet stringent safety requirements.
  • Passive Restraints – Vehicles equipped with air bags or automatic seat belts can get savings of 20% or more.
  • Employee of Federal Government – Being employed by or retired from a federal job can earn a discount up to 10% on Prius v coverage with a few car insurance companies.

Drivers should understand that most of the big mark downs will not be given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only cut the price of certain insurance coverages like medical payments or collision. So even though they make it sound like adding up those discounts means a free policy, you’re out of luck. Any amount of discount will cut the cost of coverage.

To see a list of providers offering car insurance discounts, click this link.

Ads can be misleading

State Farm, Allstate and Geico consistently run ads in print and on television. All the companies make an identical promise about savings if you change to them. How can each company make almost identical claims?

All companies can use profiling for the right customer that makes them money. For instance, a profitable customer could be between the ages of 40 and 55, is a homeowner, and has great credit. A customer getting a price quote who meets those qualifications will get the preferred rates and therefore will save when switching.

Potential customers who don’t meet the “perfect” profile must pay higher prices which usually ends up with business not being written. The ads state “customers that switch” not “everyone that quotes” save that kind of money. This is how companies can truthfully make those claims.

This illustrates why it is so important to compare as many rates as you can. It’s just too difficult to predict the company that will give you the biggest savings on Toyota Prius v insurance.

Insurance agents can help

When choosing the right insurance coverage, there isn’t really a perfect coverage plan. Every insured’s situation is different.

Here are some questions about coverages that may help highlight if you might need professional guidance.

  • Should I buy only the required minimum liability coverage?
  • Should I buy additional glass protection?
  • Is my custom paint covered by insurance?
  • Which is better, split liability limits or combined limits?
  • Should I bundle my homeowners policy with my auto?
  • Can my teen drive my company car?
  • How do I insure my teen driver?
  • Do I need added coverage for expensive stereo equipment?
  • Will filing a claim cost me more?

If you can’t answer these questions but you think they might apply to your situation then you might want to talk to a licensed agent. To find an agent in your area, simply complete this short form.

Educate yourself about car insurance coverages

Knowing the specifics of your car insurance policy aids in choosing the right coverages and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be confusing and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording.

Collision coverage – This covers damage to your Prius v caused by collision with an object or car. You have to pay a deductible and then insurance will cover the remainder.

Collision insurance covers claims like colliding with a tree, backing into a parked car and rolling your car. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Coverage for uninsured or underinsured drivers – Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist coverage gives you protection from other drivers when they either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for injuries sustained by your vehicle’s occupants as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Since a lot of drivers only purchase the least amount of liability that is required, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. For this reason, having high UM/UIM coverages should not be overlooked. Usually these coverages are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Comprehensive car insurance – Comprehensive insurance pays to fix your vehicle from damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You need to pay your deductible first then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like a broken windshield, hail damage and damage from flooding. The most you can receive from a comprehensive claim is the cash value of the vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Auto liability insurance – Liability insurance can cover injuries or damage you cause to other people or property by causing an accident. It protects YOU against claims from other people, and doesn’t cover your injuries or vehicle damage.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show limits of 25/50/25 which stand for $25,000 in coverage for each person’s injuries, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Some companies may use a combined limit which combines the three limits into one amount with no separate limits for injury or property damage.

Liability can pay for claims such as repair bills for other people’s vehicles, court costs and medical services. How much liability coverage do you need? That is your choice, but you should buy as high a limit as you can afford.

Coverage for medical expenses – Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and medical payments coverage reimburse you for short-term medical expenses such as pain medications, nursing services, prosthetic devices, ambulance fees and surgery. They can be utilized in addition to your health insurance plan or if you are not covered by health insurance. It covers not only the driver but also the vehicle occupants as well as being hit by a car walking across the street. Personal injury protection coverage is not available in all states and may carry a deductible

Final considerations

Consumers switch companies for a variety of reasons including extreme rates for teen drivers, lack of trust in their agent, delays in paying claims and being labeled a high risk driver. Regardless of your reason, finding the right auto insurance provider is less work than it seems.

Cost effective 2015 Toyota Prius v insurance can be sourced both online and also from your neighborhood agents, so you should be comparing quotes from both to get a complete price analysis. Some auto insurance companies may not provide online quoting and these smaller companies work with independent agents.

You just learned quite a bit of information on how to shop for insurance online. The key concept to understand is the more price quotes you have, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. Consumers may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a small mutual company.

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