2016 Toyota Prius Insurance Quotes

Did you fall for a flashy sales pitch and buy an overpriced insurance policy? Believe me, you’re not alone. With so many options when it comes to insurance, it’s difficult to pick the best insurer.

It’s a great practice to check insurance prices at least once a year due to the fact that insurance rates are adjusted regularly by insurance companies. Just because you had the best price on Prius coverage last year the chances are good that you can find a lower rate today. Forget all the misinformation about insurance because you’re about to find out the best way to lower your rates without sacrificing coverage.

How to Get Auto Insurance Comparison Quotes

Getting a cheaper price on 2016 Toyota Prius insurance is a fairly straight forward process. The only thing you need to do is spend a few minutes on the computer getting comparison quotes provided by online insurance companies. This is very easy and can be done in several different ways.

  1. The recommended way to find the lowest comparison rates would be an industry-wide quote request form like this one (opens in new window). This type of form keeps you from doing separate quotes to each individual auto insurance company. One simple form will get you rate comparisons instantly.
  2. Another way to analyze rates is going to the website for each individual company to complete a price quote. For example, let’s assume you want to compare Nationwide, Progressive and Travelers. To get each rate you have to take the time to go to each site and enter your information, which is why the first method is quicker. For a handy list of car insurance company links in your area, click here.

It’s up to you how you get prices quotes, just make sure you use the exact same quote information for every company. If you enter differing limits it will be impossible to determine the best price for your Toyota Prius.

Drivers who switch save $487 a year? Really?

Consumers can’t get away from ads for car insurance savings from the likes of Geico, State Farm and Progressive. All the ads say the same thing that you can save if you move your coverage to them.

How can each company make the same claim?

All companies are able to cherry pick for the type of driver that earns them a profit. An example of a preferred risk could be between 30 and 50, a clean driving record, and chooses high deductibles. Any new insured who meets those qualifications gets the lowest rates and most likely will save quite a bit of money when switching.

Potential insureds who do not match these standards will have to pay higher rates which leads to the customer not buying. Company advertisements say “customers that switch” not “people who quote” save that kind of money. That’s why insurance companies can confidently make those claims.

Because of the profiling, you need to compare many company’s rates. Because you never know the company that will give you the biggest savings on Toyota Prius insurance.

Do you qualify for a discount?

Insuring your fleet can be pricey, buy you may qualify for discounts that many people don’t even know exist. A few discounts will automatically apply at quote time, but less common discounts must be asked about before you will receive the discount. If you aren’t receiving every discount possible, you are paying more than you should be.

  • Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a defensive driving course could save 5% or more if your company offers it.
  • Paperless Signup – Some insurance companies may give you up to $50 for buying your policy online.
  • Driver’s Ed – Cut your cost by having your teen driver successfully complete driver’s ed class if offered at their school.
  • Accident Waiver – Some insurance companies will forgive one accident before your rates go up as long as you don’t have any claims for a particular time prior to the accident.
  • Homeowners Savings – Being a homeowner can help you save on car insurance because owning a home is proof that your finances are in order.
  • Braking Control Discount – Anti-lock brake equipped vehicles can avoid accidents and will save you 10% or more.

It’s important to understand that most discounts do not apply to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to individual premiums such as comp or med pay. So when it seems like all those discounts means the company will pay you, companies don’t profit that way. Any qualifying discounts will bring down your overall premium however.

To see a list of companies offering car insurance discounts, click here to view.

What coverages do I need?

When choosing adequate coverage for your vehicles, there really is not a perfect coverage plan. Each situation is unique so your insurance needs to address that. These are some specific questions might point out if your insurance needs would benefit from professional advice.

  • How much underlying liability do I need for an umbrella policy?
  • Is my teen driver covered when they drive my company car?
  • Do I need roadside assistance coverage?
  • When does my teenage driver need to be added to my policy?
  • Should I buy more coverage than the required minimum liability coverage?
  • Can I rent a car in Mexico?
  • Do I need higher collision deductibles?
  • When would I need additional glass coverage?
  • Does car insurance cover theft of personal property?
  • Am I covered if I hit a deer?

If you can’t answer these questions but a few of them apply, then you may want to think about talking to an agent. To find lower rates from a local agent, simply complete this short form or click here for a list of car insurance companies in your area. It’s fast, doesn’t cost anything and may give you better protection.

What auto insurance coverages do you need?

Knowing the specifics of a auto insurance policy can help you determine appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. Policy terminology can be difficult to understand and even agents have difficulty translating policy wording. Shown next are typical coverages found on most auto insurance policies.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance – This provides protection when the “other guys” either are underinsured or have no liability coverage at all. This coverage pays for hospital bills for your injuries as well as your vehicle’s damage.

Due to the fact that many drivers carry very low liability coverage limits, it doesn’t take a major accident to exceed their coverage limits. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea. Frequently these limits are identical to your policy’s liability coverage.

Collision coverages – Collision coverage pays to fix your vehicle from damage resulting from colliding with a stationary object or other vehicle. You have to pay a deductible then your collision coverage will kick in.

Collision can pay for claims like hitting a mailbox, backing into a parked car and driving through your garage door. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so consider dropping it from vehicles that are 8 years or older. It’s also possible to raise the deductible to bring the cost down.

Insurance for medical payments – Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for bills like pain medications, nursing services and ambulance fees. The coverages can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if there is no health insurance coverage. They cover you and your occupants in addition to any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision) – Comprehensive insurance coverage pays for damage from a wide range of events other than collision. You first have to pay a deductible then your comprehensive coverage will pay.

Comprehensive coverage pays for claims like fire damage, a broken windshield, damage from getting keyed and vandalism. The maximum amount your auto insurance company will pay is the market value of your vehicle, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.

Auto liability insurance – Liability insurance can cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property that is your fault. This coverage protects you from claims by other people. It does not cover your own vehicle damage or injuries.

Coverage consists of three different limits, bodily injury for each person injured, bodily injury for the entire accident and a property damage limit. As an example, you may have limits of 25/50/25 that translate to $25,000 bodily injury coverage, a per accident bodily injury limit of $50,000, and property damage coverage for $25,000. Occasionally you may see a combined limit which limits claims to one amount rather than limiting it on a per person basis.

Liability coverage pays for things such as pain and suffering, repair costs for stationary objects and attorney fees. How much liability should you purchase? That is a personal decision, but it’s cheap coverage so purchase as much as you can afford.

Final considerations

As you go through the steps to switch your coverage, it’s very important that you do not skimp on coverage in order to save money. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice uninsured motorist or liability limits only to find out that it was a big mistake. Your focus should be to purchase a proper amount of coverage at a price you can afford, not the least amount of coverage.

You just learned many tips how you can shop for 2016 Toyota Prius insurance online. The key thing to remember is the more providers you compare, the better likelihood of reducing your rate. You may even find the best price on auto insurance is with a smaller regional carrier. These companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates compared to the large companies like Allstate, Geico and Progressive.

Much more information about auto insurance is located at these links: